REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES Contents

Trustees of the Library 3 Director’s Report 4 Acquisitions 7 Exhibitions 10 Loans 18 Conservation 19 Reference Library 24 Education 25 Volunteers 29 Funding 30 Membership Programme 31 Information Technology/Technical 32 Rights & Reproductions 33 Digital Media 34 Retail 36 Events 37 Staff 38 Presentations and Publications 40 Staff List 42 Balance Sheet 46 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES Trustees of the Library The Library is a public self-governing charitable trust. Registered Charity No. CHY 5879.

Established under the terms of the will of Sir Alfred Chester Beatty, which was granted probate in 1969, the collection is vested in the Trustees who own and operate the Library. The Board of Trustees consists of a maximum of twelve members, one each of whom is appointed by the President and Taoiseach and three by the Minister for Arts, Heritage & the Gaeltacht. The Director of the National Library serves as a Trustee ex officio. All other Trustees are co-opted. The Trustees elect the Chair. Since 1997 the Trustees of the Library are appointed or co-opted to serve five-year terms and may serve a maximum of 2 consecutive 5 year terms. Trustees do not receive any remuneration, aside from modest receipted expenses incurred, while carrying out their duties. All expenses are paid in accordance with the guidelines and rules set down by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

THE TRUSTEES OF THE LIBRARY ARE CURRENTLY: Dr Thomas P. Hardiman (appointed 1991, elected Chairman 1998) Sir Marc Cochrane (appointed 1988) Mr Dermot Desmond (appointed 1991) Dr Patricia Donlon (appointed 2011) Ministerial appointee Mrs Joan Duff (appointed 1983) Professor Sean Freyne (appointed 1986) Ms Caroline Gray (appointed 2010) Professor Kathleen James-Chakraborty (appointed 2010) Mrs Madeleine O'Sullivan (appointed 2003, re-appointed 2008) Ministerial appointee Ms Fiona A Ross (appointed 2010; ex officio) Professor Roger Stalley (appointed 1993) 3 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES Director’s Report 2011 was an eventful year in the Library, characterised by a busy programme of changing displays particularly a new presentation of the first floor gallery, Arts of the Book. The comment posted by a visitor on an internet review site - “Great museum, not just a library...” – serves as a reminder that while the Chester Beatty Library was in fact the private library of Sir Alfred Chester Beatty, today it is one of Ireland’s national cultural institutions, and functions as a museum that is open free of charge to visitors all year round. During 2011, the Library welcomed 248,000 visitors, an increase of 20% on 2010 figures. In addition to the permanent galleries, visitors enjoyed a number of temporary exhibitions. The wonderful Heroes and Kings of the Shahnama continued its run until April and provided the backdrop for the 2011 Chester Beatty Annual Lecture on 3 February, Who is the most desperate of men?: The world of the Shahnama, delivered by Richard Davis, Professor of Persian and Chair of the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, Ohio State University, the pre-eminent scholar of the Shahnama. The summer show, The Art Books of Henri Matisse proved immensely popular: on loan from the Bank of America Merrill Lynch collection, the works by this great modern master brought a splash of vibrant colours to the temporary gallery. The lighting in the gallery was replaced especially for this show, thanks to the generous support of the Office of Public Works. At CBL we seek to find a balance in the presentations between the Western, Islamic and East Asian Collections, and China through the Lens of John Thomson in collaboration with the Wellcome Library, London, carried our imaginations to the Far East, with its candid portraits and lively street scenes set in nineteenth-century China. The exhibitions and public programmes attracted considerable media attention and throughout the year the Library facilitated visits from film crews and journalists from Australia, Britain, China, the Gulf States, Iran, New Zealand, and the USA, as well as Ireland. These visits and the CBL’s regular PR campaigns resulted in significant coverage across the world on radio, television, in print and on the web. The Library was also awarded a Certificate of Excellence by TripAdvisor, who list us at number 5 out of 220 attractions in Dublin and Lonely Planet rates us at number 4 in its list of ‘Top Picks for Dublin’. 4 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES

In these difficult times, the CBL has been both frugal and effective with resources, and operates with a very modest level of staff relative to the size and significance of the Collections in our care. This is supplemented with the support of our Volunteer Programme and through careful outsourcing; and the Library has also participated in the FÁS JobBridge scheme. The Library is extremely grateful for the financial support it receives from government, foundations, sponsors and private donors, as well as the advice and involvement of colleagues nationally and internationally. Foundations and private donors have enabled us to pursue research and conservation on important manuscripts. The Library has also created a number of international partnerships with academic institutions to digitize major parts of the Collections at little or no cost to the Library; for example, there is a long-standing programme to digitize all the Japanese literary scrolls with Keio University in Tokyo, while a consortium of scholars in America and Australia are undertaking sophisticated analysis of our main Manichaean text. As a fully committed member of the Council of National Cultural Institutions (CNCI), the CBL participates in the informal agreement of assistance, the CNCI Disaster Response Framework for Co-Operation, both in terms of manpower and physical resources such as salvage equipment and salvage recovery space; and we are also investigating shared services in relation to IT disaster recovery. We are indebted to the Office of Public Works for their support of the Library’s ongoing maintenance programme and their sterling advice in all areas of operations. In addition to day- to-day maintenance issues, 2011 saw a complete overhaul of the Library’s temporary exhibition gallery; the installation of a loop system for the hard-of-hearing and new chairs in the Lecture Theatre; and plans were devised for a refurbishment of the roof garden. During these challenging economic times, when the public sector moratorium continues to limit promotions and recruitment, the Trustees and Director of the Library are particularly thankful for the hard work of all our staff and volunteers. Much of this work takes place quietly, behind the scenes, but in all areas of the Library’s operations, dedicated staff ensure that our systems and procedures create a safe environment for the Collections in our care and a welcoming, lively space for our visitors to enjoy. 5 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES

