Some Personal Reflections on the ABTAPL's 70th Anniversary Conference 2026

Abstract

This year’s conference for ABTAPL (the Association of British Theological and Philosophical Libraries) took place in Oxford on 26th-28th March. This was more than just the standard annual conference, as it also marked the70th anniversary of ABTAPL as an organisation. On a personal level, it was also a somewhat unusual conference for me as it was not only my first time attending an ABTAPL conference but, as the recently appointed Librarian of Yarnton Manor and Acting Conference Secretary, I was also involved with the planning and operation. This gave me a dual perspective, as I attended most sessions as a delegate (albeit with some organisational obligations), but was also given a ‘behind the curtain’ idea of how the conference is coordinated and run.