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St. Brides on BBC London News
Posted by vinceconnare in
8 Jan 2007 — 2:54pm
8 Jan 2007 — 2:54pm
BBC London News showed an appeal for St. Brides Printing Library a few minutes ago.
It has been under threat for years say a prayer for St. Brides
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8 Jan 2007 — 3:09pm
It really would be a sad day if St Bride were closed. I would hope, in the very least, the contents wouldn't just get buried in a storage unit. Didn't this happen to the Type Library?
8 Jan 2007 — 3:17pm
Yes I went to the Type Library to take the photos for an article about the Library and was surprised that we where told it's too late it's dead. And the British Library is taking everything and putting it in storage and probably won't see the light of day again. So let's hope that isn't what happens to St. Brides.
8 Jan 2007 — 3:46pm
I envy you Brits so much. I tried to watch the news today, the entire morning was stories about parts of Manhattan smelling like gas, the afternoon was stories about a package in Miami that was not a bomb.
8 Jan 2007 — 4:08pm
Oh yeah, I saw only the last minute or so of that item. Unfortunately.
8 Jan 2007 — 7:20pm
Can we all help by becoming Friends of St Bride Library and making a donation, or is it too late even for that?
8 Jan 2007 — 7:54pm
It's been posted to the BBC site. You have to do a search for “St. Bride” to find it, I can't post a link because of a bug in the BBC's javascript video system.
8 Jan 2007 — 7:57pm
Article
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/6237001.stm
Video...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/nolavconsole/ifs_news/hi/nb_wm_fs.stm?news=1&nbram...
9 Jan 2007 — 12:04am
Well spotted, Vince.
It is the most fantastic place. I take my students there fairly regularly. The last time we went we were given a wonderful lecture on the history of hot metal and compositing by librarian Nigel Roche. After the demonstration, the students got to have a go at using the presses. (All for a very reasonable price too. Perhaps too reasonable for these days?)
You can donate via this link and become a 'friend'
http://www.stbridefoundation.org/supportus/friendsofstbride.html
9 Jan 2007 — 3:45am
I have never visited,but am interested in next Friday's (19 Jan 06) book design conference
http://stbride.org/events_education/events/contemporarybookdesign
Might have to ask my employer if I can go...
9 Jan 2007 — 4:53am
>The aim of the redevelopment is to allow 245,000 people a year to take part in activities at the library.
The article doesn't make clear why redevelopment is necessary to save the library. Why does it need to become a general educational institution, rather than a resource for professionals and scholars, in order to survive?
9 Jan 2007 — 6:14am
Coming on the back of the Type Museum’s protracted closing down last year, there is going to be a dearth of type history resources in London.
http://groups.google.com/group/TypeMuseumSociety
I haven't heard anything from them since June 2006.
Tim
11 Jan 2007 — 9:14am
What the BBC account presents is a journalist's version of plans that have been developed to drastically improve St Bride Library. The £7m ($14m) sought is not simply 'To save the library' but the cost of a major refurbishment of the building, the fruits of which would include:
Building of new exhibition and reading rooms within the present lightwell void with a four-fold increase in the number of books on open access to the public.
Refurbishment of the existing reading room as a special collections area and return of the Blades Library to its pristine Victorian state as the heart of the collection.
Creation of a working demonstration area for the artefact collection with glass-screened viewing zone, coupled with refurbishment of the raked Victorian classroom adjacent to the demonstration area.
Installation of a passenger lift serving most levels of the building, augmented by stair lifts, and rationalization of the numerous floor levels to improve access for all.
Provision of a dedicated book lift between stacks and reading room.
Creation of a BS5454 : 2000 compliant archive storage area.
Provision of a substantial ground-floor cafe / bar area and an additional meeting room.
Improvements to the theatre area to provide a multi-use theatrical / conference facility.
Imposing new entrance area from Bride Lane.
That's quite a bag of improvements for the money.
After the improvements the business model is a healthy one and the future bright; without it the library is expensive to run and cannot continue indefinitely.
Fundraising is beginning to bear fruit, but the pace needs to quicken as the building works are anticipated to begin in mid-2008. Anyone wishing to assist should contact the library at http://www.stbride.org.
11 Jan 2007 — 9:19am
Thanks, Nigel.
Dig deep, people!
11 Jan 2007 — 9:23am
Nigel? Rob? Either way if you want me to post any news stories here (or elsewhere) in regards to helping St Bride Library please e-mail me and I'll be more than happy to help. typegirl [at] gmail [dot] com
11 Jan 2007 — 3:41pm
I e-mailed some of these links to Michael Bierut, and he's posted them at Design Observer.
11 Jan 2007 — 5:04pm
What the BBC account presents is a journalist’s version of plans that have been developed to drastically improve St Bride Library.
Does that mean that St. Brides is not in danger of closing?
12 Jan 2007 — 7:11am
To answer the question 'Is the St Bride Library in danger of closing?' fully, one needs to accept a number of points. Firstly, it is intended that the Library will close for the period of the building works in any event; the real question is will it reopen afterwards. Exciting plans have been prepared to radically improve an old and quirky building, and those plans have been approved by the relevant civic authorities, with final approval given only last month. The money to carry out the works is now needed and there is a fundraising strategy in place. Application has been made to the main UK heritage funding body for half the sum required and our own efforts are bearing fruit. However the project still needs a not-inconsiderable amount of money to be secured in the next few months so that it can be assured of success.
12 Jan 2007 — 7:27am
When I visited St. Brides for Typotechnica in 2005 it immediately struck me as a wonderful place and an invaluable resource. It is a treasure that certainly deserves to survive and thrive into the long-term future.
12 Jan 2007 — 7:35am
Hear, hear!
11 Feb 2007 — 3:26am
I visited St.Brides a couple of times as a student, on both occasions i was made to feel unworthy by the librarians who looked down their nose at me and were smugly unhelpful. This was 1990. Never went there again.
11 Feb 2007 — 6:06am
Dear Miles
St Bride is not like that at all now. Nigel Roche is a wonderful and helpful man. He has always filled me with envy of his superb knowledge and his generiosity of spirtit.
You aren’t Miles Newlyn by any chance? We missed each other once whilst I was at Wolff Ollins many years ago!
Yours Sincerely
Randolph T. Burke
11 Feb 2007 — 8:11am
Miles you really should give St Bride another try. They really are lovely over there and if you call ahead you can even request a few books be set out for you.
11 Feb 2007 — 2:00pm
Randolph, it's never too late.
drop me an email.