On Wednesday 3^rd March, Hereford Cathedral hosted a half-day conference entitled ‘Specialist Libraries: Old & New Collections across the Centuries’.

Organised by the West Midlands branch of INSPIRE, a national programme established to encourage greater co-operation between libraries, this meeting brought professionals from Herefordshire Public Libraries together with those from the University of Worcester, NHS Medical Libraries and Art Colleges, as well as Hereford and Worcester Cathedrals and other libraries, to highlight resources available and discuss how greater co-operation could be furthered between different library sectors. The guest speaker was Dr Bob McKee, Visiting Professor in the Department of Information & Learning Services at the University of Worcester, who placed INSPIRE’s work in the West Midlands within a national context.

The event was well attended and, following various presentations given by representatives of Hereford and Worcester Cathedrals, Herefordshire Public Libraries and Hereford NHS Medical Library, the librarians gathered into groups to discuss how co-operation can be developed in the future. It allowed professionals to meet one another, foster new friendships and, more importantly, share expertise in order to assist other library users. The conference ended with a tour of the Chained Library & Mappa Mundi Exhibition.