2011 - January

The working year began today. I've spent the past fortnight eating, drinking, reading and playing the occasional game of Guess Who.  
I opened outlook at 8.52 am, I thought people would be too busy over the holidays to send enquires, I couldn't have been more wrong. I was amazed not only by the amount of enquires but by the complexity of them. Thankfully the fight against the ever increasing inbox is now being fought jointly by me and my new secret weapon - Isabel the newly appointed Information Services Assistant. I'm not alone anymore.
The first project for this year is based on intergenerational learning and is funded by Museums and Galleries Scotland. 'Climbing Tress - The Census' will focus on working with Primary 5-7 pupils and older members of the community, we will be developing and delivering workshops to be used during school visits, a census pack for all local primary schools with links to the Curriculum for Excellence. The project will give children an understanding of what the census is and how it has developed since the 1840's. We will be bring the census to life by using local maps, valuation rolls, photographs and the census records of key local figures. The project will culminate in an open day during Scottish Local History week, which will include an exhibition within Dumbarton Library, family information sessions on Scotland's People and Ancestry, ensuring all generations of the family work together to search the resources for information on their family histories.
It's also another year of change, development and opportunity, the service is being restructured and the local studies/history section is now placed within the new Arts & Heritage department. The opportunities this presents are fantastic, to work with our very skilled and dedicated arts and museums team is fantastic.