This brief overview began with the visitor count for 2011 and, while this is an important measurable indicator of the CBL’s performance, it is important to remember that it is not the Library’s sole aim. As the reader will see in the following pages, the CBL continues not only to care for the precious artworks in our care, but to explore new ways to make the Collections available and accessible to our audience. It is thanks to our committed staff, and our wider support, that the Chester Beatty Library continues to be the pre-eminent Irish institution for the appreciation and understanding of world cultures, and engagement with the peoples whose cultures are represented in our Collections.

6 REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY 7 , was Presentation at , in Latin, Chester Beatty Book of Hours hester Beatty Book of Hours , 1408 , was sold at the Beatty sale at Sotheby’s in 1932. The remainder of the volume was of the volume in 1932. The remainder sold at the Beatty sale at Sotheby’s , was the Temple sold at auction after Beatty’s death in 1968; the miniatures were highly regarded by Beatty and Beatty by highly regarded were death in 1968; the miniatures after Beatty’s sold at auction Book of Hours possession, the While in Jarman’s fulfill obligations of his will. to only sold were of his the rest 1846, along with August in a violent storm in a flood following damaged was conserved, and salvaged carefully Jarman had all the works collection. Although celebrated of the folio. visible along the edges still are damage of water traces This single folio (f.48) of Manuscript W103, the so-called the so-called W103, (f.48) of Manuscript folio This single illuminated manuscript on vellum, dated Paris 1408. dated Paris on vellum, manuscript illuminated purchased in November 2011 (Christie’s, London, sale 8002, lot 4). It is a fine, dated example of dated example lot 4). It is a fine, sale 8002, London, (Christie’s, 2011 in November purchased bought the Book Chester Beatty in Paris. a leading illuminator Master, Mazarine of the the work it at the had in turn acquired in 1929. Arnold Arnold sale at Sotheby’s the Edward from of Hours was collection the manuscript While in Beatty’s the same auction house in 1864. Jarman sale of which depicts the miniature, disseminated. This manuscript disbound and partly Presentation at the Temple Acquisitions Miniature with full-page border on a leaf from the C a leaf from on border full-page with Miniature CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES Acquisitions Artist’s Proof

The Graphics Studio presented a portfolio of prints which featured in the Artist’s Proof exhibition, held in the Library from 15 January to 19 April 2009. These limited edition prints by twenty-four printmaking artists (comprising nine international and invited artists, and fifteen Graphic Studio members) were displayed alongside two working proofs to track the stages that lead up to a final fine art print. Following their showing at the Chester Beatty Library, the prints toured four venues in Ireland and Britain finishing in November 2010. The portfolio comprises a complete series of twenty-four prints, and contains a number of additional working proofs not included in the exhibition.

© Ruth O’Donnell / Graphic Studio Dublin 8 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES Acquisitions Artist’s Proof : list of prints

-Norman Ackroyd RA, Great Blasket Sound, Aquatint (+2 AP) [1a and 1b] -Gerard Cox, Desert Star, Woodblock, (+2 AP) [2a and 2b] -Gráinne Cuffe, Dianthus I, Etching -Cliona Doyle, Before the Storm, Etching and gold leaf (+2 AP) [4a and 4b] -Niamh Flanagan, ‘Such Stuff As Dreams Are Made On…’, Etching with spitbite and sugar (+2 AP) [5a and 5b] -Takahiko Hayashi, Spinning Wind, Etching with chine collée (+2 AP) [6a and 6b] -Desmond Kenny, She Will Do It, For Me, Aquatint and spitbite (+2 AP) [7a and 7b] -Arno Kramer, Doublestream, Lithograph with tusche (+2 AP) [8a and 8b] -Brian Lalor, Idyll, Etching and aquatint (+2 AP) [9a and 9b] -Jennifer Lane, Pine and Blue Sky, Woodblock (+2 AP) [10a and 10b] -Stephen Lawlor, Surface, Etching (+2 AP) [11a and 11b] -Elaine Leader, Excavation, Etching (+2 AP) [12a and 12b] -Christopher Le Brun RA, The Palace of Art, Etching (+2 AP) [13a and 13b] -Sharon Lee, Documentation, Lithograph (+2 AP) [14a and 14b] -David Lilburn, A Visit to the Chester Beatty Library, Etching and drypoint (+2 AP) [15a and 15b] -James McCreary, Homage to Hamaguchi, Mezzotint and aquatint (+2 AP) [16a and 16b] -Mary Modeen, Sometimes In An Ordinary Moment…, Photo-intaglio and chine collée (+2 AP) [17a and 17b] -Niall Naessens, 400m Above Sauce Creek, Etching (+2 AP) [18a and 18b] -Lars Nyberg, All the Plants, Hand coloured drypoint (+2 AP) [19a and 19b] -Ruth O’Donnell, Handle with Care, Etching (+2 AP) [20a and 20b] -Tom Phelan, Roma Drawing, Etching (+2 AP) [21a and 21b] -Barbara Rae RA, Andalucia, Etching (+3 AP) [22a; 22b and 22c] -Robert Russell, This is Me, Etching (+2 AP) [23a and 23b] -Katherine Van Uytrecht, Right at My Feet – and When Did You Get Here, Snail?, Lithograph (+2 AP) [24a and 24b]

