In today’s uncertain political and economic climate the ability to demonstrate why heritage and culture matter – and to whom – has never been more important or relevant. I'd agree with that! These words are from the website of Discovering Collections, Discovering Communities, a conference which will help us to tackle this challenge. Taking place … Continue reading Need help with demonstrating impact of collections? Discover DCDC …
Tag: Conferences
Fika and futures
Over the past five years, it's been a delight to see the Handbook reaching audiences way beyond the UK. For instance, last year I was invited to speak at a seminar in Stockholm sharing perspectives on rare books librarianship with a group of (mostly) Swedish librarians. The paper I gave has just been published, along … Continue reading Fika and futures
Free your Orphans!
Struggling with copyright? You're not alone. Archives in the UK contain millions of "orphans". These works are in copyright but the rights holder(s) are unknown or untraceable so we cannot get permission to use the works. This means the works are in legal limbo and hidden from audiences who might benefit from using them. At … Continue reading Free your Orphans!
Spooky! The Bod Squad take on the Digital Ghosts
Well hello, Digital.Bodleian! What a lovely, clean and appealing interface, love the big friendly search box. I met Digital.Bodleian at the DCDC conference, where Lucie Burgess gave a compelling keynote explaining the Bod's plans for its new digital library. Digital.Bodleian will allow people to use all the Bodleian's digitised material. "But of course it will! … Continue reading Spooky! The Bod Squad take on the Digital Ghosts
Wine? Glass? DRINK?
The first of several quick posts from this year's excellent DCDC conference in Salford. Digital impact expert Simon Tanner asked an interesting question in his Keynote talk. If we compare archives services to wine, the wine equals the collections, the glass the infrastructure of building and staff, and the drinking is access to the collections … Continue reading Wine? Glass? DRINK?
Beware of the Swans, or, Collecting in Tough Times
Let me take you back to a baking hot day earlier this year - yes, we had a summer and it was on June 8th. I made the epic trip down to Kew for Collecting in Tough Times, a National Archives event which aimed "to explore how archive services can address the challenges of collecting … Continue reading Beware of the Swans, or, Collecting in Tough Times
The Pukka Pad and the Big Cake: #DCDC14 Conference Part 1
Discovering Collections, Discovering Communities, a joint effort by RLUK and The National Archives, is fast becoming a must-attend conference for archives and special collections folk. The idea? We face tough times and huge challenges: let's collaborate and find new ways to survive and thrive. The second in the series was held last week in the … Continue reading The Pukka Pad and the Big Cake: #DCDC14 Conference Part 1
Show, Tell + Play: sharing heritage projects and stuffed animals in Yorkshire
On 24 October I went along to a great event offering "a playful space" for discussing heritage activities in Yorkshire: Heritage Show+Tell. This uses a very effective format: 3 minutes, 3 slides per speaker. No long presentations to write, no big commitment of time, a friendly and supportive atmosphere. The projects all had some relevance … Continue reading Show, Tell + Play: sharing heritage projects and stuffed animals in Yorkshire
Five Theses on the Future of Special Collections
"Preservation without use is an empty victory. It ought to be our primary purpose at all times to minimize barriers to use ..." "[It is] crucial to reach out and demystify special collections, to convey the message: 'Please touch. This is here for you. You are special enough for special collections'." So says John Overholt … Continue reading Five Theses on the Future of Special Collections
Manuscripts Online! And in the Public Domain …
"My vision then of a future manuscript catalogue would be of something that links together a wide range of resources ... anchored by the record of the physical manuscript itself ..." This vision is outlined by Andrew Prescott, Professor of Digital Humanities at Kings College London, in The Function, Structure and Future of Catalogues, now … Continue reading Manuscripts Online! And in the Public Domain …
The Special Collections Handbook 