Rhidian Griffiths on the history of the National Library

[QuentinDeakin]

At their Zoom meeting on 20 September the society enjoyed a fascinating talk entitled 'A City on a Hill - the National Library of Wales'. The speaker, Dr Rhidian Griffiths, until his retirement in 2008 director of public services at the library, gave a comprehensive account of its proud and varied history, of great national and local significance.

Dr Griffiths is author of a book, The City on a Hill, which also tells the story of the library. The talk was warmly received and and interesting discussion followed. Collecting materials was the original inspiration for those like the great Meirionnydd antiquarian Robert Vaughan in the seventeenth century, without whose extensive collection there would be no national treasures in the National Library of Wales.

Today the library includes art works, film, postcard, oral and business archives as well as books - things that we all collect.