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Morrab Library, Morrab Gardens, Penzance, Cornwall TR18 4DA

enquiries@morrablibrary.org.uk

Registered charity No. 309250

morrablibrary

We thought that for some light relief (from our us

We thought that for some light relief (from our usual, terribly serious work) we'd share something we often appreciate about books in our collections but don't give much attention to - that is, marbling.

So, to kick off #marblingmonday here's 'Hallam's Literary Essays' - which has both marbled covers and edges.

We know not to judge a book by its cover but look - such pretty colours - like butterfly wings!
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#marbling
#book #library #collections #historic #design #colour #bookstagram #bookcover #booklover

Today is National Pet Day, and our staff would lik

Today is National Pet Day, and our staff would like to show you their valuable and much-loved friends. Here are El Zorro, Pushkin and Colin - yes, Colin is a crocheted Nudibranch (one of us isn't allowed live pets) but his owner is very attached to him, and he's been great company during lockdown. Not that they've become slightly unhinged or anything in that time...

#nationalpetday #librarian #cats #catsofinstagram #nudibranch #pets

We were sorry to hear about the death of Prince Ph

We were sorry to hear about the death of Prince Philip today, aged 99. Here's a photo from our archives of him in Newlyn Harbour in 1980.

#princephilip #newlyn #cornwall #photofriday #photography #archives #exploreyourarchive

Hurrah! After the latest Government announcement

Hurrah!

After the latest Government announcement we are delighted to confirm that the library will be able to reopen from Wednesday 14th April!

For now, we will need to work to the same arrangements as before the last lockdown:

We will be open to members on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays between 10.00am and 3.30pm.

You must contact us to make an appointment before visiting either via email: enquiries@morrablibrary or telephone: 01736 364474.

You can either book a time to browse and borrow books, or to reserve a room to work in upstairs.

You can return your library books to the foyer any time during our opening hours (above) - please bring them back in a bag with your name on (or in) it, as we still need to quarantine the books

You can also still contact us to pre-order books you may be interested in, and then you can collect them at the door during our opening hours.

We’ll continue to follow the Government roadmap and their guidelines in the coming weeks and months, and work to open up the library more and increase access to services gradually, as safely as we can.

For those who need to, or choose, to continue to self-isolate and cannot visit the library, please do get in touch and we’ll find a way to help where we can.

An enormous thank you for all your support (and patience!) - it means the world to us. We’re looking forward to seeing you soon.

Oh the anticipation! This little girl in the 1920'

Oh the anticipation! This little girl in the 1920's is standing by Scoble's Ices cart on the Penzance Prom, no doubt awaiting an ice cream. But where is the vendor? We really hope she got her treat in the end, as we do you over the Easter weekend! Have a happy break.

#icecream #PenzanceProm #promenade #treat #Easter #exploreyourarchive #photofriday

Today is World Theatre Day. Penzance's love of the

Today is World Theatre Day. Penzance's love of theatre goes way back. Behind the (now named) Union Hotel in Chapel Street stand the remains of a Georgian Theatre, built in 1787. It could cram in up to 500 people and presented an extraordinary array of entertainments.

We hold over 100 original playbills from the theatre dated between 1821 and 1848 in our archive and they are fascinating. We can't wait to be back at the theatre ourselves very soon!

#WorldTheatreDay #Theatre #GeorgianTheatre #Playbills #exploreyourarchives

One of the world’s first and greatest naturalist

One of the world’s first and greatest naturalists Conrad Gesner, was born on this day in 1516. In our latest blog piece by our Librarian (link in bio), we look at the history of scientific illustration, the significant body of Gesner’s work, and the legacy he and his contemporaries left us.

#SciHist #RareBooks #Gesner #mythicalcreatures #unicorns #illustration #scientificillustration #library #collections

Here at Morrab we don't just have a poetry section

Here at Morrab we don't just have a poetry section, we have a whole poetry room! Our collection runs from volumes of Anglo-Saxon poetry, the intriguing Middle English poem, the Owl and the Nightingale (Simon Armitage is publishing a translation in Autumn) - to the latest Kae Tempest and Caleb Femi's brilliant new collection, Poor. Inbetween, we've at least four shelves on the Romantic Poets, a bookshelf full of beloved 20th C poets - and much more beside. We've some wonderful volumes of Gaelic poetry, Russian poetry, Japanese poetry - and of course Cornish poetry (though that's in our Cornish Room.) We're currently adding even more volumes - including these three anthologies of world poetry and reflections on multicultural Britain. We also run a 'Poetry Book Group' which we're very much hoping will resume when it's safe to do so (meeting fortnightly, it was the highlight of this librarian's weeks.) Here's to "the music of what happens."

Song, by Seamus Heaney

A rowan like a lipsticked girl.
Between the by-road and the main road
Alder trees at a wet and dripping distance
Stand off among the rushes.

There are the mud-flowers of dialect
And the immortelles of perfect pitch
And that moment when the bird sings very close
To the music of what happens.

#worldpoetryday #poetry #collections #library #medieval
#contemporary #worldpoetry
#language #seamusheaney
#poem #bookgroup #librarylife

We get quite excited when Census Day rolls around.

We get quite excited when Census Day rolls around. Recording information about the population dates back a lot further than the format we recognise now, which began in 1841. One of our library's greatest treasures is the St Just Easter book. Between 1588 and 1596, the vicar of St Just, William Drake, recorded the names and addresses of all adult parishioners and the offerings (or tithes) they paid him on Easter Day. The handwriting is very difficult to read but some brilliant researchers have deciphered and studied it.

The book shows that Rev Drake received not only money, but 10% of all the farm produce in the area, including livestock, hemp, honey, eggs, and fleeces! It provides a fascinating insight into the lives, social structure, economy and agriculture of the time.

#Census2021 #CensusDay #exploreyourarchive #StJust #population

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