The London Mathematical Society maintains a collection of historical material, known as the LMS Archive. This document sets out the Society’s policies regarding the storage of and potential additions to this collection. Further information regarding the contents of the Society’s collection can be requested by contacting librarian@lms.ac.uk
Purpose of the Archive
The purposes of the Archive are:
How these purposes are met
Archive material owned by the Society is held in several different locations, and includes material that is on long-term loan to other organisations.
Some categories of archive material are held at the Society’s headquarters in De Morgan House. However, and particularly as access to the Archive Room is limited, the Society recognizes that often it will be more appropriate for the purposes of bibliographic reference and further study for material to be held in other locations. All decisions on whether and where material is held are based on an assessment of how the interests of mathematics can best be served.
How potential donations are assessed
The Society is grateful for opportunities to enhance its collection. The Library Committee is responsible for the initial consideration of potential additions to the Archive, whether presented as part of the regular additions generated as part of the Society’s normal business or offered in the form of a private external donation. As such, all related correspondence should be directed to
The Librarian
London Mathematical Society
57-58 Russell Square
London
WC1B 4HS
Upon receiving an offer of potential archive material, the Library Committee will make an assessment of which of the categories below best describes the collection (seeking professional archive advice where necessary) and will respond according to the guidelines set out in this document.
Conditions for acceptance in the Archive
System of classifying of material offered and normal responses
Category A: Material that relates specifically to the history of the Society and its activities (including, but not limited to, minute books, significant correspondence and relevant photographs), and to the history of its forerunners.
The Society will normally accept all suitable donations of category A material (subject to the conditions above). Material will then be catalogued by the Society’s Archivist and held in the Archive Room in De Morgan House, and significant donations acknowledged in the Society’s Newsletter.
Category B: Material that relates to important mathematicians from the Society’s history, but does not relate directly to the Society itself as an organisation or its activities (such as personal correspondence of former Presidents and Officers and material relating to their mathematical work).
The Library Committee will normally recommend to Council that the Society offers one or both of the following:
(a) to attempt to arrange for the material to be assessed and catalogued, usually by the National Centre for the Archives of Contemporary Scientists (NCUACS), and where appropriate making a grant towards enabling the work to be done is made.
(b) to assist and use its influence in finding a long term home for all or part of the collection (as deemed appropriate after (a)) to enable it to be held securely and accessibly for mathematicians and historians.
After this process has taken place, the Society may consider accepting ownership of the material offered, subject to the conditions of acceptance above, if no other more suitable repository has been found.
Category C: Material that otherwise relates to the history of mathematics and other mathematicians in the UK.
The Library Committee will use its best efforts to provide an advisory service to help the owner to find a suitable home for the material to enable it to be held securely and accessibly for mathematicians and historians, but will not normally accept the donation itself.
Material that falls outside these categories will not normally be considered for addition to the Archive.
Numerous documents within the Society’s Archive are of considerable interest to mathematical historians and other scholars. The Archive may be accessed by bona fide scholars who wish to refer to it as part of their research.
Access to the Archive Room in De Morgan House is strictly by appointment only. Staff at De Morgan House will answer simple enquiries by email, telephone or letter, but it is not possible to undertake lengthy or complex enquiries on behalf of researchers, who will be asked to arrange to visit in person.
Permission must be sought before any copyrighted material is reproduced. If the aim of the research is the production of an academic non-profit making publication, the consultation will be allowed without charge, other than for photocopying. If the aim is to produce a commercial publication then the Society may make a charge for reproduction.
At the Society's discretion, a closure period of 30 years may apply to any documents of a confidential nature and up to 100 years for material of a personal nature. Access to personal data on living persons for research purposes is only allowed on the explicit undertaking that the data are not processed to support measures or decisions with respect to particular individuals or in such a way that substantial damage or distress is, or is likely to be, caused to any data subject.
Other materials
The Society may also agree to store materials belonging to other organisations. However, these do not constitute part of the LMS Archive, and the terms of such arrangements must be ratified by Council in each case.
Editorial Control: J. Barrow-Green |