Day 2: British Library

The second day of our class was one of the highlights! We went to the British Library and were given a tour where we learned about the processes of the library.

Before we went, I knew that the British Library is a copyright library like the Library of Congress. However, I did not know that the library is as accessible as it is. I was very surprised to find out that the average time to get a book ready to view is less than an hour! While the collection is a closed stacks system (which makes sense as it is all reference material/only for in-house use), the processes in place to pull material for patron usage are well practiced! There are hundreds of cubbies that are used for viewing materials, and I wish that I had the time to request an item, even if it was for no other reason than to experience it. The tour itself was interesting and I enjoyed being able to see some of the back rooms of the British Library. Since this was our first class session at a library or archive, I had really high expectations, and I will admit that my expectations were not necessarily met (I wanted to see more of their processes in person, ask about their digitization capabilities for online requests, etc.), the British Library was still one of my favorite locations on this trip! I was pleasantly surprised at the level of accessibility the library had and was even able to get my own reader card!

The King's Library at the British Library