It’s been a strange week, firstly I managed to last the course. The course was part of my induction training, the lovely trainer from HR&OD put some effort into making the mundane a little more stimulating. Or it may have been the chocolate bars she was giving out. My break times however were disturbed by the sounds of Dirty Dancing. To some that might have been akin to the eye scene in Clockwork Orange,all I could think about was Jennifer Gray in white tight jeans, dancing atop a wooden bridge. It was however conducive to some good day dreaming during the less dynamic parts of the day.
It’s amazing how some enquires come to us. We were asked this week about the Elephant on the Dumbarton Coat of Arms, after some theories on the Fred MacAuley radio show. The elephant is there as some say it is similarity in shape to Dumbarton Rock and Castle, especially if you look at the castle from the north east. Another theory is that it is regarded as a mythical, almost invincible animal.
The Census from 1911 will be released in Scotland early next year. With the opportunities it represents to both family and local historians, the Scottish Local Studies Group are using it as the theme for Local Studies week, 2011. The amount of social history that is documented in census enumeration books is immense; they are still studied today by local historians, PhD students, genealogy enthusiast and librarians to name a few. So, the frustration felt today by Scottish Local Studies Librarians was understandable. It was explained that there would be no microfilm copies of the 1911 census for public libraries to purchase. Scotland's People would be our medium. Most will wonder then where our concerns lie, that would be with the access to this information. Previously we paid a fee to have the microfilm copies, which we use in public libraries. The cost to library users is minimal, the cost of an A4 print. With the introduction of the Scotland’s People site, as the medium for the 1911 census, we will all have to pay to access the records. Are we then contributing to cover the costs for the 2011 census by paying for historical access? Income Generation by another name? However, not a bad thing in the present climate of recession and public sector reductions on spending.
Previously we could use the enumeration books to find social trends within towns, villages or particular streets, this will be made more difficult by the way that Scotland’s People displays results. You could write to the Register General and request to view records, however make sure that you give enough evidence to support your application.
The light at the end of the tunnel may be the talk today of having license agreements to access Scotland’s People records. However the General Register office seems to be concentrating on the new Family History Centres. The city of Dundee has a centre which operates a great service and their local studies librarians praised the service, however where is the money to be found to open more of these centres? Yes, shared services do work; we are becoming accustomed to them in the library sector. However do many public libraries have the space to accommodate the registrar’s service and the local history provision within their libraries? I’d be interested in a similar style of service within my own authority, to increase the customer experience of those looking for information on family/local history.
No Find of the Week as due to courses and Easter I've only been in the basement/local studies section one day this week. The Bennie, Rhudie and I are heading up to Inverness for the weekend, if the A9 is open tomorrow afternoon.
Wednesday 31 March 2010
Monday 22 March 2010
Find of the Week (7)
This find came from an a.s.a.p email sent by my Head of Service. The Council’s Public Relations Officer needed historical information on elections and voting in the area, specifically early voting and suffragettes. The research has been done and the information handed to PR. The find for me was exploring a women’s life, her work, writings and politics and the possible inequality of women’s heritage and archives stored within the department.
The woman was Eunice Guthrie Murray – b. 1878, d. 1960. She lived her life in Cardross, a small village near Dumbarton. She joined the suffragette movement in 1908 by becoming a member of the Women’s Freedom League (WFL) after becoming disheartened by the hostility to suffragettes in her area. By 1913 she had became president of the Glasgow branch and later Scottish Council of the WFL. She spoke out throughout her time in the suffragette movement and was arrested in London for persisting in an attempt to address a meeting from the steps of Downing Street to the Horse Guards Parade. The suffragettes went to many lengths to have their voices heard, as the well documented accounts confirm, such as Emily Wilding Davison. However Ms Murray disagreed with arson which had been used throughout the country to publicise the campaign.
