Folger Shakespeare Library
While I was not able to visit the Folger Shakespeare Library in person, I did find that the website contained insightful information to help paint a full picture of this special library. As an English teacher, this library is one that I find particularly fascinating to explore and visit.
Space & Physical Access
Currently, the Folger Library is under renovations. However, the website provides renovation plans (with pictures!) to give patrons a full view of what to expect when the space reopens.
Located in bustling Washington, D.C., the library is just minutes away from the Library of Congress, the United States Capitol, and the National Mall. The newly renovated library will have two entry plazas with plenty of greenery, as well as an East Garden and a West Garden. The building will allow for full access, and there will be ramps for patrons in wheelchairs.
Inside Folger, there are many different types of spaces. The types of spaces that can be found are an exhibition hall, reading room, theater, and gardens that are inspired by Shakespeare’s plays / Elizabethan England. I’m not sure how much the interior will change aside from exhibition halls and the Great Hall (a place for patrons to gather), as the website only included renovation pictures and plans for the exterior and the above mentioned interior spaces. The main goal for renovation was to overcome the challenges of patron accessibility to the Folger Shakespeare Library.
Pictured above is the reading room. While people can tour this space, special access must be given to use it. If a patron would like to use the reading room for research, they must apply to do so, and will be issued an ID that indicates they are there for research purposes. As the library is undergoing renovations, access to the physical collection is not available at this time. That being said, the atmosphere shown in this picture is like taking a step back in time, and I think it fits the mood for visiting such a special library that is devoted to Shakespeare and other literature from the past. I think the space does a wonderful job at setting the mood to make patrons feel as if they can imagine and place themselves in the past.
Services & Intellectual Access
The Folger Library offers a variety of programs, even with renovation taking place. The Folger Theater still has scheduled performances, but they are scheduled to take place in other venues. In addition, there are also several online, virtual programs going on such as book clubs, virtual poetry readings, Folger Consort performances, as well as talks and screenings.
While the physical collection cannot be accessed at this time, there is an online catalog named Hamnet that is the online catalog for open stacks and electronic materials. As I was visiting online, I relied heavily on the website to browse around the collection. While some of it was straightforward, I was a little confused on how to find out specifics on a lot of the collection at Folger Library. I’ll get into this more in my discussion of the website.
Along with the programs and events that are offered, Folger Shakespeare Library offers a plethora of resources for teachers! As a current high school English teacher, this drew me in on a personal level, as I did not know that these resources existed. There are some free resources, but teachers can also pay for a Teacher Membership to get even more resources and professional development. I took a deep dive into these resources, and was really impressed with what I saw there. On the free side, there are 32 free teaching modules available. Of course, it makes complete sense that a Shakespeare library would develop and provide resources for the teaching of this poet and playwright.
Rubin and Rubin (2020) states that as with “other libraries. . .rather than serving primarily as a physical place where information is stored, the special library is activity-oriented, focusing on meeting users’ information needs” (p. 199). The Folger Shakespeare Library, I feel, really meets this criteria, just as other types of libraries must. In terms of this special library, offering exhibits and special programming (and even hosting performances of Shakespeare’s plays) is a great way to engage patrons. While not everyone will interact or use the reading room, Folger certainly attracts a lot of people.
Patrons & Staff
There are a lot of staff at Folger, and some that do not fit with librarianship, so I will highlight the library staff exclusively for this blog post. There are different categories of librarian types such as: collections, collection care and development, collection description and imaging, and researcher services. Some job titles that librarians at Folger have include: Acquisitions Specialist, Archivist and Cataloger, Metadata Librarian, Learning and Engagement Librarian, and Research and Reference Librarian.
Rubin and Rubin (2020), in discussing common characteristics of special libraries, state that “They involve management oriented to the goals of the larger organization rather than the library, and the library staff itself represents only a small fraction of the total organization workforce” (p. 198). I find this to be true for the Folger Shakespeare Library. As mentioned previously, there is a lot of staff that goes into the organization as a whole. The library staff truly is one piece of the whole, and I’m sure they must work to align to the mission of the organization in general.
The Folger website also offers an Ask a Librarian page. It includes FAQs as well as a form that can be submitted for patron queries. The library seems to serve the general public, but also K-12 students and teachers, undergraduate and graduate students, and independent researchers. Additionally, the library offers virtual reference appointments. If someone is working on a research project, they can request a Zoom meeting with a reference librarian to help with resources, questions, etc.
Collection
This library has quite an interesting collection. While there is a significant focus on all things Shakespeare, such as copies of the 1623 First Folio (an early collection of Shakespeare’s works), Folger Library has a substantial collection of English books and manuscripts. The collection includes printed books beginning from the 1400s, manuscripts beginning from the late 13th century, works of art, and even items such as playbills and costumes.
For example, pictured above is a digital image of one of poet John Donne’s letters. There are many such primary sources in the collection at the library, and as a current English teacher, it was very fun for me to investigate the types of collections in this library.
