Guest
post by Bryan Whelan, Assistant Librarian in the RCB Library in Dublin.
The Representative
Church Body (RCB) Library is a specialist library. It is both reference library
and archive repository for the Church of Ireland, which like all the main
Christian churches has an all-Ireland 32-county remit. The collections are
extensive and organic, currently in excess of 80,000 print items, 1,214
collections of parish records (including registers of baptism, marriage and
burial), the records of 20 historic Church of Ireland dioceses and 20
cathedrals and 1,230 manuscript collections relating to a variety of people,
buildings and activities, as well as the non-current records of the General
Synod and the RCB.
A small specialist library offers information professionals the opportunity to develop non-traditional skillsets that may not have been covered in their undergraduate or postgraduate courses. In my role as Assistant Librarian, I have gained cataloguing experience with rare books and pamphlets, as well as working with archives. All of this experience was vital with regards to the project which is the focus of this article.
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| Figure 1: Kilcommon: A map of Kilcommon glebe (Hodges, Smith & Company, 1855). |
Surveying the project
The RCB Library’s Diocesan
Archive of Tuam, Killala and Achonry is a great example of how archive
collections can develop and expand over time. Items pertaining to this
collection have been arriving in piecemeal since the mid-1980s, being
transferred gradually from local diocesan custody to the Library. A small but
important part of this collection was a large assortment of maps and plans,
along with other related material, spanning the period 1753-1873.
I have had a long personal interest in maps
and cartography, and so this project was identified by the Librarian &
Archivist, Dr Susan Hood, as one with which to obtain valuable experience with an archive
collection. Working closely with Dr Hood, we identified the best way in which
to approach this project. The maps were separated from the rest of the
collection, and laid out flat - this would be essential in ensuring a smooth
workflow with regards to cataloguing when we came to this stage.
In the meantime, the Library purchased some
key core texts to help with the basics of map librarianship. The two items that
I found most useful were Cataloging Sheet
Maps: The Basics by Paige G. Andrew (2003) and Mary Lynette Larsgaard’s Map Librarianship: An Introduction (1998).
These helped to identify the essential details that I would need to include in
our catalogue list, as well as core MARC fields that I could utilise should we
wish to make these maps available to search on our online (print) catalogue.
These sources also provided helpful pointers that would prove essential during
the course of the project.
I received a lot of guidance and direction
from Dr Hood with regards to the more archival-specific aspects of this project. This included best practice pertaining to storage as well as how to display the
information as part of a traditional archive catalogue. The project also required
careful planning and time management. Working as part of a small team in a busy
and diverse library (where space is limited) meant determining the optimal use
of workspace on large and often cumbersome items, while ensuring that the
project did not interrupt people visiting the Library and other ongoing
projects. Another important and practical consideration was the purchase of
tailor-made acid-free folders for storage in the Library’s secure strongrooms.
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| Figure 2: Kilmackshalyon: A map and survey of the glebe of the Parish of Kilmackshalyon in the Barony of Tireragh and County of Sligo (Folan, 1855). |
The finished project
With the completion of the project, the
Library now has a detailed
catalogue-list of over 80 maps, showing either parish or district
boundaries, and divided into four distinct categories. There are some
duplicates, and some of the maps are very fragile, whether due to age or in
many instances, the fact that they were drawn on tracing paper. It was felt to
be important to include not just the key core data elements (title,
measurements, publisher, surveyor and date) but also to include townlands not
mentioned specifically in the title. We also felt that it was important to
state where land measurements were included (showing arable land) as the
existence of this information could be useful for local historians. The
detailed list also indicates where unique features are displayed. Often this
would mean where a sketch of the glebe house or surrounding areas were
included. The maps are in many cases strikingly beautiful, particularly the
glebe maps, and resemble maps of the time that blur the distinction between
functionality and art.
The maps form
an integral part of the overall Diocesan Archive of Tuam, Killala and Achonry.
Although the earliest item (a map of Kilmactigue in County Sligo) is dated May
6, 1754, it is important to note that it states it was ‘filed
in Registry 10 July 1875’ (2020, RCB Library). Many of these maps date from the 1850s up to
1873, a time when land was at the forefront politically and culturally in
Ireland. This was also a decisive point in the history of the Church of
Ireland, with its Disestablishment from the State taking place on 1 January,
1871. This is a good example of the value of a detailed catalogue list for
highlighting the context of a collection - for staff as well as for the
Library’s users.
