The London Library has teamed up with leading creative media agency Cultureshock to launch an exciting new format for the Library’s membership magazine. Appearing three times a year, the magazine is distributed to Library members who include some of the world’s best-known writers and creative figures.
Each issue is focused on interviews with prominent Library members and looks at their work and how the Library and its astonishing collection of one million books have informed it. The launch issue published in March 2020 contains an in-depth interview with Bill Bryson, a longstanding Library member, whose recent book The Body was largely written here and drew heavily on the Library’s collection. Bill discusses his research, his favourite working spaces and why he finds the Library so special. “This Library”, he says, “is so perfect. It’s got something of everything”.
Alongside interviews with leading author Giles Milton, plus scriptwriter Jonathan Holloway and theatre producer Natasha Rickman (who together worked on Creation Theatre’s recent stage production of The Time Machine in the Library), the magazine also explores the richness of the collection and the range of events and activities taking place here. And there’s news of the very recent discovery that Mark Twain joined the Library shortly after his arrival in London in 1896.
The magazine’s contemporary design draws on the iconography visible across the Library’s extraordinary building and across its huge collection of books which is arranged on 17 miles of open access shelves and is almost all available for borrowing.
Patrick Kelly, Managing Director at Cultureshock commented, “Cultureshock is delighted to be working with The London Library on the new member magazine. It's exciting working on a project in a way that will appeal to a wide range of readers and showcase the many fascinating aspects of the world’s largest independent lending library."
Philip Marshall concluded: “The London Library is here to inspire and support readers and writers of all kinds and we are delighted to celebrate that in our new magazine by sharing stories of the wonderfully creative ways in which the Library is used. The magazine will also support the tremendous sense of community that exists amongst our members, and is especially important as a way of staying in touch during these difficult times. We hope the fresh new design and rich content will be bring some welcome enjoyment to all our readers.”
Following the government’s announcement of much wider restrictions to help tackle the Coronavirus situation, we have put a halt for now on our postal loans service. With our building closed to members and visitors since 17th March we wanted to maintain a skeleton postal loans service for as long as we could to provide some access to the books collection but the latest coronavirus restrictions mean that it is currently not possible for us to continue with this. The temporary suspension of the service comes into force with immediate effect.
While it’s disappointing that we will be unable to post out books - including books that have recently been ordered but not yet delivered - we’ll keep the situation under regular review and hope to resume a books lending service as soon as it is appropriate to do so.
In the meantime our online services are fully available. They comprise an extensive resource in their own right, containing millions of pages from articles in thousands of journals, periodicals, newspapers and databases. Our website provides more information on what’s available and how the e-library can be accessed.
Library staff are working from home and can continue to provide enquiry and research services by email (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). Such help may include:
- Helping you identify sources and journal articles in the e-Library relevant to your research or interest
- Guidance on how to use the online resources if you have not used them greatly before and would like assistance on how best to approach your research
We’ll also continue to provide regular updates and news about the Library through our enewsletter, website and social media. And we’ll be keeping in touch with ways you can enjoy the work of Library members through online offerings like podcasts and virtual events.
Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. Coronavirus presents huge challenges for all of us and we are very grateful for your continued support.
Philip Marshall
Director, The London Library
In episode 5 of The London Library Podcast, we are joined by Valerie Brandes, the founder and publisher of diversity-focused, independent publishing house Jacaranda Books.
Valerie talks about identity, motherhood and the books that have shaped her life and career - from moving to America, then back to Hackney and setting up her own publishing business. As well as Jacaranda's Twentyin2020 initiative, which The London Library is currently supporting, promoting Black British writing through exclusively dedicating a year of publishing output to 20 Black British writers.
The London Library Podcast launched on 18 November 2019 and features a leading writer or figure in the cultural world discussing the books which have shaped them. Each month the guest is in conversation with The London Library’s Director, Philip Marshall and delves into the Library’s archive and collection to uncover treasured books and nuggets of historical detail about the guest’s book choices.
The Podcast is a celebration of books and the ideas they inspire and a personal love letter from each guest to the books that have been most influential to them.
Read more: London Library Podcast Episode 5: Valerie Brandes
The forth episode of The London Library Podcast is now live. This month we're delighted to be joined Ahsan Akbar - a London Library member, poet, co-founder of the Dhaka Literary Festival and owner of Teatulia tea shop and bar in Covent Garden.
In conversation with The London Library’s Director, Philip Marshall, Ahsan discusses the books that have shaped his life, including The Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi; A Bend in the River by V S Naipaul; Money by Martin Amis; Virginia Woolf's Orlando and Reunion by Fred Uhlman.
The London Library Podcast launched on 18 November 2019 and features a leading writer or figure in the cultural world discussing the books which have shaped them. Each month the guest is in conversation with The London Library’s Director, Philip Marshall and will delve into the Library’s archive and collection to uncover treasured books and nuggets of historical detail about the guest’s book choices.
The London Library Podcast is a celebration of books and the ideas they inspire and a personal love letter from each guest to the books that have been most influential to them.
