We have a significant and fascinating archive going back to the beginnings of the Library Association and relating to the history and development of CILIP. It consists of such items as:
FLA Theses, Photographs, Slides, Artefacts, Council and Committee Papers, Publications (own), Journals (own), Leaflets, Major project/event files, The Thorne Papers, some Group/Branch archives.
Most of the archive is now housed with University College London (UCL), who provide a controlled environment in which to store the archive, as well as facilities for researchers to view selected material.
CILIP retains on site a complete set of bound Library Association Records, Library Association Yearbooks, Council minutes from 1990 to present, FLA thesis and essays, and a collection of Library Association Publishing books.
The draft CILIP archive policy can be viewed in the branches and group section of the website.
Access and enquiries
In the first instance, all enquiries should be made to the CILIP Information and Advice Team. You can send an enquiry using the online enquiry form or email info@cilip.org.uk or ring 020 7255 0620
As we are a small team, please ring us to make an appointment.
To access material held by UCL, you will also need to make an appointment, allowing at least a week before you plan to visit.
For general appointments and enquiries, email spec.coll@ucl.ac.uk or telephone 020 7679 5197.
UCL Special Collections are located on the first floor at 140 Hampstead Road, Camden, NW1 2BX. They are open from Monday to Thursday, 9.30 to 17.00, and on Fridays from 9.30 to 16.45.
Due to the relocation of Special Collections to temporary premises during the Summer of 2011 (Late March to September 2011), services will be be affected as follows:
The Reading Room at 140 Hampstead Road will be closed for two days a week from early February to the end of the Spring Term, 2011. From late March onwards there will be no access to the Reading Room, and from then until late September there will be no access to the collections, to allow for the physical move of the facilities and collections.