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| Drumlong: Chambers House map (n.d.). |
Spreading the word
Much has been
written, and with good reason, as to the importance of libraries exploring
avenues to make their collections available and accessible to users, and the
RCB Library is no exception. In practice, this meant examining what staff could
achieve with the resources that we had to hand. Although we now have an
incredibly useful and detailed catalogue of these maps as part of the handlist
for the diocesan collection, it is envisaged that we will incorporate these
items as part of our online (print)
catalogue, allowing our users another avenue to locate these items.
Digitisation is
an area that the RCB Library has been developing, principally as a preservation
tool. This process will make digital surrogates available rather than original
materials and will ensure that key items can be accessed and viewed by people
all over the world. Some of these include the digitisation of the Red Book of Ossory,
The Church of Ireland Gazette (1856 to 2010), the architectural drawings of
churches, cathedrals, and glebe houses, as well as its most ambitious
project to digitise
the extensive collections of parish registers.
Any
digitisation project will necessarily raise questions as to cost and storage,
and with this in mind, I looked at maximising the potential of what we already have
here in the Library. There is an option to upload high-resolution images to our
versatile Library Management System which will require further investigation. I
like the idea of a user being able to search for a particular map or area on
our online print catalogue, and being able to immediately view this item.
Promoting such
an important collection is a key focus for the RCB Library. I have already
mentioned the technical aspects of a detailed and findable catalogue - a great
way for historians and researchers to locate items of interest. However, the
RCB Library has an active social media presence, and we have learned what a
fantastic medium this provides for announcing aspects of a collection to a
wider audience. Since 2012, the Library has been publishing blogs highlighting
interesting aspects of the collection as part of its popular Archive
of the Month feature. Additionally, the Library’s Twitter account @rcblibrary (which commenced in 2017)
has grown steadily. An article
has already been published about the Tuam Diocesan collection as a whole, and
we hope to write about the map collection in the forthcoming months.
I mentioned
that the RCB Library is an organic library, and one with a collection that is
continually growing over time. Given the success of the project outlined above it
is envisaged that I will work on similar collections in other diocesan
collections. We have identified a similar collection as part of the Diocesan
Archive of Killaloe, Kilfenora and Kilmacduagh that will be prioritised in
2022.
Image details:
Figure 1: Kilcommon: A map of Kilcommon
glebe (Hodges, Smith & Company, 1855). An example of the beautiful design
that is on display for many of the glebe maps in this collection. This map of
Kilcommon Glebe is from 1855 and shows a sketch of the glebe house from this
time. We also have a smaller sketch of the church in the top-right of the map.
These small details can be very important for local historians and architects. RCB
Library D5.17.1.28
Figure 2: Kilmackshalyon: A map and survey of the glebe of the Parish of
Kilmackshalyon in the Barony of Tireragh and County of Sligo (Folan, 1855). This
map of Kilmackshalyon, Co. Sligo, is incredibly detailed, not only in terms of
the type of material shown on the map (we can see a very brief sketch of the
church some distance from the glebe lands, as well as all the buildings that
were present on the glebe), but also in the detail included at the top of the
page, as well as the extra information contained in a note at the bottom. RCB
Library D5.17.1.39
Figure 3: Drumlong: Chambers House map (n.d.). This is an interesting
contrast to the intricate designs of the majority of the maps in this
collection. It concerns a disputed right-of-way in Drumlong, Co. Mayo from the
Newport river to Chambers House through rectory land. RCB Library D5.17.3.1
REFERENCE LIST:
Andrew, P. G. (2003). Cataloging sheet maps:
The basics. Haworth Information Press.
Drumlong
map: Chambers House. (n.d.).
Folan, M. (1855). Kilmackshalyon:
A Map and Survey of the Glebe of the Parish of Kilmackshalyon in the Barony of
Tireragh and County of Sligo. [Map].
Hodges, Smith and Company. (1855). Kilcommon:
a map of Kilcommon glebe. [Map].
Larsgaard, M. L.
(1998). Map librarianship: An introduction (3rd ed.). Libraries
Unlimited.
RCB Library. (2020). D5/ & D5A/ Diocesan Records of Tuam, Killala & Achonry c.
1613-2000. Representative Church Body Library. Retrieved 15 March
2022 from https://www.ireland.anglican.org/cmsfiles/images/aboutus/AOFTM/2020/June2020/TKA-Diocesan-Archive-Final-2020.pdf
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