9 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES Exhibitions Heroes and Kings of the Shahnama: 17 November 2010 – 3 April 2011

This exhibition, curated by Dr Elaine Wright, Curator of the Islamic Collections, was held in the first floor gallery, and opened in 2010 to celebrate the 1000th anniversary of the completion of the Shahnama by the poet Firdawsi. The Shahnama is the longest recorded poem ever written by a single author, running to some 60,000 verses. Frequently referred to as the Iranian national epic, it relates the glorious tales of the heroes and kings of Iran, from the dawn of time until the Islamic conquest in the seventh century. Firdawsi is considered to be one of the literary greats of all time. Apart from its literary importance, the Shahnama has inspired some of the world’s most exquisite manuscript paintings, many of the finest of which are preserved in the Library. The Library is fortunate to have in its collection just over 500 Shahnama paintings. The 145 works in the exhibition were drawn from Chester Beatty’s own collection and most had never been displayed before. They were all produced in Iran and India between the fourteenth and nineteenth centuries and are as magnificent as the tales they illustrate. Various activities accompanied the exhibition, most notably a programme of lectures by international scholars, as well as films and an extensive range of workshops and other activities.

10 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES

Exhibitions Heroes and Kings of the Shahnama: 17 November 2010 – 3 April 2011

11 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES Exhibitions The Art Books of Henri Matisse: 26 May – 25 September 2011

Over 123,000 people visited the Art Books of Henri Matisse exhibition, on loan from the Bank of America Merrill Lynch collection, making it one of the most popular temporary exhibitions ever mounted at the Library. The related lectures and workshops were also very popular, booking out within hours of being advertised. The exhibition, curated for the Library by Dr Jill Unkel, Curatorial Assistant, featured text and original illustrations from four of the most artistically significant artists’ books (livres d’artistes) by Matisse, including the famous Jazz. Many of the prints from Jazz have gained iconic status, including the illustration of Icarus, one of the most widely reproduced images ever. Two Matisse books from Chester Beatty Library’s own collection were also on display: a book of poems, Poèmes de Charles d’Orleans (1950), personally inscribed from Matisse to Sir Alfred Chester Beatty, and a copy of Matisse’s illustrated version of James Joyce’s Ulysses (1935).

© Succession H. Matisse/IVARO 2011, for the artworks by the artist 12 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES

Exhibitions The Art Books of Henri Matisse: 26 May – 25 September 2011

© Succession H. Matisse/IVARO 2011, for the artworks by the artist 13 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES Exhibitions Arts of the Book permanent exhibition: reopened July 2011

This permanent gallery features a revised selection of almost 600 items from the Library’s rich Islamic, Western and East Asian collections. It includes books from the ancient world, including the world famous Chester Beatty Love Poems (c.1160 BC), Egyptian Books of the Dead, as well as beautifully illuminated European manuscripts and fine printed books. One of the highlights is the collection of Western bookbindings (5th-20th century) as well as displays of Old Master prints by Dürer and Goya. The display also explores the richness of the Islamic manuscript tradition – with illustrations and illuminations, calligraphy, and exquisite bindings from across the Middle East and India. Highlights from East Asia include Chinese jade books, Japanese picture-scrolls depicting fables and legends, and woodblock prints. Audio-visual programmes complement the exhibition, helping the visitor to learn more about the arts of the book throughout the world. The display was curated by Charles Horton (Head of Collections & Curator of the Western Collections), Laura Muldowney (Curatorial Assistant for the East Asian Collections) and Dr Elaine Wright (Curator of the Islamic Collections), and the installation was managed by Jessica Baldwin (Head of Conservation).

14 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES

Exhibitions Arts of the Book permanent exhibition: reopened July 2011

15 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES Exhibitions China through the Lens of John Thomson 1868-1872: 17 November 2011 – 26 February 2012

This exhibition featured images taken by the renowned Scottish photographer and explorer John Thomson between 1868 and 1872. On loan from the Wellcome Library, London, it included over fifty images recording a wide variety of themes and locations in China. A pioneer of photojournalism, and one of the most influential photographers of the nineteenth century, Thomson was the first Western photographer to document the people and landscape of China for publication. His photographs form a unique archive documenting the people, customs and landscape of nineteenth-century China providing a valuable historical record of a nation undergoing major change. The exhibition was complemented by traditional clothing and textiles from the Library’s own collection, and timed to co-ordinate with the Library’s Chinese New Year celebrations in 2012. The exhibition was organised by Betty Yao, Director, Credential International Arts Management, London and curated by Laura Muldowney, Curatorial Assistant for the East Asian Collections.

