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Breaking with Tradition

Although Chester may not have its own School of Architecture, its 2000 years of architectural heritage and first class conference facilities proved to be an irresistible attraction for the Architecture Librarians (ARCLIB) whose conference ‘Retaining Walls’ was held at the Gladstone Conference Centre in July.

In addition to workshops, seminars and a tour of the city, ARCLIB delegates also visited historic St Deniol’s Library in Hawarden, which is widely recognised as the most important research library and collection in Wales, after the National Library of Wales. St Deniol’s is also the only residential library in Britain and is home to the Gladstone Exhibition.

The Library was also the chosen venue for the Conference Dinner. ARCLIB Conference Organiser Joan Shaw explained, "Visiting St Deniol's was the perfect complement to our stay in the Gladstone Centre. For all of us, this was a unique opportunity. We highly recommend a visit!"