Wednesday, June 5th - Royal Geographical Society

Today we visited the Foyle Reading Room at the Royal Geographical Society. The Society was founded in 1830 to advance geographical science. Our guide Eugene is the Principal Librarian of the reading room, and he made an excellent point that I think reflects how the Society has changed over the years. When describing the explorations in Africa, he said they no longer refer to it as just “discovery” because there were already people living there. They are more conscientious about specifying that this was the first time Western science had been there, but that it had been inhabited all along. I think this demonstrates a shift away from colonial thinking and it's clear that the Society has continued to develop and grow. They have over 2 million items in their collection, much of which has been made accessible by the opening of the reading room, which is is free for Society Fellows and members, and those in formal education.

One aspect of the Society's original work I found interesting was that they trained people to use the instruments they have in their collection. Members could learn how to use a compass or sextant, and the instruments could then be borrowed for expeditions. Because of this each item has its own unique biography and has been on many journeys throughout the years. I thought it was a wonderful idea not only to lend items but to teach people how to use them, and I wonder how this idea could be applied to modern libraries that lend objects.

Visit the Royal Geographical Society website here