A Manchu Bride Image © Wellcome Library, London. Wellcome Images 16 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES

Exhibitions China through the Lens of John Thomson 1868-1872: 17 November 2011 – 26 February 2012

17 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES Loans The Library lent material from the Islamic Collections to two international exhibitions in 2011. Three eighteenth- and nineteenth-century paintings were included in India’s Fabled City: The Art of Courtly Lucknow, held at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (12 December 2010 – 27 February 2011) and then at the Musée national des arts asiatiques-Guimet, Paris (6 April – 11 July 2011). Seven manuscripts and paintings were included in Gifts of the Sultan: The Arts of Giving at the Islamic Courts, which was also shown at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (5 June 2011 - 5 September) and at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (23 October 2011- 15 January 2012).

18 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES Conservation Arts of the Book and Temporary Exhibitions

The Conservation department is involved in every aspect of collection care at the Library, maintaining a continuous programme of general housekeeping, and preparing works for loans and display. With over 600 items from the Collections to conserve and mount for the reopening of the Arts of the Book gallery, this project was the main focus in the first six months of the year. Conservation staff were also responsible for the installation of the exhibitions in the temporary gallery working closely with the Curators, and some twenty items from the Chinese textile collection were conserved by an independent textile conservator in preparation for the China through the Lens exhibition. The Attendant Staff continue to play a key role in all exhibition installations and their assistance is invaluable. In addition, conservation work was carried out on bound manuscripts, single folios and prints from across the three collections.

19 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES Conservation Armenian Collection

A full condition survey of the Armenian Collection was carried out with 153 bound manuscripts and single folios examined and conservation priorities established.

20 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES Conservation Persian and Indian Collection

Work continued on the conservation of the Library’s Persian collection with the conservation of 45 miniatures and two bound volumes. Old boxes were replaced with new buckram covered acid- free boxes as part of a major programme of conservation and remounting of the Shahnama and Indian Mughal miniatures.

21 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES Conservation Samaritan Pentateuch

The textblock repair of a thirteenth-century parchment Samaritan Pentateuch (Heb 751) was completed in August and the final quires of the manuscript returned to the Library. The manuscript will be digitised and book conservator Chris Clarkson will complete the binding of the manuscript in 2012.

22 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES Conservation The tale of the Bamboo Cutter scrolls

Conservation continued on two seventeenth-century Japanese scrolls The tale of the Bamboo Cutter (J 1125) in The Restorient Studio, Leiden. The Director and conservation staff travelled to the studio in October to meet a delegation from the Sumitomo Foundation and review progress; the project will end in April 2012.

23 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES Reference Library The reference library staff continued to support research for staff, as well as external reference and manuscript readers, who wish to consult the collections. Reference publications relating to the collections were acquired throughout the year, and bar-coding of the reference collection continued. Library staff also participated in the processing of archival material, and continued to work on full cataloguing of the early printed book collection. A full stock-take of the early printed book collection took place in January. Access to the Digital Access Management System, Extensis, is now available in the reading room, allowing readers to view high resolution images from the collections.

24 REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY 25 demonstration with Ireland’s demonstration concluded in 2011 including concluded in 2011 mah jong Shahnama ; the Silk Worm Club for children; a special children; Club for ; the Silk Worm China versus the West talks, workshops, film screenings and a two week programme of storytelling, music and art of storytelling, programme week and a two film screenings workshops, talks, and artist Roxana Moradi musician Arash Gresham, Xanthe with storyteller workshops Schools in the greater in a number of Educate Together place took Manouchehri. The workshops mark the project. to in a DVD resulting Dublin area, multi-ethnic Chinese community. multi-ethnic Chinese community. SHAHNAMA STORYTELLING SHAHNAMA of the anniversary the 1000th mark to A series of events CHINESE NEW YEAR in association with Dublin City celebrations Year included Chinese New 2011 for events Key McCormack and John Jerusha with Professors of popular talks Council. These included a series G. Blair on the theme of Over 111 public events were organised to complement the Library’s busy exhibitions schedule. exhibitions busy Library’s the complement to organised were public events 111 Over Education Education Chinese paper cutting workshop with Claire Crone; and a Crone; with Claire Chinese paper cutting workshop REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY 26 with Saugata Roy Chowdhury and Debojyoti Sanyal Debojyoti and Chowdhury Roy with Saugata sarod and tabla to celebrate Diwali. During the year, cooking demonstrations were held in the Silk Road Café. Café. the Silk Road held in were demonstrations cooking year, During the Diwali. celebrate to DEMONSTRATIONS, WORKSHOPS, TALKS AND MUSIC PERFORMANCES MUSIC AND TALKS WORKSHOPS, DEMONSTRATIONS, and Public the Education part of as role important an play and talks Demonstrations Japanese Imada held a two-day Hiroko printmaker Visiting the Library. in Programme Music Society Indian Classical the In October in April. in the Library workshop printmaking concert of a return presented CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES

