Appeal to keep St Bride Library open to public

The feature on St Bride Library (DW 16 March) noted that very few designers seem to know what an amazing, internationally recognised resource they have in London. As the last remaining link to Fleet Street’s printing industry, its location near Ludgate Circus is central to its very being.

Designers with a strong interest in type, graphic design, editorial design and publishing depend upon it. We say, ‘Go there, see it, use their resources – books, periodicals, type specimens, printing equipment and more. You’ll be amazed at how helpful and knowledgeable the staff are, and you’ll be inspired – guaranteed’. Many who do know about it wouldn’t know what to do if it disappeared.

In April 2004, the Corporation of London handed over the ownership and responsibility for future funding of the library to the St Bride Foundation. The foundation needs to raise funds from voluntary sources for the future running costs of the library, to ensure it can remain open to the public.

The St Bride Foundation recently established a Foundation Benefactor Scheme and is providing tours of the library over the next few months. They are happy to receive individual or corporate donations, and will list you as a benefactor in return.

For more details, contact Caragh Stewart on 020 7427 4740, email Caragh@stbrideinstitute.org, or visit the website: http://stbride.org

Andrew Boag, Boag Associates, London W1T.

With support from: Phil Baines; Paul Barnes; Gerard Unger; Erik Spiekermann; Mark Barratt; Sumner Stone; Paul Luna; Chris Burke; Nico Macdonald; Fred Smeijers; Teal Triggs; Sue Walker; Rob Waller; Lawrence Wallis; Simon Esterson; Robin Nicholas; Mark Batty; Andrew Barker; Tobias Frere-Jones; Jonathan Barnbrook; and Richard Southall