TY - JOUR AB - Purpose– As documents, and the whole information and communication environment, become increasingly digital, it is natural to assume that physical location becomes of less importance. The aim of this paper is to highlight two newly published books, which remind us that this idea should be examined with a critical eye.Design/methodology/approach– This editorial takes the form of a literature review and a viewpoint.Findings– The paper finds books of this kind remind us that a physical place, a locality, has sometimes been a very powerful stimulus to the development of collections, of memory institutions, and of the advances in education and dissemination of knowledge which are associated with them. This is worth remembering as we move into a digital information world.Originality/value– The paper offers the author's viewpoint as well as highlighting these two books which join a small number which have analysed and celebrated the history of intellectual advances in London. VL - 69 IS - 1 SN - 0022-0418 DO - 10.1108/00220411311295298 UR - https://doi.org/10.1108/00220411311295298 AU - Bawden David PY - 2013 Y1 - 2013/01/01 TI - Knowledge, documentation and a London location T2 - Journal of Documentation PB - Emerald Group Publishing Limited SP - 4 EP - 5 Y2 - 2024/04/26 ER -