Access to Archives for Disabled People

Request for contributors

We are planning to hold a free workshop on accessibility on Friday 17 April at Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives, London.

The workshop is aimed at archivists, special collections and outreach staff who are looking for ways to improve access to their collections for disabled people.

We will present a case study of our Out of the Box project (www.outoftheboxproject.org) recently funded by the Arts Council, to share lessons learned with colleagues in the archives sector. I am looking to expand the lineup of speakers, and would like to hear from any colleagues within the cultural heritage sector who have delivered similar projects or who have specific arrangements in place for disabled audiences to access their (document-centric) collections -- particularly if you would like to share and discuss your work with the assembled group. Please contact me via email if you would like to contribute.

Themes of interest include

- Identifying barriers

- Marketing your service

- Resource discovery

- Consulting and interpreting collections

- Improving physical access

- Creative responses to archive collections (and other ‘outcomes’)

- Policies vs. projects

- Evaluating success

I will circulate a programme for the day nearer the time, with event booking instructions for list members who would like to attend.

Many thanks,

Tamsin

Tamsin Bookey

Heritage Manager

Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives

277 Bancroft Road

London E1 4DQ

www.ideastore.co.uk/local-history

Job Opportunity: Project Manager: Skills for the Future - Opening Up Scotland’s Archives

Job Title: Project Manager

Hours: Part time (0.5 FTE)

Fixed Term position:  February 2015 to October 2017

Salary: £30,610 pro rata per annum

We have a new opportunity for a Project Manager with a heritage or education background to manage the implementation of our project ‘Opening Up Scotland’s Archives’. This is an exciting new Skills for the Future programme funded under the Heritage Lottery Fund to broaden access routes to working in archives and to diversify the archives workforce.

The role requires not only successful upfront project management to deliver three cohorts of trainees to a number of partners nationwide, but also to work with the trainees and partners to ensure a successful skills development experience through a programme of practical job-based learning.

Candidates must have excellent people skills, experience of the full training cycle, recruitment experience and demonstrable project management skills. Experience of heritage skills, education programmes or partnerships and consortium working would be advantageous but not necessary. The main office is located in the city centre of Edinburgh and the successful candidate must be willing to travel.

Scottish Council on Archives will offer the successful candidate an attractive salary, flexibility in hours and 30 days holiday per year (pro rata).

Download the full job description at http://www.scottisharchives.org.uk/sffpm. To apply please send a C.V. and supporting statement with two referees. Please note that if you are invited to interview, you will asked to complete a series of competency-based tasks on the day of interview.

A C.V. and supporting statements should be emailed to v.brown@scottisharchives.org.uk or Scottish Council on Archives, General Register House, 2 Princes Street, Edinburgh EH1 3YY.

Please quote the job title in the subject line.

Please note, closing date for applications is 5pm on 19 January 2015.

Benjamin Bennett

Communication and Operations Officer

SCOTTISH COUNCIL ON ARCHIVES

General Register House  2 Princes Street  Edinburgh  EH1 3YY

W  www.scottisharchives.org.uk  E  b.bennett@scottisharchives.org.uk  T  +44 (0)131 535 1362  M  +44 (0)787 520 0694  Follow us @ScotsArchives

A Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SC044553)

'Files on film' - The National Archives' short film competition

There is just under a month left to enter 'Files on film', The National Archives' award winning short film competition sponsored by the Friends of The National Archives.

This year, the theme is the First World War as part of our centenary programme. We have selected ten diverse documents from the period, reflecting different experiences of war time. We invite you to interpret these and tell us the stories you see - how does our history inspire you?

To enter, read some or all of the documents we have selected and let one of them inspire you to make a short film (no longer than three minutes). You can choose any aspect of what you see - a character, a line, or the whole document, to create a film of your choice.  Anyone can enter, using any type of film equipment from mobile phones to studio cameras.

Entrants have the chance to win £500 for 1^st place, £200 for 2^nd place and £100 for 3^rd place. Winning films will be shown on The National Archives website. To watch last year's winners, visit our website.

This year our judging panel includes Chris Croucher, an award winning filmmaker and producer of season five of ‘Downton Abbey’.

The closing date for entries is midnight on Wednesday 7^th January.

For more information, see our website: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/filesonfilm

We are also tweeting @UKNatArchives #filesonfilm.

Many thanks,

Jenni Orme

Principal Records Specialist Manager - Public History
The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 4DU
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Broadsheet Magazine: Archives & Education Special Issue

The education special edition of the Scottish Council on Archives magazine, Broadsheet, is out now.

