National Libraries Day – Our Local Studies & Archaeology Library
- 8th February 2014
On Level 2 in The Hive, on the Explore the Past floor, is the Local Studies & Archaeology Library. Over 12,000 books are here covering Worcestershire, subjects connected to the county, and archaeology. All out books are on the catalogue http://capitadiscovery.co.uk/worcs/ so you can check to see what we have, and they are all reference only so are will be available when you come in.
As well as the traditional published books, as you’d expect from any library, the local studies library has a far wider coverage. We have books written 300 years ago, booklets which had print runs of a few dozen on a photocopier and never went anywhere near a bookshop, academic tomes and brief guides. There are specific books on the county or particular towns or villages, as well as general books which refer in passing to the county, and books on local and family history topics to help researchers. We also have unique items which have been compiled from other sources, such as ‘Stroller’, three volumes of newspaper cuttings from the 1920s and 1930s from Worcester newspapers, featuring articles of villages around the county. We work closely with libraries across the county, and the last copies in the county usually get passed on to us.
The archaeology library contains a wide range of books, not only about local history and archaeology, but also about the subject in general. Originally for the archaeology staff, it was available during office opening hours before the move to The Hive, but is now available 7 days a week for anyone to use within the building. This is well used by archaeology students studying at the university.
There is also a special collection within the archives, some of which can be seen in the glass cases. The Palfrey Collection was created by Alderman Palfrey, one of the instigators behind the creation of Worcestershire Record Office in 1947. He was a keen local historian and a collector of books on various subjects including Worcestershire. On his death he bequeathed the collection to the Record Office.
So come along and have a browse and see what interests you. It is accessible whenever The Hive is open, seven days a week 8:30am-10pm.
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