A number of key events took place as part of The Art Books of Henri Matisse exhibition. These included art workshops for children and adults, specially devised activities included in our monthly Family Activity Packs, and the Silk Worm Summer Club. These were complimented by a Guitar Festival of Ireland performance by French guitarist Thibault Cauvin, and the French Embassy of Ireland co-hosted a lunch-time talk by Dr Nicholas Zmelty from the Université de Picardie Jules Verne in Amiens. FESTIVALS & FAMILY DAYS In 2011 the Chester Beatty Library organised a three-day workshop as part of the Bealtaine festival for older people, celebrating The Art Books of Henri Matisse exhibition. Participants created hand-made illustrated books in response to Matisse. Podcasts were uploaded onto the CBL website along with an image gallery of the workshop in progress. The Library continues to mark festival days with family events including the Thai Culture Family Day in June. Dancers, music and puppetry were key features on the day and groups were brought over from London to perform in the Library courtesy of the Thai-Irish community. SILKWORM CLUB Workshops for children aged 6-11 years continue to be offered on a monthly basis. In July the Library ran its Silk Worm Summer Club with a week of workshops based on the The Art Books of Henri Matisse exhibition, culminating in a weekend event for children in the Silk Road Café, where they decorated their own crêpe.

27 REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY 28 showcased works by children from children by works showcased Suitcase Stories countries including North Africa, the Middle East, SE Asia, and Europe. Africa, the Middle countries including North The Library is a key partner in “LEM – the Learning Museum”, a European network of museums network partner in “LEM – the Learning Museum”, a European is a key The Library in lifelong learning ideas and support development who share organizations and cultural and museum education. initiatives, LEM – THE LEARNING MUSEUM Jenny Siung, Head of Education, represented the Dept of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht at this and the Gaeltacht Heritage the Dept of Arts, Education, represented Siung, Head of Jenny Commission’s under the European Expert Group, (OMC) EU Open Method of Co-ordination 27 EU countries met three from Representatives Education and Culture. for General Directorate Priority A, group the working to been reported have Ireland Case studies from times in 2011. reach to particularly among hard and participation in culture, wider access to promoting the end of 2012. by will be produced Ireland from A manual including examples audiences. OMC EXPERT GROUP ON CULTURAL DIVERSITY, INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE AND INTERCULTURAL DIVERSITY, ON CULTURAL GROUP OMC EXPERT CULTURE AND INCLUSIVE ACCESSIBLE SUITCASE STORIES SUITCASE based children made by of works co-hosted with UNICEF a display the Library In September 2011 of migration. stories on their personal CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES Volunteers The Library relies on the support of a wonderful team of Volunteers to offer services to the general public including guided tours, assistance with education projects, in the giftshop and as visitor services representatives. The Volunteer Programme welcomes everyone regardless of gender, nationality, religious beliefs or social background. Its philosophy is inclusive and the Library has recruited Irish and international volunteers; students, full-time workers and senior citizens. Thanks to this diversity, the Library is unique amongst the national cultural institutions in being able to offer tours in Arabic, Mandarin and Japanese. In November, a week of activities was organised to celebrate the EU Year of Volunteering, which allowed the Library to express its appreciation of the Volunteers, and showcase their skills to the visitors. The activities included calligraphy workshops, a visit to the Deanery of St Patrick’s Cathedral and Marsh’s Library, a cookery demonstration by Ibrahim Phelan of the Silk Road Café, and a movie screening. On Wednesday 8 November and Sunday 13 November, public tours were conducted, showcasing the volunteer guides’ favourite objects in the exhibitions. All Volunteers receive an initial orientation to the Library along with continuous education sessions by the Director, Curators, Conservators, Head of Education and Volunteer Co-ordinator. Specialised training is also provided by relevant staff members for specific duties and on temporary exhibitions. In total 20 training sessions were organised for Volunteers during 2011.

29 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES Funding The primary source of funding for the Library in 2011 was the grant-in-aid received from the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. This was supplemented by grants and donations to enable specific projects to be developed. Additional funding opportunities in the United States were explored in association with the American Friends of the Arts in Ireland (AFAI), which supports the exchange of exhibitions and performances in the arts between Ireland and the US. The Library is a supporter of AFAI and is represented on its Irish Advisory Committee.

Grants and donations received in 2011 are listed below: • The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht provided additional funding under the Cultural Technology Grant Scheme to support the publication of an Irish language e-book version of the Library’s guidebook to the collections. This will be published in 2012. • Bank of America Merrill Lynch provided major sponsorship for the exhibition The Art Books of Henri Matisse, which was a great success and significantly increased the profile of the Library during a difficult time for the arts. This partnership was recognised in September 2011 when Bank of America Merrill Lynch received the Allianz Business to Arts Judges' Special Recognition Award for their relationships with arts organisations in Ireland. The award recognises impact, innovation and creativity. • The Sumitomo Foundation, Tokyo, awarded a second year of funding for a two-year project to conserve an early-seventeenth-century scroll set, The tale of the Bamboo Cutter. • The Heritage Council and the Library’s Contributing Members continued to provide generous support for an annual internship in conservation. • The British Council and the Heritage Council co-funded a week of storytelling workshops in association with the Shahnama exhibition. • Funds for the design of the Islamic Seals database were kindly provided by a grant from The Islamic Manuscript Association (TIMA).

