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New-look website helps Lambeth Palace Library open virtual doors on more than 1,000 years of history

9 December 2008

 

The outstanding collections of Lambeth Palace Library, the historic library and record office of the Archbishops of Canterbury and the principal repository of the history of the Church of England, have been made more accessible with the launch of the Library's newly redesigned website www.lambethpalacelibrary.org.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, launches the new website

 

As well as practical details on accessing the Library's collections and other services, the website allows potential users to view the full scope of its research resources via its electronic catalogues and outlines of its holdings. 

Improved features on the new-look site include downloadable research guides covering a range of topics, from helping people trace their family history where their ancestors include Anglican clergy, through to trends in church architecture and clerical costume through the ages.

Approximately 20,000 visitors per month currently visit the website, and Library staff hope the revamp will see this number increase: “As well as bringing a much fresher look to the website, the redesign has made our resources much more accessible to researchers, whether in a professional or personal capacity. We hope that the website will reach out to untapped audiences and encourage them to take the first step of exploring the Library's resources, as well as providing greater assistance to those who have used them in the past,” commented Declan Kelly, the Church of England's Director of Libraries and Archives.

The new site has been designed and developed by Tape London Ltd, which has previously developed a number of high profile websites, including those of the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Museum of London. “The importance of making historical information available online in a cost effective and easily manageable manner was a major attraction to working with Lambeth Palace Library on their website. The Library's online visitors will now have a visually entertaining and accessible route into the Library's extensive resources,” says Ronny Ellefsen, Director & Creative Consultant at Tape London Ltd. 

 

Notes

Lambeth Palace Library’s collections include over 200,000 printed items, 30,000 of which were produced before 1700. Treasures include a Gutenberg Bible printed in 1455, and the illuminated prayer book owned by Queen Elizabeth I. The Library also holds a vast collection of archives and manuscripts, dating from the 9th century to the present day, which are an invaluable resource for innumerable aspects of ecclesiastical, social and political history. These include the official papers of the Archbishop of Canterbury, released after a thirty-year closure period, which contain sources such as correspondence, diaries, sermons and newspaper cuttings.