| 1844 |
RCVS was formed after the Royal Charter was granted. |
| 1853 |
College moves to 10, Red Lion Square which includes a library, museum and students waiting room. |
| 1871 |
The skeleton of the famous racehorse, “Eclipse”, is donated by Professor John Gamgee. |
| 1873 |
Library Committee set up and a few books were purchased. |
| 1890 |
£100 allocated to the Museum for renovation and the purchase of new specimen cases. |
| 1890 |
First recorded donations of The Veterinary Journal, Veterinary Record and The Veterinarian from the editors. |
| 1891 |
Catalogue of the Museum Collection compiled by Edward Reuben Edwards. |
| 1909 |
Many museum specimens remain un-mounted and un-catalogued. Library & Museum Committee state there is only enough money to attend to the most urgent work. |
| 1921 |
Skeleton of “Eclipse” goes on permanent loan to the British Museum of Natural History. |
| 1921 |
Remainder of the War Memorial Fund is donated to the Library to purchase some current veterinary literature. Extra space is also allocated to the Library which is renamed the ‘War Memorial Library'. |
| 1925 |
It becomes impractical to maintain a Veterinary Museum in Red Lion Square so the specimens are dispersed. |
| 1927 |
The Carnegie Trust (United Kingdom) gives grant of £400 to Library to purchase text books, for the completion of periodical sets and to continue cataloguing. The condition of the loan is that the Library become an Outlier Library for the Central Library of Students and be willing to loan books to other institutions. |
| 1928 |
A Library extension is approved and the space is refurnished – space for 10,000 books is made available. Library starts charging for postal loans, 6d per volume, to cover postage. |
| 1934 |
Open appeal for Library Endowment fund begins without much success. |
| 1936 |
Library receives £100 to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of the late King George V. A total of 1,197 books and periodicals were sent out on loan, the most ever. |
| 1940 |
RCVS relocates most of its activities to Harrogate. Library remains in London, offering a reduced service. The more valuable periodicals are stored in the basement for safety. Librarian reports that there are disruptions to German journal supplies. |
| 1941 |
Red Lion Square is hit by bombs during the evening of the 10th May, large number of books sustain water damage from the fire hoses. The remaining collection is transferred to Harrogate. |
| 1942 |
Library service is suspended. |
| 1946 |
Partial Library services resume – no lending library. It is impossible to renew subscriptions to French, Belgian and Dutch periodicals until commercial relations are restored. |
| 1952 |
Library expands its contacts and loans papers to libraries world wide. |
| 1953 |
Printed Catalogue of the Historical Collection is completed. Rebinding of the material damaged during the war is started using compensation obtained from the War Damage Commission. |
| 1958 |
Library comes under management of the newly formed RCVS Trust. |
| 1959 |
The minute book of the Odiham Agricultural Society, which was traced by the RCVS Registrar Mr WGR Oates in 1956, is donated to the Library. |
| 1962 |
Wellcome Trust gives £17,500 to cover cost of shelves, equipment and bookcases for the Library and Historical Library in the new premises of the RCVS at 32 Belgrave Square. Library is renamed the ‘RCVS Wellcome Library’. |
| 1969 |
The BSAVA donate a number of small animal textbooks in memory of their former president Noel Ormrod. |
| 1969 |
An exhibition of archives from the ‘early days’ of the profession is on display to mark the 125th Anniversary of the RCVS. |
| 1977 |
A Library exhibit is put on at BSAVA Congress for the first time. |
| 1983 |
A bequest from the late Mr. NR Turnball adds one of only two known copies of Vial de St. Bel’s Plan for establishing an institution to cultivate and teach veterinary medicine to the Library collection. |
| 1989 |
Computerisation of the Library begins. |
| 1990 |
Former Librarian, Molly Raymer, gives £1,100 towards the purchase of watercolours by Edward Mayhew for the Historical Collection. |
| 1994 |
The collection of the late Dr WP Blount is donated. Amongst the items are Conrad Heresbach’s Foure Books of Husbandrie 1586, the 1631 edition of Gervase Markham’s Maister-Peece and the 1797 History of British Birds illustrated by Thomas Bewick. |
| 1995 |
Library and RCVS moves to Belgravia House on Horseferry Road. |
| 1997 |
Benita Horder steps down as Chief Librarian after 35 years. |
| 1998 |
Library now offers its resources to veterinary nurses. |
| 1999 |
Library starts to offer access to electronic journals. |
| 2003 |
Norbrook Laboratories Ltd donates £250,000 to the Library spread over 5 years to help develop its online information services. |
| 2007 |
New rolling Library Membership Scheme introduced. Certificate casebooks are made available online in 12 different subject areas. |
| 2008 |
Library hosts first author’s evening with Professor Donald Broom discussing the latest edition of his book and the future of animal welfare science. |
| 2010 |
Work on the Library’s lower ground floor stack begins with stock being reorganised and duplicates identified. Library membership grows to 10% of the practising profession. |
| 2011 |
Trust awards Lifetime Contribution Awards to Norman Comben and Bruce Vivash Jones in recognition of their support and contribution to the Historical Collection and archives. |
| 2012 |
Library starts to blog. |