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Ruth Beale & Simon Elvins

@allthelibraries

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A survey of all of London's publicly-accessible libraries, their books, archives, people, buildings and services.
@ruth.beale @simon.elvins

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National Poetry Library by @samwinston_

Blindfolded, using a Dictaphone to record his experiences outside of the sense of sight. Once sighted, the artist made a note of the books that had been in his proximity at the time of recording.

One of 36 submissions from artists, designers and library lovers.

All the Libraries in London: Reader
#allthelibraries

@nationalpoetrylibrary taken in National Poetry Library by @allthelibraries

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3 years ago

Public libraries are under threat. What impact will this have on creativity?

Thanks to @itsnicethat for the article featuring the project, with the the full preface from the book by Lola Olufemi @lowlamichelle where she highlights the importance of the local library and calls for urgent action to cherish these spaces.

Read the preface from Lola, link in the bio

Thanks @aylaangelos for the article

All the Libraries in London is a project by artist @ruth.beale and designer @simon.elvins by @allthelibraries

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All the Libraries in London: Reader
@alltheliraries

793 Libraries
300 pages
36 submissions from artists, designers and library lovers
10 hand marbled covers

Book render by @3dperson

Features submissions from:
@alice.rawsthorn
@alan_kitching_typography
@whenthisyousee
@kamtang
@europaaporue
@susanmorris1001
@juliefhill
@benbranagan
@iain_cadby
@dk_cm
@koboscoart
@fatosustek
@kate_pleats
@penel_klein
@archivist23
@lrmence
@cosi____________
@barrysykes
@dent_de_leone
@una_knox
@samwinston_
@elliedoney
@lowlamichelle by @allthelibraries

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3 years ago

Newly printed edition of the READER now available direct from the web shop! See link to in bio.

300 pages
793 Libraries
36 submissions from artists, designers and library lovers

Book photography @jas_kelly_📘📸🙏 by @allthelibraries

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3 years ago

Just some of the 790+ libraries in London. A selection of which feature in the new ‘Reader’ book and form part of an open source image archive available to share and reuse under Creative Commons on the website.

#allthelibrariesinlondon #library #london by @allthelibraries

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4 years ago

Join us for the launch of ALL THE LIBRARIES IN LONDON: READER by Ruth Beale & Simon Elvins, with a Preface by Lola Olufemi. Thursday 30th March, 6-7.30pm at Swiss Cottage Library – we’re very excited this is finally happening!

The Reader reveals the characters and collections of London’s libraries through photographs, stories and thirty-six artistic contributions from artists, designers, curators, writers, librarians and library fans.

Contributors: åbäke, Ama Josephine Budge, Ben Branagan, Iain Cadby, Sophie Chapman & Kerri Jefferis, Terry Dennett, Karen Di Franco, DKCM, Ellie Doney, Europa, Amy Feneck, Julie Hill, Will Holder, Caitlin Hinshelwood, Alan Kitching, Penny Klein, Una Knox, Amy Lloyd, Natasha Luck, Laurence Mencé, Kate Morrell, John Offenbach, Anna-Marie Okello, Susan Morris, Noriko Suzuki-Bosco, Barry Sykes, Alice Rawsthorn, Helen Stratford, Kam Tang, Corinna Triantafyllidis, Alison Turnbull, Carolyn Thompson, Fatos Ustek, Helen Walker & Harun Morrison, Sam Winston.

The launch event is also the last chance to catch Ruth’s exhibition LIKE GODS at Swiss Cottage Gallery. Made in collaboration with her father, David Beale, LIKE GODS draws on David's lifelong passion for science fiction, and the act of rescuing and keeping books both personally and publicly, whilst also taking inspiration from the iconic Swiss Cottage Library building.

#libraries #londonlibraries #librariesofinstagram #librariesoftheworld #bibliophile #marbling
@ruth.beale @simon.elvins by @allthelibraries

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4 years ago

Bethnal Green Library, one of our favourite little-known libraries from across London, as featured on the @inigo.house Almanac celebrating World Book Day.

