Tuesday, June 4th - The British Library & Conservation Centre

The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. The collection has over 170 million items, with about 3 million new items being added every year. Every item published in the UK gives a copy to the British Library so the collection is constantly growing. The library considers itself the custodian of a collection that belongs to the nation. Their goals for the future including expanding the digital resources available and enhancing access to the collection. The library is an important resource for researchers and is available to anyone wishing to carry out research. Anyone can register for a Reader Pass with personal identification and proof of address.

We visited the Conservation Centre and heard specifically about the Qatar Foundation Partnership that started in 2010. It deals with preserving archives and manuscripts from the Gulf area. The term “fit for purpose” was one I hadn’t heard before and it applies to objects that are meant to be handled. I hadn’t thought of conservation and restoration as that different, but they are! Their policy of minimal alteration and stabilization (not just making the items look pretty) really prioritizes making the items usable again. With a collection dating back to 3000 BCE, some items are bound to need a little TLC.

My favourite part of our visit today was speaking with the conservators. It was really interesting to hear not only about their practices but how they came to be in their current positions. Everyone's path was different! Showing the different types of papers and fabrics that they utilize in their work was fascinating. It's not just paper, but textiles, parchment, leather, wood, and even metal. The conservators talked about “befriending their objects” and it really goes to show how each unique item presents its own set of challenges.

Visit the British Library website here