newsletter winter/spring 2017 Note from the Editor: Priscilla Barlow Another year, another issue, another up to date with information and reports happy to print tributes and to intro- designer and yet another masthead; we from the Library and we also include what duce three new committee members. hope you like this one. As ever the news- we like to think of as ‘feature articles’ Please get in touch We continue to letter contains reports on The Friends’ which are library and bibliophile related. hope that you will write to us with your activities as well as information about This issue also marks the retirement views at: [email protected] or friends@ people and events. We try to keep you of three Friends’ stalwarts. We are lib.gla.ac.uk. Exits Graeme Smith Lesley Richmond Sheila Craik After the October Good wishes go to When she retired AGM, a presenta- Lesley Richmond on in 1992 from full tion was made to her retirement from time work as a li- Graeme Smith, pic- the University after brarian in various tured above, who 30 years service, ini- departments of is retiring from tially as an archivist the Library, Sheila his post as the and in due course joined the Friends’ Friends’ Commit- as the University committee. After tee chairman. He Archivist, to which more than 10 years has served us well she added the post of excellent service for six years guiding us safely through of Deputy Director of the Library from she has decided to resign, feeling that many choppy waters. Credit is due to 2001. As an ex-officio member of the she had been there too long! Not so; Graeme for his sterling input into the Friends` committee she has greatly en- her balanced input at meetings has con- publication and marketing of Friendly couraged and supported the work of stantly injected the voice of sanity into Shelves and for always being mindful of the society, and guided us through the deliberations. our commitment to engagement with ever-changing landscape of Gilmore- She will perhaps be most missed and the wider public. hill. Her expertise and knowledge are remembered in her role as ‘drinks and Perhaps he now will have much more also reflected in the new celebratory nibbles lady’ at the Friends’ talks and time for one of his chief interests – Scot- book The University of Glasgow Library: events, a role performed with patience tish theatre history. To this end the gift Friendly Shelves within the texts and the and charm. We wish Sheila much hap- took the form of an 1848 playbill from spirited provision of illustrations. piness in whatever she now undertakes the Theatre Royal in Ayr. We wish Lesley, and her husband and and we are sure it will be something We wish Graeme a happy retirement. family, good health and happiness. worthwhile. A Happy Occasion n On Thursday, 1st December we met to celebrate the contribution of two retiring members of FGUL, Lesley Richmond and Sheila Craik. Presentations were made: to Sheila, a John Lewis Gift Voucher and to Lesley, a framed certificate of her award by The Friends of Glas- gow University Library of Honorary Life Membership, flowers and National Gardens gift tokens which she assured us would be well used in her new home. We were pleased to be joined by our Hon. President Sir Kenneth Calman, the University Librarian Susan Ashworth and several • Pictures courtesy of members of the Friends. The party was enlivened by wine Iain Wotherspoon and fruit juice, superior nibbles and a splendid cake! ..and entrances Profile: 21: Kathryn Lowe Welcome To Our New Committee Members Dr Kathryn (Katie) Lowe undertook her academic training at Nottingham and David Baillie Cambridge universities, and David’s professional life has came to Glasgow from St been in further education. Catharine’s College, Cambridge, He worked in a variety of where she was a research colleges from the early sev- fellow. enties until 2002, at which Her teaching at Glasgow point he was appointed As- focuses on Old and Middle sistant Principal at Cardonald English language and literature, College for some ten years. history of English, medieval Most of David’s teaching manuscript studies, and Old was in British Government Icelandic. and Politics and in the early She has published widely 1980s he gained an MPhil at • Pictured, left to right: David Baillie, Dr Fiona Hamilton and Dr Ramona Foriade Glasgow in Scottish Govern- tured in Chemistry and her learning about Special Col- the Director of the Shestov on Old and Middle English ment and Administration. research has been in fields lections and the ever-chang- Studies Society and the Ed- Taking early retirement in emerging & merging into ing role of the Library has itor-in-Chief of the Shestov Open Day at 2002, he then served for nine Molecular Biology. been fascinating: