LIBRARY LIFE

Gladstone's Library, Hawarden

By Rhian Waller - Gladstone's Library PR and marketing

On Sunday (April 16), Gladstone's Library hosted a talk by Prof Ian Bradley, who discussed the coming coronation of King Charles III from a theological standpoint.

It went well. We have already received some lovely comments from attendees.

What event-goers might not realise is that, once the applause has faded, the speaking author has signed every book and all the tripods and cameras have been packed away, there is still work to do.

First of all, there is the swift clear-up of the event space. Staff, often with the help of volunteers (who are absolute stars), move chairs, take down and roll up banners and generally tidy up.

Unlike some venues (like cinemas) our audiences are very considerate, so there is no need to pick up crisp packets or vacuum up popcorn.

The Gladstones Library events team at work.

The Gladstone's Library events team at work.

The event aftermath extends beyond returning the venue to its previous state.

Many of our talks are live-streamed. On this occasion, the lecture was an in-person only event, but we still recorded it.

I will spend several hours editing the talk video so we can upload it to a space on our website which is accessible to event attendees for two weeks after it is uploaded.

This is great for people who want to attend but can't because they are abroad. A surprising number of people who tune in online watch from Australia or the west coast of the US, so they watch later because of the time difference.

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After two weeks, the videos are cycled into our permanent archive. Friends of the Library, who regularly give donations, can access this. There is about a hundred hours of footage or recorded audio in the archives featuring speakers like Nick Clegg, Lord Andrew Adonis, author Sarah Perry (The Essex Serpent) and Kit De Wal (My Name Is Leon).

Gladstone's Library does not pre-check the content of talks. Our speakers are generally free to decide the theme and substance of any lectures, presentations or courses they run.

This means each lecture is unique, with off-the-cuff comments, candid and unrehearsed responses to audience questions and observations that might otherwise be lost forever unless they were captured on camera.

As well as finishing the film, we also check back with event attendees through a survey. This helps us learn what people liked most - and also what we could improve.

Then, after the dust has settled, we begin again! Our next big event at the Library is Alibis in the Archive, a weekend-long crime writing festival. More on that soon…