Ringing History Hub

Using The Library Collection

The Library Collection is a comprehensive, up-to-date source of information on bells and ringing. It has particular emphasis on bells hung for full circle ringing and change ringing in the ‘English’ tradition. It is not just an archive but a working collection, which is available to both the serious researcher and the casual enquirer.

Library Collection arrangements

Where we are:

The Library Collection is housed at the Loughborough Bellfoundry Trust (LBT), Freehold St, Loughborough. It is open Tuesday to Friday between 10am and 4pm.

Facilities:

Reading room which researchers are encouraged to use when visiting.

Access to electrical points to enable visitors to consult material and work during their visit.

Booking a visit:

To book a visit, please email the LBT contact (info@belltrust.co.uk) copied to the CCCBR Library Stewards (librarysteward@cccbr.org.uk)

Protocol:

Visitors need to sign in and then out again at the LBT Reception Desk on each visit and may be required to have their bags searched on leaving.
Access is then given to the book storage with a member of LBT staff to select their reading materials and then leave items on the table for LBT staff to put back in the bookcases at the end of the visit. If access to any further documents is required, then a member of the LBT staff will facilitate this.
A few valuable items, including some early books and the badge collection, will be kept in a secure safe and permission to access these will need to be first sought from the Library Stewards before booking a visit to view these items.
Visitors will have an item brought to them in the Reading Room and should hand it back for return to the safe when they have finished consulting it (they should not be left unattended in the Reading Room).
The Library Stewards themselves will not be on site but will be able to help with enquiries.

Borrowing:

It is possible to borrow certain items from the Library Collection for a period of up to 4 weeks. Such requests need to go to the Library Stewards.
Those requesting material will be required to cover the cost of post and packing.
Items held in the secure safe will not be available for loan.

Any requests to research the Taylor’s archive must go through the LBT contact separately. Visitors will further need to ask permission from LBT staff before venturing elsewhere in the premises.