The Master's Library Appeal

THE MASTER’S LIBRARY APPEAL

From the Master

A library is more than just a repository of books, it is a place of inspiration. If a school is to foster a sustainable academic culture it must have the ambition to make its library second to none.

The work that has taken place in improving our physical collections and building a first-rate digital library have been exceptional. We have taken our time to understand the needs for an improved library facility at Haileybury. The plans we have developed and which are now laid out in this brochure are a product of this knowledge. Our sights are now firmly fixed on creating a modern library space for teaching, learning and research.

Libraries have had a huge impact on my own education and career. It is for this reason that this project has been designated ‘The Master’s Library Appeal’. This appeal will be my last at Haileybury and it connects with the two major capital projects that have been completed during my time at the School. A modernised library standing between the teaching areas for the sciences and humanities will link the academic cultures of the School together and emphasise the importance of knowledge.

I hope that you will be able to support us in this exciting project.

This is the architectural rendering of what we hope to achieve in this project

The project

In 2021/22 the Library was restructured and the physical space reconfigured to meet the demand for a larger number of study areas. At the same time the Library’s physical stock was refreshed and a digital information and knowledge system (HIKS) was created. We have used the experience of the last three years to identify the priorities for a library in 2024 and beyond. There is now compelling evidence that a programme of modernisation for the physical space is required.

The modernisation of the Form Rooms (2020/22) and the building of the SciTech Centre (2023) significantly improved our teaching, learning and research spaces. With the Library situated between the humanities and science teaching areas of the School, our project is designed to make the Library a resource hub for all our subjects now and in the future.

Educationally, the project will upgrade the Library facilities and increase the number of desks. Improvements will be made to the existing study areas which will facilitate pupil collaboration and the exchange of ideas. A structured teaching/seminar space will be created for teaching and learning. The new exhibition spaces will foster curiosity through the displays and enhancement of our diverse collections. It will be an inspirational environment which fosters learning, research and understanding.

The project will address the importance of wellbeing and access. Improvements to lighting, seating, heating and ventilation are all key elements in the scheme. As well as being an area devoted to study, spaces have been designed in which pupils and staff can relax, reflect and read. New doors will allow the space to be ‘openedup’ and make it fully accessible to users with reduced mobility and, simultaneously, make a visible link to the wider school.

The conservation and restoration of the last remaining interior of East India College is an integral part of the project. The programme will restore and highlight many of the elements of beauty in William Wilkins’ Greek Revival design.

Overall the project will create an environment which fosters the academic culture of the School and where learning comes alive.

THE

Key elements of the scheme include:

The Library project will provide 69 tailored study areas.

A seminar/teaching space for 36 users which will be able to convert to house audiences of 54 for lectures.

The gallery will provide a space for individual study with 9 desks.

The removal of the steel spiral staircase and replacement with stairs in their original location.

The Old Vestry will be opened up for exhibitions from the School’s special collections.

The sash windows will be restored and electric blinds installed to alter levels of natural lighting.

A new heating system will be installed to provide a modern temperature-controlled environment.

The historic shelving will be restored and made fit for modern usage.

The exterior and interior doors will be replaced allowing easier access and giving a greater emphasis to the space.

Target costs

The project requires us to raise £550,000. We have been pledged £100,000 to pay for key elements of the project but the support from the Haileybury community is needed to raise the amount required to make our library space fit for purpose in the twenty first century.

The costs for individual elements of the programme include:

£70,000 for the new gallery spaces and existing study space improvements

£60,000 to make accessibility improvements to the exterior and interior doors

£250 each for the bookcase lights

£62,000 to conserve and restore elements of the interior decoration

£16,350 to install electric binds to control natural light in the room

£1,335 to restore the Purbeck stone flooring in the Entrance Hall

£20,000 to commission display cases

£3,338 for lighting the VC and GC boards

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The architectural significance of the Library

The Library, originally the East India College chapel (1806-8), contains the best surviving interior designed by William Wilkins at Haileybury, although original fittings such as the pews have been removed. The decorative plaster ceiling, frieze and cornice are of aesthetic value. The frieze contains an anthemion design of palmettes and honeysuckle flowers. It echoes their use as a motif on capitals of the Erechtheion Ionic order columns used on the South Front portico. Wilkins’ design for the frieze and cornice was a careful adaption of the epicranitis on the west facade of the Erechtheion.

