The LLPSLG now represents over 60 libraries from a wide variety of organisations. Information about some of these can be found below, along with links to the websites of all members.
The Athenaeum was founded in 1824 as a meeting place for men who enjoy the life of the mind. The library houses some 70,000 items and features prominently throughout the first floor of the Clubhouse, designed by Decimus Burton. Today membership consists primarily of men and women concerned with science, engineering and medicine, together with lawyers, writers, artists, clergymen, civil servants and academics of all disciplines.
The Chartered Institute of Marketing is the leading international professional marketing body with members worldwide. First established in 1911 it defines the marketing standards that operate in the UK and is the global champion of best marketing practice. The Institute exists to develop the marketing profession, maintain professional standards and improve the skills of marketing practitioners, enabling them to deliver exceptional results for their organisations. It does this by providing members, qualifications and training to marketing professional and businesses around the world.
Dyslexia Action Guild is a membership body which welcomes individuals with a professional interest in dyslexia and specific learning difficulties (SpLD). As well as offering discussion, information and best practice in the field of dyslexia/SpLD, we have a specialist library, The National Dyslexia Resource Centre (NDRC). The library collection supports specialist teachers and assessors, teaching assistants, SENCOs, Learning support staff and tutors in FE and HE, speech and language therapists, psychologists and other specialists to broaden and supplement their knowledge and expertise. Dyslexia Action Training courses are designed to strengthen the expertise and confidence of those educators who support students with literacy difficulties, dyslexia and other SpLDs. Dyslexia Action is a trading name of Real Group Ltd. http://www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk/da-guild/
The Egypt Exploration Society was founded in 1882, as the Egypt Exploration Fund, in order to explore, survey, and excavate at ancient sites in Egypt and Sudan, and to publish the results of this work. Today it is one of the leading such archaeological organisations. It provides excavation and research grants to established and early career Egyptologists, English language courses and study scholarships to Egyptian colleagues, and a wide-ranging programme of events and courses in the UK and Egypt. The Society’s extensive library and archive are open to both members and researchers, and the catalogue is available online via our website.
The Energy Institute - created in 2003 by the merger of the Institute of Petroleum (founded 1913) and the Institute of Energy (founded 1927) - brings together individuals and organisations across the energy sectors of industry, academia and government. Topics covered range from upstream and downstream oil, gas and other primary fuels and renewables, through power generation, transmission and distribution, to sustainable development, demand side management and energy efficiency.
The Geological Society of London was founded in 1807. It is the UK national society for geoscience, and the oldest geological society in the world. The Society provides a wide range of professional and scientific support to around 10,000 Fellows (members), about 2000 of whom live overseas. The Library contains over 300,000 volumes of books and serials, takes around 700 current serial titles and has a collection of over 40,000 maps.
The Institute and Faculty of Actuaries came into being in 2010 as the result of the merger of the Institute of Actuaries (founded 1848) and the Faculty of Actuaries (founded 1856). With over 22,000 members worldwide, of whom almost 50% are students, members make a personal commitment to high standards of education, competence and integrity. The library specialises in actuarial science and related subjects and aims to support student and qualified members and non-members by arrangement. The hardcopy collections are supplemented by a growing collection of online resources. The special collection of original works on actuarial science and the early archives of the Equitable Life Assurances Society comprise a world-class resource for the history of actuarial science. Institute of Hospitality
The Institute of Hospitality is the only global professional body and educational charity representing individual managers and aspiring managers in all sectors of the hospitality, leisure and tourism industry. Established in 1938 as the IMA, the Institute has a long history of educating hospitality managers through its qualifications, promoting industry best practice and supporting hospitality-specific continuing professional development for managers. Member benefits include access to an e-library providing worldwide access to specialist collections of e-books and e-journals, an enquiry service staffed by qualified subject specialist librarians, an industry archive and various Institute publications.
The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) is a major UK science and engineering institution and a registered charity governed by a Royal Charter.
IOM3 supports professionals in materials, minerals, mining and associated technical disciplines to become heroes of the transition to a low-carbon, resource efficient society, not villains. We seek to be the best professional membership body we can be by providing modern, flexible services, quality technical content and value for money.
Our activities promote and develop all aspects of the Materials Cycle, from exploration and extraction, to characterisation, processing and application, to product recycling, repurposing and reuse.
The Institution of Structural Engineers is the world’s largest membership organisation dedicated to the art and science of structural engineering, with over 23,000 members working in 105 countries around the world. An internationally recognised source of expertise and information concerning all issues that involve structural engineering and public safety within the built environment, the core work of the Institution is supporting and protecting the profession of structural engineering by upholding professional standards and acting as an international voice on behalf of structural engineers.