 

Download at: http://www.scottisharchives.org.uk/broadsheet/current.

 The magazine includes an article by the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs, who states “let archives - our documented national memory - inspire the young people of today in the moulding of their future…”

 There is also an interview with the convener of the SCA's Education Committee which includes many examples of great projects underway across Scotland, and top tips for anyone interested in the area of archives and learning.

Exploring Your Family History Resources

Family History and Ancestral Tourism – are you making the most of your resources? Take the opportunity to come along and discuss the subject with archive colleagues. It’s also a good chance to visit a purpose built, £10.5 million Heritage Lottery Funded facility!

This training event is limited to 30 places on a first come first serve basis.

Venue - Highland Archive & Registration Centre, Bught Road, Inverness, IV3 5SS, Scotland.

Date – 26 September 2014.

Programme
10.00     Registration. Tea/Coffee

10.30     Welcome

10.40     “Engaging with other Heritage Providers”, Chris Halliday, Family History Leader,
                Highland Archive Service

11.10     “The Aberdeen & North East Scotland Ancestral Tourism Partnership”, Phil Astley,
City Archivist, Aberdeen City & Aberdeenshire Archives

11.50     Workshop. “Engaging with local groups”

12.20     Lunch

1.00        “The Mystery of the Blue Jacket Boy-How the Orkney Archive Blog Helped Bring a WW1
                Sailor’s Letter Home”, Lucy Gibbon, Assistant Archivist, Orkney Library & Archive

1.40        Workshop. “The pros & cons of social media”

2.20        Tea/coffee

2.40        “Collaboration for Homecoming”, Julie Corcoran, Network Librarian Inverness Library,
Cait McCullagh, Curator (Collections Engagement) Inverness Museum & Art Gallery &
Janet Baker, Education & Outreach Co-ordinator, Highland Archive Service

3.20        Workshop “Where does your service sit in your organisation: is it a help or a hindrance”

3.45        Q&A

4.00        Close

A tour of the building will be available at 4pm for those wishing to stay behind.

For details on booking, follow the link below:
http://archives.org.uk/training/training.html

Scottish Council on Archives - CPD Education Workshops

The Scottish Council on Archives is launching a programme of five further education workshops for archive staff. These CPD opportunities will help you to learn skills and techniques that will enable the use of collections to develop educational resources and activities:

Workshop	Date	Location
Archives Across the Curriculum	12.09.2014	Perth
Question & Discussion	22.10.2014	Edinburgh
Creating Resources	23.10.2014	Edinburgh
Understanding the Curriculum	06.11.2014	Stirling
Active Learning	27.11.2014	Glasgow

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The workshops are developed and facilitated by the SCA Education Development Officer,Douglas Roberts. Full details and how to book can found on the SCA website at:http://www.scottisharchives.org.uk/educationworkshops.

 

ARA Training Group: Facilitators Training Day, 19th September

Are you interested in learning how to organise training days? Not sure how to run a workshop session? Keen to get more involved with ARA and contribute to your professional development? Then the ARA Facilitators Training Day is for you.

The ARA Training Group are running a FREE training day for training course facilitators on Friday 19th September at The Hive in Worcester. If you are interested in providing training or getting more involved in the ARA, your region or section but don't know where to start then this is the course for you. The course would also prove useful to those who frequently have to present to large groups, or run workshop sessions as part of their job.

This one day course will cover all aspects of organising and running a training event including planning, budgeting, running workshop sessions, use of social media and the basics of events management.

The ARA Training Group is recruiting a pool of facilitators to help run training events across the UK and Ireland. This will be a great opportunity to get more involved with the association, learn new skills and further your professional development. This course is free to ARA members and after attending the course you'll be added to our pool of facilitators who we can call on to help us run the very successful Core Training courses (subject to your availability and travel).

Refreshments and lunch will be provided on the day and the Training Group are able to assist with travel expenses for attending the event.

Sessions and speakers on the day will include:

o             Running an ARA Training Event (Lizzy Baker)

o             Event Management (Marie Owens)

o             Preparing a Budget (Hannah Jones)

o             Publicity and Communications (Kathryn Rooke)

o             How to Run a Workshop (Jessamy Carlson)

o             'How to Deliver' - Presentation Skills (Marie Owens)

o             Using Social Media (Laura Cowdrey)

o             'It Shouldn't Happen to a Training Officer' - roundtable discussion session on preparing for the   unexpected!

          

To book a place register at http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ara-training-group-facilitators-training-day-tickets-11673031351

Or for more information, please contact course organiser Hannah Jones (hannah.jones@oxfordshire.gov.uk)