Wilkins’ design for Haileybury was the first to demonstrate an archaeological accuracy in the understanding Greek architecture. Analysis of Wilkins’ work at Haileybury demonstrates that it is a re-imagination of the Erechtheion, in particular the South Range, including the Library. The pilaster bases in the west end of the Library are full size copies of the base of the west wall of the Erechtheion. The South Range façade and western entrance make use of the same base design and proportions. The range takes the arrangement for the windows and pilasters from the temple’s south side. The main and interior door frames of the Library are designed based on the north door of the Erechtheion using a ratio of 5:8.

The Library, as a constituent part of Wilkins’ design for the East India College, represents the emergence of an intensely academic interpretation of ancient Greek architecture in the early nineteenth century.

The conservation and restoration of the Library

A programme for the conservation and restoration of the Library has been designed to return the surviving elements of William Wilkins’ interior to their former glory and give the space a sense of unity. The programme includes:

Restoring the paint scheme. The current paint scheme is inappropriate and oppressive. Paint analysis has revealed the original colours and the project will return the space to Wilkins’ scheme. The effect will return a sense of grandeur to the room while improving the experience of working in the space. The anthemion frieze, based on the Erectheion’s epicranitis, will be conserved.

Conserving the metalwork and restoration of the gallery balustrade. Investigations into the gallery’s balustrade have revealed that hidden under layers of paint is the original brass work, commissioned by Wilkins’ for the building. The removal of the steel spiral staircase and use of the original location for the staircase will allow the brass balustrade to be restored and the clean sightlines from the east end to return.

Conservation and restoration of the bookcases. The majority of the bookcases in the Library were built for original Library (1806-9) which was located where the Chapel stands today. In 1878/9 the School re-used the cases and they have remained in use in their current location for the last 146 years. Each bookcase will be conserved, restored if needed, and repainted to extend their life and improve their presentation.

The project

Better accessibility and visibility

In 2021/22 the Library was restructured and the physical space reconfigured to meet the demand for a larger number of study area. During the same time the Library’s physical stock was refreshed and a digital information and knowledge system (HIKS) was created. We have used the experience of the last three years to identify the priorities for a library in 2024 and beyond. There is now compelling evidence that a modernisation for the physical space is required.

The large exterior and interior doors to the Library present problems for people with limited mobility. Making the Library accessible to all users and visitors is an important part of the project.

The modernisation of the Form Rooms (2020/22) and the building of the SciTech Centre (2023) have made significant improvements to our teaching, learning and research spaces. The Library is located between the humanities and science teaching areas of the School. Our project is designed to make the Library a resource hub for all

Accessibility to the Library is not just for those with limited mobility. Many users and visitors find that the lack of a visible link between the Library and the routes between the SciTech centre and the Form Rooms acts as a barrier. When the Library’s large exterior door is closed the space appears closed-off or unwelcoming.

Educationally, the project will upgrade the Library facilities and increase the number of desks. Improvements will be made the existing study areas and help facilitate the technologies, enabling pupil collaboration and the exchange of ideas. A structured teaching/seminar space will be created for teaching and learning. The new exhibition spaces will foster curiosity through the displays and enhancement of our diverse collections. It will be an inspirational atmosphere environment that fosters learning,

The project addresses the importance of wellbeing and access. Improvements to lighting, seating, heating and ventilation are all key elements in the scheme. As well as being an area devoted to study, spaces have been designed to allow pupils and staff to relax, reflect and read in. New doors will open up the space and make a visible link to the wider school and make it fully accessible to users with reduced mobility.

The conserve and restoration of the last remaining interior of East India College is an integral part of the project. The programme will return and emphasise many of the elements of beauty in William Wilkins’ Greek Revival design.

Inspired by the solution that the library at The Queen’s College, Oxford uses, the programme of works includes installation of glass exterior and interior doors. These features will visually link the Library to the teaching facilities for the humanities and sciences. In addition, the use of glass for the doors will provide the visual experience for users and visitors that Wilkins designed; the powerful effect of the room’s height, the elegantly panelled barrel-vaulted ceiling and pilasters based on the west wall of the Erectheion will be experienced from the moment of entry.

Overall the project creates an environment that fosters the academic culture of the School and where learning comes alive.

