Enquiry List

I mentioned in my last blog post – ‘every day I make someone smile’. Yes, I probably do, but it’s not down to telling them a good joke or offering them a chocolate, it’s about helping them find the answer to an enquiry. Like anyone in an information role I work through steps to ensure I can answer as accurately as possible. I ensure that I ask the right questions, use the right resources and have the tenacity to find the answer. I make the best use of the resources available to me and I am constantly sourcing additonal information to improve the service that I deliver.
The list below is a selection of some of the enquires I received this week in the local studies department;

• American author emailing to find out when he can come in to collect digital copies of archive photographs of the local football teams
•  TV researcher from a new family history programme following up earlier emails about local printing and dying industry – what examples of archives/photographs can we send for final selection
• Where can I find plan/map of Dumbarton cemetery?
• American lady enquiring about a Scottish Long Clock – just bought the old clock and the label of the back has a few words leading the enquirer to Dumbarton
• Local walking group wanting to know if I present local history talks over the winter period
• Do we hold copies of local newspapers for 1884 in particular July to October.
• Another local authority contacting us on usage of certain archive photographs that we hold for a new exhibition, looking at reproduction costs / copyright
• Information on a boat built by Denny the ‘Sir Walter Scott’ what information do we hold on its build. Also looking for a copy of the book ‘William Denny Shipbuilder’, he could source a copy for £250.00. (I could send him an inter-library loan for under a tenner. Or show him online where he could buy it for under twenty).
• Man brought in an old bottle he fished out of the River Leven can we tell him anything about the local dairy company name engraved on the bottle.
• Someone wondering why their great grandmother was born in the local Poor House.
  
• Gentleman from New Zeland looking for information on the Nobles of Ardmore and Ardkinglass’ covering both the Kenny and Geils families. Including local maps and photographs where possible.
• Council Legal Department asking for ownership details from valuation rolls from 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s.
• Library Centenary Year – mug shots in local paper, staff want copies for archive and personal use.

This list does not constitute my whole working week, however it does represent how varied the enquires received can be.