Status report, September 2010
Steady progress is being made on updating the Library Catalogue, so that I have now decided to make PDF files of almost all of it accessible via links on this page.
Most of the sections have a "Stocktake" column, to indicate whether the item has been traced, and how much work remains to be done!
Almost all the published stock relating to bells and ringing has been traced, labelled and sorted. It remains to find and deal with the peripheral material, such as church and local guides, parish literature etc. (some of which may be suitable for disposal), as well as a great deal of unsorted MCALDG archive material.
Borrowing
Members of the Association may borrow from the Library. Certain materials, including MCALDG archive material, are not available for loan. Contact me by email or post to make arrangements (details on the Officers page).
I normally ring at St Giles in the Fields on Thursday lunchtimes (12:45-1:25), and am frequently at the Tuesday learners' practices (6:00-7:30).
The following list shows the current categories by which the stock is arranged.
1 Change ringing contains inter alia reprints of the early works, the well-known nineteenth- and twentieth-century classics
1a Central Council Publications CC Rules, handbooks, collections of methods and peals, teaching manuals etc.
2 Handbell ringing (tunes); carillons, chimes etc; musical connections Includes non-book items such as 78s, 45s, LPs, cassettes, CDs and sheet music
3 Bells, buildings, founding, ringers This category still includes material not related to bells: church and local guides, and books on architecture. Further rationalization is contemplated
4 Middlesex Association Records. is a listing mainly of Association and District Minute Books, some of which are now in the London Metropolitan Archives.
5 Middlesex Association Annual Reports. There are two sets of Reports, one complete and one nearly so.
The first set has been bound up to 1993/94.
The second set (mostly unbound) is currently in the custody of the Librarian.
A fairly large collection of spare copies for recent years has been given to James White, who will be happy to fill gaps in a member's set.
6 Other Association / Guild Annual Reports This very patchy collection is earmarked for disposal.
Some interest has been shown by the Librarians of the originating guilds, to improve some of their broken sets, and by one who is building up a nationwide collection. Good homes will eventually be found.
7 Catalogues of other libraries The catalogues and publications of the Central Council Library predominate in this category.
8 Periodicals on ringing. This includes a long run of the Ringing World, as well as some other titles, notably Church Bells and Bell News
The Ringing World DVD 1911-1943 has recently been purchased.
9 Documents concerning Middlesex members and towers
10 Miscellaneous items These are mainly ephemera, e.g. service sheets (including memorial services), dinner menus, souvenir programmes
11 Churches in the Ringing World. This appears to be a list of cuttings (mainly photographs)
12 Church guides (non-Middlesex)
13 Postcards This comprises a collection made by Valerie Payne of about 120 views of churches within the MCALDG area
A separate collection of about 1300 cards assembled by Valerie, mainly views of churches in other parts of the UK, is earmarked for disposal.
14 Parish literature This is a small collection of parish magazines and similar ephemera.
Items relevant to MCALDG will be moved to category 9; the rest have been discarded.
I shall email alerts on progress to the MCA&LDG mailing list from time to time.
Paul Norman
Librarian
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MIDDLESEX
