The Library in the Council Chamber of Wales’ Temple of Peace contains a wide range of books and publications on international affairs, accumulated over a century of campaigning by internationalist bodies of Wales who have operated from the building. These are interspersed with cameo displays spotlighting the work of particular movements from the Temple’s History. The Library is organised into 4 ‘sections’:
- Pre-WW2 (to left of entrance door): the Lord Davies and League of Nations collections, with books and original writings on peace and internationalism from late 1800s to 1940s.
- Post-WW2 (to right of entrance door): the United Nations and WCIA collections, with publications in International Cooperation primarily from the 1980s-90s to present day.
- Temple Archives (opposite entrance door, behind linen hangings) – these are organised in roughly chronological order in 4 sections: a) League of Nations, 1920s-46 b) UNA 1946-2010 c) WCIA25 (first 25 years, 1973-1998) d) WCIA50 (post devolution era, 1998-2023).
- Display Cameos – 13 display cabinets spotlight a range of materials and artefacts that illustrate the Temple’s varied archives & collections, and stories underpinning Wales’ peace heritage.
Books are organised by Cabinets (1-31) and Shelves (A-F). The Shelving Index can be viewed below (click for a downloadable printoff).
The Library contents have been fully catalogued for the first time over Summer 2022, thanks to the efforts of volunteers who participated in WCIA’s series of ‘Archiveathon workshops’ – supported financially by the Davies Family Trust.
What is an ‘Archive-athon’?
Exploring the Library
There are an incredibly diverse range of books to be found within the Library Cabinets; here is a taster:
Scroll LH and RH to view examples from the library shelves