30 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES Membership Programme The Library’s Membership Programme continues to attract new Members, promote the Library’s activities and support its programme of exhibitions. Members warmly welcomed the launch of both a Book Club and a Film Club, the latter in association with Access Cinema, and regularly attended both in high numbers throughout the year. Members also enjoyed a number of visits to cultural institutions in Ireland and overseas. Highlights included a trip to St Petersburg to view works by Matisse and other treasures at the State Hermitage Museum, a weekend in London featuring a visit to the Wallace Collection and a day trip to the Ulster Museum, Belfast. Closer to home, the ‘History on our Doorstep’ series continued with a tour of Dublin Castle focusing on the theft of the Irish Crown Jewels. There were also guided tours of the National Photographic Archive and the Gallery of Photography to coincide with the Library’s temporary exhibition China through the Lens of John Thomson. Throughout the year, Members attended special events in the Library such as a French- themed summer party in association with the Matisse exhibition and a Bastille Day celebration featuring a Book Club meeting, film screening, a guided tour of the Library’s collections and sampling of French pastries. Following the Members’ visit to the Wallace Collection, architect John O’Connell gave a talk at the Library about his work on the refurbishment of the London museum. Professor Janet Soskice, University of Cambridge, and travel writer Tim Mackintosh- Smith, both gave talks, while TV presenter and travel writer Manchán Magan introduced his documentary travel series Global Normal: China. In 2011, a number of Members also made very welcome donations in support of the Library’s conservation programme, for which the Library is very grateful.

31 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES Information Technology /Technical The management of the Library’s IT infrastructure is central to, and increasingly underpins, all aspects of Library operations. Due to the Library’s growing data storage requirements and increasing digitization projects a number of important upgrades were implemented during 2011. These include: the installation of a new backup system; significant upgrades to the Building Management system; and the implementation of a major file server management project; as well as ongoing support of the collection management system (Adlib), library system (Libero), and digital asset management system (Extensis), and enhancements to the audiovisual applications. Both IT and Rights & Reproductions continue to be heavily involved in the development and management of both the Digital Asset Management System (Extensis) and the collection management system (AdLib).

32 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES Rights & Reproductions In addition to processing internal and external image requests for publications, media and research purposes, the Library is increasingly involved in a number of digitization initiatives, and digital rights management. Existing partnerships with international digitization projects were maintained in the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia. The online Image Gallery continues to grow, facilitating an important partnership with the European digital portal Europeana; the Irish digital repository DHO:Discovery; and the Virtual Collection of Masterpieces of Asian Cultural Heritage (VCM), part of the Asian Europe Museum Network.

33 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES Digital Media ISLAMIC SEALS DATABASE In August, the Library launched its Islamic Seals Database, developed as part of the Arabic Manuscripts Project, which is undertaking the production of a new catalogue of the Library’s more than 2600 non-qur’anic Arabic manuscripts. Developed by Dr Elaine Wright and Elizabeth Omidvaran, Assistant for the Arabic Manuscript Project, the database is interactive and will serve as a highly useful tool for scholars around the world. At the moment it includes only seal impressions from the Library’s own manuscripts but eventually those from other collections will also be included. Funds for the design of the database were kindly provided by a grant from The Islamic Manuscript Association (TIMA).

34 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES Digital Media MOBILE VERSION OF CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY WEBSITE In January, the Library launched a mobile version of its website for Smartphone and hand-held computer users, developed with support from the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport. The mobile website enables users to access basic information on the Library quickly and easily. While it has special appeal for tourists, it is a useful resource for anyone planning a visit or just interested in finding out more about the Library. The mobile site has the same overall look and feel as the main website: the number of images and pages is contained, however, to facilitate faster download. The result is a rich, icon-driven mobile website that can be accessed quickly and easily on the go.

DIGITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (DAMS) A new Digital Asset Management System, called Extensis, was implemented for staff during the year. In addition, a new digitization computer and specialised monitor were installed in the Reference Library allowing reading room visitors’ access to over 50,000 digital images held by the Library. Images are drawn from the Library’s collection of professional photographs, external digitization projects, and the digitized microfilm collection.

35 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES Retail Sales in the giftshop increased in 2011, reflecting the popularity of the three temporary exhibitions held during the year. New merchandise included exhibition-related material and catalogues, and a range of gift cards drawn from the Library’s rich collections was produced for world-wide distribution. The giftshop continues to provide a wide range of gift ideas, in addition to popular guides and more specialist publications relating to the collections.

36 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES Events The Library provides opportunities for both commercial and non-commercial organisations to rent its public spaces. The lecture theatre and atrium would be most commonly utilised for dinners, receptions, lectures, book, press and product launches throughout the year. Below are some of the more significant events hosted by the Library in 2011. • Dublin City Council Launch of the Chinese New Year Festival (Tuesday 1 February) • Guitar Festival of Ireland Masterclass & Concert (Friday 1 & Saturday 2 July) • Japan Anime Weekend in association with the Embassy of Japan in Dublin (Saturday 13 & Sunday 14 August) • Dublin Culture Night 2011 (Friday 23 September) • Barnardos Presidential Candidates Debate on Children’s Issues (Wednesday 12 October) • Tourism Ireland Festivals and Events Promotional Lecture (Thursday 17 November) • The Festival of Carols and Readings (Thursday 1 December), now in its 9th year.