This year is Bethnal Green Library’s 100-year anniversary, yet its future is in jeopardy, with Tower Hamlets council threatening closure. A converted Victorian asylum, the building has a colourful past, including a direct hit at the start of the Blitz, after which the librarians helped turn Bethnal Green tube station into a bomb shelter. Today, locals love the library’s original classical interior, top-lit reading room, wood-panelled central desk and the plaster plaques that hang in homage to cultural heroes such as Karl Marx, Charles Darwin and Richard Wagner.

Bethnal Green Library, Cambridge Heath Rd, London E2

Photography @ellen.christina.hancock
Read the full article their website @inigo.house
(from the team behind @themodernhouse)

#allthelibraries
#worldbookday by @allthelibraries

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5 years ago

La Médiathèque, Institut français du Royaume-Uni, the second of our favourite little-known libraries from across London. As featured on the @inigo.house Almanac celebrating World Book Day.

This Art Deco former ballroom hosts the largest French-language library in Britain, known as La Médiathèque. The architect, Patrice Bonnet, designed the library with shell-shaped lamps and pastel stained-glass windows, as well parquet flooring matching that in Versailles (he was the architect-conservateur of the palace from 1925 to 1940). Recently renovated, the library and reading room also serve as a venue for the institute’s cultural events.

La Médiathèque, Institut français du Royaume-Uni, 17 Queensberry Place, London SW7
@ifru_london

Photography @ellen.christina.hancock
Read the full article their website @inigo.house
(from the team behind @themodernhouse)

#allthelibraries
#worldbookday by @allthelibraries

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5 years ago

To celebrate World Book Day we’ve partnered with @inigo.house to share five of our favourite little-known libraries from across London.

Here we’ve selected the Bishopsgate Institute Library
Wonderfully captured by @ellen.christina.hancock

A hidden gem on busy Bishopsgate, set between the financial district and smart Spitalfields Market, the Bishopsgate Institute specialises in radical history, labour history and London history. Its subversive collections include community and LGBTQ+ archives, and books on subjects from colonial freedom movements to pacifism. The institute, which has offered adult education since 1894, is housed in a purpose-built Arts and Crafts building with wood panelling, tiled murals and stained-glass cupolas

Bishopsgate Institute Library, 230 Bishopsgate, London EC2

Read the full article their website @inigo.house (from the team behind @themodernhouse)

#allthelibraries
#worldbookday by @allthelibraries

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To celebrate World Book Day we’ve partnered with @inigo.house to share five of our favourite little-known libraries from across the capital that, in different ways, inspire awe, joy and creativity.

Read the full article on their website
@inigo.house (from the team behind @themodernhouse)

Photography @ellen.christina.hancock

@worldbookdaysocial
#worldbookday
#allthelibraries by @allthelibraries

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All the Libraries in London - Index Book
To coincide with launch of the online archive we have made a limited edition book that catalogues and indexes all 795 libraries in London, with one entry per page. This includes the 120+ that have closed over the last 10 years, and are now greyed out in the book.

Printed by @dotstudio
#AlltheLibrariesinLondon taken in British Library by @allthelibraries

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5 years ago

All the Libraries in London - Index Book
To coincide with launch of the online archive we have made a limited edition book that catalogues and indexes all 795 libraries in London, with one entry per page. This includes the 120+ that have closed over the last 10 years, and are now greyed out in the book.

Foil-blocked onto hand marbled paper with 10 alternate covers, each representing the different category of library listed in the book.

This will be followed by a companion ‘Reader’ version of the book that includes creative submissions from artists, designers, writers and library lovers, shown here in the silver cover.

Launched as part of National Libraries Week 4th–10th October
at the Barbican Library @barbicanmusiclibrary

Printed by @dotstudio

@simon.elvins
@ruth.beale
#AlltheLibrariesinLondon

@librariesweek
#librariesweek taken in British Library by @allthelibraries

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