I just learned today that the papers of Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson that had long been kept at Sissinghurst have been acquired by Yale. I’m not sure why I am so excited by that. I mean it’s not like I live anywhere near New Haven, Connecticut and can go paw through the papers just for fun in my copious amounts of spare time. But somehow it feels like a coup. How did Yale get the papers and not the British Library or Oxford?
I am hoping Yale will digitize at least some of the papers. But in their finding aid to Vita’s papers there is a copyright notice that indicates the rights still belong to her heirs. So perhaps that will stall any digitization efforts unless, presumably, the grandchildren give permission. Why they wouldn’t, I don’t know. So my fingers are crossed that one day I will get to virtually oggle Vita’s papers.
In other news, check out these sculptures carved from books. They are gorgeous and amazing.
And visit Pew Research for a quiz on what kind of library user you are. I am a Library Lover:
Library Lovers have strikingly positive views of public libraries compared with other groups, and with the U.S. population; they use libraries and library websites more than any other group, and most believe libraries are essential at the personal as well as the community level. This group’s members are disproportionately younger than the general population. It also includes many parents, students, and job seekers, and more respondents with higher levels of education.
But then that’s no surprise.
Filed under: Books, Library, Links Tagged: Harold Nicolson, Vita Scakville-West
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