I was more than a little bit nervous when I walked the block from the student centre to the British Library for the first time. I just knew that I would do something wrong and would be kicked out of the library by some very snooty British person or something. Luckily, I had very little trouble getting a Reader's Card and even had a nice chat about my project with the person who gave it to me. The two American academics in front of me the queue had all sorts of problems because they only had their passports and you need to provide proof your address, which passports don't list. It was more than slightly entertaining watching two women whip out their money belts, which they had both shoved down their pants for security, and try to find something with an address on it. The card services people were evidently in a very giving mood (something other people have told me tends to vary from day to day) and gave them temporary passes for the day so they could come back the next day with another form of identification. When it was my turn, I was asked quite extensively about my project and almost had a problem since my letter of introduction didn't say that I was a Ph.D. candidate. I thought I was going to have call Florida or something, but card services agent decided that I looked the part enough and gave me my card.

Armed with my card, I put everything but what I needed for the reading room in a locker and put that stuff in one of the clear plastic bags they provide so they can always see what you're carrying in the Reading Rooms. It's funny but I felt so official and in-the-know with my card and plastic bag. Then I walked upstairs to the Rare Books and Music Reading Room. The reading room has the hushed whispering sound of a church in silent prayer with its high ceilings and academics deep in thought over their texts and computers. The light-wooded desks are joined together in rows and the rows are themselves joined so that you face the person sitting across from you. There's an interesting mix of people, even in the Rare Books room. White-haired old school male profs sit hunched of their books writing down careful notes across from spiky-haired young female grad students typing away on their iBooks and listening to music.

the lobby

the door to rare books and manuscript reading room where I do most of my work

the cafe where I've been using the BL's wireless access

I felt like I had officially arrived in London when I showed the security guy my card for the first time. I took a seat after much walking around, choosing one facing away from the majority of the desks for concentration purposes. Having locked my computer to the desk and taken out my research files, I went to the computer and ordered my books. Since everyone had advised me that the wait my first day would quite a long time, I set to work on the first installment of the travelogue that I mailed out three days ago. Then the light on my desk blinked on, and I went to the desk for my books.

Using original texts is such deeply interesting experience for me. There's something so exciting and yet familiar about the feel of nineteenth-century paper and the smell of the book as you lean into it. And then there's the moment when I find something unexpected - an author's note, an interesting passage - and I have to remember contain the "ohhhh" that I almost sigh involuntarily because not everyone in the library wants to hear about my discovery. The research is going well - right now I'm just in the preliminary stages of looking at the originals of the texts I'm studying as well as other texts the BL has by the authors of those texts. I have already, however, had cause to lament the generally bad construction of nineteenth-century texts because I have to pay £1 per page to have books deemed brittle copied. But, there's nothing to do - it's not like you get most of these books anywhere else. I have to admit that part of the fun of the BL is watching the people around you and the people that walk by - I try to imagine what they're working on and guess their nationality (the male academics are particularly easy to figure out as few American men know how to dress well).

The library itself is red brick on the outside, with a large courtyard in front with a café. The inside lobby and stairways are all a white marble that feels very solid and not little posh. I haven't been through the exhibits yet, but plan to do so soon as I hear they are very good. The BL also has a café and restaurant inside, which seem a bit pricey for a gal used to brown bagging it (which I am of course doing every day). The best thing about these two places is that I can get free wireless internet access until June 30th while sitting near them because they're doing a free trial of the service to get people hooked so they'll pay for it. I doubt I'll be able to afford the £4.50 an hour when the trial ends, but it's great for right now. I will more than likely not be checking my email as much after the 30th.

I'm really enjoying the work, which is good since I have three months of it ahead of me. Though it seems like a long time, I already feel like I won't get to everything I want to look at. Ah well, it's an excuse for another trip;-)

Some general thoughts on London . . . I'm enjoying the evenings in London very much. It doesn't get dark until 9ish and most folks "step round" to the neighborhood pubs and shops after work. I too often walk to the area market to get something or another - all of which has to be carried or put in my backpack. It's nice though - not driving and walking everywhere instead.

the view of St. Pancras hotel from our floor's kitchen

I've started to meet some of the people living at the center with me. Last night, my floor had a group dinner. The six of us who are here each made different dishes to share. We ended up eating and talking until rather late at night. Tonight the center had a barbecue, which was little awkward for me since I only know the people on my floor and was a little cold since the weather has reverted back to it's normal temperature. Still, I met some new people and got to know my floormates a little better. Nimella is from India and just finished her Ph.D. in philosophy - she's vegetarian and we have decided to make some meals together at some point since we both like the other's dish at the dinner. Doug is from Germany and is doctor and finishing a health services degree of some sort. Magda is Polish and does something with Lutheran church. There's also a Greek guy who's leaving soon and presumably just finished his degree. All and all, people seem very friendly. I even had someone at the barbecue tell me that she thought the Americans were more welcoming that the Brits and she had only been to New York.

I'm hoping on Sunday to go to Camden Market, depending of course on the mercurial British weather . . .