37 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES Staff STAFF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT Hyder Abbas, Library Assistant, completed an MSc. in Information and Library Studies, by distance learning, from Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen. Frances Narkiewicz, Rights & Reproductions Assistant, was awarded the degree of PhD from the History of Art and Architecture Department, Trinity College, Dublin. Mary Dowling, Membership Coordinator, received an Honours Diploma in Public Relations from the Public Relations Institute of Ireland, and an Honours Diploma in Event Management from the European Institute of Communications accredited by the Public Relations Institute of Ireland.

TRAINING ATTENDED Conservation staff Rachel Sawicki, Kristine Rose, Gaia Petrella and placement student Anna Johnson attended a one-day practical workshop on Joint tacketing on 8 February, generously sponsored by the Conservation Department at Trinity College Library. Jessica Baldwin, Head of Conservation, and Gaia Petrella attended the 13th international seminar on the Care and Conservation of manuscripts from 13-15 April, a three-day conference organised by the Arnamagnæanske Institute and held at the University of Copenhagen. Rachel Sawicki and Gaia Petrella attended a one-day workshop on Integrated Pest Management held at the Zoology Department, Trinity College Dublin on 2 June, generously sponsored by the Heritage Council. Jessica Baldwin spent a week (22-26 August) studying Papyrus Conservation with Ms Myriam Krutzsch (Diploma Restaurateur of Papyrus) at the Neues Museum in Berlin. Gaia Petrella attended Conservation Techniques for Islamic Bindings, a 5-day workshop at Montefiascone, Italy from 8-12 August. Jessica Baldwin and Rachel Sawicki spent a day studying Japanese scroll mounting techniques with Andrew Thompson and Sydney Thomson at The Restorient Studio, Museum Volkenkunde, Leiden, on 18th October. 38 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES

Rachel Sawicki and Fiona McLees attended a one-day workshop entitled Environmental conditions and how to monitor them and how to assess the condition of your collection on 22nd November, held at the Heritage Council offices and Kilkenny Castle, generously sponsored by the Heritage Council. Jenny Siung, Head of Education and Justyna Chemielewska, Volunteer Coordinator attended conferences organised by “LEM – the Learning Museum” in Cardiff, UK from 19-20 May 2011 and in Tampere, Finland from 11-12 October 2011. Justyna Chmielewska is a member of the working group concentrating on Museums and the Ageing Population. Jenny Siung was awarded a grant to participate in the Alexandria Education Convention, Alexandria, Egypt, organised by the Anna Lindh Foundation and Swedish Institute of Alexandria from 30-31 October. Justyna Chemielewska attended the National Volunteer Management Conference in Dublin on 9 November, organised by Volunteering Ireland to celebrate the European Year of Volunteering 2011. Celine Ward, Reference Librarian, attended a Library Association of Ireland Rare Books Group workshop on book provenance, held at UCD on 28 April; and the Rare Books Group Annual Seminar entitled Printed Treasures: Unique collections in Irish Libraries, held in the Royal Irish Academy on 24 November. Derval O’Carroll, Head of Operations and Administration, attended the Incoming Tour Operators Association of Ireland workshop on 31 March and a Collections at Risk seminar in Trinity College Dublin on 20 June. Dr. Elaine Wright and Elizabeth Omidvaran attended the seventh annual conference of The Islamic Manuscripts Association (TIMA), on the topic of Islamic manuscripts in South and Southeast Asia, at the University of Cambridge, from 12-14 July. Rie Mishima, Shop Manager, attended a one-day seminar entitled Growing income, stretching margins, organized by the Association for Cultural Enterprises (ACE) and hosted by the National Gallery of Ireland, on 12 October.

39 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES Presentations and Publications Dr Elaine Wright, Curator of the Islamic Collection, gave a lecture entitled Heroes and Kings of the Shahnama, The Iranian National Epic and the Chester Beatty Library at University College Dublin, on 1 February. In August, Dr Wright presented a daily lecture on bookbinding as part of the week-long course Conservation Techniques for Islamic Binding for the Montefiascone Conservation Project in Montefiascone, Italy held from 8-15 August. The lectures were illustrated exclusively with bindings from the Library’s collection and will provide the basis for a much larger study of the Library’s very fine and important collection of Islamic bindings. The course was also presented by Book Conservator, Kristine Rose. Jessica Baldwin, Head of Conservation, presented a one day workshop entitled Writing and caring for collections strategy for Heritage Council Museum Standards Programme for Ireland participants, which was held at The Hunt Museum, Limerick on 12 May. On 7 July, she presented two talks, What is a Caring for Collections Strategy and why do you need one? and Environmental Conditions; their relevance and how to monitor them to the Archives and Records Association (ARA). She presented a lecture entitled Condition reporting and risk assessment of objects to MSPI participants at the Heritage Council, Kilkenny on 22 November. Jenny Siung, Head of Education, presented a paper entitled Renegotiating Irish Identity: the Chester Beatty Library and Ireland at the conference The Museum 2011, Building Identity: The Making of National Museums and Identity Politics in the National Museum of History, Taipei, 16- 18 November 2011, organised by the National Museum of History Taipei, the V&A, Museums Studies of Leicester University and National Taipei University of Education. The paper was subsequently published in the Irish Museums Association Journal, Museum Ireland, 2011. Laura Muldowney, Curatorial Assistant for the East Asian Collections, delivered a lecture to the Irish-Chinese Cultural Society on the Library’s contemporary Chinese print collection on 23 March. Justyna Chmielewska, Volunteer-Co-ordinator, presented a paper called Engaging Multi-Ethnic Communities through the Volunteer Programme of the Chester Beatty Library during the Council of National Cultural Institutions conference in Kilkenny on 11 November, entitled Whose Culture Is It? 40 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES

