Libraries & Archives : the Yin and Yang of Research

Cornish Studies Library
strong room

Last week, I visited Cornish Studies Library, with many of my library colleagues. Here they hold a large array of resources, all with a connection to Cornwall or Cornish history. The collection includes more than 30,000 books & pamphlets, over 30 local newspapers on microfilm and a collection of photographs reaching above 160,000 in total.

 

CSL (Cornish Studies Library) was once managed alongside the Cornwall County Council libraries but now works more closely with Cornwall Records Office. I was intrigued by the concept behind this Centre as it bridges the gap between libraries and archives. Their most common enquiries are those regarding family history and the history behind people’s houses, more akin to those we expect to come across in archives, but holds mainly published sources, as a library would.

 

In 2017 CSL will move to a shared site with the Cornwall Records Office and Scilly Historic Environment Records as part of a wider archive and local studies centre, Kresen Kernow. This will allow the user to conduct research into Cornish history using primary and secondary sources, side by side. This seems a very logical and intuitive idea which will simplify the research path for the user, by having everything under one roof available to them, with archive and library staff working alongside one another.

I would be very much interested to see the new arrangement once in place. This concept is arguably not too dissimilar from the position of our Archives situated inside Tremough Library. We often work closely with the campus Academic Liaison Librarians because we find we regularly direct students in their direction when we feel the Librarians may be able to offer suggestions for other resources that are available for the student to develop their research.

Our Special Collections further this relationship as both the Archive service and Library staff members have input into their care. For example, we may promote the collections through displays and Twitter, whilst the library staff will manage the processing and shelf rotation. There may also be a possibility in future that I will be more involved with the processing of these books, working alongside my library colleagues. 

With Archivists and Librarians facing similar challenges, such as working within the boundaries of copyright legislation and promoting access, it is extremely beneficial to keep these lines of communication open between the world of Libraries and the world of Archives. A traineeship in a Higher Education institution has been a perfect opportunity to encounter this and I hope that it will be something I can learn more about in my future career – how can the two professions work with each other to achieve similar goals? What can we learn from one another?

If anyone has worked within both libraries and archives themselves or have come across other centres which bridge this gap then it would be very interesting to hear your thoughts.

Wandering down Woodlane

Our Archive Assistant, Carole and I recently visited Woodlane Library at Falmouth University’s Falmouth Campus to meet the staff based there. The two libraries are a part of one service based across two sites and while our Archives are all held at the Penryn campus, there are lots of possibilities for collaborating with our Woodlane Library colleagues in the use and promotion of our Special Collections.

 

Roger Towe Illustrated Books Collection

I was especially keen to visit because Woodlane Library is home to the Roger Towe Illustrated Books Special Collection which I have heard so many positive things about.

Roger Towe was a librarian at Woodlane who sought to build a collection of books chosen predominantly for their illustrative qualities rather than their narrative. This meant that they could be used by as sources of visual inspiration, first and foremost, rather than as your typical secondary, critical texts. This was to best suit the needs of students studying creative subjects, such as Art and Design, Illustration and Graphics. The result was a really eclectic and unusual mix of books, covering a diverse range of subjects, but which all share beautiful illustrations. This gives the collection real charm and character as you never know what you are going to find next - be it a graphic novel, a fairytale, a classic work of literature, a book written in a different language or even a volume which features no words at all. 

Roger Towe Illustrated Books Collection

I have learnt that you really can’t predict where a student may find inspiration. It has been particularly fascinating on this traineeship to compare the vastly different ways in which many students use the Archives and Special Collections to inform their work. There may be a student who wishes to view a Camborne School of Mines rare book for research into mining practices, and there may be a student who also wishes to see the same book in order to take artistic inspiration from the aesthetics of the structures of the mines - both students, of course, studying very different disciplines. 

Similarly, our Kneehigh Theatre collection is currently being used by two students for their dissertations but in strikingly different ways. One is an English student researching the way in which Cornish myths and legends are re-told through modern literature, whilst the other student is interested in ascertaining the impact the company has had on the Cornish community, through reading reports held in the collection.

Furthermore, we are home to some delightful nineteenth-century rare books on the subject of British moths and butterflies which have been of interest to Biology students from an entomological perspective, and yet equally as desirable to a student seeking to sketch the exquisite coloured plates, instead appreciating their aesthetic qualities. This is the beauty of providing a service to two universities, which together, offer such a vast range of courses. 

Roger Towe Illustrated Books Collection

The staff at both Woodlane and Tremough library have been looking into displaying examples from each other’s Special Collections for cross-promotion. Woodlane library recently featured a display of some of the Christmas books held within our Chris Brooks Collection of Victorian Culture, including a lovely edition of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, of course! Our Special Collections here and at Woodlane often complement each other and we can learn so much from the different ways we both promote and use them. I am looking forward to developing this relationship further and I will be spending more time at Woodlane in coming months to consider joint displays and promotional activities.

Roger Towe Illustrated Books Collection