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King's College London College Archives

Queen Elizabeth College Library Records


IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 0100 KCLCA QAL/PUB, QAL/M, 1992/QAL, 1999/QAL

Held at: King's College London College Archives

Title: Queen Elizabeth College Library Records

Date(s): 1905-1986

Level of description: sub-fonds

Extent: 13 boxes including 1 outsize box

Name of creator(s): King's College London | Women's Department
King's College for Women | Household and Social Science Department | 1915-1928
King's College of Household and Social Science | 1928-1953
Queen Elizabeth College | 1953-1985

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

A library existed from the earliest days of the Ladies Department of King's College London in Kensington Square. It was enlarged on the creation of King's College for Women, and in the later Household and Social Science Department at Campden Hill. It was bombed during the Second World War and some 3000 volumes were salvaged from the ruins and these formed the nucleus of the post-war Library. These were deposited in a main, general, library, and in subject-specific departmental collections. Following the opening of the Atkins Buildings extension during the 1960s, the main Library was housed in two separate buildings on site: the Sargeaunt and Burton libraries. Their capacity was strictly limited, however, and a new purpose built library was proposed during the 1970s. This plan was dropped when merger negotiations between Queen Elizabeth and King's College commenced shortly afterwards. The Queen Elizabeth Library was eventually combined with the King's Library holdings from 1985 onwards.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

The records of Queen Elizabeth College Library include minutes, correspondence and publications, 1905-1986; notably an incomplete series of Library Committee minute books, 1905-1977 (Ref: QAL/M); loose minutes, correspondence and other papers concerned with the management and operation of the Library, in particular working party notes, policy documents, Library Committee papers, donations, accessions lists, finance, redevelopment, computing, and relating to the teaching of physics and social studies, 1962-1986 (Ref: 1992/QAL/F, QAL/F1); correspondence and architectural plans relating to the planning and development of a proposed new library, statistics and inspections, 1971-1979 (Ref: 1999/QAL); publications including copies of articles from a wide range of physiological and medical journals, mainly concerning obesity, hormonal and metabolic balance with the results of studies carried out on humans and rodents, 1912-1975 (Ref: QAL/PUB1); papers relating to catering, domestic planning and appliances, including on electric cookers and refrigerators, [1963-1970] (Ref: QAL/PUB2); Harrow Consumer Group publications including its magazine, Query, 1967-1971 (Ref: QAL/PUB3); publications concerned with recipes and diet and kitchen hygiene [1915-1960] (Ref: QAL/PUB4); pamphlets, brochures and other publications issued by the Government of Malawi and organisations in Rhodesia and Nigeria, on nutrition, health education, agricultural development and farming practices, 1969-1973 (QAL/PUB5).

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English

System of arrangement:

The records are arranged into the main series described in the Scope and Content section.

Conditions governing access:

Administrative records are generally closed for thirty years from the last date on the file. Publications are open, subject to the signature of a reader's undertaking form.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be provided for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Director of Archive Services, King's College London.

Physical characteristics:

Finding aids:

A descriptive list for the publications and 1992/QAL/F, items 1-21 and 28-41 only, is available for consultation in the King's College London Archives Reading Room.

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:

Accruals:

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Queen Elizabeth College, [1985]

ALLIED MATERIALS

Existence and location of originals:

Existence and location of copies:

Related material:

Queen Elizabeth Principal's Records, Minute Books and Secretarial Records all describe the administration of the College including the Library (Refs: QAP, QA/M, QAS). Annual Reports include public information on the Library (Ref: Q/EPH/RPT). Other publications on nutrition can be found in the King's College London Nutritional Survey Records that include material originating in the Queen Elizabeth College Department of Nutrition that was transferred to King's after the merger in 1985 (Ref: KCLCA NUT).

Publication note:

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Note:

Archivist's note: Neville Marsh, The history of Queen Elizabeth College (London, 1986). Entry compiled by Geoff Browell.

Rules or conventions: Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions: March 2002


INDEX ENTRIES
Subjects
Academic libraries | Libraries
Agricultural development | Agricultural economics
Dietetics | Systems of medicine
Food preparation | Home economics education
Higher education | Educational levels
Hygiene | Health
Information/library finance | Information/library economics | Information/library planning
Library buildings | Information/library facilities
Official publications | Documents | Information sources
Periodicals | Publications | Communications media | Information sciences
Universities | Higher education institutions | Educational institutions
Health education
Information/library administration
Physiology

Personal names

Corporate names
Government of Malawi
Harrow Consumer Group
King's College for Women | Household and Social Science Department | 1915-1928
King's College London | Women's Department
King's College of Household and Social Science | 1928-1953
Queen Elizabeth College | 1953-1985
Queen Elizabeth College | Library

Places
Nigeria | West Africa | Africa
Zimbabwe | Southern Africa