A Nautical Day in London : Caird Library & Archive at The National Maritime Museum

Our initial siting of the National Maritime Museum - Greenwich

It was a nautically themed day for us as we took the tube (Bakerloo South) to Embankment, boarded a Thames Clipper and had a delightful "commute" to Greenwich Pier. Honestly, what a way to get to and from work! After we alighted from the clipper, we walked over to the National Maritime Museum where we met Archivist Mike Bevan who showed us around the Caird Library & Archives.

Caird Library & Archives

The founding collections began with Sir James Caird and now, according to their website, holds:

100,000 books

20,000 pamphlets

20,000 bound periodicals (including 200 current titles)

8,000 rare books

Caird Library & Archives Reading Room

A common theme throughout the library and archive world is the limitation and need of additional space. We were told that most of their books are in storage at other locations so it is recommended that interested researchers plan ahead so as not to arrive and be held up by retrieval time (which for offsite items could be 8 days).

Reading from a manuscript in the Reading Room

Universal Decimal Classification is used for cataloging because of the level of detail in their collection. The material held here covers emigration, navigation, piracy, astronomy, shipping companies, shipwrecks, biographies, the two World Wars, horology, and the Merchant and Royal Navy.

With so many subjects covered, this library and archives is a rich resource for a variety of people and the good news is that all are welcome! The collections are accessible for free online or in-person and the only step to be taken is the registering for a Reader's Ticket. The online resources, such as Mariner's Mirror, JStor, family history, hospital records, newspapers, etc., are even available offsite.

Sometimes researchers come to the Caird Library but are then referred to The National Archives (in Kew) as it is a larger organization and holds more material. It's nice to see separate institutions working together to support the needs of researchers.

We asked about their practices for collection development and were told that donations, acquisitions, etc. are all discussed with the conservation and curatorial departments to make the final decision. Multiple departments within the museum utilize the archive for their own work.

Their funding is through the Heritage Lottery Fund, endowments, and grants. They also have invaluable volunteers!

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