July 17 St. Paul's Cathedral Library

St. Paul’s Cathedral Library-Joseph Wisdom
• Everything is locked up tight and kept secure
• The library is located behind a huge wooden door that leads to an huge “attic” under the eaves of the cathedral
• There is only librarian and one volunteer helper
• A conservation group was getting ready to start working with the collection
• Books with taped spines are no longer useable because text blocks have separated from spines
• The circular stone stairway leading up to the library was used in Harry Potter movies
• Ornate decorative work is mostly absent from the actual library; very minimal there; two levels of shelving; wooden shelves and tall library tables; shelving sections labeled with numbers
• Many, many rare old books, but most of the original library was destroyed by The Great Fire of 1666.
• The current collection is made up of several smaller collections; there are some duplicate or triplicate copies
• Preservation/conservation/restoration differ greatly
• The library is a closed area; people my come if they have legitimate reasons for visiting
o Only three items are allowed at a time per reader
o No pens allowed, just pencils