If you’ve been in St. Mary’s recently, you’ll have seen a large pile of boxes near the back of the church, and some half-assembled shelving. This is because for a few months we are playing host to the Diocesan Library, until the contents are transferred elsewhere. After Christmas the shelves will be finished and the books arranged on them, and it will look a bit less like a warehouse!
St. Mary’s has been selected as a safe and secure space temporarily not only for the library but for the archive, which is being weeded and passed on to live with already deposited Episcopalian papers at Aberdeen University Library Special Collections. This substantial work was started by Stuart Donald and his team of volunteer helpers when the library and archive were held at St. Clement’s in Mastrick. Covid and other factors, including St. Clement’s congregation’s need for the space where the archives and books were stored, has led to an accelerated but still professional process so that everything can be passed on in the right way to its long term home.