Visit to the Foyle Special Collections Library and Maughan Library, London

The Foyle Special Collections Library houses some 170,000 printed works, as well as maps, slides, sound recordings and manuscript material. Its collections, built up over centuries by purchase, gift and bequest, contain incunabula, many unique items and cover all subject areas. You will be able to view a selection of books from the collections, including some incunabula, some items from the FCO Historical Collection (which was transferred in 2007), and from the historical medical collections. These examples will be used to illustrate some practices of rare book cataloguing. The visit will also include a tour of the Maughan Library, a listed building with many interesting architectural features and used to house the Public Record Office. Following the visit there will be refreshments and a chance to view their latest exhibition, "Learning from Lister", timed to coincide with the centenary of the death of the surgeon and 'discoverer' of antiseptic surgery Joseph Lister. The exhibition will include museum artefacts (from the Science Museum, Royal College of Surgeons etc.) as well as three books with important Lister associations from the Foyle Special Collections Library.