Dear All,

Bulletin 7

It has been an enormous honour that Council have left everything to me in arranging for the future of the Society's Library. I do hope that it will not prove that several people at the A.G.M. will be able to offer better plans in retrospect... I would confirm that every institution suggested by members, and many more, has been investigated as a possible final home for the Kipling Society Collection.

I do have some more packing to complete, but in deference to my marriage, I will not be going up to City University this Sunday... The next boxing day will therefore be Sunday 1st June, midday to 6.00 p.m..

With just two weeks to go before the deadline, I have received confirmation that Haileybury School will be able to offer a home for more than half of the stock. I am enormously grateful to Toby Parker, the Archivist to the School, who has plans for a Kipling Room, to accommodate and display the School's own materials (including, of course, the Stalky manuscripts) along with all of the items which can be described as Kipling Society reference material and memorabilia. It goes without saying that we are honoured and pleased that the Master, Council and Governors at Haileybury are prepared to offer such a suitable home for our precious Collection. I understand that the school has a qualified conservator, and I know that with assistance from the Society, the room should become an attractive and welcoming reference facility.

Toby and I have discussed the items to be transferred on loan, and it should be emphasised that the volumes to be donated to the University of Sussex are very much the 'balance' of the material. In other words, I will assume that Council will approve my decision to offer Haileybury first choice in every case.

Thus, in future, members who wish to access material which relates to the Society itself, or gifts to the Society, or material built up by members, will be able to visit the collection on loan to Haileybury School, in Hertfordshire.

Other material, which - in general - is more widely available, will be given to Sussex, with the proviso that any items which are not to be kept in Special Collections there, now or in the future, will be offered back to the Society. 

If members have special concerns about particular items, I would be grateful if they raise the question now, rather than after the transfers have been completed.

I still have over 1600 copies of the Journal, which I have had to bring home, as neither Sussex nor Haileybury have storage space. A decision about reducing this stock will, perhaps, be made at the A.G.M., but it was interesting that two members of Council have contacted me, asking for replacement copies for their own collection. With a standard reserve stock of two, this might be a problem in future!

Members of Council will also remember that I was detailed to start organising a celebration of the 150th anniversary of Kipling's birth. I had assumed that this would be aimed at the Christmas holiday for 2015 (perhaps even for December 30th), well after the centenary of John's death. However, some members have indicated that this might not be suitable for them, and have asked for something much sooner. If this is the general feeling, I will have to get busy. Please do indicate your views (I promise not to expect your help).

With all good wishes,

John