UCL MA Library and Information Studies Induction Week 2016 – British Library tour

Could there be a better way to wrap up a Library and Information Studies Masters’ induction week than a library visit? None, for sure. And could there be a more exciting place to visit for new students than the British Library? The seven happy few who got the chance to attend such a tour on 29th September would certainly deny it.
This visit was to enable us to (re)discover one of the world landmark libraries. It was also an opportunity to learn more about a specific type of library, i.e. a national library with reference collections for research, and meet a LIS professional working there. Finally, it was a very good way to chat with other people on the programme and carry on getting to know one another!
We were warmly welcomed by our guide who began talking us through the many outstanding features of the library, often sharing with us his professional insight. After an introduction to the legal deposit and a somewhat unexpected big stamp collection, we made a necessary pause in the registration area, which we were urged to come back to after the tour. We were then taken behind the scenes where we were shown the ingenious conveyor belt that transports items around the building. We made our way to the top floor where we admired the glass tower housing George III’s book collection and the oldest of the two biggest books in the world. We came back to the ground floor just in time to watch in wonder a member of staff enter the highly restricted glass tower and reveal to us the secret to book retrieval in it. Our visit came to an inspiring end in front of the Sir John Ritblat Treasures which we were then left to admire at our hearts’ content.

Written by Claire Audelan, f/t MA Library and Information Studies student 2016/17