A Survey of Libraries in the Museums and Related Institutions of the Greater London Area; Together with a Study on the Evolution of the Museum Library in England
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THE MUSEUM LIBRARY: A SURVEY OF LIBRARIES IN THE MUSEUMS AND RELATED INSTITUTIONS OF THE GREATER LONDON AREA; TOGETHER WITH A STUDY ON THE EVOLUTION OF THE MUSEUM LIBRARY IN ENGLAND Ann Elizabeth Borda Thesis submitted in the fulfilment of the requirennts of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Library and Information Studies University College London University of London November 1996 BIBL LOUD N UNIV. ACKNOWLEGEMENTS I wish to acknowledge the generous and kind assistance provided me by the eighty-four survey institutions discussed in this dissertation. I also wish to note the cooperative responses of those organisations I contacted during the course of my data gathering, but could not include in the final study. I am further grateful to my Department, both faculty and staff, and sincere thanks are especially extended to my supervisors; to Professor Robin Aiston for his many helpful comments, particularly on the historical aspects of the survey, and to Dr. I. C. Mdllwaine for her expert guidance and invaluable support in the overall supervision of my research. A special acknowledgement is also due to the following individuals whose assistance in the course of this study was notably generous and appreciated: Mrs. Anne Yandle, Librarian Emerita; Alex Roberts, Museums and Galleries Commission; Dr. Leonard Will and Alice Grant, Science Museum; Mary Shephard, National Maritime Museum; Christopher Mills, Natural History Museum; Peter Elliott, Royal Air Force Museum; Philip Abbott, Royal Arrnouries; Gillian Varley, National Art Library; Meg Duff, Tate Gallery; Bob Aspinall, Museum in Docklands; Elizabeth Graham, Weilcome Centre; Liz Oma of Orna/Stevens Associates; B.C. Bloomfield, LA Rare Books Group; and Joanna Bowring, British Museum Central Library. And finally, I should like to forward very grateful thanks to my family who encouraged me to undertake a programme of doctoral research and who enthusiastically supported me throughout the process. 2 ABSTRACT The central focus of the present research is a survey of libraries located in, and associated with, the museums and related institutions of the Greater London area. This investigation arises from an awareness of a general absence in the literatures of both the library and museum professions concerning the role and function of these special libraries. A first means of analysis involved an historical survey illustrating the evolution of museums and libraries in England, with particular reference to the South East. This preliminary stage in the research confirmed the historical significance of London in terms of the development of the two communities, locally and nationally, as well as providing a contextual basis from which to approach the present state and status of the museum library. A statistical survey of eighty-four museum institutions and their libraries in the Greater London area comprised the second stage of analysis. The survey population was grouped by sectors as defined, with some modification, by the official advisory body, the Museums and Galleries Commission. Five categories represented the survey sectors under examination: National, Central Government, Local Authority, University and Independent. During the 1993-94 period, data were gathered on individual institutions in each sector through the use of a designed questionnaire and in-person interviews concerning various aspects of library operation and function, namely; Administration and Staff; Finance; Collections; Catalogues; Services; and Networks. Findings suggested that broad parameters existed in what constituted a museum library, i.e., ranging from a service facility to an informal curatorial collection. Consequently, organisation of the library and its role in relation to the parent body varied accordingly. More defmed roles generally corresponded to those 3 institutions supporting libraries which were formally organised and professionally staffed. The levels of public access, collections management and services were also significantly related to the sector under which an institution was grouped. These designations indicated, for instance, that the Nationals had the most comprehensive library facilities and services, whereas smaller institutions across the remaining sectors showed considerable variation in library provision. By default, the funding arrangements specific to certain groups and/or maintaining bodies had a documented effect on the state of the museum libraries surveyed. In general, a greater number of libraries are housed in or associated with museums than described in available sources. However, their role as information partner to the museum organisation is not significant on all levels of provision, particularly as an internally networked resource for the study of respective collections and as an accessible facility for the research public. This limitation in potential may be due to its perception within both the organisation and the wider community, although insufficient allocations to the parent body and the library itself are additional factors. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS TitlePage................................................................................................................1 Acknowlegements ..................................................................................................2 Abstract..................................................................................................................3 Tableof Contents ...................................................................................................5 Listof Tables .........................................................................................................9 Termsof Reference ................................................................................................11 SurveyPopulation..................................................................................................12 1. Historical Introduction: Evolution of the Museum Library 1.1. From the beginnings to the founding of the British Museum.............................19 1.2. The 18th and 19th Centuries.............................................................................39 1.3. The 20th Century to the Present........................................................................ 53 2. Methodology 2.1. Scope and Definition ........................................................................................73 2.1.1.Museum........................................................................................................73 2.1.2. Museum library............................................................................................. 75 2.2. Survey population.............................................................................................77 2.2.1. Museums ......................................................................................................77 2.2.2. Museum libraries...........................................................................................79 2.2.3. Survey total ...................................................................................................81 2.3. Survey instrurncnt............................................................................................. 85 2.4. Survey limitations.............................................................................................88 3. Administration and Staff 3.1. Organisation type and status.............................................................................92 3.1.1. Geographical distribution of population.........................................................94 3.2. MGC Registration ...........................................................................................96 3.3. Governing body................................................................................................98 3.4. Position of the library in the organisation..........................................................104 3.4.1. Position of the library and MGC Registration ...............................................108 3.5. Administrative body to which the library reports .............................................110 3.6. Qualification of official responsible .................................................................112 3.7. Total number of staff .......................................................................................115 3.8. Ratio of library qualified staff to non-qualified.................................................118 4. Finance 4.1.Sources of museum funding..............................................................................124 5 4.1.1. Museum fmance (figures) .129 4.2. Sources of library funding .131 4.2.1. Library fmance (figures)................................................................................135 5.Colleclions 5.1 .Founding collection............................................................................................139 5.1.1. Museum........................................................................................................139 5.1.2. Museum library.............................................................................................142 5.2. Subject scope of collections..............................................................................145 5.3. Holdings (by medium)......................................................................................150 5.4. Holdings (figures).............................................................................................155 5.4.1. Monographs (vols.) .......................................................................................155