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98-622: The Maughan Library ( / m ɔː n / ) is the main university research library of King's College London , forming part of the Strand Campus . A 19th-century neo-Gothic building located on Chancery Lane in the City of London , it was formerly the home to the headquarters of the Public Record Office , known as the "strong-box of the Empire ", and was acquired by the university in 2001. Following

196-685: A bachelor's degree —increasingly repositories list advanced degrees (e.g. MA, MLS/MLIS, Ph.D.) and certifications as a position requirement or preference. In the UK, the National Archives (formerly known as the Public Record Office) is the government archive for England and Wales . The physical records stored by the National Archives amount to 185 km (115 miles) of shelving, a number that increases every year. The English Heritage Archive

294-730: A basis for nations to build their own standards. In the United States, ISAD (G) is implemented through Describing Archives: A Content Standard , popularly known as "DACS". In Canada, ISAD (G) is implemented through the Council of Archives as the Rules for Archival Description , also known as "RAD". ISO is currently working on standards. The cultural property stored in archives is threatened by natural disasters, wars, or other emergencies in many countries. International partners for archives are UNESCO and Blue Shield International , in accordance with

392-603: A body such as the American Library Association ). Subject-area specialization becomes more common in higher-ranking positions. Archives located in for-profit institutions are usually those owned by a private business. Examples of prominent business archives in the United States include Coca-Cola (which also owns the separate museum World of Coca-Cola ), Procter and Gamble , Motorola Heritage Services and Archives, and Levi Strauss & Co. These corporate archives maintain historic documents and items related to

490-413: A cost of £35m. During the works, two rare painted zinc ceilings from the 1860s (one forms part of the ceiling of the round reading room and another is located above the lobby entrance) and a fine 1901 tessellated floor were discovered. Former president of RIBA , Maxwell Hutchinson commented on the project, "I have to say that this is one of the best marriages between an important redundant building and

588-593: A feature in an edition of the King's Library Newsletter confirms that this is in fact a myth, though the library receives several requests to film each month. The exterior of the building appears in the 2020 film Enola Holmes . The top floor of the Chancery Lane wing of the library building is used as a residence for the Principal of King's College London during their term. Research library Research libraries face

686-463: A few days to as short as a few hours. Patrons can also gain access to periodicals and journals that require paid subscriptions through their libraries which they can use to access primary research materials. A research library is often connected to the services of the university related to scholarly communication , such as support for open access journals run by the institution and the operation of an institutional repository , as well as support for

784-599: A former medieval chapel, now an exhibition space showcasing the special collections of the library. The library was named in honour of Sir Deryck Maughan , an alumnus of the university. The library building seen today was built in 1851, however, its roots date back to the 13th century. The Maughan occupies the site of the Domus Conversorum (House of the Converts or Le Converse Inn in Norman French ), later known as

882-550: A government archive, and frequent users include reporters , genealogists , writers, historians , students, and people seeking information on the history of their home or region. Many government archives are open to the public, and no appointment is required to visit. In the United States, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) maintains central archival facilities in the District of Columbia and College Park, Maryland , with regional facilities distributed throughout

980-528: A new use I've come across in a very long time." The library was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in November 2002, and the project received the 2003 City Heritage Award. The library was named after Sir Deryck Maughan , an alumnus of King's, who together with Lady Maughan made a £4m donation towards the new university library. It is the largest new university library in Britain since World War II . The surviving part of

1078-711: A number of European organizations, including the European Commission, choose to deposit their archives with the European University Institute in Florence. A prominent church archive is the Vatican Apostolic Archive . Archdioceses , dioceses , and parishes also have archives in the Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches. Very important are monastery archives because of their antiquity, like

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1176-574: A particular message to posterity. In general, archives consist of records that have been selected for permanent or long-term preservation on the grounds of their enduring cultural, historical, or evidentiary value. Archival records are normally unpublished and almost always unique, unlike books or magazines, of which many identical copies may exist. This means that archives are quite distinct from libraries with regard to their functions and organization, although archival collections can often be found within library buildings. A person who works in archives

1274-494: A small brick building now used for storing bicycles. These were formerly on St Dunstan's House situated on Fetter Lane, which was demolished in 1976, and the grounds where the house was situated paved the way for new luxury residential apartments to be built. The dodecagonal reading room is one of the locations consulted by Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu in chapters 92 and 95 of the Dan Brown novel, The Da Vinci Code . The library

