5 ms·

Secrets of the London Library

101 points by benbreen 10y ago

DanBC 10y ago
> The Football Association was established at a fiery meeting in which the rules of football were laid down. Blackheath FC were overruled in their wish to allow "hacking" (kicking an opponent in the leg) That developed into its own, less popular, sport. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shin-kicking https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shin-kicking > Shin-kicking, also known as hacking[1] or purring, is a combat sport that involves two contestants attempting to kick each other on the shin in order to force their opponent to the ground. It has been described as an English martial art.[1] It originated in England in the early 17th century, and was one of the most popular events at the Cotswold Olympic Games until the Games ended in the 1850s.[2] Here's a short video from GLoucester shin kicking https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jN21wCbxjWk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jN21wCbxjWk Gloucestershire is also home to the annual Cheese Rolling. (No broken limbs this year.)
- themartorana 10y ago
  "It has been described as an English martial art by those whom partake in this absurd sport and no one else." Fixed that for Wikipedia.
- andyjdavis 10y ago
  Watching that video I was surprised how familiar it looks. There are similarities to muay Thai (Thai boxing). There are of course big differences. In muay thai the low kicks are primarily aimed at the thigh rather than the shins and punches, knees and elbows are also allowed HOWEVER two people in a clinch hacking at each others legs brought back memories.
- emmelaich 10y ago
  People might like the novel "Rose" by Martin Cruz Smith (he of Gorky Park fame) who wrote a book set in Wigan which features (naked) clog fighting aka shin kicking. https://www.amazon.com/Rose-Martin-Cruz-Smith-ebook/dp/B006Q1SPUO https://www.amazon.com/Rose-Martin-Cruz-Smith-ebook/dp/B006Q...
ribs 10y ago
Wry writing.
- Bromskloss 10y ago
  The field was trampled, but now I see the rye righting.
f_allwein 10y ago
Great institution, though a bit expensive. I heard about it through a blog post by Stephen Fry, who is a big fan: http://www.stephenfry.com/2011/12/londonlibrary/ http://www.stephenfry.com/2011/12/londonlibrary/ I did not join, but did go on one of their public tours, which was really interesting: http://www.londonlibrary.co.uk/about-us/public-tours-events http://www.londonlibrary.co.uk/about-us/public-tours-events
moneypenny 10y ago
I have been a member for some years now and it's definitely my favourite place in London (and thus, the planet) but that's entirely because I'm somewhat institutionalized and feel quite at home here. Only a few weeks ago I discovered an entire stairwell and section I had no idea about. An absolute treasure and packed with treasure.
- lorenzhs 10y ago
  All your other comments from the last ~3yrs are marked as [dead] (and this one was, too) -- you might be hellbanned, just fyi. Declaring London above all else in the world is certainly controversial, but not downvote-into-oblivion contoversial ;)
B1FF_PSUVM 10y ago
And so the net sings of its dying begetters. Sic transit.
ragix 10y ago
I would love to spend a few days there just taking it all in. I visited Europe for the first time last year. My favorite part of the holiday was walking through the streets of the old village's in Germany and Switzerland marvelling at the history. Here in New Zealand a 100 year old building seems ancient. So a 1,000 year old bridge was mind blowing. We got invited to a mass in the church at the local castle in the village we stayed in, that was an unreal experience. Something I will never forget. I don't think Europeans realise how lucky they're to be so connected to there past.
- theoh 10y ago
  This sounds a bit "Rick Steves" to me. Europe has a violent past, generally fueled by antagonisms with roots in the even deeper past. The 16th C bridge at Mostar, destroyed and rebuilt in the last couple of decades, is an example of built heritage as a hostage to violent forces in the present. Tangible heritage of all kinds is at risk (of rising sea levels, of war) and it doesn't mean a lot to most people because they have no direct involvement with it. There's an increasing awareness that it is the intangible and living aspects that really must be preserved: http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/ http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/
- anotherevan 10y ago
  Australian here. I have had the same reaction when visiting Europe and trundling around little villages in Ireland.
- NamTaf 10y ago
  Another Aussie here, I'm headed over for 8 weeks in September - November and this is by far and away the most exciting prospect for me. I'll be spending some time driving around the place just marvelling at the concept that buildings older than 150 years old exist.
- femto 10y ago
  They do daily and weekly tickets, for 15 and 50 pounds respectively. Must be booked in advance. http://www.londonlibrary.co.uk/join/join-online http://www.londonlibrary.co.uk/join/join-online
theoh 10y ago
The London Library may be wonderful, but it embodies one side of the old "two cultures": disdain for the technical (quantitative) side of science and technology. From Wikipedia (sorry): "Pure and natural sciences, technology, medicine and law are not within the library's purview, although it has some books in all of those fields; books on their histories are normally acquired."
tedmiston 10y ago
> The books in the lending collection date from 1700 to the present day — there are over one million of them, housed on the shelves together — and all can be borrowed. I wonder how they bill the cost of a lost book that irreplaceable.
- yitchelle 10y ago
  Somehow, the "my dog chewed on it" excuse would not cut it. :-) Seriously, do they have a profile for those who can borrow a book, and under what conditions can the book be lent?
tedmiston 10y ago
> Accompanying it is a Victorian version of Google — books are arranged by a proprietary subject classification system designed by the organising supremo Charles Hagberg Wright, librarian from 1893 to 1940. I had up until this point thought everyone just used the Dewey Decimal system, but it turns out library classification algorithms are quite a bit more nuanced than expected. > Some classification systems are more suitable for aiding subject access, rather than for shelf location. For example, Universal Decimal Classification, which uses a complicated notation of pluses and colons, is more difficult to use for the purpose of shelf arrangement but is more expressive compared to DDC in terms of showing relationships between subjects. Similarly faceted classification schemes are more difficult to use for shelf arrangement, unless the user has knowledge of the citation order. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_classification https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_classification

