College of Librarianship Wales Archive

The archive contains the administrative papers of the College of Librarianship Wales, along with a selection of teaching papers; the papers of the CLW library; papers relating to staff and student societies, and a number of works published by the nearby Bronpadarn Press.

The College of Librarianship Wales was established in 1964. Located at Llanbadarn Fawr, Aberystwyth, it was the first library school in Wales. CLW was therefore of great importance in training and developing the skills of the Welsh library community, especially as it offered Welsh medium modules. Yet from it's inception the college adopted an international outlook, and established a reputation for high quality teaching and research. CLW was also the first UK independent college of further education specialising in library science, and the first library school to offer residential accommodation. It's courses prepared students for Library Association examinations offered at undergraduate and postgraduate level, and the college consistently received a high number of applicants from the UK and abroad.

The college merged with the nearby University of Wales, Aberystwyth in 1989, becoming the Department of Information and Library Studies. It is still located on the original campus in Llanbadarn Fawr.

The papers may be consulted through application by e-mail to: archives@aber.ac.uk or by post to: Aberystwyth University, Archives, Information Services, Llandinam Building, Penglais, Aberystwyth, SY23 3DB. Tel: 01970 628593.

Description compiled by Rhian Phillips, Archive Hub project archivist, and Steve Chandler, SCONUL Graduate Trainee, with reference to the College of Librarianship Wales Archive.

Basic finding aid available on request from Archives staff.