1372-550: A tendency to prioritize tangible items over ephemeral experiences, actions, effects, and even bodies. This type of potentially biased prioritization may be seen as a form of privileging particular types of knowledge or interpreting certain experiences as more valid than others, limiting the content available to archive users, leading to barriers in accessing information, and potentially alienating under-represented and/or marginalized populations and their epistemologies and ontologies . As Omnia El Shakry shows, dealing with destruction

1470-775: A unique challenge of making research materials accessible and available to patrons. They also need to ensure there are no copyright-related issues with their materials, ensure that as many materials as possible are open access, and ensure all their materials are reliably sourced. Some specialized research libraries could include those affiliated to governmental organizations which may hold documents of historical, legal or political import, or music libraries which will have books and journals on music, as well as films and recordings for musicians to access. Research libraries will generally have materials that are typically non-fiction and scholarly. These traditionally included books, periodicals, journals, newspapers, manuscripts and cassette tapes. With

1568-562: A £35m renovation designed by Gaunt Francis Architects, the Maughan is the largest new university library in the United Kingdom since World War II . Designed by Sir James Pennethorne and constructed in 1851, with further extensions made between 1868 and 1900, it is a Grade II* listed building . Inside the library is a dodecagonal reading room, inspired by that of the British Museum , and

1666-629: Is a challenge central to decolonial historiography. When faced with a lack of archival documents, historians resort to different sources and methods. For example, due to the lack of a Palestinian state archive, many historians of Nakba had to rely on sources in the Israeli state's archives. As a result of this perceived under-representation, some activists are making efforts to decolonize contemporary archival institutions that may employ hegemonic and white supremacist practices by implementing subversive alternatives such as anarchiving or counter-archiving with

1764-447: Is able to acquire and maintain materials that are not easily available through traditional acquisition methods. Research libraries can be either reference libraries , which do not lend their holdings, or lending libraries , which do lend all or some of their holdings. Some extremely large or traditional research libraries are entirely reference in this sense, lending none of their material; most academic research libraries , at least in

1862-504: Is being created. Archives in colleges, universities, and other educational facilities are typically housed within a library, and duties may be carried out by an archivist . Academic archives exist to preserve institutional history and serve the academic community. An academic archive may contain materials such as the institution's administrative records, personal and professional papers of former professors and presidents, memorabilia related to school organizations and activities, and items

1960-517: Is called an archivist . The study and practice of organizing, preserving, and providing access to information and materials in archives is called archival science . The physical place of storage can be referred to as an archive (more usual in the United Kingdom ), an archives (more usual in the United States ), or a repository. The computing use of the term "archive" should not be confused with

2058-647: Is conducted by their librarians on their topics of choice. Libraries first appeared in Southwest Asia more than 5,000 years ago as repositories to store written resources for retrieval, often written on materials like bamboo, clay, and later papyrus . The most durable of these materials was clay, and tablets made of clay are the most common artifacts retrieved from ancient library sites. Many great civilizations built libraries which contained knowledge and information that were accumulated over years, sometimes centuries, and from across regions. The oldest known library in

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2156-529: Is kept on reels of specially developed film in a steel vault buried deep beneath the permafrost , with the data storage medium expected to last for 500 to 1000 years. The International Council on Archives (ICA) has developed a number of standards on archival description, including the General International Standard Archival Description ISAD(G). ISAD (G) is meant to be used in conjunction with national standards or as

2254-547: Is of Lord Bruce of Kinloss (d. 1616), Master of the Rolls. It depicts him with his daughter, who was married in the Rolls Chapel to the future Earl of Devonshire and his son, who would be created Earl of Elgin . The stained glass windows display the arms of former Master of the Rolls, including those of Henry Prince of Wales, Sir Thomas Egerton , Sir Robert Cecil and Sir Edward Phelips , and date from 1611. Stained glass panels of

2352-470: Is one of the largest and most well-known research libraries in the world. It is the United States Congress' official research library and is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country, having been founded in 1800. It contains more than 170 million items that cover a wide range of subjects from across the world and in 470 different languages. The library has offices abroad through which it

