History of Libraries

Woodside Library was gifted to the people of Dudley by the Earl of Dudley in 1894. Full story: bbc.in/4bimW8M

Library book returned more than 60 years late bbc.in/478XRKL

P.R. Harris's comprehensive history of the British Museum Library from 1753-1973 has been digitised and is now freely available online - all 883 pages of it! More info and link here: bl.uk/stories/blogs/…

Join online or in person on 3 March 5.30pm @Warburg_News. Emmeline Ledgerwood's topic is The National Lending Library for Science & Technology & its collection of Russian scientific literature in Cold War Britain: bit.ly/NationalLendin…. Image: British Library Corporate Archive

Happy New Year! For this month’s Council’s Choice, Julia King highlights the Medieval Libraries of Great Britain database, which aims to list every manuscript and printed book associated with an institutional library during the Middle Ages: bibsoc.org.uk/councils-choic…

Wishing everyone a happy Christmas and New Year, from all at the History of Libraries Research Seminar. Image: Brixton Library libraries.lambeth.gov.uk/-/brixton-libr…

Libraries are the ❤️ heartbeat of our lives. We're loving this miniature recreation of the former Crumpsall & Cheetham Library as it was in 1950s for a library lover who met her husband there @macinnes_neil @MancLibraries @GMLibraries @cilip @libsconnected bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episod…

Explore the history of the library on the hill. Our virtual self-guided tour lets you step back in time to see what the library looked like over a century ago when it was a home. Learn about the building’s architectural features and original décor. brandlibrary.stqry.app

All welcome (online & in person) to our seminar on Tuesday 2 December, 5.30pm GMT @Warburg_News. Tracy Cosgriff’s digital humanities topic is ‘Reading in a Renaissance Pope’s Library: The Bibliotheca Iulia Instaurata’. More info at: bit.ly/RenaissancePop…. Image: Vatican Museums

@gillianneale1 @Warburg_News Thanks for the thumbs up @gillianneale1. Very glad you could join us.

@HistLibraries @Warburg_News This was a superb talk - thanks to Dr McElligiott, @HistLibraries & @Warburg_News.

All welcome (online & in person) to our seminar on Tuesday 4 November, 5.30pm @Warburg_News. Dr Jason McElligott's topic is 'Books for Old Soldiers. The Pensioners' Library at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, 1833-1929'. Info: bit.ly/BooksForOldSol…. Image: heritageireland.ie/places-to-visi…

The late Cormac McCarthy “built his life on books.” So what was in the author’s personal library? Books, rooms of them, maybe 20,000 volumes, many annotated, on quantum physics, whale biology, violins, men’s suits... And a dead bat. Take the tour. smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/t…

Manchester was the first to open a free public library after the Public Libraries Act passed 175 years ago. Manchester Central Library are celebrating with a free exhibition on our proud history of public libraries. 📚🐝 Find out more at orlo.uk/6Kw0h @MancLibraries

All are welcome (online & in person) to our seminar on Tuesday 7 October, 5.30pm. Sophie Coulombeau will be discussing classicist, author, critic, educator, clergyman & thief Charles Burney (1757-1817). More info here: bit.ly/LibrariesAndDe… @SMCoulombeau @Warburg_News

interested in #Swansealibrary history ? Local studies librarian Gwilym Games is giving a talk at 2pm Wed.16 July '150 years of Library history' in Theo's Coffee Shop, in Mumbles @Discovermore @SwanseaCouncil @LibrariesWales @MumblesCouncil @Mumbles @Mumbles_RFC @SwanseaMAD

In this conversation, Giles Mandelbrote joins Andrew Hui, the author of 'The Study: The Inner Life of Renaissance Libraries' to explore the studiolo as a space of solitude, scholarship, and danger. Book: warburg.sas.ac.uk/events/the-sou… 16 June 2025, 6 - 8pm |📍Warburg Institute

In celebration of Parks Library’s centennial this year, explore a virtual exhibit celebrating the history of the library (@isu_library). Take a tour of the collection here: bit.ly/3SWuzYb

@ecgow @Warburg_News Due to a power outage at @Warburg_News we are unable to offer a live stream of this seminar. Many apologies for the inconvenience and disappointment. If you are able to join us in person, please book bit.ly/ExhibitingEngl…

Do join us online or in-person on Tuesday 3 June at 5.30pm BST. Elizabeth Gow will be discussing ‘From Wiclif to the present time’: exhibiting English Bibles at the John Rylands Library, 1899-1911. Book: bit.ly/ExhibitingEngl… @ecgow @Warburg_News. Image luna.manchester.ac.uk/luna/servlet/d…

Delving into the post-war diaries of Hilda Lofthouse and Pauline Leech reveals a humorous portrait of life behind the scenes at our Library📚 Our latest blog is a window into simpler times at Chetham's, and shows how some things never change! 👉 Read here: tinyurl.com/4zvtfknx