Books, Books, More Books (and some Borrowers)! Two Library Excursions at the Books and Borrowing Conference
Today is the last day to register for the Books and Borrowing conference in April – don’t miss out, and make sure to sign up now at Reading and Book Circulation, 1650-1850 | University of Stirling Online Shop.
We are excited to announce that there will be two excursions during the Books and Borrowing conference, thanks to two of our partner libraries. The first (on Monday 17th April) will be to see a selection of books from the Leighton Library (https://www.leightonlibrary.org.uk/), currently held in Stirling University’s own Archives while the Leighton Library itself undergoes extensive restoration works. We are very grateful to the Trustees of the Leighton Library, for permission to view the books, many of which are either rare or unusual in different ways, and to Stirling’s Academic Liaison Librarian, Helen Beardsley, for helping to facilitate the session. In addition to some of Archbishop Leighton’s rare religious books, including a polyglot Bible, the Leighton’s Borrowing Registers and other relevant manuscripts will be on display, along with information about the library’s borrowers. The session will be introduced by the University of Stirling’s Kelsey Jackson Williams, with help from Books and Borrowing’s Katie Halsey and Josh Smith.
Dr Kelsey Jackson Williams, Expert on the Leighton Library’s Books. Reproduced from https://kelseyjacksonwilliams.com/
Some of the Leighton Library’s books. Photograph reproduced from https://www.leightonlibrary.org.uk/the-books
The second expedition will take us slightly further afield, to the Library of Innerpeffray https://innerpeffraylibrary.co.uk/), near Crieff, on Wednesday 19th April. Very many thanks to Lara Haggerty, Innerpeffray’s Keeper of Books, who has kindly organised a tour for us.
The Library of Innerpeffray
The Library of Innerpeffray was founded in 1680 by David Drummond, third Lord Madertie, who made his own collection of books available to be used by local people free of any charge and created a fund to pay for their maintenance. His action created the first public lending library in Scotland. Delegates will enjoy a tour of the collections, and will be able to see Innerpeffray’s Borrowers’ Registers, which date from 1747 to 1968.
Innerpeffray Borrowers’ Register, Vol 1,f.20r. © Alasdair Ross
The Books and Borrowing team are very much looking forward to introducing conference delegates to the libraries and books that are close to our hearts – don’t forget to sign up for the conference if you haven’t already done so! We’ll post an updated programme soon.
Reading and Book Circulation, 1650-1850 | University of Stirling Online Shop