2450-480: Is that it enables greater automation of workflows within libraries which ensures that they become more streamlined. These increased efficiencies ensure libraries and their librarians are able to provide the highest quality service possible. Archive An archive is an accumulation of historical records or materials – in any medium – or the physical facility in which they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over

2548-519: Is the Carnegie Collection of British Music , a collection of original signed manuscripts, many of them by notable composers, whose publication was funded by the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie via the Carnegie UK Trust . The collection also contains several volumes of incunabula (works printed before 1501). The collections range in date from the fifteenth century to the present day. In 2007

2646-621: Is the public archive of English Heritage . The National Records of Scotland , located in Edinburgh , serves that country; while the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland in Belfast is the government archive for Northern Ireland. A network of county record offices and other local authority-run archives exists throughout England, Wales, and Scotland and holds many important collections, including local government, landed estates, church, and business records. Many archives have contributed catalogs to

2744-661: The Association of European Film Archives and Cinematheques is an affiliation of 49 European national and regional film archives founded in 1991. For a comprehensive look at the history of film preservation and the institutions and organizations that developed various practices, see Penelope Houston 's Keepers of the Frame. Non-profit archives include those in historical societies , not-for-profit businesses such as hospitals, and repositories within foundations . Such repositories are typically set up with private funds from donors to preserve

2842-703: The Chapel of the Master of the Rolls because the Master of the Rolls was warden of the Domus Conversorum. The House of the Converts was established by Henry III in 1232 to provide a residence and chapel for Jews who had converted to Christianity, and the chapel attached to it began the following year. In 1278, in a letter given to the king by John the Convert, the Converts referred to themselves as Pauperes Cœlicolæ Christi . During

2940-606: The French Revolution . The French National Archives , which possess perhaps the largest archival collection in the world (with records going as far back as 625 A.D.), was created in 1790 during the Revolution from various government, religious, and private archives seized by the revolutionaries. In 1883, French archivist Gabriel Richou published the first Western text on archival theory, entitled Traité théorique et pratique des archives publiques ( Treaty of Theory and Practice of

3038-518: The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council in 2005. The core of the collection comprises the private papers of over 700 senior British military personnel who held office since 1900. Other highlights include the former private library of Captain Sir Basil Liddell Hart , after whom the centre is named. The garden opposite the library was originally owned by Clifford's Inn , and part of the garden

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3136-606: The National Overseas Archives (ANOM, 36.5 kilometres (22.7 mi) of physical records), the National Archives of the World of Labour  [ fr ] (ANMT, 49.8 kilometres (30.9 mi) of physical records), and all local public archives (departmental archives, or archives départementales , located in the préfectures of each of the 100 départements of France plus the City of Paris, more than 400 municipal archives in

3234-526: The coat of arms of George IV dated 1823 were originally placed in the east window of the chapel and were rediscovered during the restoration works in 2002. Their restoration was funded by The Crown Estate to mark the opening of the library. The building has 1,250 networked reader places in a variety of environments including individual study carrels and group study rooms. The Maughan holds more than 750,000 items including books, journals, CDs, records, DVDs, theses and exam papers. These items cover four of

3332-506: The California State Prison System describe what happened to them. The archive's mission is to gather stories from women who want to express themselves and want their stories heard. This collection includes transcripts and an audio recording of the women telling their stories. The archives of an individual may include letters, papers, photographs, computer files, scrapbooks, financial records, or diaries created or collected by

3430-592: The Greek word is ἀρχή ( arkhē ), meaning among other things "magistracy, office, government", and derived from the verb ἄρχω ( arkhō ), meaning "to begin, rule, govern" (also the root of English words such as "anarchy" and "monarchy"). The word archive was first attested in English in the early 17th century, and the word archivist in the mid-18th century, although in these periods both terms were usually used only in reference to foreign institutions and personnel. Not until

3528-518: The Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property from 1954 and its 2nd Protocol from 1999. From a national and international perspective, there are many collaborations between archives and local Blue Shield organizations to ensure the sustainable existence of cultural property storage facilities. In addition to working with United Nations peacekeeping in the event of war, the protection of

3626-459: The Public Archives ), in which he systematized the archival theory of the respect des fonds , first published by Natalis de Wailly in 1841. Historians, genealogists , lawyers, demographers , filmmakers, and others conduct research at archives. The research process at each archive is unique and depends upon the institution that houses the archive. While there are many kinds of archives,