The IISS was founded in 1958 in the UK by a number of individuals interested in how to maintain civilised international relations in the nuclear age. Much of the Institute’s early work focused on nuclear deterrence and arms control and was hugely influential in setting the intellectual structures for managing the Cold War. The Library has been at the heart of The International Institute for Strategic Studies since its foundation. Today it has built up a comprehensive collection of books, journals, pamphlets and online resources covering a broad range of current international relations, security and defence topics. The collection reflects the Institute’s forward-looking outlook and therefore contains very little historical material.
The Linnean Society of London is the world’s oldest active biological society. Founded in 1788, the Society takes its name from the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778) whose botanical, zoological and library collections have been in its keeping since 1829. As it moves into its third century the Society continues to play a central role in the documentation of the world’s flora and fauna – as Linnaeus himself did – recognising the continuing importance of such work to biodiversity conservation.
The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art is part of Yale University in the US and is a small charity and research centre in London offering a library / archive / photographic archive as well as giving grants / fellowships, publishing with Yale University Press and hosting lectures and seminars. RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects)
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is an independent professional body originally established in the UK by Royal Charter. Since 1868, RICS has been committed to setting and upholding the highest standards of excellence and integrity in the land, property and construction industries – providing impartial, authoritative advice on key issues affecting businesses and society. RICS is the world’s leading qualification when it comes to professional standards in land, property and construction. Over 100 000 property professionals working in the major established and emerging economies of the world have already recognised the importance of securing RICS status by becoming members.
The Royal Academy of Arts Library & Archive specializes in material relating to the history of British art and architecture from the mid-18th century to the present. The historic books, archives and works of art collections can be searched online via our website. The Library is open to researchers by appointment, Tuesday to Friday, 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm.
The National Aerospace Library at Farnborough houses one of the world's most extensive research libraries devoted to the development of aeronautics, aviation and aircraft/aerospace technology from the dawn of flight to present times. It is a public reference library open to receive enquiries from anyone around the world. Please note that the Library is based at Farnborough and not at the Royal Aeronautical Society’s headquarters in London. A courtesy bus is available from Farnborough (Main) Station - please call the Library staff in advance for details.
The Royal Asiatic Society was founded in 1823 by the eminent Sanskrit scholar Henry Colebrooke and a group of likeminded individuals. It received its Royal Charter in 1824 'for the investigation of subjects connected with and for the encouragement of science, literature and the arts in relation to Asia'. The extensive library collections are in a multiplicity of languages and consist of books, journals, manuscripts, archives, and paintings and drawings, pertaining to diverse aspects of the history and cultures of Asia. The collection is also an excellent resource for the history of the study of Asia. Major manuscript collections include those in Persian, Arabic, Sanskrit, Pali, Malay and Javanese. The Society also publishes a journal, the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, as well as a series of monographs; hosts series of lectures, seminars, and events; and invites applications for Fellowship from interested individuals.
The Royal Astronomical Society has a world-class collection in astronomy and geophysics that is far more comprehensive than the libraries of most universities and research institutions. The Library receives some 300 current periodicals in astronomy and geophysics and has holdings of over 3,000 ceased titles. It contains more than 10,000 books from popular level to conference proceedings and in addition has the second-largest specialist collection of astronomical rare books in Britain (only the Royal Observatory in Edinburgh has more) with over 5,000 items published before 1851. The RAS Library is thus a major resource of considerable value not just to the Society but also to the wider community of astronomers, geophysicists, and historians.
The Royal College of Nursing was founded in 1916 and represents nurses and nursing, promotes excellence in practice and shapes health policies. The RCN provides a wide range of membership services and professional and practice development opportunities and supports and protects the value of nurses and terms and conditions of employment for its 400,000 members. The Library and Heritage Centre has materials on nursing, midwifery and health visiting and has over 60,000 books, 350 nursing journals, 1,600 e-books, and over 1000 e-journals as well as a Nursing History Centre, exhibitions and a programme of events. Members can borrow books and access the e-journals and e-books, and members of the public can visit the Library, view the exhibitions and attend many events. The RCN archive contains some of the most important collections dedicated to the history of the nursing profession in the UK.
The Royal College of Surgeons of England possesses an outstanding library of surgical literature that dates from the late 15th century to the present day. The historical material is of national and international importance in documenting the achievement of surgery from the 15th century to the present. In 2013, the collection was awarded Designated status by Arts Council England. The library holds over 50,000 books (earliest 1471), 57 incunabula, c2000 periodical runs, c30,000 tracts and pamphlets and around 220 e-journal subscriptions. It serves around 20,000 RCS fellows, members and affiliates at all stages of their careers in surgery or dentistry, and provides access to the historical material to researchers from around the world on an appointment basis.
