This is the first detailed scholarly history of libraries in Britain and Ireland, first published in 2006. It aims to provide a panorama of the great variety of libraries since the medieval period, setting them in their social and cultural contexts and interpreting their role as it has changed over time. Libraries of all kinds are included, from monastic libraries and other manuscript collections to the modern world of electronic information. Special attention is given to the purposes of libraries - in education, for professional use, for religious purposes and of course for leisure and general reading. Large libraries and small are covered, with examples from all over the British Isles of how needs have been met. Each volume includes an extensive bibliography of sources and secondary works.

Since the mid-nineteenth century an unprecedented expansion and diversification of library activity has taken place. The Public Libraries Act of 1850 founded a tradition of public provision and service which continues today, and national and academic libraries have grown and multiplied. Libraries have become an industry rather than a localised phenomenon, and librarianship has developed from a scholarly craft to a scientific profession. The essays in this volume present a picture of great diversity, covering public, national, academic, subscription and private libraries. The users of libraries are an important part of their history and are considered here in detail, alongside the development of the library profession and the impact of new information technologies. The place of the library within society and the growth of a professional structure to manage new demands on information are the central concerns of this volume, which celebrates the diversity of the modern library world.

Richard Jones's production of Benjamin Britten's most popular opera takes to the stage at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan. John Graham-Hall stars as the eponymous, impetuous fisherman in this mysterious tale set in a small fishing village on England's east coast in the 19th century. Robin Ticciati, principal conductor of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, takes the helm in his La Scala opera debut.

When E.M.Forster described Lawrence as the greatest imaginative novelist of his generation, his comment was a challenge to a world where Lawrence had notoriety but there was no agreement as to his literary standing. Now, nearly sixty years after Lawrence's death, the nature of his achievement is still being debated. Although Lawrence thought of himself as an English writer, his wide-ranging vision has aroused passionate interest in many countries beyond his own. It is in these two senses as a writer in the twentieth century, and as one with international standing - that this book presents Lawrence "in the modern world". He is seen from the viewpoint of the textual editor, the psychologist and the social historian. He is placed in the wide contexts of the puritan imagination, British society drama and the regional novel - there are studies of such stylistic issues as his characteristic narrative voices - and philosophical matters are touched on in an exploration of his concept of dualism. The essays, although the work of Lawrence enthusiasts, are not uniformly reverential in tone. There is a keen appreciation of those areas of Lawrence's work which have always made disturbing readin

60 years after Lawrence's death, the nature of his achievement is still being debated. His vision has aroused passionate interest in many countries beyond his own. As a writer in the 20th century and as one with international standing, this book presents Lawrence "in the modern world".

This is the first detailed scholarly history of libraries in Britain and Ireland, first published in 2006. It aims to provide a panorama of the great variety of libraries since the medieval period, setting them in their social and cultural contexts and interpreting their role as it has changed over time. Libraries of all kinds are included, from monastic libraries and other manuscript collections to the modern world of electronic information. Special attention is given to the purposes of libraries - in education, for professional use, for religious purposes and of course for leisure and general reading. Large libraries and small are covered, with examples from all over the British Isles of how needs have been met. Each volume includes an extensive bibliography of sources and secondary works.

Mark-Anthony Turnage's operatic take on the lurid life of former Playboy model and octogenarian billionaire's wife, Anna Nicole Smith. Eva-Maria Westbroeck takes the lead role in this production filmed at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in February 2011, with Antonio Pappano conducting.

Since the mid-nineteenth century an unprecedented expansion and diversification of library activity has taken place. The Public Libraries Act of 1850 founded a tradition of public provision and service which continues today, and national and academic libraries have grown and multiplied. Libraries have become an industry rather than a localised phenomenon, and librarianship has developed from a scholarly craft to a scientific profession. The essays in this volume present a picture of great diversity, covering public, national, academic, subscription and private libraries. The users of libraries are an important part of their history and are considered here in detail, alongside the development of the library profession and the impact of new information technologies. The place of the library within society and the growth of a professional structure to manage new demands on information are the central concerns of this volume, which celebrates the diversity of the modern library world.

Mark-Anthony Turnage's operatic take on the lurid life of former Playboy model and octogenarian billionaire's wife, Anna Nicole Smith. Eva-Maria Westbroeck takes the lead role in this production filmed at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in February 2011, with Antonio Pappano conducting.