3724-612: The Rolls and Dean of York , described as the "earliest Renaissance monument in England". The Tudor roses and a lunette of angels found on the back of the sarcophagus resemble those on Henry VII 's monument, also by Torrigiano, located in Westminster Abbey . Another is of Richard Allington (d. 1561), and is probably the work of one of the Curl family, Flemish master masons to the Crown. A third

3822-558: The Rolls, or Rolls Chapel. In 1377, Edward III broke up the Jewish almshouse, consequently annexing the House as well as the chapel to the newly instituted office of Custos Rotulorum , or Keeper of the Rolls. The office is used to store the rolls and records of the Court of Chancery . The chapel was rebuilt in 1617 by Inigo Jones at a cost of £2,000, and the poet and priest John Donne preached during

3920-478: The U.S., now lend books, but not periodicals or other material. Books available in research libraries can include textbooks, journals and rare manuscripts. As the contents of research libraries are so focused, there can sometimes be a high demand for certain book titles. To ensure that as many patrons as possible can have access to the books they need, libraries have reserve collections, the books of which are only available for short-term loans. These loans can range from

4018-662: The United Methodist Archives and History Center of the United Methodist Church, and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Film archives collect, restore, investigate and conserve audiovisual content like films, documentaries, tv programs and newsreel footage. Often, a country has its own film archive to preserve its national audiovisual heritage. The International Federation of Film Archives comprises more than 150 institutions in over 77 countries and

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4116-534: The United States. Some city or local governments may have repositories, but their organization and accessibility vary widely. Similar to the library profession, certification requirements and education also varies widely, from state to state. Professional associations themselves encourage the need to professionalize. NARA offers the Certificate of Federal Records Management Training Program for professional development. The majority of state and local archives staff hold

4214-701: The University of Victoria , which contain a multitude of collections of donations from both individuals and organizations from all over the world. Many of these donations have yet to be cataloged but are currently in the process of being digitally preserved and made available to the public online. The Arctic World Archive is a commercially-run facility for data preservation located in the Svalbard archipelago, Norway, that contains data of historical and cultural interest from several countries as well as all of American multinational company GitHub 's open source code . The data

4312-725: The academic library wishes to remain in a closed-stack setting, such as rare books or thesis copies. Access to the collections in these archives is usually by prior appointment only; some have posted hours for making inquiries. Users of academic archives can be undergraduates, graduate students, faculty and staff, scholarly researchers, and the general public. Many academic archives work closely with alumni relations departments or other campus institutions to help raise funds for their library or school. Qualifications for employment may vary. Entry-level positions usually require an undergraduate diploma, but typically archivists hold graduate degrees in history or library science (preferably certified by

4410-538: The advent of technology, this has evolved to include CDs, DVDs, Ebooks, audiobooks and online research catalogues. Research library collections are focused on one or more subjects or fields of study and the material available on those topics are typically more extensive and in-depth than that found in public lending libraries. Institutions such as universities may have multiple research libraries on campus, each dedicated to different faculties or subjects. Research libraries may also publish their own scholarly research which

4508-456: The ancient Chinese, the ancient Greeks, and the ancient Romans (who called them Tabularia ). However, those archives have been lost since documents written on materials like papyrus and paper deteriorated relatively quickly, unlike their clay tablet counterparts. Archives of churches, kingdoms, and cities from the Middle Ages survive and have often kept their official status uninterruptedly to

4606-422: The appropriate databases or materials or in some cases obtaining these materials from external sources for them. With the changing role of libraries, research librarians' roles have evolved to include more than just selecting and maintaining the library's offerings and books, and helping patrons locate the items of their choice. Today, librarians must also be technologically savvy so they can teach users how to use

4704-808: The archives of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs ( Diplomatic Archives  [ fr ] , ca. 120 kilometres (75 mi) of physical records) are managed separately by their respective ministries and do not fall under the jurisdiction of the Archives of France Administration. In India , the National Archives (NAI) are located in New Delhi. In Taiwan , the National Archives Administration are located in Taipei . Most intergovernmental organizations keep their own historical archives. However,

4802-441: The archives requires the creation of "no-strike lists", the linking of civil and military structures, and the training of local personnel. Archives that primarily contain physical artifacts and printed documents are increasingly shifting to digitizing items that did not originate digitally , which are then usually stored away. This allows for greater accessibility when using search tools and databases, as well as an increase in

