February has been a busy month for the Congregational Library. We have had several enquiries, from simple requests for photocopying articles to deeper biographical research requests tracking down individuals connected with Congregationalism. We have also had several offers to donate materials to the Library, including the minutes of the Congregational Federation, papers relating to Christ Church URC in Colchester, and periodicals relating to Congregationalist history. If you have any books you think the Library would be interested in, please check our online catalogue and, if we don’t already have a copy (or if you’re not sure!), get in touch.

Unpacking is also carrying on apace, particularly now we have a ladder that will allow us to reach the topmost shelves in the Cheshunt Room (previously out of bounds!). The books look beautiful on the shelves and are no doubt delighted to be coming out of storage at last. We have several hundred of our oldest items out already and have just received a shipment of periodicals, which should be of use for future enquiries (keep those coming in!). It’s slow work, particularly as we are currently working with some very fragile volumes, but it will pay off.

Here are photos of some of the more interesting items that have been coming out of the boxes, and which you can order up to consult at Westminster College, Cambridge, if you’d like to see the physical items themselves. You can also follow our unpacking adventures on Twitter.

Finally, David Powell, the Library’s Senior Cataloguer and Archivist, has retired. We wish him all best wishes and good luck for the future. All enquiries and arrangements to view material should now be directed to Jacqueline Reiter.