101 points by benbreen 10y ago

DanBC 10y ago

> The Football Association was established at a fiery meeting in which the rules of football were laid down. Blackheath FC were overruled in their wish to allow "hacking" (kicking an opponent in the leg) That developed into its own, less popular, sport. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shin-kicking https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shin-kicking > Shin-kicking, also known as hacking[1] or purring, is a combat sport that involves two contestants attempting to kick each other on the shin in order to force their opponent to the ground. It has been described as an English martial art.[1] It originated in England in the early 17th century, and was one of the most popular events at the Cotswold Olympic Games until the Games ended in the 1850s.[2] Here's a short video from GLoucester shin kicking https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jN21wCbxjWk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jN21wCbxjWk Gloucestershire is also home to the annual Cheese Rolling. (No broken limbs this year.)

themartorana 10y ago
"It has been described as an English martial art by those whom partake in this absurd sport and no one else." Fixed that for Wikipedia.
andyjdavis 10y ago
Watching that video I was surprised how familiar it looks. There are similarities to muay Thai (Thai boxing). There are of course big differences. In muay thai the low kicks are primarily aimed at the thigh rather than the shins and punches, knees and elbows are also allowed HOWEVER two people in a clinch hacking at each others legs brought back memories.
emmelaich 10y ago
People might like the novel "Rose" by Martin Cruz Smith (he of Gorky Park fame) who wrote a book set in Wigan which features (naked) clog fighting aka shin kicking. https://www.amazon.com/Rose-Martin-Cruz-Smith-ebook/dp/B006Q1SPUO https://www.amazon.com/Rose-Martin-Cruz-Smith-ebook/dp/B006Q...

ribs 10y ago

Wry writing.