She stood for the Glasgow Bridgeton seat at the 1918 elections, at the time she is stated as having said she had a ‘good deal of encouragement from both men and women’, however at the count she only received 1000 votes. This did not deter her and in 1919 she became a councillor in the Dunbartonshire area, she was also awarded the M.B.E in 1945. Ms Murray wrote throughout her life from early pamphlets for the suffragette movement to books on social history, in particular women’s history. From her collection of writings two stand out ‘Scottish Women of a Bygone Age’ and ‘A Gallery of Scottish women’.
Ms Murray was quoted in 1947; “Women have a two-fold calling, for not only are we as wives and mothers the guardians of the future, but we are also the custodians of the past,” (Scottish Homespun 1947) I’ll take the custodians of the past, as for the first part, I’m an Aunt not a Mother. As a local history librarian however I do believe I am now a custodian of my authority’s archives and related history. All of the custodians before me have been men, a long line of them. As librarians, each has brought new meaning to the collection and has specialized in specific areas. My main focus this past fortnight has been on the historical development of women in the area. I couldn’t find a great deal within the overall collection, even within the archive. However when you dig deep and spend time just researching and reading you start to find little things that could have been added to cuttings files or catalogued in the archive. We had a very brief outline of Ms Murray in the library; however with a little detective work on the old newspapers, it was relatively easy to find information. The question remains as to why until now is it not documented. Ms Murray was not only a woman but the first Scottish women to stand for a parliamentary seat, a local councillor and local author. My mission now is to focus on the Herstory of the area, something that is well overdue. What of the notable women in the 17th and 18th century, what of the women who worked in the whiskey bond or the wives of the shipbuilders, what social history is out there that we haven’t documented and is right in front of our eyes. It’s a very steep mountain to climb but one I am sure will pose a challenge for a few years. I have to place my feet firmly under the table and establish my knowledge on the area, then piece by piece interweave the women of the area into the herstory.
The woman was Eunice Guthrie Murray – b. 1878, d. 1960. She lived her life in Cardross, a small village near Dumbarton. She joined the suffragette movement in 1908 by becoming a member of the Women’s Freedom League (WFL) after becoming disheartened by the hostility to suffragettes in her area. By 1913 she had became president of the Glasgow branch and later Scottish Council of the WFL. She spoke out throughout her time in the suffragette movement and was arrested in London for persisting in an attempt to address a meeting from the steps of Downing Street to the Horse Guards Parade. The suffragettes went to many lengths to have their voices heard, as the well documented accounts confirm, such as Emily Wilding Davison. However Ms Murray disagreed with arson which had been used throughout the country to publicise the campaign.
She stood for the Glasgow Bridgeton seat at the 1918 elections, at the time she is stated as having said she had a ‘good deal of encouragement from both men and women’, however at the count she only received 1000 votes. This did not deter her and in 1919 she became a councillor in the Dunbartonshire area, she was also awarded the M.B.E in 1945. Ms Murray wrote throughout her life from early pamphlets for the suffragette movement to books on social history, in particular women’s history. From her collection of writings two stand out ‘Scottish Women of a Bygone Age’ and ‘A Gallery of Scottish women’.
Ms Murray was quoted in 1947; “Women have a two-fold calling, for not only are we as wives and mothers the guardians of the future, but we are also the custodians of the past,” (Scottish Homespun 1947) I’ll take the custodians of the past, as for the first part, I’m an Aunt not a Mother. As a local history librarian however I do believe I am now a custodian of my authority’s archives and related history. All of the custodians before me have been men, a long line of them. As librarians, each has brought new meaning to the collection and has specialized in specific areas. My main focus this past fortnight has been on the historical development of women in the area. I couldn’t find a great deal within the overall collection, even within the archive. However when you dig deep and spend time just researching and reading you start to find little things that could have been added to cuttings files or catalogued in the archive. We had a very brief outline of Ms Murray in the library; however with a little detective work on the old newspapers, it was relatively easy to find information. The question remains as to why until now is it not documented. Ms Murray was not only a woman but the first Scottish women to stand for a parliamentary seat, a local councillor and local author. My mission now is to focus on the Herstory of the area, something that is well overdue. What of the notable women in the 17th and 18th century, what of the women who worked in the whiskey bond or the wives of the shipbuilders, what social history is out there that we haven’t documented and is right in front of our eyes. It’s a very steep mountain to climb but one I am sure will pose a challenge for a few years. I have to place my feet firmly under the table and establish my knowledge on the area, then piece by piece interweave the women of the area into the herstory.
