Clergy House Library
A part of the Cathedral rarely seen by visitors (as access for the public is difficult) the library occupies a crossroads - being the one place where the elements of Cathedral, Archbishop's House and Choir School physically impinge upon eachother. The library belongs to Clergy House, but is situated in Archbishop's House (the glassed area on high is the Archbishop's meeting room) and is used mainly as a classroom by the Choir School.
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Recently refurbished at the Choir School's expense, the shelves were for many years full of school textbooks, but havenow been filled with exquisite books from the sacristy, and several bequests (including those of the diplomat Sir Paul Wright, and the eccentric convert clergyman Brian Brindley).
Old pictures show that the Clergy House library was once used as a working library, and that it was rather over-cluttered.
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These days, this fine room space is also used for scripture study groups, practice space for visiting choirs, and weekend catechetical meetings.
4 comments:
I worry about the orthodoxy of the association of words like "over-cluttered" and "library". You can't have too many books. Books arrange themselves. Libraries aren't about always being able to put your hand on everything you want, exactly when you want: they are about finding your way to what you want through a series of distractions.
And where does that leave the long-suffering librarian - tidying up behind the book-dumper? Libraries should have order!
Truth to tell, it is not a library in any active sense - presenting clearly grouped categories, available for browsing or borrowing. It is more a collection of mostly theological books from various sources,awaiting someone with the time and patience to catagogue it.
-raises hand- Um, I'm perfectly willing to do it...
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