The Derry and Raphoe Diocesan Library Project A multipartner, crossborder, crosssector undertaking b

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The Derry and Raphoe Diocesan Library ProjectA
multi-partner, cross-border, cross-sector
undertaking by the University of Ulster, far
outside its normal range of activities, to rescue
a neglected historic library

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The Library

• Established by Bishop King in 1729 as library for
  the Bishop of Derry and his heirs for the benefit
  of the clergy of the Diocese
• Raphoe books added in 1890s after Dioceses are
  united
• 5,600 books and pamphlets, c.1480 1900
• Not just a theological library all subjects
  covered
• Unsuitable premises, insufficient resources
• Inadequate catalogues, 1848 and 1880
• Almost all the items need conservation

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The Librarys significance

• Provenance George Downham, Ezekiel Hopkins,
  William Harrison
• Ben Jonson, Sir Walter Raleigh and Robert Dudley
• All major British and European centres of
  printing
• Potential for study of trade in books
• Most items in contemporary bindings
• Damaged bindings allow study of book construction

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Conservation needs

• You name it we have it!
• Heat and humidity damage to text-blocks and
  bindings
• Spines crushed by unsuitable shelves
• Soot
• Mould
• Insect, rodent and cigarette damage
• Previous inappropriate repair attempts

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The Diocese and the University

• Diocese asked for advice and assistance 1999
• University undertook a book-by-book conservation
  survey
• Magee Learning Resource Centre opened 2003 with
  enlarged Rare Books Room
• Diocesan Library moved to Magee June 2003
• Memorandum of Understanding 2004, University
  undertook to conserve collection
• The Library remains the property of the Diocese
  on long-term loan to the University

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Project partners

• The University
• The Diocese of Derry and Raphoe
• Western Education and Library Board
• Derry City Council
• Support from the British Library

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Project funding - 760,000

• Heritage Lottery Fund 500,500
• Inner City Trust
• Heritage Council
• Garfield Weston
• The Honourable the Irish Society
• Individual donors
• University contribution to salaries, and in-kind
  contributions
• WELB and Derry City Council contributions in kind
• Shantallow library tea-room

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Project Team

• Funding secured December 2007
• Project Director and Chief Conservator, May 2008
• 3 Conservation Assistants, September 2008
• Learning and Outreach Officer, August 2008
• 3.5 year Project
• Conservation studio set up, summer 2008
• Training, outreach and cataloguing programmes
  started, September 2008

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Next steps

• The conservation work continues
• Contacts with schools and other groups beyond
  Derry
• Outreach programme including one week history of
  binding course at Magee
• Catalogue to be made available as batches of
  books processed
• Further fundraising and publicity events

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Thank youjfe.mclaughlin_at_ulster.ac.ukwww.derry
raphoelibrary.org