A Brief Guide to Using the Library of The Kent Archaeological Society
The Society's Library is housed within the premises of the Maidstone Museum, at Faith Street, Maidstone, and it is available to members during Museum opening hours upon production of a current Society membership card to the Museum staff on duty. The library room has a selection of comfortable chairs and tables, good lighting and some computer equipment to enable members to engage in private study or research amongst the detailed collections which are available to them. Volunteers with a background knowledge of the library are usually on hand during Monday and Friday afternoons, and also on Wednesday mornings.
The library has a varied stock and allows members an easy access to material that is not commonly available elsewhere. A notable feature is the large selection of county archaeological journals, and other academic serial publications, which have been steadily acquired by the Society since the latter part of the 19th century. The topography and history of Kent is well represented, and there are many books on archaeological techniques, history, genealogy and similar subjects, all of which relate to the work and interests of Society members. A considerable collection of records is being indexed and developed, and these can be utilized, along with the book and journal collections, to further many aspects of research into Kent related topics.
Many of the items in the stock of the Library are unique, or rare, and for this reason, some items have a security protection that can only be accessed when the Library is manned. Members having to make a long journey to use the collections should therefore check the availability of volunteers, and other staff, to ensure that the material that they wish to use can be made available on the day of their intended visit. However, the open shelves do comprise the broad mass of the collections and do provide much of use and interest to members at any time.
As with any library, the key to successful use lies via a good acquaintance with the stock and the scope of the collections, so that any time spent in thus browsing can only be of value to potential users. In an ideal world, we would have a single, clearly labelled sequence, closely linked to the catalogues. The Society's Library has many constraints of space, and as a result the sequences, though logical, do require some prior study in order that the best results may be obtained. For instance, it has been necessary to house some older journal runs at Bradbourne House, and other material, which is not often called for, is stored at Marsham Street, Maidstone. The Hon. Librarian can always advise if members wish to consult works at either of these locations.
The prime tool for accessing the collections is the Library catalogue. This is available in two forms, both of which are easy to use. A simple card index can be consulted, but there are also computer databases for both books and visual records, and these can give users a detailed response to an enquiry.
If a work is recorded in the Library catalogue, locating it on the shelves is not especially difficult, and book sequences are as follows:
Kent places: an A-Z sequence regardless of subject
Kent subjects: a simple classified order
General subjects (not Kent related): a simple classified order
Oversize volumes for each of the above sequences
Journal runs: as labelled on the appropriate shelves
Rare and valuable books in secure cases.
The Library also houses many pamphlets and ephemeral items, in addition to collections of papers and materials bequeathed to the KAS by antiquarian and historian members in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The Society has a vast number of engravings, drawings, paintings and photographs of all aspects of the ancient county of Kent. A visual records group is busy cataloguing the collection, and a sizable data-base is now available to access the collection. However, most of the images can be viewed only with the assistance of a member of the visual records group.
The Library is constantly being developed and the stock extended. Current work centers on the development of the catalogues, and upon the better use of information technology. Volunteers are also working to improve labeling and guiding, the better presentation of the stock, and upon increasing their own knowledge of the books and journals so that other members may benefit from their experience. A great deal of useful developmental work has been done at the Library in recent years, and members are fortunate to have access to this valuable resource.
KAS members are very welcome to use the Library on their own at any time, seven days a week, during normal opening times of the Maidstone Museum, on production to the Museum staff of a KAS membership card and on signature of an entry book. The Library itself is, however, not regularly staffed, but on Monday and Friday afternoons (2 to 4pm) and Wednesday mornings (10am to 1pm), KAS volunteers with knowledge of the Library are usually present ready to give assistance and advice to members should they require it, and to supervise non-member visitors who are permitted to have access to the Society's collections at those times. Members and visitors wishing to access visual images should attend on Wednesday mornings, when specialist help on that subject is normally available. Mike Perri, is very willing to advise on visual records.
The Hon. Librarian, Dr. Frank Panton, is always keen to know what members would wish to find in the stock of their Library, and to have suggestions for useful additions, or to receive suitable material as donations.