Library Planning Archive

The archive contains information on the planning and building of libraries throughout the United Kingdom, and in various countries within Europe; North America; South America; Australasia; Africa and Asia. These vary from branch libraries serving small localities, to national libraries, such as the Library of Congress and the British Library. The material includes a large group of architectural plans and drawings of library buildings; newspaper cuttings regarding library buildings, taken from local newspapers and specialist librarianship and architectural journals; local government papers concerning the building of new libraries, including proposal documents, minutes of meetings and work schedules; photographs and slides, including series of exhibition photographs produced by the Library Association; building report forms circulated by the Library Association and the College of Librarianship Wales, and completed by the staff of new libraries; statistical information; correspondence between library staff and the Library Association, and various pamphlets and guides to libraries.

The archive was initially compiled by the Library Association, and has since been added to by the staff of the College of Librarianship Wales, and the staff of the Thomas Parry Library, University of Wales, Aberystwyth.

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.

This archive is held at the Thomas Parry Library, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth.

Description compiled by Rhian Phillips, Archives Hub project archivist.

Basic finding aid available on request from Archives staff.

The archive contains material from two different provenances. A large group of material was donated to the University by the Library Association. Material collected separately by the staff of the College of Librarianship Wales and the Thomas Parry Library has since been added to this original donation. It is now virtually impossible to separate these two groups, and so they have been described together as the Library Planning Archive.