Maughan Library at Kings College
The Maughan Library is the repository for all special collections within the main library. There are over 200,000 items that range from the 15th Century to the present. The library is entirely research-focused, with academics from history, science, medical, and literary backgrounds using their facilities for their work. There are 7 full-time employees as well as several volunteers and they help run the special collections department. Duties include running operations, cataloging collections, working on preservation and conservation projects, as well as providing information.
One of the current projects that I found to be most interesting involves cataloging a collection of chapter books. These books were small enough to carry around in one’s pocket and were made available to a “lower class readership.” They were cheaply made and inexpensive to purchase.
The Maughan Library has some very interesting items in their special collections. I was impressed by the range of items, from the classic to the bizarre. The most intriguing item was the body bag covered in poems in response to the current refugee crisis. Right next to this very modern item was a bible written in the obscure Romanche language. This proves that an item does not have to be extremely old to be of historical value. The body bag is a piece of history just as much as the bible.
Other items included the Charters of Philadelphia which were signed by Benjamin Franklin, an edited copy of Common Sense by Thomas Paine with the redacted sections rewritten by hand, as well as a signed copy of Allen Ginsberg’s Collected Works. Every item on view had something special. The Ginsberg text, for example, was made out to a previous professor of Kings College so there was a much more personal connection for the library.
Franklin’s Signature
Personalized Signature by Ginsberg
Bible in the obscure Romanche language
The library is also the host of an exhibit which celebrates the 400th anniversary of Williams Shakespeare. We were given a brief run-down of the steps to set up an exhibit. First, you need to decide on a topic and then the approach. You need to figure out how much space you have and make sure that it is sufficient enough to for your topic. Next, you should consult with experts of the topic to make sure that you have your information correct. The fun part is next in which you can then choose which items to include in the exhibit. The not-so-fun part is the physical mounting of the objects and the research and writing of the individual captions, as well as the completion of any loan agreements for items borrowed from other collections. I found this part of the tour very information as I have set up museum exhibits in the past for previous internships and volunteer work. It was nice to know that I was doing everything right!
Our last section of the tour involved a walk around the main library. Because school was not in normal session, the library was very quiet. Our guide assured us that this would not be the case come finals. The library has the same issues that many academic and public libraries experience. Students have specific needs from their library and if the library staff doesn’t work hard to understand these needs and make the necessary changes, students will choose to not use the library. An unused library is an unnecessary library in the eyes of board members come budget decision time.
There is always an amazing reading room to explore:
Amazing Reading Room
I found this visit the the Maughan Library and Special Collections to be very informative. I enjoyed how the tour was broken up into several sections for different aspects of librarianship. I came away from this tour with some very helpful information that would be able to bring back and use in my day-to-day job responsibilities.
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