Dear colleagues

the mail about the BL made me think of an issue I’ve been considering mentioning to the list for a while.  I am an independent scholar, and fortunate enough to live close enough to both Cambridge and London to use the CUL and BL regularly, but there seem to be a number of independent scholars and other outsiders on the list who often post pleas for help since they don’t have access to decent academic libraries.  Advice that an article is readily available through jstor doesn’t help if you are not affiliated to an institution and so don’t have an Athens password.  

I have noticed occasional exclamations of surprise at the ignorance of some of those posting questions – this is rare since members of the list tend to be very supportive – but it would be good to remember that not everyone has enjoyed the same educational advantages and privileges.  My own ignorance of a medieval Latin term was shamefully exposed once – I was fortunate enough to learn classical Latin in the good old days when it was taught in Grammar schools, but turned to medieval studies late in life and have had to pick up medieval Latin as I go along.

The BL and this list are important resources for ‘outsiders’ (yes, you can be made to feel like that!) – thank you for everyone who has answered my questions in the past, but I wonder whether it would be possible to organise any support for independent scholars, and what particular problems are encountered by those working in a field like medieval religion without the support of a recognised institution?

with best wishes to all,

Cate