4900-429: The availability of digitized materials from outside the physical parameters of an archive, but there may be an element of loss or disconnect when there are gaps in what items are made available digitally. Both physical and digital archives also generally have specific limitations regarding the types of content that are deemed able to be preserved, categorized, and archived. Conventional institutionalized archive spaces have

4998-752: The basis of historical research. Having a rare book in a library's collection is very prestigious and is often indicative of the library's high standards for materials. Libraries may also have archives of old photographs, films, musical scores and even artwork. They often also have archives of old newspapers and periodicals. Newspapers are often accessible through microfiche machines, which are used to view images of back issues of such publications. Research libraries also often provide patrons with basic technological equipment such as computers, scanners and printers to aid them in their work. These libraries frequently collaborate with one another to share resources through inter-library loans. This enables each library to meet

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5096-401: The building had no heating. One of the cells which stored documents remains in its original condition, including its bookcases and fire proof slate shelves. Two search rooms were added in 1863 and a clock tower was built in 1865. In 1869–71 the building was extended along Fetter Lane , and in the 1890s two more wings designed by Sir John Taylor were added. At this time the medieval walls of

5194-651: The chapel is called the Weston Room, following a donation from the Garfield Weston Foundation , and is used to as an exhibition space for the Foyle Special Collections Library. The Weston Room incorporates many features from the former Rolls Chapel, including stained glass windows, a mosaic floor, and three 16th and 17th century funerary monuments. One is a Renaissance terracotta figure by Pietro Torrigiano of John Yonge (d. 1516), Master of

5292-704: The chapel were found to be unsound and had to be rebuilt. In 1902 the chapel became a museum of the Public Record Office. By 1997 all records were transferred to a new site in Kew or the Family Records Centre in Islington . In 2001 King's College London acquired the building from the Crown Estate and appointed a design team led by Gaunt Francis Architects to oversee the renovation. The renovation took two-years, at

5390-458: The college's academic schools of study: Arts and Humanities , Law , Natural & Mathematical Sciences and Social Science & Public Policy. This includes the pre-2020 Chartered Institute of Taxation 's Tony Arnold Library and the post-1850 collection of Sion College . The library also holds more than 150,000 78rpm records donated by the BBC in 2001 which span a wide range of genres. In addition to

5488-458: The consecration. It was rebuilt again in 1734, and altered in 1784. The records were moved in 1856 and the chapel was demolished in 1895. The only remains are an arch mounted on the garden elevation of the Chancery lane wing, some tomb monuments , stained glass panels and a mosaic floor. There are three principal tomb monuments. The first commemorates John Yonge (d.1516), Master of the Rolls in

5586-526: The course of an individual or organization's lifetime, and are kept to show the history and function of that person or organization. Professional archivists and historians generally understand archives to be records that have been naturally and necessarily generated as a product of regular legal, commercial, administrative, or social activities. They have been metaphorically defined as "the secretions of an organism", and are distinguished from documents that have been consciously written or created to communicate

5684-455: The early 2010s and has been accelerated due to the COVID-19 pandemic when many libraries across the world were physically closed forcing patrons to rely solely on their electronic offerings. Libraries have had to update their technological infrastructure in order to keep up with the new demands of the public. The first step the average person takes when they conduct research is no longer visiting

5782-458: The early part of the reign of Henry VIII. The work of Pietro Torrigiano (who also made the tomb of Henry VII in Westminster Abbey ), it features a recumbent effigy with hands crossed, wearing a red gown and square cap. The second, attributed to the Cure workshop, commemorates Richard Allington (d.1561) and his wife: it includes kneeling figures of the couple facing one another across a prayer-desk, on

5880-608: The education required for a position at a non-profit archive varies with the demands of the collection's user base. Web archiving is the process of collecting portions of the World Wide Web and ensuring the collection is preserved in an archive, such as an archive site , for future researchers, historians, and the public. Due to the massive size of the Web, web archivists typically employ web crawlers for automated collection. Similarly, software code and documentation can be archived on

5978-413: The front of which are depicted in relief their three daughters, also kneeling. The third monument, attributed to Maximilian Colt , is that of Edward Bruce, 1st Lord Kinloss (d.1611), whose semi-recumbent effigy wears a long-furred robe: below him are four kneeling figures, including a man in armour, perhaps his son, Edward. Rolls House was the official residence of the Master of the Rolls and remained in

