THE LIBRARY OF TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN
History of the Library
The Library’s history dates back to the establishment of the College in 1592 and it is the largest library in Ireland.
Today it has over 6 million printed volumes with extensive collections of journals, manuscripts, maps and music reflecting over 400 years of academic development. The most famous of its manuscripts, the Book of Kells and the Book of Durrow, were presented by Henry Jones, Bishop of Meath and former vice-chancellor of the University, in the 1660s. Other special collections include the Ussher Collection acquired in 1661 and the Fagel Collection of 1802.
The Library was endowed with Legal Deposit privilege in 1801 and continues to receive copies of material published in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The Library supports the learning and research needs across all disciplines of the College; it is a major research library of international repute; it provides services to a wide range of external users and institutions; it contributes to the development of creative initiatives in information provision and its exhibitions of manuscripts and other treasures attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to visit the Old Library each year.
Although an institution of great antiquity, the Library pioneers modern methods of resource discovery and developments in the teaching, learning and research processes.
The Long Room
The main chamber of the Old Library is the Long Room; at nearly 65 metres in length, it is filled with
200,000 of the Library’s oldest books and is one of the most impressive libraries in the world. When built (between 1712 and 1732) it had a flat plaster ceiling and shelving for books was on the lower level only, with an open gallery. By the 1850s these shelves had become completely full; largely as since 1801 the Library had been given the right to claim a free copy of every book published in Britain and Ireland. In 1860 the roof was raised to allow construction of the present barrel-vaulted ceiling and upper gallery bookcases.
Marble busts line the Long Room, a collection that began in 1743 when 14 busts were commissioned from sculptor Peter Scheemakers. The busts are of the great philosophers and writers of the western world and also of men (and yes, they are all men) connected with Trinity College Dublin - famous and not so famous. The finest bust in the collection is of the writer Jonathan Swift by Louis Francois Roubiliac.
Other treasures in the Long Room include one of the few remaining copies of the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic which was read outside the General Post Office on 24 April 1916 by Patrick Pearse at the start of the Easter Rising. The harp is the oldest of its kind in Ireland and probably dates from the 15th century. It is made of oak and willow with 29 brass strings. It is the model for the emblem of Ireland.
The band of gold lettering below the gallery commemorates benefactors of the 17th and 18th centuries:
- James Ussher, Archbishop of Armagh
- King Charles II
- William Palliser, Archbishop of Cashel
- Claudius Gilbert
- Theophilius Butler
There are temporary exhibitions held in the Long Room which display the rich holdings of the Library and encourage further research.
Many of the students recognised the Long Room when they entered despite never having visited before. The reason for this is Stars Wars! When George Lucas was making Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones, he was inspired by Trinity Library and a scene in the film contains a room that looks identical to the Long Room. People often associate Harry Potter with Trinity Library too, but in this case Harry Potter was actually based on a library in Cambridge, England. They are certainly very similar as you can see from the photos! The Long Room is more than just a pretty library however. It also contains over 200000 books – some of which are very valuable original books that give us an insight into academic life in Ireland and Britain at that time. An original copy of the Declaration of the Irish Republic and the oldest example of Ireland’s national symbol – The Harp.
Source : www.tcd.ie/Library
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