Firstly, I would just like to thank the whole LSHTM Library and Archives team for being so welcoming and friendly. It has been a wonderful experience to both observe and play a small role in the work they do here, I am so grateful for the amount of time you have given to me despite your busy schedules.
On my first day I was greeted by David and Heather who gave me a tour and outlined my week. I then attended a focus group asking the LSHTM students their thoughts on the Library and how they use it. Later, I researched the medical history book in the Library in order to make a display of these books.
On my next day, I was working with Jane, the User Support Librarian. She taught me how to use these unusual looking brushes to clean the rare books. I loved getting to see them up close and I found it interesting learning how they preserve the books here. I continued to clean the books for the rest of the day while also evaluating the extent of damage to these books and inputting the results onto a spreadsheet.
On Wednesday, I worked with the Archives team. In the morning I did some listing work and building boxes. Then using the archives I researched the British Mosquito Control Institute on Hayling Island in order to produce a short blog on the topic. I found this very fascinating looking into their scientific discoveries and ideas, including the idea that a mosquito bite could cure paralysis.
Then on Thursday I was working with Jane again. I was using the first ever Library catalogue from 1904 to research the amount of books the Library still had. After I collected their locations I looked for them with Jane. It was amazing to find that about a third of the 1904 collection still remains in the Library!
On my final day here I was with the archives team. I continued my listing and completed my blogs. In the afternoon I was a document destructor and blog poster.
