New Local Studies Library
"The Local Studies Reference Library at Springfield comprises a central collection of material on Kent. The size of the county makes it impossible to attempt in-depth coverage for every location, and the aim of the Library is to provide books and other relevant material relating to the County generally, with a selection of items on most towns and villages.
The larger town libraries have comprehensive collections of material on their own localities and a leaflet is available giving addresses of these.
There are over 10,000 books dealing with the history and topography of the County, together with other aspects such as industry, transport, education, architecture, religion, geology, agriculture, natural history, sport and literature.
Archival Material
It is hoped that, in the future, the library will obtain on microfilm more nationally held Kentish material.
Two collections at present in stock are the 17th century Hearth Tax Returns for Kent, microfilmed from the holdings of the Public Record Office, and the Registers of the Archbishops of Canterbury at Lambeth Palace. The Registers date from AD615 to 1645 and the text is in Latin.
Census Material
The printed County volumes of the modern censuses are acquired as published. The Census Enumerators Returns, which exist from 1841 and become available for public consultation after one hundred years, are kept. The library has the Returns on microfilm for the whole County, for 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871 and 1881. The 1851 Census of Religious Worship is also available on microfilm.
Directories
These can be divided into the County Directories of Kent and Local Directories of towns. The library has County Directories for the following years:
1845
1847
1874
1878
1887
1890
1895
1907
1909
1913
1915
1922
1924
1927
1930
1934
1938
Local Directories are mainly kept at the appropriate town libraries, but a few are available centrally. The publication Kent Directories Located should be consulted for a list of directories, electoral registers and poll books with their locations.
Early directories cover a wide area and give limited information on the main towns. The London Directories (which also include Kent and the Home Counties) are available on microfilm. These directories were published between 1677 and 1855.
The County Council, with its various Departments, publishes many reports and documents, and most of these are available for consultation in the library e.g. Planning Department publications. Recent copies of the Minutes of the County Council and its Committees are also kept.
The library has an expanding collection of Parliamentary material relating to Kent. Copies of new editions of the Department of the Environment's List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest are being obtained as published.
Illustrations
Illustrations are collected, and the library has prints, watercolours, photographs, transparencies, lantern slides, postcards and negatives.
The postcard collection is particularly comprehensive. Deposited at the library is the Amos Collection of 125 lantern slides, illustrating windmills in Kent.
Maps
Early County Maps are well represented in the collection (originals or facsimile reproductions), e.g. maps produced by Saxton, Symonson, Speed, Blaeu, Ogilby, Andrews and Oury.
The Tithe Maps and Apportionments for every Parish in Kent are available on microfilm.
A collection of Ordnance Survey Maps covering the County is being built up. A complete set of early maps on the 1" to 1 mile scale is held. The 6" to 1 mile edition of 1907-1910 (lacking the coastal areas) is in stock, as is the 1960's edition, at the same scale (lacks the areas now in Greater London).
It is suggested that if in doubt, intending users should check the availability of maps before visiting the library.
The library has collections of Specialist Maps, e.g. Geological Maps, Agricultural Land Classification Maps (published by the Ministry of Agriculture), Land Utilization Maps (all those so far published for Kent), Maps and Information Cards produced by the Archaeology Division of the Ordnance Survey (early 1970's), and a set of vertical aerial photographs taken by the R.A.F. in 1947, and published by the Ordnance Survey, the sheets covering the same areas as the 6" to 1 mile series.
Oral History
The library has an arrangement with Radio Medway whereby, recordings of broadcasts, relevant to local history, are transferred to cassettes and kept at the library. The scheme is still in its early stages and the tapes available are limited.
The library also possesses the complete typed transcripts of the tape recordings made by Dr. Michael Winstanley and used for his book Life in Kent at the Turn of the Century.
Periodicals and Serials
A complete set of Archaeologia Cantiana, together with the Kent Records Series, is available for consultation. Files are also kept of most County journals, e.g. Kent Life, Bygone Kent, Kent Post, Journal of Kent Local History, Kent Archaeological Review, Kent Family History Society Journal.
Using the collection
The book collection is to be found on the open shelves and is accessible for immediate reference purposes. Maps, illustrations, microfilm and ephemeral material is housed in filing cabinets and will be produced on request.
There are three machines for reading microfilm, but it is essential that anyone wishing to use microfilm (e.g. census, tithe maps etc) should contact the library in advance to make an appointment, as the machines are heavily used. The telephone number is 0622 671411, ext. 3240.
Photocopies and microfilm print-outs currently 10p a sheet are available from most material at a standard charge. Copies are made subject to the provisions of copyright law and photocopies cannot be made from material too fragile or heavy to copy. Large maps, including the tithe maps on microfilm, will not reproduce satisfactorily and normally only small portions will be copied.
