Key Information
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1895-1987 (Creation)
Level of description
Collection
Extent
18 boxes and 10 volumes
Scope and content
Chelsea College Library records, 1895-1987, comprise papers collected by the College Library or describing the work of the Library on the Chelsea campus following the merger with King's College in 1985, notably correspondence with the College Secretary and departments, 1974-1980; papers relating to Library computerisation, 1979-1987; staffing and salary matters, 1978-1985; University Grants Committee papers on libraries, 1974-1982; History and Philosophy of Science Library correspondence and bibliography, 1964-1987; Chelsea Campus Libraries Users Committee notes, 1985-1987; finance, 1975-1977; concerning the College History Collection, 1965-1974; notes relating to building and planning at the King's Road site, 1971-1987; University of London merger and other papers, 1978-1983; reports on medical education in London, 1980; concerning Library private papers, 1949-1970; Library Annual Reports, 1963-1987 (1992/CAL, CAL/1986); correspondence concerning Library donors and Zoology reprints, 1967-1985 (Ref: 1986/CAL); accessions registers, 1921-1975 (Ref: CAL/RG); lists of current periodicals, 1960-1974 (Ref: CAL/RGJ); payments books for stock, equipment and expenses, 1960-1973 (Ref: CAL/CB); Library staff personnel files for leavers between 1970-1976 (Ref: CAL/FP); material concerning the history of the College accumulated by the Library, including charters, official reports, with some press cuttings, 1914-1981 (Ref: CAL/H).
System of arrangement
The collection is arranged into the main series outlined in the Scope and Content section.
General Information
Name of creator
Biographical history
Library provision at the South-Western Polytechnic was restricted to the availability of reading room space. Students were expected to use the adjacent Chelsea Public Library in order to consult books and periodicals. The inconvenience of this arrangement led to the creation of a Library Committee in 1921. The consequent library remained comparatively small until the post-World War Two expansion in provision that witnessed an increase in the number of titles from around 8000 in 1960 to 80,000 in 1970. These were divided between the Main Library, branch libraries situated on the principal College sites, and departmental collections of reference volumes. All of these were combined with the King's Library when the Colleges merged in 1985.
Repository
Custodial history
Chelsea College Library
Conditions governing access
Administrative records are generally closed for 20 years except for published material and some committee and other minutes.
Files containing personal data are closed for 80 years and sensitive personal data for 100 years from the date of the most recent document in the file.
Where open, access is subject to signature of Reader's undertaking form, and appropriate provision of two forms of identification, to include one photographic ID.
Conditions governing reproduction
Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied from open material for research purposes only.
Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Archives.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
Finding aids
Detailed contents list is available for consultation in hard copy in the King's College London Archives Reading Room.
Existence and location of originals
Please note: We require 7 days notice to retrieve this collection as part, or all of it, is held off-campus. Read more ›
Related materials
Alternative identifier(s)
Subjects
- Academic libraries
- Accessions lists
- Bibliographies
- Biology
- Books
- Catalogues
- Economics of education
- Educational finance
- Educational history
- Educational sciences
- Educational supervision
- Governing bodies
- Guidebooks
- Guides
- Higher education institutions
- Information/library administration
- Information/library facilities
- Information/library personnel
- Information/library planning
- Librarians
- Libraries
- Newspaper press
- Personnel management
- Press
- Press cuttings
- Publications
- Secondary documents
- Universities
- University governing bodies
- Wages
- Zoology
- Communications media
- Information sciences
- Organization and administration
- Health services administration
- Public administration
- Government
Place access points
People and Organisations
- South-Western Polytechnic, London, 1895-1922 (Subject)
- Chelsea Polytechnic, 1922-1956 (Subject)
- Chelsea College of Science and Technology, 1957-1971 (Subject)
- Chelsea College, 1972-1985 (Subject)
- UGC, University Grants Committee (Subject)
- University of London (Subject)
Genre access points
Rules and/or conventions used
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000.
Script(s)
Archivist's note
Sources: H Silver and S J Teague eds, Chelsea College - A History (London, 1977). Entry compiled by Geoff Browell as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project.