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6076-594: The greatest ancient libraries in the world was the Library of Ashurbanipal , which was founded in the 7th century BC in Niveah, near present-day Iraq , by the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal . The library contained around 30,000 cuneiform tablets written in multiple languages pertaining to scholarly texts, archival documents and religious materials along with some works of ancient literature. The king sent his scribes to other libraries in

6174-470: The history and administration of their companies. Business archives serve the purpose of helping corporations maintain control over their brand by retaining memories of the company's past. Especially in business archives, records management is separate from the historical aspect of archives. Workers in these types of archives may have any combination of training and degrees, from either a history or library background. These archives are typically not open to

6272-473: The individual, regardless of medium or format. The archives of an organization (such as a corporation or government) tend to contain other types of records, such as administrative files, business records, memos, official correspondence, and meeting minutes. Some archives are made up of a compilation of both types of collections. An example of this type of combined compilation is the Transgender Archives at

6370-634: The inherent impermanence and gradual change of physical objects over time as a result of being handled. The concept of counter-archiving brings into question what tends to be considered archivable and what is therefore selected to be preserved within conventional contemporary archives. With the options available through counter-archiving, there is the potential to "challenge traditional conceptions of history" as they are perceived within contemporary archives, which creates space for narratives that are often not present in many archival materials. The unconventional nature of counter-archiving practices makes room for

6468-546: The intention of making intersectional accessibility a priority for those who cannot or do not want to access contemporary archival institutions. An example of this is Morgan M. Page's description of disseminating transgender history directly to trans people through various social media and networking platforms like tumblr , Twitter , and Instagram , as well as via podcast . While the majority of archived materials are typically well conserved within their collections, anarchiving's attention to ephemerality also brings to light

6566-545: The larger towns and cities of France, and 12 newer regional archives) which possess 3,591 km (2,231 miles) of physical records and 225.25 terabytes of electronic archives (as of 2020 ). Put together, the total volume of archives under the supervision of the French Archives Administration is the largest in the world. The archives of the French Ministry of Armed Forces ( Defence Historical Service , ca. 450 kilometres (280 mi) of physical records) and

6664-657: The late 19th century did they begin to be used widely in domestic contexts. The adjective formed from archive is archival . The practice of keeping official documents is very old. Archaeologists have discovered archives of hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of clay tablets dating back to the third and second millennia BC in sites like Ebla , Mari , Amarna , Hattusas , Ugarit , and Pylos . These discoveries have been fundamental to learning about ancient alphabets, languages, literature, and politics. Oral literature, such as Palestinian hikaye , can also have archival functions for communities. Archives were well developed by

6762-418: The librarians affiliated with that institution. Digitization projects are often intensive and long-drawn. Librarians need to identify which materials should be digitized and the priority in which they should be digitized. They also need to ascertain what formats will be most suitable for the materials and the patrons, raise the necessary funds and obtain the rights to digitize the items. They then need to prepare

6860-415: The libraries. These resources are often of high quality and are from trusted sources and publishers. They also catalogue and organize the books and resources, maintain and repair books as required.  Librarians can also work with colleagues in other institutions to share resources and better the relationships between institutions. Librarians who work in research libraries often have in-depth knowledge of

6958-481: The library acquired the historical collections of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office , which includes Britain's 1812 declaration of war on the US, and contains over 60,000 items. The collections include: Established in 1964, the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives (LHCMA) is a leading repository for research into modern defence policy in the United Kingdom. The collections are of national and international importance and were awarded Designated Status by

7056-457: The library at its height had up to 400,000 scrolls, though there is uncertainty regarding the exact number and how many scrolls were original works, as some of these may have been copies. The works collected covered a wide range of topics including works by Homer , Herodotus , Plato , and Aristotle . The library drew scholars from across the world and led to Alexandria being known as a hub for knowledge and learning. The US Library of Congress

7154-404: The library but searching for information online. Patrons will obtain a basic understanding of their topic and identify the books or materials they need before ever setting foot in a library. They can also identify which libraries will provide them the most convenient access to these materials through online archives and catalogues. This is what makes effective digitization projects in libraries and