A work by former Curator of the East Asian Collections Dr. Shane McCausland, entitled Zhao Mengfu: calligraphy and printing for Khubilai’s China, was published by the Hong Kong University Press in 2011. The publication was supported by funding from the Library.

41 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES Staff List Director: Fionnuala Croke, MA, IEMBA (from March 2011) Head of Development: Paula Shalloo, BA Personal Assistant to Director: June Lattimore Membership Co-ordinator: Mary Dowling, BA Head of Collections and Curator of the Western Collections: Charles Horton, MA, Dip. Archive Studies Curator of the Islamic Collections: Elaine Wright, MA, MPhil, DPhil Curator of the East Asians Collections: Vacant Reference Librarian: Celine Ward, BA, MLIS Senior Library Assistant: Hyder Abbas, BA, MLIS Head of Education: Jenny Siung, MLitt, HDip Arts Administration, HDip Adult and Community Education Head of Conservation: Jessica Baldwin, BA Hon. Conservation Senior Conservator: Kristine Rose, ACR, BA Hon. Conservation (to April 2011) 42 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES Conservators: Gaia Petrella, MA (to September 2011) Rachel Sawicki, MA (Heritage Council Sponsored Book Conservation Intern) Fiona McLees, MA, PG Dip. Conservation, MA Conservation (From November 2011) (Heritage Council Sponsored Paper Conservation Intern) Curatorial Assistants: Laura Muldowney, MA Jill Unkel, MSc, MPhil, PhD Elizabeth Omidvaran, MLitt Dietlind Kranefeld, MA (to February 2011) Head of Operations and Administration: Derval O’Carroll, MA Technical Manager: Lorna Tracey, BSc (Hons.) Finance Manager: Vera Greif Rights and Reproductions Officer: Sinéad Ward, MA, HDip Arts Administration Shop Manager: Rie Mishima, BA Shop Assistants: John Synott, B. Comm. (to December 2011) Marta Przyluck, MA (to October 2011) Events Co-ordinator: Lisa Fitzsimons, MA Volunteer Co-ordinator: Justyna Chmielewska, MLitt Rights and Reproductions Assistant: Frances Narkiewicz, PhD 43 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES

Head Attendant: James Curran Senior Attendants: Kevin Hackett John Madden Attendants: Joseph Doyle Val Kavanagh Tony Gallagher Brendan Lynch David Steele Martin O’Leary Syed Usman Alishah (to April 2011) Alan Fitzgerald Colm Kiernan

VOLUNTEERS Tour Guides: Joan Barnewell Noeleen Bryan Susan Dillon Jack Fitzgerald Delphine Kelly Patricia McCabe Janet Martin Nateghe Moane Brian O’Neill Mary O’Riordan Heidi O’Rourke Cathriona Russell Orla Ryan Margaret Sheehy 44 CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES

Hiromi Anzai (Japanese language Guide) Dietlind Kranefeld (German language Guide) Tiedong Yang (Mandarin language Guide) Visitor Services Representatives: Hiromi Anzai Margaret Brady Mairin Cullen Maura Fennell Colleen Fitzgerald Noel Gorman Kurt Kullmann Mary Neville Brian O’Neill Rita Sutton Retail Assistants: Nicola Dunne Marie Fitzgerald Akiko Kidokoro Membership Assistants: Andrea Dodd Sarah Kingston Mary McGrath Delphine Petitjean Aisling Randles Penelope Wu Graphic Design: Emma Byrne

45 REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES

CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY 46 as restated €€ 2011 2010 727,931 511,881 727,931 922,759 701,463 3,441,669 3,730,823 4,169,600 4,242,704 4,169,600 4,242,704 3,082,755 3,126,649 12 1,086,845 1,116,055 Notes Fixed assets Fixed assets fixed Tangible 7 1,712,123 1,870,345 Trustees: Dr TP Hardiman, Prof R Stalley. R Stalley. Prof Dr TP Hardiman, Trustees: Croke. F. Ms. Director/Librarian: Capital and income funds Capital funds Capital funds Restricted 10 1,861,249 302,030 2,043,950 302,030 Development Fund Development Unrestricted funds Unrestricted 919,476 780,669 Net current assets current Net Creditors and accruals and accruals Creditors (194,828) (189,582) Bank current accounts Bank current 708,085 457,063 Investments 9 1,729,5461,860,478 9 Investments Current liabilities Current 31 December 2011 December 31 Balance Sheet Balance Current assets Current Shop stocks and prepayments Debtors 46,830 58,157 167,844 186,243