British Museum Archives

Entrance to the British Museum

On a drizzly Tuesday morning we made our way to The British Museum where we were met by Archivist, Francesca Hillier. She gave us a very in-depth tour of a space that has not be open to the public for quite some time. Due to its standing as an historical building, no alterations can be made, therefore Ms. Hillier and her staff are focussed on working with the space in the most efficient and practical way possible. Shelves, desks, lighting, etc. must all remain as they are which may be somewhat frustrating but some aspects that must remain are really special. For example, there are hidden doorways disguised as books shelves as the entrance to stairs to get from the lower to upper level!

Inside the British Museum Library and Archives which is closed to the public

Fun Fact: The British Museum used to house The British Library before the 1990s.

Recently, Ms. Hillier discovered mold in the lower levels of the storerooms of the archives so there was a massive project to get items sent out to be professional cleaned.

Francesca Hillier showing us the deed from Sir Hans Sloane whose items were the founding collection of the museum (and who also invented hot chocolate).

Ms. Hillier has a small staff of five part-time volunteers but has a great deal of material to catalog and care for. She discussed with us the importance of forming strong connections with other department leaders and directors so that an archive is well-utilized and recognized as a valuable asset that needs constant attention and upkeep.

Better view of one of one of the false doorways to stairs.

I asked Ms. Hillier what it is that she would need to really feel like she could tackle the gargantuan task of cataloging this collection and her answer was: five full-time staff to handle the backlog and then two full-time staff moving forward once that was taken care of.

Once again the issue of storage and dwindling space was discussed. Once the collection is cataloged they will be able to focus on digitization but they will still need to keep original copies. It is an ever-present theme throughout our visits that space is limited or quickly disappearing or altogether gone. The financial, logistical, historical, etc. restraints quite often create a conundrum for the archivists in charge.