On the shelf
Posted 8 June 09 by Scott AndrewsMy new 9-5 has taken me back to Academia, this time in the heart of Bloomsbury. For my lunch breaks I have a dizzying choice of options, from the British Museum to the British Library.
Last week, knowing that I would be needing to do some pretty extensive historical research for a planned novel, I strolled up the British Library to enquire about a Reader’s Card.
From the outside it’s an unlovely modern building, but I quite liked its spaciousness, the fact that it’s dotted with power points and benches where studious folks sit with laptops, and the huge glass tower of ancient books that rises through the cafe like some Babelesque statement of intent.
I killed time wandering around an exhibition of original manuscripts, marvelling at Jane Austen’s clear penmanship, John Lennon’s all-capitals lyrics, and the first handwritten use of the phrase “Reader, I married him.”
When I enquired of an admin lady about a reader’s card I was asked the purpose for my request.
“Writing a novel.”
“First?” Indulgent and slightly patronising, but not unfriendly.
“Third.”
“Ooh!” Impressed and slightly flirtatious.
Turns out I can get a three year Reader’s Card with little effort because I am published and in their catalogue.
Upon searching for myself in the British Library catalogue I find myself listed as
Andrews, Scott, 1971-
as if the catalogue is patiently waiting for the opportunity to fill that empty, hanging field, knowing that when it does then its set of data relating to the author will be complete and it can sigh contentedly for I will have been filed, stamped, indexed, numbered and placed safe on a shelf for posterity.
Comment
- I saw Kevin Brownloe’s “Winstanley” drama-doc last year, about the Diggers just after the Civil War. In the Q&A Brownlow said the research meant going to the British Library to read Winstanley’s papers, to find via the reading card that the last people to peruse them were Marx and Engels.
Also, aren’t you tempted to add a second date?
— Simon Jun 8, 10:05am #
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