Hi Liz! Tell us about your role in the Whipple.
I’m the Senior Library Assistant which, on paper, means I’m Jack’s (the Librarian’s) second in command. In reality, I do plenty of bossing him about too. I’m the first face people see when they walk in, so I try to be as welcoming as possible. My work in the Library involves a little bit of everything - cataloguing, issuing books, shelving, making posters, dealing with enquiries, and, my favourite part of the job, working with the Library’s special collections. It’s just the two of us in the Library team, so everything is a collaborative effort, but we somehow manage to have plenty of fun!
How did you find yourself in the Whipple?
During my undergraduate studies, I had a weekend job as a Student Invigilator at Emmanuel College Library, and I also did some volunteering at Magdalene College Library on Tuesday afternoons. After that, I was lucky enough to pursue a library traineeship at Trinity College for one year, and was able to stay on as a Library Assistant for another year. It was during my traineeship that I visited the Whipple for the first time. After Jack had given us a brilliant tour and showed us some of the collection, I knew that the Whipple was top of my list of libraries I would love to work in one day. Truthfully, I never saw myself leaving Trinity, but when the Senior Library Assistant role came up, a step up from the role I had at Trinity, I could not resist throwing my hat into the ring. I am so glad I did. I started this job in June and, less than six months later, it has proven to be the most fun, friendly and rewarding job I can imagine.
What do you find unique about the Whipple?
The obvious answer is that we are the largest specialist library for the History and Philosophy of Science in the UK! Our collection seems to be both extremely niche and extremely broad. We have excellent primary and secondary sources for our students to use, and we are often the only library in Cambridge to hold certain books, usually the weird stuff.
More than anything though, the sense of community we have here sets the Whipple (and the Department as a whole) apart from any other, in my opinion. We take our roles seriously in helping to foster that community too; our relationship with the Whipple Museum and our amazing rare book holdings make us quite a unique place, and these all play a role in making people feel welcome, and that they want to be here. We try to run outreach sessions, seminars and other activities with the collections - both for the department and for members of the public - and we think these things are central to what makes the Whipple so special.
The Whipple is quite special. What's your favourite material or rare book in the collection?
This is an impossible question! I am, however, very fond of the early modern herbals in our special collection. We have a 1633 edition of Gerard’s Herball with some astonishing annotations, including an ownership inscription from a woman named Anna Pri(n)ce. We also have a gargantuan Italian herball from 1568 by Mattioli and, my personal favourite, a first edition of Herbarum Vivae Eicones (“Living Pictures of Plants”) by Otto Brunfels, which was printed in 1530. The illustrations in this herbal are astonishing in their detail, and they set a new technical standard for botanical woodcuts!
What is one thing you wish all HMS students knew?
Some Library-specific advice would be to play with the LibGuides! There are so many resources out there that could be useful to you, and the LibGuides make the university’s various digital resources easier to navigate.
My other piece of advice would be, talk to us! We are here to help you. In the Whipple, we like to say that if it takes you more than five minutes to find something (a book, an article etc.) just come to us, and we can try and find it together. It’s not always as easy as it should be to find resources, and that’s exactly what we’re here to help with. Likewise, if there’s a book you need for your studies or research, tell us, and we’re usually able to buy it for the Library. It’s you, our students, who shape the Library collection, so any input is welcome. We also like to hear your news and gossip, so if you ever fancy a chat and a cuppa, we’re here for that too.
Thanks for the advice! How would you describe the Whipple in three words?
Home for all.
How would you describe the HPS department in three words?
Weird and wonderful!