Friday 19 March 2010
The Chicken read the Atlas and found Orchid park
Have you ever had one of those meetings where you try to fit random words into the conversation? If you have you'll know it can be fun and frustrating. One of my friends is completing her MSC at the moment and I challenged her to add the word Atlas to her final paper. Hard enough, until you add the other two words thrown in by others, Orchid and Chicken. My friend admitted defeat this morning, but being the good sport that she is sent a lovely email giving these little sentences in reply:
Knocked on the door and saw the Orchid on the windowsill with the sunlight shining behind it, making it glow with radiance.
On the desk was a half eaten chicken sandwich that had been discarded in favour of the Atlas which was being eagerly explored by the head librarian.Who when I entered looked up and said “oook?”
Not sure about the 'oook' myself, however my friend uses a special software due to her dyslexia that interprets her voice, I think today it just couldn't cope with her accent. I'm just glad she had little fun with the words, a five minute breather from the studying.
Knocked on the door and saw the Orchid on the windowsill with the sunlight shining behind it, making it glow with radiance.
On the desk was a half eaten chicken sandwich that had been discarded in favour of the Atlas which was being eagerly explored by the head librarian.Who when I entered looked up and said “oook?”
Not sure about the 'oook' myself, however my friend uses a special software due to her dyslexia that interprets her voice, I think today it just couldn't cope with her accent. I'm just glad she had little fun with the words, a five minute breather from the studying.
Thursday 18 March 2010
Belfast - Linen Hall Library
Our first city break of the year was to Belfast in February. I've just recently downloaded all the photographs from the camera and came across three of the exterior of the Linen Hall Library. I decided to visit the library as a tourist/visitor to the city. I liked the sense of anonymity to the visit, but I also felt like a mystery shopper. The first thing I loved was the actual location of the library on Donegall Square North, sitting on a corner facing the City Halls. The entrance had the feel of a conservative men's club in the city, all sandstone, glass and wood. The red hand of Ulster on the overhang is now painted cream but in older postcards you can see the hand painted red. The library was founded in 1788 and is the last subscribing library in Ireland.Once we had climbed the stairs to the main information desk we came around to the coffee shop and main lending area of the library. Being a local studies librarian I was more interested in what treasures they had waiting on the third floor. So, I pulled the other half up the stairs and promptly left them to browse the shelves. I think I’m lucky to have such an understanding other half. So, the third floor, you could have picked me up at the end of the weekend and I still wouldn’t have finished looking, observing and reading the books. They had some very interesting titles including for me, The Commissioned Sea Officers of the Royal Navy 1660-1815, fascinating book. The room it full of books dedicated to local studies and family history, they hold a card index of the births, deaths and marriages from the Belfast newspaper 1801-1863. The view from the third floor is stunning looking over to the green copper roof of the city halls. So, time well spent visiting the library and viewing first hand the extensive collection they hold. The only annoying thing is not taking note of the books of interest to both myself and for my job. Thankfully I can access their online catalogue from work and home.
©Sam Moore -images
Monday 8 March 2010
International Women's Day
An early start to International Women’s Day must be Kathryn Bigelow winning the Best Director Oscar for The Hurt Locker. She’s the first woman in the eight-two year history of the awards.
International Women’s Day is the recognition and celebration of women and their achievements. Many women can be remembered on this day, mother, sister, aunt, grand mother, sister and friend. There are many famous women who changed lives through their individual pursuits and in devour, Helen Keller, Marie Curie, Eleanor Roosevelt, Margaret Thatcher, Hilary Clinton, Angela Merkel, Gina Reinhart, Oprah Winfrey, Elizabeth Garret Anderson and Amelia Earhart.
