Much Ado About First Folios — the world's largest Shakespeare collection reopens
npr.org
npr.org
In the latest episode they talk about the reopening of the library
https://www.folger.edu/podcasts/shakespeare-unlimited/folger...
The Smithsonian is funded from british money, vested through the surviving childless American resident, and grows by accretion of other indepently funded bodies (the Hirshhorn, the Freer which in turn relates to the Sackler but we don't talk about that...)
The folger is near, but not actually part. Behind the mall. Where we keep the coffee tins. "oh yes, we put the shakespear next to the coffee tin, in the fridge"
I used to imagine the LoC staff digging a tunnel and secretly liberating the books.
I am really glad for that. I run a Shakespeare theater troupe just outside DC. I have performed at the Folger. And I couldn't get at the library because I wasn't an academic.
It's still not going to be every day that I need their very specific collection. But it's great to know that I can.
What does this mean?
> The Smithsonian is funded from british money, vested through the surviving childless American resident, and grows by accretion of other indepently funded bodies (the Hirshhorn, the Freer which in turn relates to the Sackler but we don't talk about that...)
The Smithsonian is and always has been a quasi-public entity. It was founded by an act of Congress and is subsidized directly from the federal budget. I would compare to something like the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
It's a British term for organizations that aren't governmental but which are largely funded by them. As you mention, the Smithsonian and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting are basically this, although the term isn't used here. Especially in the case of the Smithsonian, many people may not even know that they aren't part of the Federal government, given that they run the famous free museums in Washington DC.