Bromskloss 10y ago
The field was trampled, but now I see the rye righting.

f_allwein 10y ago

Great institution, though a bit expensive. I heard about it through a blog post by Stephen Fry, who is a big fan: http://www.stephenfry.com/2011/12/londonlibrary/ http://www.stephenfry.com/2011/12/londonlibrary/ I did not join, but did go on one of their public tours, which was really interesting: http://www.londonlibrary.co.uk/about-us/public-tours-events http://www.londonlibrary.co.uk/about-us/public-tours-events

moneypenny 10y ago

I have been a member for some years now and it's definitely my favourite place in London (and thus, the planet) but that's entirely because I'm somewhat institutionalized and feel quite at home here. Only a few weeks ago I discovered an entire stairwell and section I had no idea about. An absolute treasure and packed with treasure.

lorenzhs 10y ago
All your other comments from the last ~3yrs are marked as [dead] (and this one was, too) -- you might be hellbanned, just fyi. Declaring London above all else in the world is certainly controversial, but not downvote-into-oblivion contoversial ;)

B1FF_PSUVM 10y ago

And so the net sings of its dying begetters. Sic transit.

ragix 10y ago

I would love to spend a few days there just taking it all in. I visited Europe for the first time last year. My favorite part of the holiday was walking through the streets of the old village's in Germany and Switzerland marvelling at the history. Here in New Zealand a 100 year old building seems ancient. So a 1,000 year old bridge was mind blowing. We got invited to a mass in the church at the local castle in the village we stayed in, that was an unreal experience. Something I will never forget. I don't think Europeans realise how lucky they're to be so connected to there past.

theoh 10y ago
This sounds a bit "Rick Steves" to me. Europe has a violent past, generally fueled by antagonisms with roots in the even deeper past. The 16th C bridge at Mostar, destroyed and rebuilt in the last couple of decades, is an example of built heritage as a hostage to violent forces in the present. Tangible heritage of all kinds is at risk (of rising sea levels, of war) and it doesn't mean a lot to most people because they have no direct involvement with it. There's an increasing awareness that it is the intangible and living aspects that really must be preserved: http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/ http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/
anotherevan 10y ago
Australian here. I have had the same reaction when visiting Europe and trundling around little villages in Ireland.
NamTaf 10y ago
Another Aussie here, I'm headed over for 8 weeks in September - November and this is by far and away the most exciting prospect for me. I'll be spending some time driving around the place just marvelling at the concept that buildings older than 150 years old exist.
femto 10y ago
They do daily and weekly tickets, for 15 and 50 pounds respectively. Must be booked in advance. http://www.londonlibrary.co.uk/join/join-online http://www.londonlibrary.co.uk/join/join-online

theoh 10y ago

The London Library may be wonderful, but it embodies one side of the old "two cultures": disdain for the technical (quantitative) side of science and technology. From Wikipedia (sorry): "Pure and natural sciences, technology, medicine and law are not within the library's purview, although it has some books in all of those fields; books on their histories are normally acquired."

tedmiston 10y ago

> The books in the lending collection date from 1700 to the present day — there are over one million of them, housed on the shelves together — and all can be borrowed. I wonder how they bill the cost of a lost book that irreplaceable.

yitchelle 10y ago
Somehow, the "my dog chewed on it" excuse would not cut it. :-) Seriously, do they have a profile for those who can borrow a book, and under what conditions can the book be lent?

tedmiston 10y ago

> Accompanying it is a Victorian version of Google — books are arranged by a proprietary subject classification system designed by the organising supremo Charles Hagberg Wright, librarian from 1893 to 1940. I had up until this point thought everyone just used the Dewey Decimal system, but it turns out library classification algorithms are quite a bit more nuanced than expected. > Some classification systems are more suitable for aiding subject access, rather than for shelf location. For example, Universal Decimal Classification, which uses a complicated notation of pluses and colons, is more difficult to use for the purpose of shelf arrangement but is more expressive compared to DDC in terms of showing relationships between subjects. Similarly faceted classification schemes are more difficult to use for shelf arrangement, unless the user has knowledge of the citation order. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_classification https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_classification