The British Library - caretakers of knowledge.
The ship docked in London. Well, that was the vision of the architect. And what would be the main feature of this magnificent ship? Something unique to England. King George III's library set in a glass tower for all to see. Needless to say, it is beautiful.
Our private tour started with the Qatar restoration project. 2 million items to be digitized and shared with the public. Material treated with such respect and items copyrighted during the entire process.
We headed to the main conservation department to see how books are restored with minimal impact to original items. Japanese paper and paste made up of rice or wheat are the key ingredients to preservation. But it is the talent of the people who handle the material and their passion as caretakers of these items which stood out most to me.
After I grabbed some lunch, I headed straight to the exhibit where my eyes could delight in close proximity to ancient texts. Did these authors know their work would stand the test of time? Did the scribes know their handwriting would be viewed by millions? This exhibit is worth its weight in gold.
Our last guide made our group laugh as we toured the rest of the library. A gifted teacher can cast a spell on students. It was a great way to end our day at The British Library. His dry sense of humor kept me on my toes as I clung to each word he spoke. I could not contain the smile on my face.
Free access to information was the theme of this tour.
It is the fuel feeding this magnificent ship. And many hands are on deck.
Comments