Queen Square Library, Archive and Museum visit 7th August 2014
On Thursday 7th August, I visited the Queen Square Library, Archive and Museum, organised by ARLG London and South East: The Queen Square Library is the recognised Library for Neurology in the University of London and is a shared resource between the UCL Institute of Neurology and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN) ( It caters to the needs of about 500postgraduate students, as well as NHNN staff.
We were greeted by the Librarian,Sarah Lawson, who talked about the history of the library and the various refurbishment projects. The refurbishment of the library and creation of the museum, archive and website were generously funded by the Brain Research Trust and the National Brain Appeal .
After the presentation we were given the opportunity to look at the various interesting pieces that Sarah had put together from the archive collection. This comprised of staff records, patient records, case notes and photographs. I was struck by the details and the methodical way in which the records were kept. The case notes really interested me as they were bound by the name of the Physician with surgical notes attached and an index in front by the patient’s name.
Image source: Courtesy of Sarah Lawson
We were then taken around for a tour of the Library, Archive and Museum.
The Library
The Library is situated on the first floor andhouses the service desk, meeting/training room, reading room, computers, walk-in access computers for access to UCL journals, new books and new journals displays, photocopying and printing facilities, toilets and staff area.
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The library contains an important collection of specialist neurology, neurosurgery and neuroscience books and journals. There are approximately 14,900 bound journals, 63 current print journal subscriptions, 18,000 books and monographs and several thousand online titles. The library has a fine rare books collection which includes first editions and reprints of works by major international figures in the neurology/neurosurgery fields such as Althaus, Buzzard, Charcot, Gowers and Penfield. These are available through the Library’s on-line catalogue.( library also incorporates the Queen Square Archive and Museum. The archive collections (mainly 1860-1948) include; an extensive collection of 1500 volumes of case notes, extensive administrative and employments records, patient admission registers and building plans and over 3000 photographs.
The Library receives over 25,000 visits per annum. Many of these visitors come to use items held in the Historical Collection, and referrals are regularly received from both the British Library and the Library of the Wellcome Trust. (
All four staff are qualified librarians each with specific job roles. The staff provides expert training and advice on a wide range of topics, including database searching, bibliographic software and also conduct one-off literature searches. In addition to this volunteers play a vital role in making the library collection visible by creating a display. One volunteer is currently working on the photographic collection (digital scanning and data entry). Interestingly, there is neither a permanent archivist nor a professional conservator amongst the staff.
Rare books and Queen Square reprints
The Library ‘Pod’ houses approximately 3,000 rare and classic books dating from 1698 tothe 1970’s. A grant for £83,000 from the Wellcome Trust enabled the archives of the cradle of British neurology to be catalogued, cleaned and repaired as required and placed in appropriate packaging. The Pod is air conditioned and humidity-controlled. The upper shelves hold the archives boxes which house a large and full collection of off-prints and unpublished texts (some of these are rare and unique), relating to prominent medical men who worked for the Maida Vale and National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery. The collections are housed in archival Phase boxes by names. The details of the holdings are entered into a spreadsheet by box number and the materials are fetched by the library staff. The reprint collections have been part catalogued.
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The Museum and Exhibitions
Sarah pointed out that the rooms have been specially designed to provide wallspace and purpose built display cabinets to display a selection of the most interesting items from the museum and the archive collection. The Library staff and volunteerscurate regular displays which are dedicated to telling the story of the National Hospital and the Institute; and of the staff, students and patients who have been part of the history of the Square by displaying relevant items from the library’s holdings to compliment the exhibition. Items include the shell ornaments from the 1850’s made to raise funds for the hospital and original paintings of the Chandlers (Louisa and Edward) and also laboratory scales from Maida Vale Hospital. It was interesting to know how the help of Alumni is sometimes sought to identify some objects and artefacts.
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The Store
The store is astorage vault on the 4th floor (this area is also environmentally controlled) accessible via a narrow set of stairs, where the library keeps many of the older printed journals, case notes and administration records. The administration records comprised of the minute books; annual reports, and staff records. Some records from treatment of soldiers of First WorldWar suffering from neurasthenia or shell-shock were also there. In addition to this there were a collection of books that are fragile and items like newspaper cuttings and pamphlets, films and photographs.
Highlights of the visits for me
The computers which doubles up to provide access to two different set of users on 2 different networks (NHS and University) on the flick of a switch - a great examples of adaptability and space management.
Image source: Courtesy of Sarah Lawson
Overall, it was an incredibly enlightening visit which I greatly enjoyed. I would like to give my thanks to ARLG London and South East for arranging such a great visit and everyone at the library for their time and hospitality and especially to Sarah for the images. I took home a Squeezy brain to remind me of my visit and with a determination to volunteer in the near future. I would definitely recommend a visit.