Competency #7: Image of Vatican Secret Archives

This image is one of the corridors in the storeroom of the new premises at the Vatican Library. It holds the Vatican Secret Archives. In addition, on location are several study rooms, reading rooms, an index room, an internal library, and most notably, several laboratories dedicated to the preservation of the secret archives. One laboratory is used for preservation, restoration and bookbinding that attributes to the holdings. Other laboratories are used for the restoration and study of seals while another acts to reproduce photography and digital reproduction. I located this image when I was looking for information about different types of special libraries. I looked at several very large and important libraries and this was one of them. I was browsing on Google for examples.

Much controversy has been had over Dan Brown's Angels and Demons and the portrayal of the Vatican Secret Archives. In the book (and movie), these particular archives are mentioned and sought after.

Not to go unmentioned, the Vatican Secret Archives are known to be greatly indexed, preserved, and protected. I chose this image because it shows the nature of the materials and how they are kept to be preserved. The Vatican Secret Archives is known to reach over 50 miles in shelving and holds documents that date back the the eighth century.

This image was found as the Vatican Secret Archives website and can be found here.
The homepage for the Vatican Secret Archives is here.
To view this archive room virtually you can do so here.

Competency #3: Podcast of The National Archives

The National Archives podcasts allows experts in many different fields such as British history to share their knowledge as it relates to the kept archives. This particular podcast talks about controversial files that are wanted by terrorists that are interested in these information files. In this podcast talks about information that has disappeared from the United Kingdom's national memory by extremists.

"Highlights of Security Service files released at The National Archives"
This podcast can be listened to here.
This podcast was found through PodcastDirectory.

This podcast is beneficial for students and librarians that are pursuing archival science in research libraries because it regards the safety of files from others. Most archivists provide the safety of special archives by preservation. Depending on the files that archivists hold may interest those who wish to steal them.

Competency #2: Related Blog: Hagley Archives

Hagley Library and Archives blog displays the information and exhibits at the Hagley Museum in Delaware. The library shows different pieces from their special archives on their blogspot. One post describes an exhibit entitled "Beer and Brewing History at Hagley"; it showcases historical materials that were once held at breweries in Delaware and Pennsylvania. From the blog:

"Americans continued to prefer English-style ales until the 1840s when German immigrants introduced lager beer. Fermented using a different type of yeast, lager beer is light and effervescent, a marked contrast to heavy, malty ales. Lager beer was swiftly embraced by American beer drinkers, and by 1875, there were nearly 3,000 American breweries producing over 8.7 million barrels of beer annually. Philadelphia had been a major brewing center since before the Revolutionary War, and the number of breweries in the city continued to increase; in 1890, Philadelphia was home to 91 breweries, many of which were located in the Brewerytown section of the city."


"The Joseph Stoeckle Brewing Company operated Wilmington, Delaware's Diamond State Brewery from 1872 to 1955. The brewery, which was once the city's largest, was demolished in 1962 to make way for Interstate 95 through Wilmington."

Hagley Library and Archive blog is beneficial for library science students that are seeking information about archival science. This blog provides the latest findings and exhibits that is both interesting and educational.

This Hagley Library and Archive blog was found with GoogleBlog.
This Hagley Library and Archive blog post can be found here.
This Hagley Library and Archive blog can be found here.