Our national chess library

[MJMcCready]

I just spoke to the manager of the library on the phone, as I was planning a visit to Hastings. Unfortunately, however, she informed me that all items are boxed up and awaiting transit as all books are being returned to the ECF in June. She did not know where they would go or if they will be available to the public.

[Gordon Cadden]

The idea of a National Chess Library, has proved to be a spectacular flop. The world has moved on, and much of the information in the books, can be obtained online. The routine books could be sold to a chess book dealer. A University might agree to take the scarce books. Know that the Bodleian Library has agreed to accept a collection of scarce/rare problem books.

[Brian Denman]

I do not agree that much of the information can be accessed online. If one tries to study chess history on the internet, one can usually only learn about the general outlines of events. Chess historians want to go further than this and read documents which recreate the atmosphere of the past. For example just to take two magazines the British Chess Magazine is not online and neither is the magazine called 'Chess' and the same applies to most of the magazines in the collection. Historians like to gain access to old books and magazines and this becomes harder if a collection is broken up and distributed to different parts. If rare books pass into the hands of dealers or collectors, they can cease to be accessible to the general public. Also I understand that only certain people with certain qualifications can use the Bodleian Library. Chess research suffered a major blow with the closure of the British Newspaper Library at Colindale and now this situation with the National Chess Library makes matters worse.

[Roger de Coverly]

Chess historians want to go further than this and read documents which recreate the atmosphere of the past. For example just to take two magazines the British Chess Magazine is not online and neither is the magazine called 'Chess' and the same applies to most of the magazines in the collection.

It comes down to what the Library is for. As far as books are concerned, it it not enough to ensure that at least one of the three UK copyright libraries has a copy? For books published in the last twenty years or more is it reasonable to assume that the author or publisher would have an electronic copy? I suppose the ECF could offer to hold a back-up. The utility of the collection is demonstrated by the lack of use over the period it has been available publicly. It's been suggested that local archives would be better maintained by donating them to the National Archives.

At least some of the books in the ECF collection would have been previously owned by well-known players. Provided it is known that the content is safeguarded either by the author, publisher or the copyright libraries, would the ECF not be able to sell the physical book for a decent price if it had historic connections?

[Mike Gunn]

I agree with Brian. The maintenance of a national chess library is just the sort of thing the ECF should be doing (in my view). I must admit that I used it only once for research when it was kept in the college in Hastings but I benefited from having a range of materials available that I could consult. If I'd had to head off to the British Library then I would have asked for a run of the BCM (as it turned out not the best source for what I was researching) and then have drawn a blank with regard to the rest. While I'm in favour of using the internet where we can, the abandonment of written materials at the present time would be a step backwards.