The History of the Whittaker Library in 3 images

Here we show you our library history in three images!  

• Editor William Gillies Whittaker - early Principal of the Scottish National Academy of Music.  And now namesake of the Whittaker Library at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland!
• Shelfmark XVI B.263 - literally, the number of the book in the box on the shelf in the old Athenaeum building.
• Shelfmark M HAN 8:18 - the next way of arranging the music was by composer and then category. 8:18 must have been the 18th piece of operatic music in the Handel section!
• M1508 H - we now use Library of Congress classification - an international arrangement.  All the separate arias are shelved together (M1508) and then subdivided by composer (Handel)
• We've had several names: Athenaeum, Scottish National Academy of Music (stamped appropriately beside Whittaker's name, because this was our name when he was Principal!), Royal Scottish Academy of Music (see the date-label), then Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD) and now Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
• It appears this music was first borrowed in 1968, and most recently, in 2014.  But bear in mind there could have been an earlier date-label before the score got its brown card cover!
• Sadly, the music now seems to be falling apart, card cover or not.  RIP - Rest in Pieces.