RETURN TO M&LFHS LIBRARY PAGEHere is a short pictorial tour of the library at Clayton House. It is something of a montage of pictures taken at different times but gives a pretty good impression of how it looks today.
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This is the view when you first come in through the door. We do not usually have the Christmas decorations up! |
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Moving to the front of the building, the windows look down over Piccadilly Gardens, but researchers are normally too busy to do that! Our eight internet-connected computers are at this end of the room. |
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This is the view down the main room from the tea room entrance. The reception area and bookshop counter are in the foreground. |
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The 12 microfiche viewers are in a room just off the main area. Light levels are kept low to help users see the clearest images. |
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Our four microfilm readers are also in this room and films are available on a self-service basis. Despite the rise of sources on computer, film and fiche are still well used. |
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We also have the microfiche and microfilm printer here. This machine was obtained in July 1997 as its predecessor was at the end of its life and is still going strong nearly a decade later. |
When we have meetings, the furniture has to be re-arranged a little, moving the tables from the front half of the room to make room to put in chairs for the audience. We can usually accommodate 40-50 in reasonable comfort which is just as well as some of the meetings can be very well attended.
We can now step into the bookshop.
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This a view from behind the counter at the books we have available for sale. Checking over the stock is Harry Bebbington. |
In addition to the library and bookshop on the third floor, we also have accommodation on the fourth floor. This means the volunteers get plenty of exercise running up and down the stairs all day. One day the other occupants of the third floor will move out and perhaps than we will be able to get it all on the one level!
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The general office is where we handle the thousands of letters you send us and process membership applications and renewals. Just out of sight at the far end is the archive room where we keep the masters for project work and the stationery store. |
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Also upstairs is our seminar room where we hold Council meetings and educational courses. We also use it to pack the Manchester Genealogist for overseas mailing |
The mail order department is also on the fourth floor. The room defies photography! It is both small and filled with 6 foot high shelves. Nevertheless, Harry, Rita and Josephine somehow manage to find room to deal with the stock management and mail order sales. Lucky they are all enviably slim!
[Last updated 13 January 2007 - John Marsden]
