Within the National Brewery Archive, we have a large library of books and periodicals covering a very wide range of local and industry topics. As part of our work to rationalise and catalogue the library, Archivist Stephanie Nield identified a significant number of duplicate items and was keen to discover if another collection could benefit from them.
The decision was taken to offer these items to the National Brewing Library at Oxford Brookes University. This library of over 8,500 volumes relates to the scientific, technological, historical and social aspects brewing and distilling and is a world-renowned collection. The Trust donation will enable the Library to fill gaps in their collection.
The donation includes copies of the Toby Times, papers from CAMRA and copies of the Brewers Guardian. It also includes a number of items that related to the brewing industry as a whole, with limited significance to Burton upon Trent.
Vice Chairman Brett Rathbone commented: “As we work to protect and preserve the items in our care it is important that we apply good practice and keep only what is appropriate. We clearly have no need for duplicate items, and the National Brewing Library is a renowned resource for researchers in our sector. We are very pleased to be able to make the donation.”
Dr Robert Curry is the curator of the National Brewing Library (NBL). He commented: “We are always grateful when institutions and individuals think of us when relegating brewery resources, as we can take anything of significance not already in our collection. The National Brewery Heritage Trust has a significant archive and artefact collection that complements our evolving historical and contemporary brewing library. We are very grateful for this significant donation to our collection.”
To find out more about the National Brewing Library click here
