Today, I did some personal research for my Shakespeare paper
at the best possible location in London: the Globe Library!
My paper will deal with the sources Shakespeare most likely
used for his history plays and the means by which he obtained them. While
searching for places to research, I decided to check out the Globe and see if
they had any sources, only to discover gleefully they have their own library
and research center.
To access the Globe Library, one has to request permission
and prove he or she is a bona fide researcher, which is very much in keeping with
the other research libraries we visited. A few days before the visit, I emailed
the librarians there and explained my project. The Globe is very, very
particular about when scholars can come in, only opening their doors on
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and in two short shifts: 10 am – 1 pm and
2 – 5pm. I set off for the Globe at 2:00 (leaving the Caird library), had an
adventure on the Tube, and then got to the library at 3:00, giving me two hours
to research.
The Globe Library is small, but they have a bunch of
material to work with. Finding their location, however, is quite difficult. I
first entered the Globe Theatre and was told to “go around to the side.” I did
as I was told, only to have these same instructions at least three more times.
When I finally found the correct door, I had to wait for the librarian to take
me to the library itself. She told me to remain quiet as we walked to the
library; a production was taking place. The library is located past a long,
winding office with no cubicles, just rows and rows of desks smothered in
stacks of books and papers. Indeed, it was difficult to navigate through this
field of paper. To be honest, the complete disarray in which I found the
library’s surrounding offices made me nervous.
The library is located in a small, confined room that also
feels very messy. As we passed stacks of cardboard boxes full of papers, much
of which was scattered on the floor, the librarian told me they have a good bit
of stuff there.
Despite appearances, the visit was rewarding. I found some
good books there, including a dissertation from 1904 about my topic, and got a
good bit of work done. Many of the books are hard to find elsewhere, so I am
very grateful to have researched at the Globe. I also learned a lot, including
the fact that Shakespeare would have learned to read with a hornbook, which was
a wooden paddle upon which his teacher would have attached a sheet of paper
with his ABC’s, vowels, a poem or two, and the Lord’s Prayer.
Although off to a rocky start, the visit was productive, and
I found sources that will definitely help me in my coming research.
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