7252-617: The library has the materials they need and when and how these materials will be available for their use. Many libraries also have interlinked systems that enable patrons to reserve and borrow books from affiliated libraries, effectively increasing their collection size while keeping costs down. This can make it possible for libraries to offer resources that have a narrow appeal and a low demand but that could still be useful for patrons to access. Libraries are also required to be more efficient to meet both consumer demand and to keep up with continuing budget cuts. One benefit of increasing digitization

7350-470: The library's electronic systems. Many librarians conduct their own independent research on topics pertaining to a library's field or on the topic of libraries themselves. When the library is affiliated with an academic institution, librarians may even have quotas on how much research they must complete and how many papers they should publish. Oftentimes, these librarians have to meet their quotas in order to be eligible for promotions or even tenure positions at

7448-435: The library. Librarians' research can help to improve the level of service offered by the staff of the institution by increasing their knowledge of the investigative process. The research conducted may also support the operations of the library. Librarians also spearhead the digitization projects of any primary research sources that the library might have. These sources are typically the result of research projects conducted by

7546-465: The main catalogue the library holds special collections, and archives which contain around 5 million documents in total. The library is also home to the Foyle Special Collections Library, named in recognition of a grant from the Foyle Foundation , which houses approximately 170,000 printed works, as well as maps, slides, sound recordings and manuscript material. Included among the manuscript material

7644-571: The maintenance of accurate online catalogues crucial for libraries' continued survival. Libraries may also have functions on their websites which enable patrons to email librarians with questions directly to obtain answers in a quick and efficient manner and also ensure that questions will be addressed by the most qualified party. Libraries are now required to have extensive digital collections which comprise electronic journals, Ebooks and virtual reference services. They must also make their catalogues available online for users to quickly determine whether

7742-477: The most basic principles of archival science may have an archive. In the 2004 census of archivists taken in the United States, 2.7% of archivists were employed in institutions that defied categorization. This was a separate figure from the 1.3% that identified themselves as self-employed. Another type of archive is the Public Secrets project. This is an interactive testimonial, in which women incarcerated in

7840-411: The most recent census of archivists in the United States identifies five major types: academic , business (for profit) , government , non-profit , and others . There are also four main areas of inquiry involved with archives: material technologies, organizing principles, geographic locations, and tangled embodiments of humans and non-humans. These areas help to further categorize what kind of archive

7938-590: The national " Access to Archives " program and online searching across collections is possible. In France, the French Archives Administration ( Service interministériel des Archives de France ) in the Ministry of Culture supervises the National Archives ( Archives nationales ), which possess 373 km (232 miles) of physical records as of 2020 (the total length of occupied shelves put next to each other), with original records going as far back as A.D. 625, and 74.75 terabytes (74,750 GB ) of electronic archives, as well as

8036-510: The needs of more patrons while keeping their costs down. Libraries may also collaborate to share the costs features such as licensing information sources. This is especially important today, with libraries being required to offer more services for their patrons with fewer resources. Librarians at research libraries are responsible for curating the library's collections. They identify the best books and resources by reading catalogues, publishers' announcements and book reviews, and acquire them for

8134-631: The ones of Monte Cassino , Saint Gall , and Fulda . The records in these archives include manuscripts, papal records, local church records, photographs, oral histories, audiovisual materials, and architectural drawings. Most Protestant denominations have archives as well, including the Presbyterian Historical Society , the Moravian Church Archives, the Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives,

8232-464: The original documents, have them scanned or otherwise converted and ensure that all the necessary metadata is added. They then have to perform quality checks to ensure that the material is of the highest quality and fit to be released to the public. With the rapid advancement of technology and the advent of the digital age, consumers expectations are changing and libraries are being required to improve their digital infrastructure. This phenomenon began in

8330-525: The papers and histories of specific people or places. These institutions may rely on grant funding from the government as well as private funds. Depending on the availability of funds, non-profit archives may be as small as the historical society in a rural town to as big as a state historical society that rivals a government archive. Users of this type of archive may vary as much as the institutions that hold it. Employees of non-profit archives may be professional archivists, paraprofessionals , or volunteers, as

8428-522: The possession of the office until 1837, when it was surrendered to the Crown. In 1838 the Public Record Office Act was passed to "keep safely the public records". Construction of the earliest part of the building seen today, the central wing, began in 1851. As a repository , it is claimed to be the first purpose-built fireproof building in England. To minimise the risk of fire the storerooms were designed as compartmentalised closed cells and

