Sender: Rare Books and Special Collections Forum <EXLIBRIS@RUTVM1.BITNET>
A PRELIMINARY NOTICE:
Designing the Reading Space: Libraries, Publics and Politics
A Conference organized by the Cambridge Project for the
Book, at Pembroke College, Cambridge
Friday 25 - Saturday 26 March 1994
The design of public and national libraries has promoted fierce
debate about the ideals represented, the nature of reader access
and identity, and the specifications of internal arrangements and
appearance. Notions of the library as repository of knowledge,
temple to learning, and symbol of the advance of civilization, were
confronted by questions of finance, politics and religion.
Many plans never left the drawing board; many libaries, once built,
were used or viewd in unexpected ways.
This one-day conference to be held in the Old Library Pembroke College,
will examine the building and use of institutional libraries in 17th-
and 18th-century Europe. How was a public library to be used? What
statement was it to make?
The afternoon session will compare the problems of public library design,
patronage and representation with the experience of modern
library architects.
Further details of speakers and papers will be circulated in the autumn.
The conference is accompanied by an exhibition of national library design
at the Architecture Centre, Kings Parade. The exhibition will feature
plans of the new Bibliotheque de France,
the propsed National Literature Centre, Swansea, and the new college libraries
of Cambridge (it is expected that models and plans from 2 other national
libraries will also be featured - negotiations currently in
progress).
* A lecture by Dominique Perrault, architect of the
Bibliotheque de France, will open the exhibition on the evening of
Friday 25 March *
Anticipated conference fee - L 48 to include evening reception at the
Architecture Centre on the Friday, the Perrault lecture, three-course lunch and
refreshments at Pembroke College,
an optional Sunday tour of new Cambridge libraries given by Eastern Region
Architects.
Library).
Further details will be posted later - this just an advance notice to
for the diaries of those waiting to hear of date and all interested
in attending.
A booking form will be available end of Sept. / early Oct.
from The Malting House, Newnham Road, Cambridge, CB3 9EY
James Raven