Priaulx Library closes for strong room spring clean

Chief librarian Sue Laker said while the library had closed for odd days, the month-long closure for the reorganisation work would be the first long-term closure since it became a learning resource centre in the 1980s.

The strong room is closed to the public and hidden away behind the family history research room. It was created in the early 1980s from a corridor, a toilet and an outbuilding.

It is temperature and humidity controlled and some of Guernsey’s greatest treasures are kept within.

But since it was created, more things have been added, without a clear ordering system.

‘We definitely need a good re-organisation, as its crammed, packed,’ Miss Laker said.

Dust has built up on the shelves over the decades, so the first step will be taking the hundreds of items out of the room into the research room so the room can be deep cleaned.

The scale of this work and the amount of disruption it will cause is the reason the library is having to close.

While the room contains a lot of items, they are not always stored in the most efficient way, meaning some dead space in the book shelves.

It is planned that this will be better used by having more shelves put in.

The items are also not always kept in the best way. Some are in normal office box files or coloured cardboard folders.

Miss Laker said they would like to see the items instead kept in acid-free folders and wrap more of the books in acid free paper, to help preserve them.

The items are also not always stored in the most organised way.

‘We are hoping to group some of the items more logically,’ Miss Laker said.

While the strong room looks quite well ordered, the library requested the inside not be photographed until after January’s work is completed. The room is home to the oldest, rarest or most delicate items in the library’s collection. That includes Sir Isaac Brock’s shoe buckles, which were donated from the Tupper collection. A set of 19th century apothecary scales are carefully kept in a box, after being donated to the library by the Cumber family – a local chemist dynasty.

The strong room is also home to the library’s delicate Occupation newspapers. Among the books, one of the oldest is a Book of Hours from the 1470s. It had belonged to Osmond de Beauvoir Priaulx, whose personal collection formed the original basis of the library.

Thanks to careful storage in the strong room, the pages are in good condition, the colour in the illustrations are bright and clear and it is even possible to see notes made by previous owners from centuries ago.

While the strong room is closed to the public, islanders can request to see items.

Miss Laker said closing the entire library was a big decision and they were keeping the closure as short as possible.

‘January is the quietest month for us, so it was the logical time to close,’ she said.

‘We’ve never shut before, except for public holidays.’

The library will close on Monday 11 January and should reopen on Monday 8 February.