Maps in Derby Local Studies Library featured recently on an episode of Free Thinking on Radio 3. Mark Young, Librarian at Derby Local Studies Library talks about a series of world maps by the 18th-century cartographer Hermann Moll held in the collections.
You can view the maps made by Moll here, part of the Library’s digitised collections.
Delivering culture and heritage to audiences online has become increasingly important in 2020.
CILIP Cymru Wales (CCW), CILIP Metadata & Discovery Group (MDG), CILIP Local Studies Group and People’s Collection Wales (PCW) invite librarians across Wales to an online PCW session, which will show librarians how to share digital content, re-purpose it via the Hwb and Living memory initiatives, and measure its impact – all via the PCW site.
This webinar will be followed up with bespoke training to help libraries in Wales get their collections online.
Join via Zoom on Friday 20 November, 12-1pm.
The session is free and open to all. Register via the event page.
At the end of this session participants will be able to:
The webinar will provide a useful oversight for all library and information professionals in Wales hoping to improve user engagement with digital collections. It will be particularly useful for public library and archives staff with local studies collections.
People’s Collection Wales: Tom Pert, Gruffydd Jones, Rheinallt Ffoster-Jones Jessica Roberts
Facilitators: Amy Staniforth (CILIP Cymru Wales), Jane Daniels (CILIP Metadata & Discovery Group)
The Centre for English Local History at the University of Leicester are running their seminar series as an online event this year. So you can now join in from the comfort of your home or office. Full details below. It’s also worth following them on twitter @ELHLeicester for updates on the program.
We know the value and positive impact that local studies collections can have on people’s lives. Sharing and exploring together; understanding how the past has shaped a community, and the history of the places that matter to every one of us is proving, now more than ever, to be a comforting constant in an ever-changing world.
These amazing collections are being brought to the fore, and CILIP’s Local Studies Group have been looking at how local studies material is being used online https://lslibrarians.wordpress.com/2020/05/18/share-your-innovative-ideas-for-local-studies/
Here are the results!
If you know of any great online work that hasn’t been mentioned here, please let us know https://lslibrarians.wordpress.com/contact-us/
Film
Covid-19 specific projects
There are many libraries and archives garnering the support of their current volunteers, engaging with the public and growing their volunteer base to help document life under lockdown. Examples include Suffolk Archives, Hull History Centre and Cheshire Archives & Local Studies.
Online Outreach
Tower Hamlets have established a number of socially-distanced local history walks, accessible via social media. They have also produced a set of online local history podcasts and continue to work on collections-led study material to support parents with the history curriculum.
Here at CILIP LSG we are producing a toolkit to help those working with Local Studies Collections; more information is available here: https://lslibrarians.wordpress.com/toolkit/toolkit-intro/
Feel free to join us on Twitter too @CILIP_LSG
There is a local history JISCmail list which is free to subscribe to at https://t.co/SxpP3By8u3 if you are interested in, or are working in the local history field, and would like to discuss and share information. The CILIP LSG blog is also a great platform to make the most of, and we would love to hear from anyone interested in Local Studies.
There is some amazing work happening all over the country, and certainly in my case it’s been a sharp learning curve, and a continued work in progress as my own skills improve…
We hope these examples help inspire everyone to discover more about the history of the places that matter to them in a greater variety of formats than ever before.
Julie Davis
County Local Studies Librarian, Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre & Member of CILIP LSG
The Centre for the History of People, Place and Community have four online training workshops that may be of interest to local studies staff. All are in the Autumn. Free to attend, but you must book.
Cartography and Mapping for Publication – 9 September 2020
https://www.history.ac.uk/events/online-cartography-and-mapping-publication
Analysing Historic Settlement – 23 September 2020
https://www.history.ac.uk/events/online-analysing-historic-settlement
Reading and Writing Historic Buildings – 22 October 2020
https://www.history.ac.uk/events/online-reading-and-writing-historic-buildings
The National Archives, the Medieval State, Early Modern Litigation – 18 November 2020
https://www.history.ac.uk/events/online-national-archives-medieval-state-early-modern-litigation
by Alice Lock, LSG Secretary
Now that I’ve become a library user (viruses permitting), rather than a staff member, I can’t help noticing how many events and initiatives are arts based. I suppose that this is partly because the Arts Council has national responsibility for libraries and grants for activities come from them. This must bring in new audiences who can make use of local studies collections in different ways, but I worry that it an emphasis on arts rather than learning might have its drawbacks.
I’ve always believed that local history and family history are important because they are the most democratic form of education available to anyone. Anybody can walk through the door and decide for themselves what they want to study and how. They can interact with other people through chatting to others in the library or through societies – or they can work completely on their own if they wish. They don’t have to pay fees to an educational organisation, they can pick whatever aspect of history that interests them – and, if they adopt proper research techniques, their work has equal value to professionals in the field. Very few subjects allow complete amateurs opportunities like this. In my working life I came across many people who had not done well at school and had come to regret their perceived “lack of education” – local history gave them a second chance to learn, on their own terms. I can’t count the number of people who complained that the history of “kings and queens” which they encountered in their young days at school was of no interest to them. Local and family history is not only of interest because it concerns our immediate environment but it also focusses on the past lives of people like us.
Many years ago family history was regarded as a rather pointless exercise of collecting names and dates. Nowadays its value as a way of learning about our past and how society works is as evident as in the study of local history. But students learn so much more – research techniques (both online and with documents), how to evaluate evidence, how to analyse evidence, how to present findings etc etc.
To me this is what makes local studies collections important.
Guest post by Ruth Long
Do you work in the information, library or heritage sector? Do you work with local collections?
Then I want to hear from you!
I’m an MA student at University College London, and I’m researching how local collections are managed across different institutions and sectors for my dissertation. In addition, I hope I may be able to share some of my highlight findings either through an article or presentation.
There is little recent academic research in this area, so your responses to this survey will be especially valuable. I very much appreciate any time you can give. All of the questions are optional. You can complete the survey and remain anonymous.
Please click on the following link to access the survey – https://opinio.ucl.ac.uk/s?s=68662
The deadline for completing the survey is Friday 31st July.
Next Tuesday, University of Leicester Special Collections are running a free, public webinar looking at key ideas for interpreting and exhibiting archives.
Dr Peter Lester (School of Museum Studies) will lead a workshop looking at different types of exhibitions and a selection of interpretation techniques, as well as some thoughts around writing effective exhibition labels. The workshop will use examples of online exhibitions from archives and museums around the world, with the aim of inspiring you to start exploring these exciting resources. For participants planning and working on interpretation, the workshop will also help you to start thinking creatively about designing exhibitions. There will be opportunities to ask questions and to share your own examples of exhibitions you have visited.
Heritage Interpretation Workshop
Tuesday 14 July 2020
10:30 – 12:00 BST
Sign-up via Eventbrite.
On Thursday 30 July, the East Midlands Oral History Archive are organising an afternoon showcase of oral history work going on around the region.
TICKETS ARE LIMITED! Register here.
The East Midlands Oral History Archive collects and looks after oral history collections from across the region. It also offers training and advice in oral history practice. It is part of the Centre for Urban History at the University of Leicester.
Creating Local Linkages is a free online course for library staff to develop skills in research and digital local history. It has been designed by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media. Originally run as a credit-bearing course, it is now available for free, self-taught learning.
The five modules cover topics including:
Although it has an American focus, it would be suitable for library, archive and museum staff in Britain. It would particularly suit members of staff new to digital history or public history projects. Start here: https://locallinkages.org/course/ and work through at your own pace.
CILIP Local Studies Group 