8526-477: The present. They are the basic tools for historical research on this period. England, after 1066, developed archives and archival access methods. The Swiss developed archival systems after 1450. The first predecessors of archival science in the West are Jacob von Rammingen's manuals of 1571. and Baldassarre Bonifacio 's De Archivis libris singularis of 1632. Modern archival thinking has some roots dating back to

8624-426: The public and are only used by workers of the owner company, though some allow approved visitors by appointment. Business archives are concerned with maintaining the integrity of their company and are therefore selective about how their materials may be used. Government archives include those maintained by local and state governments as well as those maintained by the national (or federal) government. Anyone may use

8722-692: The record-keeping meaning of the term. The English word archive / ˈ ɑːr k aɪ v / is derived from the French archives (plural), and in turn from Latin archīum or archīvum , the romanized form of the Greek ἀρχεῖον ( arkheion ). The Greek term originally referred to the home or dwelling of the Archon , a ruler or chief magistrate , in which important official state documents were filed and interpreted; from there its meaning broadened to encompass such concepts as " town hall " and " public records ". The root of

8820-607: The region to record their contents to create a register of contents. Probably the most renowned library in the ancient world was the Great Library of Alexandria , in Egypt . The library was part of the royal complex that included the research institution known as the Mouseion , and is believed to have been established during the reigns of Ptolemy I Soter (367–283 BC) and his son Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285–246 BC). There are report that

8918-505: The reign of Richard II , certain Converts received, for life, a two-pence wage; and in the reign of Henry IV , by special patent, a rabbi's daughter was given a penny for life by the keepers of the House. Following the expulsion of Jews from England by Edward I through the Edict of Expulsion in 1290, the Master of the Rolls became warden and the chapel became known as the Chapel of the Master of

9016-441: The subjects that are the focus of the institutions in which they work. They are therefore able to answer more specific topical queries that patrons might have while also giving advice on the best resources to access for the necessary information. They conduct informational or reference interviews with patrons to ascertain what information they are looking for, and the purpose behind their research. This can help them to direct users to

9114-545: The usage of other institutions' repositories and open archives through discovery tools and academic search engines like BASE , CORE and Unpaywall . Rare books and manuscripts are often very valuable and can sometimes be fragile. These are often not available for loan, and can only be accessed within the library and sometimes under the supervision of the librarian. Rare books are those that were printed before 1850 and of which very few copies still exist today. They are highly valuable for research purposes as they often form

9212-463: The use of hornbeam , lime and yew . The garden has two sculptures and a small water feature . One of the sculptures is by Dorothy Brook, and a bronze statue of Confucius , located in the centre 'room', was donated by The Confucian Academy in 2010 to mark the official launch of the Lau China Institute. A series of relief plaques of the continents by Walter Crane are installed on

9310-533: The web, as with the example of CPAN . Some archives defy categorization. There are tribal archives within the Native American nations in North America, and there are archives that exist within the papers of private individuals. Many museums keep archives in order to prove the provenance of their pieces. Any institution or persons wishing to keep their significant papers in an organized fashion that employs

9408-526: The world was excavated in Ebla in northern Syria. Excavation of the site of the ancient city began in 1964 and archeologists have since uncovered more than 20,000 clay tablets that documented the economic and cultural life of the city's residents. Archives dating back to 3000 BC were also discovered in 1975. The library also contained scientific records and observations on topics such as zoology , mineralogy , and information on Ebla's business and tax issues. One of

9506-519: Was acquired by the Public Record Office in 1912. Following the acquisition of the site by King's a new garden was commissioned. The garden was designed by George Carter and won the Metropolitan Public Gardens Association's London Spade Award in 2003. The design is based on three 'green rooms' designed to complement the original storeroom cells of the building. There is an emphasis on shades of green rather than colour planting, with

9604-547: Was also used as a filming location for exterior shots of the Tower of London in the 2003 film, Johnny English . Part of the music video of the song Twilight's Chapter Seven from the album Still Fantasy by Taiwanese musician Jay Chou was filmed at the Maughan. The use of the round reading room as a filming location for Dumbledore's Office in the Harry Potter films has been the source of considerable talk and rumour, however,

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