Shakespeare's Globe Library & Archive
Collection Management Policy Revised Summer 2010
Globe Education, Shakespeare's Globe, 21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, London SE1 9DT
1. Mission Statement The Globe Library & Archive is managed by the Head of Courses & Research and is part of Globe Education. The mission of the Library & Archive is to support the work of the Shakespeare Globe Trust and make its resources accessible to scholars and researchers from around the world. The Globe Library & Archive fill a gap within both Shakespeare and performance repositories. In order to support that work of the Shakespeare Globe Trust and make its resources accessible to scholars and researchers from around the world, the archive holds materials relating to all of the plays produced at the Globe since 1996 and the library holds secondary source materials, which support the goals of Globe Education’s programmes (Courses and Research), Globe Architectural Research and the Globe’s Theatre and Exhibition Departments.
2. Collecting Priorities 2.1 Library The origins of the library lie in the Globe Education book collection begun in 1994, which was supplemented by the research collections of a number of academics. It also includes books which once belonged to the Globe's founder Sam Wanamaker, and to Sir John Gielgud. The research collections of the Canadian academics Donald Rowan and David Galloway were donated to the Globe in 1999. The Library acquires on an annual basis texts of the plays to be performed each season. Shakespeare plays are purchased in the Arden Edition and from Oxford and Cambridge University Press. Further editions are purchased where this is recommended by the Head of Courses & Research. The Library also acquires books to support the MA in Shakespearean Studies (taught jointly by Shakespeare’s Globe and King’s College, London) and actively collects theses and dissertations of students affiliated with the Globe. Students are asked to provide copies voluntarily, signing a release form giving permission to retain their work. The Library seeks to collect scholarly publications on the following subjects: -
The Globe Shakespeare and other early modern playwrights Shakespeare and Contemporary Performance History of the Tudor and Stuart Periods Early Modern material culture and staging practices Performance-based research into space and audiences Acting Theory Dramaturgy Conservatory Training Costume and dress Subjects relating to special research projects, Globe Education events and all Theatre productions and special ‘festivals’
The Library will attempt to collect multimedia materials in digital formats where possible. Moving image, such as films, will be purchased on DVD. Recorded sound will be purchased on CD. The Library will continue to receive the key Shakespeare research serials (Shakespeare Survey, Shakespeare Quarterly, Shakespeare Bulletin, Cahiers Elisabethains) in hard copy for as long as this is economically viable and they available in this format. (Digital copies of these journals are available through online collections for Kings College London.)
2.2 Archive The earliest records in the Globe's archives date from the late1960s and chart the gradual development of the Globe project from dream to reality. The Archive seeks to collect administrative records, photographs, press-cuttings, publicity material, publications and other relevant materials which record the work of the Shakespeare Globe Trust (and its predecessor bodies). The Archive contains production materials for plays performed at the Globe since 1996. The Archivist liaises with staff from the Theatre and Communication departments to ensure that key records (including programmes, prompt books, wardrobe bibles, music scores, show reports and reviews) are transferred at the end of the theatre season or after an agreed period of time. A complete set of programmes for each season is additionally deposited with the University of Bristol Theatre Collection. Responsibility for making recordings of productions for research purposes lies with the Globe Library & Archive. Recordings are generally made of opening and closing nights, press nights, midnight matinees, signed performances and a selection of matinees and evening performances. The number of recordings made depends on the length of the run. Visiting productions are recorded where permission has been given to do so by the company. The Archive also holds several collections deposited by individuals and organisations with a connection to the Globe. These include research materials pertaining to the ‘Original Practices’ productions, which includes a selection of costumes, and material relating to the reconstruction of the Globe, including architectural records. The Archive accepts records in any hard-copy format, including manuscript and/or printed documents, photographs, audio-visual recordings and artworks. Three-dimensional artefacts are accepted only where they have a special relationship with the associated archives. With the exception of production recordings made in house, the Archive does not currently have the capacity to accept records that exist in a purely digital format, and depositors will be asked to transfer records to a hard copy format before transferring them.
3. Collecting Procedures 3.1 Library
In keeping with the objectives stated under 2.1, the Library will acquire, catalogue and make available to readers books, serials and multimedia. The Library will generally purchase printed books (both in and out of print) through online sources. In some cases, books will be ordered through the Globe Shop and paid for by departmental transfer. The Library welcomes gifts of books and other materials which support its collection goals and research needs. Due to space constraints and in order to avoid duplication, it is necessary for the Library to be selective in deciding what may be accepted into its stock. The Library reserves the right to decide how to dispose of unwanted material, which may include by sale, by donation to another institution, or by discard. Alternatively, unwanted material will be returned to the donor if this is requested at the time of donation. Items retained for addition to Library stock will be accessioned, catalogued and classified according to Library of Congress classification. Except in very rare instances, donations will not be housed together as a collection, but will be given one accession number, then catalogued and classified to be inserted among the existing research collection. The Library will acknowledge donations as soon as possible. For larger donations, the Library will inform the Friends of Shakespeare’s Globe of the donation for their records. Once added to stock, donated items may require conservation or repair; if this is necessary, they will be conserved to a standard matching that applied to the Library’s purchased items. However, the Library cannot guarantee that any items added to its stock will be retained in perpetuity, except in rare instances. The Library accordingly reserves the right to withdraw donations from stock using the same criteria applied to purchased material, and to dispose of them in the most appropriate way. Prospective donors are encouraged to contact the Librarian before making their donation.
3.2 Archive The majority of records collected by the Archive will be transferred by departments and individuals within the Globe. Guidance notes for staff on how to identify records to be transferred to the Archive can be found on the shared drive at: S:\LIBRARY & ARCHIVE\Records Management. Once transferred to the Archive, records are allocated an accession number and (in the case of large transfers) listed at a basic level. Records are then evaluated by the Archivist at the earliest opportunity, and selected either for permanent preservation or for disposal. Staff transferring records to the Archive are asked to complete an accession form and indicate whether records not considered suitable for permanent preservation should be returned to the department or destroyed. Records selected for permanent preservation will be sorted, listed and placed in acid-free storage as soon as reasonably possible. Records which need to be kept for a fixed period only (eg financial, staffing) are not usually accepted by the Archive. Records which are semi-current (ie, useful to refer to internally but not of long-term significance) can be considered for storage in the Archive, depending on the space available. The Archive has no budget for purchasing material for its collections, but welcomes gifts of material which have a direct relevance to Shakespeare’s Globe. Loans are not normally
accepted. The Archive does not seek to act as a repository for all records relating to Shakespeare and the early modern period, and prospective donors of records which do not fall within the remit outlined in 2.2 will be advised of the most appropriate repository to approach. Prospective donors are encouraged to contact the Archivist before making their donation.
4. Review of Collection Management Policy This policy was drafted in 2010. The policy will be reviewed on an annual basis.
JL & VN August 2010