However, without the pioneering efforts of women and men during the latter part of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries we would not have the freedom to recognise the achievements of these women. One such pioneer was John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) who wrote on the inequality faced by women, in the late Victorian era. Emancipation of women was a feature of his book, ‘The subjection of Women’ 1869. This short article from the Dumbarton Herald, June 10th, 1869, reports on a piece written in the Telegraph about Mr. Mills book. Without the forward thinking and determination of the men and women of our past, I wouldn’t have the opportunities afforded me today, the freedom to be an emancipated, educated, free woman.
International Women’s Day is the recognition and celebration of women and their achievements. Many women can be remembered on this day, mother, sister, aunt, grand mother, sister and friend. There are many famous women who changed lives through their individual pursuits and in devour, Helen Keller, Marie Curie, Eleanor Roosevelt, Margaret Thatcher, Hilary Clinton, Angela Merkel, Gina Reinhart, Oprah Winfrey, Elizabeth Garret Anderson and Amelia Earhart.
However, without the pioneering efforts of women and men during the latter part of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries we would not have the freedom to recognise the achievements of these women. One such pioneer was John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) who wrote on the inequality faced by women, in the late Victorian era. Emancipation of women was a feature of his book, ‘The subjection of Women’ 1869. This short article from the Dumbarton Herald, June 10th, 1869, reports on a piece written in the Telegraph about Mr. Mills book. Without the forward thinking and determination of the men and women of our past, I wouldn’t have the opportunities afforded me today, the freedom to be an emancipated, educated, free woman.
Dumbarton Herald, 10th June, 1869
Sunday 7 March 2010
Find of the Week (6)
The ceilings been painted and the lighting has been upgraded but that doesn’t stop us from bumping into desks. Near the back of the basement we have a desk full of donated material needing catalogued and preserved. One stack had a resemblance to the Torre pendente di Pisa, until about 4pm on Friday. That is until it all came tumbling down. I’m sure on Monday several hours will be spent sorting the materials and trying to assign ownership to some. This minor calamity led to the next find of the week, a small book of poetry by Mrs. C Campbell, a Dumbarton woman.
Mrs. Campbell was born in Alexandria, Dumbartonshire, in 1844, the daughter of a highly respected cooper. Mrs. Campbell moved to the nearby town of Dumbarton upon her marriage to Mr. Campbell. She began writing poetry at the age of 13 and wrote throughout her life. Mrs. Campbell’s poetry was featured in the Dumbarton Herald until her death in 1906, Donald McLeod a local historian and president of the Burns Club wrote the introduction/dedication to Mrs. Campbell’s book. In total thirty five poems are contained in the small volume, it’s bound in red leather and published by McNaughtan & Sinclair, Glasgow. I’ve enjoyed reading them all over the weekend, particularly her advice on marriage, the death of her dog, the changing of seasons and a particularly bad winter in 1895.
There are many of the poems I could add here but I’ve chosen ‘wee jenny’. The portrayal of Jenny by Mrs. Campbell is amusing. The poem is littered slightly with old Scots dialect :
wee jenny
To me wee Jenny's blithe and sweet,
I like tae hear her wee bit feet
Toddlin' oot an toddlin' in ;
I like tae hear her try and sing,
She does her best tae please us a',
But Jenny canna sing ava'.
Her little tale she tells in glee,
A' thochts and things she speirs at me;
And a'e thing Jenny likes tae ken,
Is when the pay-day, comes again;
Then will I get a ha'penny, maw?
And gang tae Jeanie's for a draw?
Yes, Jenny, that you'll sharely get;
Well, maw, you'll mind and no forget,
For Jeanie has long farthing stocks,
She's blue and yellow sugar rock,
She's sugar men and ladies tae,
I saw them a' this very day.
Oh ! Jenny bairnie, say nae mair,
Just gang and get yer ain wee chair,
And tak' yer dolly on yer knee,
And gie me peace jist for a wee.
So Jenny, laughing, gangs awa',
She gets her doll and chair an' a',
Her ain wee stool's turned upside doon,
And dolly's washed frae tae t' croon,
It's cuddled in her bosom sweet,
And then laid cosy doon tae sleep.
