This is a summary of each, including how to find them on our online catalogue. There are also a number of Spotlight Sessions and Video Presentations of individual books and collections available to view.
The Alan Simpson Collection
This is essentially an archive – a collection of political papers donated to us by Alan Simpson, the former MP for Nottingham South. It starts in around 1992 and takes us through to 2010 and contains a mixture of newspaper articles and press cuttings, letters, Hansard extracts, and miscellaneous papers. This collection is reference only.
Catalogued on Bromcat with the group code ‘PPAS’.
The Alan Sillitoe Collection
This is the library of author Alan Sillitoe from their holiday cottage, donated to us by his widow Ruth Fainlight. An eclectic mixture of books and maps. The books are on the open shelves and can be borrowed. The maps in the locked cabinet cannot be borrowed.
Catalogued on Bromcat with the group code ‘AS’.
The Brunner Collection
Consisting of primarily works in French, this collection was given to us in the late 19th Century by Mrs Brunner and they belonged to her son. They were bought with the proceeds of an award (the Napoleonic medal for best foreign languages student) that he won three times whilst at school. He was a master at the Nottingham Boys High School. These can be borrowed at our discretion.
Catalogued on Bromcat with the group code ‘AB’.
The George Fowler Collection
This collection belonged to one of our members, George Fowler, who lived at Basford Hall and worked as a mining engineer for the Babbington Collieries Company. He developed a love of Egyptology and this small collection was given to the Library by his daughters Edith and Winifred Ransome (they married two brothers) on his death. Edith was the first female president of the Library. These books are available for loan at our discretion.
The Library of the British Sundial Society
This Library belongs to the British Sundial Society and we house it for them because of our links to them through the meridian line. They can be used as reference only by our members and they can be consulted by members of the British Sundial Society. You can find out more, and information on joining the society here
This collection is catalogued on Bromcat with the group code ‘BSS’.
The James Ward Collection
The James Ward Collection was given to the Library in 1914 by the librarian and book collector James Ward and reflect his interests in local history, poetry and Henry Kirk White, and the Baptist Church in Nottingham, which is where he was Librarian. It isn’t a complete collection of his books, as he also generously gave books to other institutions. Much of the collection is unique, as he put together books himself, having collections of papers bound together either on a particular topic or added to a book that he had purchased. There are also several manuscript items. This collection is reference only, with special handling required.
Catalogued on Bromcat with the group code ‘JWC’.
The Michael Dobbin Collection
This collection was bequested on long term loan by Michael Dobbin. It is a collection of local history books, many of which are unique. This has a slightly wider geographical range than other parts of our collection and comprises around 750 items, some dating back to the 18th century and again some manuscript items. This collection is reference only (as part of the terms of the loan to us).
Catalogued on Bromcat with the group code ‘MD’.
The Philip James Bailey Collection
These books were either donated to the Library (or possibly sold to us) by James Ward. Philip James Bailey was a Nottingham poet who was a member of the Library for six months. The collection includes some books published before 1801 and many of the items are unique due to the marginalia they contain. As well as his own poetical works, there are key items of local history, theology and mysticism as well as freemasonry. Reference only.
Catalogued on Bromcat with the group code ‘PJB’.
Our own local history collection
We have a wide selection of books and materials relating to the local area, which we define as Nottingham and Nottinghamshire (present and former county boundaries), and places just over the county border, which we judge to be of local interest. As well as the book stock, we have a range of pamphlets stored in their boxes in the main room. We have a full run of the Thoroton Society’s publications, a run of Trade Directories, various manuscripts of Charles Deering, and copies of the Records of the Borough of Nottingham.
Much of this collection is on the open shelves and available for loan however there are some exceptions, such as the Trade Directories and the items currently housed in the cases, because of their age, rarity, fragility or size.
The collection can be identified on Bromcat with the group code ‘LH’.