exploring Journal and has been com- years as a councillor in South In Fiona’s years of study how modern disciplines will missioned to co-ordinate the the Library: Lanarkshire, including five as textbooks were a rarity, be- develop constructive interac- new critical edition of Shes- Depute Chair of Housing. ing taught from primary tion and build a meaningful tov’s works in French (with archive for the future is of Le Bruit du Temps Publishers, He also has an MLitt in literature in departmental Whitfield interest. Paris) and in English (with English Literature and one libraries and using the Main Ohio University Press). in Victorian Literature. He is Library for warmth and inspi- Dr Ramona Fotiade currently studying Scottish ration in essay writing. Ramona is Senior Lecturer in She has herself published Revisited history via distance learning Employment initially with French in the School of Mod- extensively on French Phi- Report by language and literature, with AVRI (govt Animal Virus unit) ern Languages and Cultures losophy, Literature and Film, a focus on manuscript studies from Dundee. Central to all John Warren • Pictures courtesy of Iain Wotherspoon that activity has been this li- in Surrey, was followed by at the University of Glasgow. and has supervised doctoral and textual transmission. She On Saturday, 10th built), Level 1 was an area Finally, in the Henry brary. He would wish to give many years in R&D with ‘Big She has an MPhil in Film research projects on inter- has held visiting fellowships September FGUL members that was as mysterious to Heaney Room, Dr something back. Pharma’ both here and over- and TV Studies (University of disciplinary topics with col- during periods of study leave seas. She joined FGUL ini- Westminster) and a PhD in leagues from the School of were guests of Glasgow students as the back door Robert MacLean (Special from Glasgow at Cambridge (as Dr Fiona Hamilton tially to maintain University Modern Languages (Oxford). Creative Arts (Theatre, Film University Library in a of Dr Jekyll’s residence Collections), provided us Munby Fellow in Bibliography, Fiona was born and brought contact, and then, in pre-in- She has been a lecturer in and TV Department) and conducted tour of the new must have seemed to with a choice selection a position which gave her, up in Glasgow. She has a BSc ternet days, to have access to both Film and Televison Stud- the School of Critical Stud- and splendid facilities on fearful locals. Now Level 1 from GUL’s remarkable quite literally, the keys to the and a Ph.D. from the Uni- primary literature when and ies (Bristol) and Oxford (Bali- ies (Theology and Religious Levels 1 and 2. has been de-mystified into holdings to view at close University Library’s manuscript versity of Glasgow. She lec- if necessary. More recently, ol and Magdalen). Ramona is Studies). We began at the ground quarters including the collection), and at Oxford (Snell floor (Level 2) entrance, matchless Hunterian Visitor, Balliol College). with a tour of the newly Psalter, a Geneva Bible Her next project will be to AGM REPORT: Graeme Smith created exhibition space and some beautiful and complete the Index of Middle FGUL Membership priceless examples of The Friends’ 40th AGM took place Shelves had been launched and was which can be enjoyed English Prose Handlist of William Blake’s work. in October preceding the talk by Dr. being well received. Report: October 2106 without ‘swiping cards’ manuscripts in Glasgow to enter. Beyond the Of particular interest, Maureen Park. In addition to the book being on sale University Library. The resulting turnstiles the issue desk we looked at a Latin and On behalf of the membership, totalling through the University Gift Shop, other Freda Tuck: reference volume, part of a has gone, for we have now Hebrew Old Testament 150, and the many visitors to the talks shops and online at www.friendsofgul. Membership Secretary: well-established series covering entered the age of self- (published in Basel 1546) and events promoted by the society org, public libraries across Scotland repositories around the UK, [email protected] issue. which has been recently each year, the Chairman thanked the and secondary school libraries received should help to promote GUL’s discovered to have been committee and library staff who helped complimentary copies for reference and n In the year 2015-16 we Within Level 2 there magnificent collections and make things happen. lending purposes. gained eight new members is a new presentation signed and annotated advertise their rich potential to area, The Clyde Theatre, by, possibly, John Knox in scholars. The University, and Library, had a Retiring from the committee were and in August 2016, Professor complete with raised 1561.