Oh, happy bairn, and fu' o' glee,
The warl' has got nae care for thee,
Ye dance and loup frae morn till noon,
Till soothing sleep comes creeping roon'.
Then in his arms my bairn lies doon,
And when she on her pillow lies
And sleep has firmly sealed her eyes,
I gaze into her sweet wee face,
Where sorrow yet has left nae trace,
She's innocence frae head tae feet,
She's a' tae me that's pure and sweet.
Mrs. Campbell was born in Alexandria, Dumbartonshire, in 1844, the daughter of a highly respected cooper. Mrs. Campbell moved to the nearby town of Dumbarton upon her marriage to Mr. Campbell. She began writing poetry at the age of 13 and wrote throughout her life. Mrs. Campbell’s poetry was featured in the Dumbarton Herald until her death in 1906, Donald McLeod a local historian and president of the Burns Club wrote the introduction/dedication to Mrs. Campbell’s book. In total thirty five poems are contained in the small volume, it’s bound in red leather and published by McNaughtan & Sinclair, Glasgow. I’ve enjoyed reading them all over the weekend, particularly her advice on marriage, the death of her dog, the changing of seasons and a particularly bad winter in 1895.
There are many of the poems I could add here but I’ve chosen ‘wee jenny’. The portrayal of Jenny by Mrs. Campbell is amusing. The poem is littered slightly with old Scots dialect :
wee jenny
To me wee Jenny's blithe and sweet,
I like tae hear her wee bit feet
Toddlin' oot an toddlin' in ;
I like tae hear her try and sing,
She does her best tae please us a',
But Jenny canna sing ava'.
Her little tale she tells in glee,
A' thochts and things she speirs at me;
And a'e thing Jenny likes tae ken,
Is when the pay-day, comes again;
Then will I get a ha'penny, maw?
And gang tae Jeanie's for a draw?
Yes, Jenny, that you'll sharely get;
Well, maw, you'll mind and no forget,
For Jeanie has long farthing stocks,
She's blue and yellow sugar rock,
She's sugar men and ladies tae,
I saw them a' this very day.
Oh ! Jenny bairnie, say nae mair,
Just gang and get yer ain wee chair,
And tak' yer dolly on yer knee,
And gie me peace jist for a wee.
So Jenny, laughing, gangs awa',
She gets her doll and chair an' a',
Her ain wee stool's turned upside doon,
And dolly's washed frae tae t' croon,
It's cuddled in her bosom sweet,
And then laid cosy doon tae sleep.
Oh, happy bairn, and fu' o' glee,
The warl' has got nae care for thee,
Ye dance and loup frae morn till noon,
Till soothing sleep comes creeping roon'.
Then in his arms my bairn lies doon,
And when she on her pillow lies
And sleep has firmly sealed her eyes,
I gaze into her sweet wee face,
Where sorrow yet has left nae trace,
She's innocence frae head tae feet,
She's a' tae me that's pure and sweet.
Wednesday 3 March 2010
Let there be change...
I left work on Friday for Belfast and returned today to find some improvements to the basement workspace. I knew the changes were happening, so it was fantastic to come back to new lighting and ceiling paint. I'd liken the basement before the change to being a bit of a warren. A lovely, warm, cosy place. Every time I look up or turn around I am surrounded on all sides by books, photographs and archives. However the lighting was about 30 years old and the paint on the walls over 50 years old, time for change. The new lighting and ceiling paint have changed the ambience of the basement, it is brighter but more clinical in appearance. I'm worried about a couple of the book collections in the basement area. I may have to move them into the archive room annex as the light is now too strong.
I also need to have a look at temperature controls within the main archive room. During the winter I believe the room temperature has been colder than recommended conditions and archive materials appear damp. At present we have no archivist within the department, so I need to find a solution to the problem asap . Being in the basement of a 100 year old scottish library doesn't make archive storage simple.
I also need to have a look at temperature controls within the main archive room. During the winter I believe the room temperature has been colder than recommended conditions and archive materials appear damp. At present we have no archivist within the department, so I need to find a solution to the problem asap . Being in the basement of a 100 year old scottish library doesn't make archive storage simple.
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