Digital Access
The website for this library [https://www.folger.edu/] is mostly easy to navigate, but I will say that when I was looking for online access to the catalog and collections, I got confused for quite a while. I was searching through The Collection section of the website, and trying to navigate the resources that are available through this portion of the website, but it was not until I went under the Research & Scholars section that I was able to find digital anthologies that allowed me to search through the collection more easily.
Overall, though, the website offers a wealth of information, and it made my virtual observation go smoothly. In addition to this, the library is very active on social media. It posts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube.
Other / Final Thoughts
Through this visit, I was surprised by many things. I did not know that the library offered so many resources to teachers, and it is something that can be very useful for helping students study Shakespeare and his language in a more engaging way.
I am very pleased that I selected this library to observe for my special library observation. It offered me a lot both as a current teacher and as a library student. When the library finishes renovations, I have been inspired to go for an in-person visit. The library seems enchanting, and I really want to experience the atmosphere first hand rather than in pictures.
As this is my final library observation, I am again reminded that all libraries have had some similar challenges and focuses. Even a specialized library such as this one has to offer a lot of programming and include certain collections in order to stay relevant and meet the needs of patrons.
References
Folger Shakespeare Library. Autograph letter signed from John Donne to Sir George More [manuscript], 1601/1602, March 1. [Photograph.] LUNA. https://luna.folger.edu/luna/servlet/s/ki3cmq
Goucher, J. (2018, January 20). [Photograph of the Reading Room at Folger]. Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/144291887@N08/39796807962
Rubin, R. E. and Rubin, R. G. (2020). Foundations of library and information science (5th ed.). ALA Neal-Schuman.
I had no idea the Folger Shakespeare Library existed! That is so neat that it exists, and it has all the English materials that it has, including the 1623 First Folio. It sounds like they have quite a collection. The reading room is beautiful! I am guessing that is what the renovated reading room with look like? I agree that the atmosphere is like going back in time looking at the picture of the reading room. I could almost imagine a ghost going through there. I find it interesting they are doing renovations, mainly to help the question of patron accessibility. I think that’s an example of, “What do special libraries have in common with sharks? (A) They have to keep moving forward! A well-utilized, well-resourced, well-loved and sustainable special library doesn’t happen by accident” (Lucidea, 2021). It sounds like Folger Shakespeare Library is trying to make sure its services will be available to all. It also sounds like the outside is just as important as the inside with the gardens. And sounds like they are planning access there, too.
Lucidea. (2021). The special library primer everything you need to know. https://lucidea.com/special-libraries/what-is-a-special-library/
That is actually what the reading room looked like before renovations began! I am not sure if they are doing any updates to this space specifically. I know they were updating the exhibition halls and the exterior, but it the website didn’t mention any changes to the reading room or the theater.
Amy,
The Reading Room at the Folger Shakespeare Library is nothing short of breathtaking. I sat and stared at the picture on your post for several minutes, taking in all of the details. This library truly is something special. I love that it offers something for people of all ages to enjoy while still maintaining its focus. Thank you for opening my eyes to this library that I knew nothing about before reading your blog!
I spent a lot of time looking at pictures of the library online. There are several spaces like the reading room, and I’m hoping they keep the same atmosphere after renovations are finished.
I was fortunate to see a performance at the Folger Theater (pre-pandemic) but had very little knowledge of their library. What an amazing resource and it will be interesting to see how their renovation makes the space more accessible to patrons. It was encouraging to hear that they offer resources for teachers and I wondered if the modules were geared more towards the high school or college level. On a side note, there is a Shakespeare theater in Staunton that I discovered recently. I don’t believe they have a special library but their theater website does have some great educational resources.
It’s so cool that you have been there before! Also, I knew about the theater in Staunton (a teacher friend of mine brought it to my attention several years ago), but I haven’t been to that one either. Also, the modules and lesson plans are geared toward high school, as they align with the Common Core standards (I spent a really long time going through these!).
Amy,
WOW was the word that initially came to mind when I saw the first picture of The Folger Library on your blog! Taking a walk through that space truly would be like taking a step back in time.
The catalog name “Hamnet” made me chuckle. Also, I am glad that you mentioned that there are resources for teachers; I’m looking forward to sharing these with the teachers in my building! I am also interested in learning more about the primary sources that are included in this collection.
The virtual programming was also very interesting to me. I was particularly intrigued by the poetry readings; Martín Espada is one of my favorite poets, and every 7th grader in our district reads his poetry as part of the Inquiry By Design units of study.
What a cool special library to find! Thanks for sharing!
-Allison
I also found “Hamnet” to be clever! I did spend a good bit of time looking through the lesson plans, and they align with Common Core standards (it’s not what we use here in Virginia, but there is usually some overlap with standards anyway). I also thought the virtual programming offerings to be fantastic.
I had no idea that this library was in D.C. but it is now on my “must visit” list. First of all, the photos of the interior are stunning! I can’t imagine getting to study or work in a space that looks like this. It makes sense that one must apply to use the space because I feel that there would be a potential to have tourists coming in and out to view the space which may disturb library users. The Library of Congress has a similar policy for their reading room where you have to get a library card and you cannot enter the reading room until you have held the membership for a day. I think this cuts down on the disturbance of tourists that would be common in such a large attraction library.