Event Details

Special Collections Session: Early Nineteenth-Century Books and Manuscripts

You are invited to a special session in the Library’s Special Collections and Archives, where you will have the opportunity to work directly with rare books from the early nineteenth century. The session will also include the chance to view an unpublished manuscript by William Wordsworth, alongside other original materials from the period.

You will be given a short introduction to Special Collections and Archives, including how to find out what we hold and how to access materials for your own research. Then we will introduce the items brought out for the session, explaining their historical context and provenance. This introductory section will last around 15–20 minutes, leaving plenty of time for you to explore the materials independently.

As part of the session, we’ll cover the basics of handling rare books and manuscripts. Please note that food and drink are not permitted while working with the materials. You are welcome to bring water, but it must be consumed away from the books to prevent damage.

Finding usSpecial Collections can be a little tricky to locate. You can use either entrance:

• Internal entrance from the front of the Library:
• https://link.mazemap.com/RnjVFTzn
• External entrance just off the South Spine:
• https://link.mazemap.com/7uCYsxzJ

If you’re unsure, library staff at the front desk will be happy to direct you.

Places are limited, so please book promptly. If you book a place, please make sure to come or let me know that you can’t make it in advance so that we can give your place to someone else -- Professor Sharon Ruston (s.ruston@lancaster.ac.uk)