Library and archive closed for 2020 refurbishment

Hi all,

2019 has proved to be a breakthrough year for the Heritage & Education Centre (HEC). Since securing five-year funding from the Lloyd's Register Foundation, the team have been able to expand HEC's educational reach and impact, while continuing to improve access to its resources.

In order to increase our impact further, the Centre's current library and archive at 71 Fenchurch Street will be undergoing a major refurbishment project. This will see brand new research spaces and even more archive resources being made available. The works will begin in January 2020 and will be ongoing throughout the year. 

As a result, the Centre will be closed permanently during this period. 

The team realise this closure will impact physical researchers. To ensure our most popular resources are still accessible, such as the Lloyd's Register of Ships, the team is currently in the process of digitising popular research resources for use digitally via the HEC website or archive.org.

Additional research resources, such as digitised documents from the Ship Plan and Survey Report Collection, will continue to be made available also. Currently, the website hosts over 167,000 digitised documents, including information of over 40,000 ships.

Throughout the construction and design process, the HEC team will continue to keep you updated through social media and the HEC newsletter, so make sure to keep an eye out!

I would also like to use this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We look forward to welcoming you to the new space in 2020. If you have any enquiries, please email me at victoria.culkin@lrfoundation.org.uk.

Warmest regards,
Victoria Culkin
Head of Heritage & Education Centre.