The Royal Entomological Society plays a major national and international role in disseminating information about insects and improving communication between entomologists. The Society was founded in 1833. Many eminent scientists of the past, Darwin and Wallace to mention but two, have been Fellows of the Society. Through the years most internationally recognised entomologists have been and are numbered among the Fellowship.
The Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804 by Sir Joseph Banks and John Wedgwood for the encouragement and improvement of the science, art and practice of horticulture. We held our first flower shows in 1820, were granted a Royal Charter in 1861 and acquired RHS Garden Wisley, our flagship garden, in 1903. From our first meetings in a small room off London’s Piccadilly, we have grown to become the world’s largest gardening charity. Our libraries hold the world’s finest collection of books, magazines, journals, catalogues and artworks on gardens, gardening and their related subjects.
Today the RHS is committed to providing a voice for all gardeners. We are driven by a simple love of plants and a belief that gardeners make the world a better place. 210 years on we continue to safeguard and advance the science, art and practice of horticulture, creating displays that inspire people to garden. In all aspects of our work we help gardeners develop by sharing our knowledge of plants, gardens and the environment.
The Royal Institution was founded in 1799 to promote the application of science ‘to the common purposes of life’, and has been fulfilling this goal ever since through lecture series and scientific research. It was here that Humphry Davy, Michael Faraday and John Tyndall, to name but three, made such seminal scientific discoveries as sodium, the miner’s safety lamp and the electric motor. Today the Royal Institution continues to carry out scientific research in its laboratory, has a major programme of public events, and following a £22m building project (partially funded by the HLF), now has a major programme devoted to caring, interpreting and displaying its heritage.
The Royal Society is a Fellowship of the world's most distinguished scientists, which promotes the advancement of science and its use for the benefit of humanity and the good of the planet. Founded in 1660, the Society has three roles: as the UK academy of science promoting the natural and applied sciences, as a learned society, and as a funding agency. The Library sits within the Royal Society Centre for History of Science, and contains over 70,000 titles published from the 1470s to the present day.
Originally formed as the Chemical Society in 1841, the Royal Society of Chemistry is the largest organisation in Europe for advancing the chemical sciences. Supported by a worldwide network of members and an international publishing business, our activities span education, conferences, science policy and the promotion of chemistry to the public. Royal Society of Medicine
The RSM Library is one of the largest postgraduate biomedical lending libraries in Europe. With over half a million volumes dating back to the 15th century, the collection also includes portraits, photographs and manuscripts. Every year up to 1,000 new books are added to the collection and the Library subscribes to over 5,500 current journals covering all aspects of biomedical science. Open 24/7 and with e-resources, the collections are readily available no matter where our members are. The RSM library has dedicated specialist staff that can conduct literature searching, information skills sessions in addition to document delivery and inter library loans. There are meeting rooms to hire; hot drinks are available along with free printing and photocopying for our members. For further details email [email protected].
The Royal United Services Institute Library of Military History has been an integral part of the institute’s work since its inception in 1831. This unique collection charts the history of academic thought about military affairs and as such is of great historical and intellectual importance. The collection is dedicated to developing our knowledge of war and shaping theoretical approaches to modern military thinking through our understanding of the past.
Founded in 1707 the Society of Antiquaries of London is the oldest independent learned society concerned with the study of the past. For 300 years its library and museum collections have lain at the Society’s heart, helping to shape our understanding of the past. The main subjects covered are British and European archaeology, architectural history, the historic environment, British local history, decorative arts (especially medieval), and heraldry. Any Fellow of the Society can automatically use the Library. It is open by appointment to other researchers who cannot find the material elsewhere for their research interests. For further details about access to the library click the Library tab on our home page.
St. Bride Library opened in 1895 as a technical and academic collection to serve the printing school of St. Bride Foundation and the printing trade; it has been growing ever since. We are a world-renowned resource for printing historians, holding books, periodicals, special collections and artefacts relating to all aspects of printing, typography, graphic design and the history of the book. At present the library is run by a team of part-time volunteers and the Reading Room is open on the first and third Wednesdays of each month, from 12 noon until 8pm. We ask that visitors email us in advance ([email protected]) as our Reading Room is small and some of our collections not easily accessible; we do not want anyone to have a wasted journey but everyone is welcome. St. Bride Library, Bride Lane, Fleet Street, London EC4Y 8EQ.
The Zoological Society of London (ZSL), founded in 1826, is a charity devoted to the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats. ZSL Library is open to all and contains a unique collection reflecting these interests: more than 200,000 volumes, 5,000 journal titles, archives, books dating from 16th century to the present, modern books on open access in our Reading Room, and special collections relating to information on zoos. Non‐members are required to show proof of address and photographic ID on their first visit. Appointments are required if you plan to consult any of the `special collections'.