Additional study spaces and improved furniture

The planning for the Library project identified the need for well-designed and furnished study spaces. Our current desks are not designed for pupils and teachers to comfortably use computers. In 2020 the Library had 24 study spaces, which was increased to 60 in 2021. These spaces will be improved and the furniture in the teaching space will be upgraded to provide a better opportunity for collaborative work.

All the desks in the booths will be designed to incorporate reading lights and easily accessible power sockets. The nine individual study areas in the gallery will be provided with large desks to facilitate sustained work and separate them from the spaces designed for collaborative work.

High quality, accessible and inclusive spaces will create environments which provide an improved experience for studying, learning and research. Up-grading our spaces and furniture will blend the experiences in using the physical and digital libraries. Elements of the joinery work for the study spaces and elsewhere will be undertaken by our own Special Projects Team. This will provide us with a highly skilled craftsmen who understand the educational demands for the project.

Improved lighting and heating in the working environment

Lighting and heating are key elements in the sensitive modernisation of the Library facilities. The southerly aspect of the Library requires the ability to alter the levels of natural light entering the space. Electric blinds housed neatly against the window cases will permit natural light to be shut out of the room on-demand. To prevent light damage to our physical collections the sash windows will be covered with sheets that mitigate the effect of solar glare. Conservation of the sash windows is incorporated into the plan, allowing the space to maintain a regular temperature and improve ventilation.

At present the lighting is harsh and it is does not make the Library user’s experience a pleasant one. To remedy this issue the function and location of the lighting has been carefully considered. The removal of the current inappropriate strip-lighting and its replacement with and increased provision of appropriate LED lighting should make the areas brighter and much more user-friendly. The creation of a box system for the top of the existing book cases will prevent the new lighting system damaging the early nineteenth century joinery.

The outmoded heating system will be replaced with new low-level radiators. Unlike the current system, it will be temperature controlled to provide the appropriate environmental conditions for our books and users.

Our blended Library

The physical and digital

The main library collection contains over 30,000 volumes for loan. Last year 5,243 books were borrowed by pupils and staff. Pupils borrowed a further 2,381 books from Sora, the ebook platform. Our eLibrary of over 100 individual subscriptions were accessed over 17,000 times during the same period of time. Together the figures for 2022/23 demonstrate that the Library is a key resource for staff and pupils.

The Haileybury Information and Knowledge (HIKS) system allows users to access millions of pages of curated and peer-reviewed information at any time and from anywhere in the world. Together, the HIKS eLibrary and our physical collections of books, form a powerful blended library which meets the needs of users. Our excellent collections require an improved Library facility to house them. The Library’s users deserve to work in a comfortable, well-lit environment that fosters learning and curiosity.

The Library is the intellectual hub of the School and a beautiful space but it requires improvement. We live and work in a knowledge-based economy where information is a valuable commodity. Books, in spite of many claims to the contrary, will remain a vital part of our intellectual life for many decades to come. The importance of the physical library means that we need to modernise the environment that we provide for the its users.

I am hugely proud of the innovations that my team of information professionals have made over the last three years. We now have an excellent collection of physical and digital resources; the Haileybury and Information Service (HIKS) system is at present the jewel in our crown. The Master’s Library Appeal will allow the library space to rival the user’s virtual experience of our HIKS system.

Your support for this project is needed to conserve, restore and modernise the Library to enable it to become a centre for learning and research for generations to come. The impact of a library and its contents on a pupil can be life changing.

”

Dr Toby Parker

Information for donors

The Library has been at the heart of the School since 1878 and we ask you to help in returning it to its former beauty.

All financial supporters will have their names placed on a Donor Board located in the Library.

Donations of £5,000 or more will be recorded on the conserved bookcases.

If you wish to find out more about funding part or all of the project, the Master, Heritage Director and the Director of Development will be pleased to discuss the opportunities with you.

The Heritage Director would be happy to arrange a visit to the Library for any interested donor. Please contact:

Dr Toby Parker, t.parker@haileybury.com, +44 (0)1992 706234.

If you wish to make a donation please contact:

Amy Ledingham, a.ledingham@haileybury.com, +44 (0)1992 706 495

Martin

Master

Haileybury

Hertford, SG137NU

T:

Haileybury

Hertford, SG137NU

T:

t.parker@haileybury.com

Amy Ledingham

Haileybury

Hertford, SG137NU

T: +44 (0)1992 706 495