Library Collection Description
The HMRS Library has grown over the years as books and other collections have been donated to us.
The catalogue file is currently being re-generated from scratch and we do not expect it to be complete until 2026-27. This involves a complete stock check to add new acquisitions and remove duplicate and obsolete books for sale or disposal. The version represented on on the Library page on this website is a 'snapshot' from Spring 2024 and contains just less than half of the full library.
Books & Pamphlets
The main library book resource is made up of either books donated to us by members or from the executors of the various estates of people who donated their own libraries through their will. We have also been fortunate to have been offered substantial numbers from private collections. We received some from the Transport Trust Library when that closed down to supplement our previous stock and in more recently another substantial collection of about 1000 books is being integrated with the existing stock. All books are donated, we do not have a regular book purchase policy which means that many newer books (other than our own) may not be present but it also means that some rarer and more specific books are in the collection.
The evolving state of the Library meant that we had to move our paper based library indexing system towards a more easily searchable electronic one which was started just before 2020. The catalogue on this site before June 2024 was basically derived from the paper system and representative but increasingly inaccurate. The newer catalogue database is still being created to include all new donations. The current catalogue from June 2024 is derived from a snapshot of this taken in March 2024 and accurate but obviously incomplete. It is likely to be further 3 year project for the volunteers who make up the society. We are checking every entry and re-creating access and class information which had become illegible and introducing new classifications as appropriate. The final database will make it easier to create the search attributes and also allows the re-filling of the library shelving to get more into the space available.
Around 3500 items have been transferred to the new system listed here so we are only about half the way through. When finished and created we hope we may be able to make selected items available for loan on payment of a deposit and the postage costs. This is some way ahead yet (not before 2026).
Our aim is that the library serves the requirements of those who need to refer to long out of print books, standard reference works or the more recent popular writings on railways from the UK or of UK origin. We aim to be recognised as holding a significant railway printed resource to complement our other services to the modelling, academic, historical and enthusiast communities
Occasionally the society is given copies of books we already hold and these are made available for sale through various means from time to time and often by donating to heritage society shops. Unfortunately, due to lack of volunteers to manage it, we cannot yet make these items available for sale through this Library aea although it means of doing so is present on the site.
Serials, Journals and Magazines.
This part of the library runs to many thousands of items. A Serials and Journals Collection Catalogue (last updated in June 2022) is available as a PDF download. It is kept up to date and currently runs to some 28 pages. For visitors there is a printed copy in the library. All of these Magazine printed resources are for reference only and we do not loan them out. We can copy articles as requested and post them by agreement with the librarian on payment of the copying and postage costs. Please contact the Librarian about any request.