Summer Summer Summer Summer 2011201120112011

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Front Cover: actor Scott Noble as Sir George Henry Scott Douglas at the Voyage of the Vampire launch event, Hawick, 2009

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The Magazine of the Scottish Branch of the CILIP Local Studies Group ISSN 0261 7935

EditorialEditorialEditorialEditorial

Those of us attending the latest Locscot day school Our Sporting Heroes: tracking them

down, had a fascinating day with some wonderful speakers who have hopefully given us some inspiration for our own sport themed events during Local History Week next year. The number attending was less than at previous day schools and Locscot would like to find out why. Is it getting harder for us to attend training opportunities due to staffing constraints or are there particular subjects you would like the day schools to address? You should have received an e-mail to canvas your views on this recently and we urge you to respond. At the day school, we also bid farewell to three members of the Locscot committee

who have stepped down. Christine Miller has moved on to a new role within East Dunbartonshire and Susan Bell (Aberdeen City) has relinquished her place on the committee to David Main who recently joined Aberdeen as Local Studies Librarian. We wish them both well and thank them for their committed service to the group. Also stepping down is our long serving Chair, Elizabeth (Biff) Carmichael. Biff continued as Chair despite having retired a few years ago but has finally decided to pass on the gavel to the safe hands of Eleanor McKay (Argyll & Bute). The committee would like to express enormous gratitude to Biff for all the work she has done on behalf of Locscot and for Local Studies in Scotland. Along with David Main, we welcome to the committee two new members, Ken Bogle (Midlothian) and Fiona Myles (Edinburgh City).

Amanda Robb, East Renfrewshire Editor

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Blogging from the Heritage HubBlogging from the Heritage HubBlogging from the Heritage HubBlogging from the Heritage Hub:::: The Voyage of the Vampire and Charlotte: My Diary The Voyage of the Vampire and Charlotte: My Diary The Voyage of the Vampire and Charlotte: My Diary The Voyage of the Vampire and Charlotte: My Diary and My Secretand My Secretand My Secretand My Secret

We always get excited when we receive new archives into our collection, but one of the most fascinating items we have taken in is the Voyage of the Vampire diary, the travel log of a young 19th century adventurer’s cruise around the Mediterranean. Written in the manner of a ‘Boy’s Own’-style adventure, the diary is filled with entertaining stories of the voyage and fascinating trivia about the area. It was clear from the start that it was very special and that we needed to find a way of sharing it with the outside world. The only question was, how? We settled on the idea of blogging the diary, so that the story could unfold day by day with readers following the journey in real time.

George Henry and the Vampire diaryGeorge Henry and the Vampire diaryGeorge Henry and the Vampire diaryGeorge Henry and the Vampire diary The diarist is Sir George Henry Scott Douglas of Springwood Park near Kelso, a young man of twenty who was an army officer stationed at Corfu. At the beginning of the diary he had newly purchased a yacht, the Vampire, and he obtained leave from the army to go on a three-month sailing trip with some friends. They set off in April 1846 and toured the Greek islands and the Turkish coast, before sailing back for Corfu where they took up army duties again and made frequent sailing trips to the Albanian coast. The writing is not literary - George Henry was no stylist - but it is self-assured. He wrote blithely of kitting himself out with a battery of weaponry, firing salutes to a retired Albanian pirate, filching skulls from a ruined monument and taking pot shots at any animal so unfortunate as to stir in his vicinity. He was not given to self examination, and the diary entries are usually descriptions of what he saw and did. He and his friends were living the aristocratic good life:

‘Anchored at daylight at Pagagna, landed and began shooting … we shot eight couple of Woodcocks, five of Quails, a duck and a hare. We met Best and Calvert, and beat the ravine, in which we saw three wild boars, I fired at one, and I think struck him, but he was two hundred yards off, and got away: when I returned on board I bathed, and then made sail for Corfu, with a light breeze aft: we took up our moorings and I went to the Opera.’

