The purpose of this paper is to report on a collaborative project that investigated the value and use of the contents of estate archives. Context is provided by outlining the type of information often found within estate records, its potential value to a wide range of users, indicating some of the initiatives which have helped to open up estate archives, before exploring some of the difficulties associated with accessing these records and making optimal use of them. This is followed by a description and evaluation of the initial stage of the project, which collected data about the significance, discoverability, accessibility and use of estate archives. This was achieved by inviting a purposive sample of archive users to attend one of the three knowledge exchange workshops in different parts of Wales. Participants were asked for their views on the value of estate archives, current and potential uses of estate records, and they were asked to suggest ways in which these records could be promoted more widely and used more effectively. Finally, opinions were gathered about the desirability of creating an online toolkit for estate records. Data gathered at these events was used to create a detailed blueprint of the proposed toolkit.
2014 marked the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the College of Librarianship Wales, (which has evolved into the Department of Information Studies at Aberystwyth University). However, the roots of this educational establishment can be traced back nearly fifty years earlier to the University?s Summer Schools in Library Service. This paper investigates the courses in library service jointly developed and run by the University and the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth between 1917 and 1928. An historical approach is adopted, and use has been made of extant primary sources held in the National Library, as well as various notices and reports of the courses published in the journals of the time. Unfortunately it has not been possible to trace a complete set of Directors? Reports although personal accounts of the courses have been found. Strong similarities between the Summer Schools in Library Service of one hundred years ago and the degree programmes currently offered via distance learning by the Department of Information Studies have been indicated.authorsversio
Little research has been undertaken on private libraries in early modern Wales. However, a small notebook in the Panton Papers at the National Library of Wales reveals details of some of the books and manuscripts that John Jones, dean of Bangor, lent to others in his circle between 1683 and 1724. This article investigates the contents of the dean's library and the identities and interests of some of the people who borrowed his material, before discussing its fate. It concludes that the range and types of books in the library broadly equate with those of contemporaries, and that lending them to others in his social and vocational networks replicates similar practice elsewhere in Britain at the time.
Estate archives form an important part of the archival landscape, providing a significant focus for collection development and research initiatives. This special edition of Archives and Records focuses on the current and potential impacts of these collections; including estate archives deposited in public repositories and 'private' archives held in the historic house sector or utilized as active business assets in property and land management. The edition brings together six papers, from archivists and academics, exploring the theme of access, discovery and use of estate archives to demonstrate impact through a UK and Irish lens.Archives Unlocked: Delivering the Vision, 1 the new action plan from The UK's National Archives, introduces an agenda to ensure that archives are accessible and discoverable to new and wider audiences, facilitating the expansion of learning and knowledge, and promoting economic innovation and growth. This can demonstrate impact by enriching society intellectually, culturally and economically, ultimately enhancing lives.Simultaneously, developments in the research environment have seen the emergence of the impact agenda in Higher Education 2 and a greater emphasis on collaborative and public history approaches. 3 These have opened new routes for mutually beneficial partnerships between professionals working in archive repositories, academia and other cultural heritage bodies to unlock the potential of archives in innovative ways that benefit society, culture and the economy. Events such as the annual DCDC Conference (Discovering Collections, Discovering Communities) 4 highlight how the convergence of these agenda create opportunities for public engagement with a broader range of user and audience groups.Until the early-twentieth century, landed estates encompassed most of the land and property in the UK and Ireland, allowing their owners to exert significant influence across all spheres of society. 5 Estate archives have been defined as 'accumulations of records relating to the acquisition and management of a landed estate.' 6 They can feature an array of record types, often relating to a variety of locations, dating across centuries, in multiple languages and pertaining to an extraordinarily diverse range of subjects.Over the last century estate archives have been an important focus for cataloguing and collection care in public and private archives. They also, however, provide a range of challenges for their care, discoverability, accessibility and usability. 7 Ownership and consequently the copyright and funding for the care of estate archives are often complex with many held on deposit; collections can be split across multiple repositories and archives of several estates can be combined hiding their existence. With many estate archives held privately by solicitors or estate offices, public access cannot be assumed, nor can accruals to collections held in publicly accessible repositories. The complexity of estate archives can make them difficult to catalogue and use; they feature a ra...
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