The Library is supported by a small annual grant from the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers and by donations. Its work is also very generously supported by the Friends of the Library scheme.
Friends can be either individuals or Corporate Friends who subscribe each year. There is no fixed subscription but a minimum of £5 per year is suggested for individuals, £10 for corporate members. There is no upper limit!
This support means that you are helping to preserve part of our ringing heritage and you will receive an Annual Newsletter keeping you up-to-date with what is happening in the Library. The Newsletter lists recent acquisitions to the Library and is accompanied by original articles on associated topics written specially for the Friends.
If you wish to become a Friend of the Library, please contact Ian Self (email).
Essays
Essays on bibliographical subjects are issued to the Friends annually, together with a newsletter. The essays, all by John Eisel unless otherwise stated, are listed below. All but the latest can be viewed online in the Online Publications section.
- History of the Central Council Library March 1995
- Indexes March 1995
Discusses the various indexes available in the Central Council Library - Hubbard’s Elements of Campanalogia February 1996
Identifies all the different editions and variants - Troyte’s Change Ringing February 1997
Brings together information on various editions
Troyte’s Change Ringing – An Update January 1998
Identifies more variants of the various editions - Ringing Periodicals February 1998
A brief history, including samples of title pages - Snowdon’s Ropesight February 1999
The background and editions of this important text - Reprints of early ringing books February 2000
List and discusses all early texts from Tintinnalogia to Shipway’s Campanalogia and their reprints - The Revd H T Ellacombe and his Campanological Works February 2001
Discusses when and where his work was published, and the different editions - Ramblings of a Collector February 2002
Shares the experience of 40 years of book collecting - Snowdon’s Standard Methods in the Art of Change Ringing February 2003
Discusses the many editions of both the Letterpress and Diagrams - Publications of the College of Campanology (William Butler) February 2005
Publications of an unusual venture in teaching change ringing - An Exercise in Printing – Beginners’ Grandsire and Beginners’ Plain Bob February 2005
Gives the history of Alex Waddington’s little books, republished by the Central Council - Andrew James Corrigan and his publications on Surprise methods February 2006
Discusses the history of Corrigan’s ground-breaking publications - Large Paper Copies of Standard County Works February 2007
Discusses the limited numbers of large-paper copies printed, and their significance - Collectors of Ringing Books February 2008
Identifies and discusses a number of prominent collectors of ringing books - Change Ringers’ Guides February 2009
Over the years many list of rings of bells have been compiled in order to help visiting ringers. This essay traces the history of such lists. - Snowdon’s other Publications February 2010
This forms a supplement to Essays Nos 6 and 10, and completes a study of all Snowdon’s works. - Publications of the Central Council prior to the First World War February 2011
From its inception the Central Council has produced a succession of important texts on all aspects of bells and ringing, and this essay discusses the earliest of these. - Two Nineteenth Century Text Books: Thackrah and Sottanstall February 2012
Explores the background to these two very different texts. - The Gothic Traveller February 2013
For the first time the career of John Alfred Parnell is considered in detail, together with his writings, and his inaccurate contributions to the history of change ringing. - Canon Woolmore Wigram, MA: Belfry Reform and Change-Ringing Disentangled February 2014