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Occasionally there were scares, as when sharks were seen in the water when he was swimming by the boat, or when he and the crew were attacked by Greeks who thought the Vampire was a pirate vessel. But there was also the excitement of a young man sampling his freedom and the pleasant encounters that could result. On Corfu George Henry met a ‘Miss F’ who made a great impression: she had ‘fine eyes and very red lips’ and on occasion she could get in the way of his carrying out his military duties: ‘whilst on guard I had a very remarkable dream about Miss F’ (12th October 1846). He admitted to ‘feeling very spooney’ about her but it seems she was only a passing fancy, as she soon fizzles out of the diary.

There are also entries that suddenly bring into focus just how different George Henry’s world and its attitudes were to ours, for example when he visited the slave market in Istanbul and described the black slaves in language that to us is wholly offensive, but in his time would have been perfectly normal. What with this and the never-ceasing destruction of local wildlife George Henry could seem insufferably bigoted and arrogant; but then suddenly there is a more self-reflective entry that reveals another, more vulnerable personality. For example on 25th December 1846 he wrote bitterly:

‘Christmas day, a day which I have only spent at home once, since I was three years old: thought it a great shame, that I should have been turned into the world, when a mere baby, and kicked about from one school to another, seldom or ever going home, ill clothed, & no care taken of me, till I was old enough to look after myself.’

There are also glimpses of his paternal feelings towards his “dear sisters,” to whom he wrote regularly and who he felt had not been “well treated by my mother, who, in my opinion, always seemed to prefer two or three small dogs to the affections of her children”.

The BlogThe BlogThe BlogThe Blog We wanted to share George Henry’s story in an engaging way that would reach as wide an audience as possible, and we felt the Vampire diary had all the right elements to make a successful blog. The story unfolded through daily diary entries, there was a geographical journey that the reader could follow and discover along with the blogger, and the adventurous character of George Henry himself was strong enough to carry the story.

The project was carried out in close consultation with the Council’s web manager Keith King, who not only managed the setting up of the blog (Wordpress account, domain name etc.) but also designed the website pages for both the Voyage of the Vampire and the later Charlotte spin-off. As well as creating the structure of the sites he was also responsible for their artistic look’ – an element that has been integral to the success of the blogs.

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In order to contextualise the diary and clarify some of the language (such as old-fashioned slang, specialised shipping terminology and the Italianised place names), a member of staff was assigned to write explanatory notes wherever needed. These are hyperlinked to the main text so that the reader can click on an unfamiliar word and be taken immediately to the note. The diary is also linked to Google Maps, so that George Henry’s progress around the Aegean can be charted by the reader.

One issue with the diary was the lack of images – George Henry made no sketches or paintings, and apart from a few photographs of him in much later life, we had nothing to illustrate the diary. The problem was solved in one morning by the staff from the Heritage Hub who gamely drew a selection of vignettes that could reappear in the diary as often as needed.

The blog started publication on 1st April 2009, and a launch was held in Hawick to mark the event, with an actor in costume reading extracts from the diary and a local café (happily specialising in Greek and Turkish-style food) providing catering. Press response to the blog was extremely positive, with a half-page cover in The Herald. This kick-started the blog’s visitor numbers and the statistics show that there was a consistent following throughout the passage of the blog, much of it overseas. Links were also made to it from other blogs, including one based in Corfu, where George Henry was stationed.

Discovering the “dreadful secret” Discovering the “dreadful secret” Discovering the “dreadful secret” Discovering the “dreadful secret” ---- Charlo Charlo Charlo Charlotte’s diaries tte’s diaries tte’s diaries tte’s diaries and the spinand the spinand the spinand the spin----off blogoff blogoff blogoff blog As part of the Voyage of the Vampire project the entire Scott Douglas family

collection was catalogued and digitised, and it was while cataloguing the rest of the collection that the diaries of George Henry’s younger sister Charlotte were found. It was immediately apparent that these diaries were full of extraordinary material, including a secret engagement to a German baron, family disapproval, a blackmail letter and frequent but oblique references to ‘my dreadful secret’. Charlotte’s diaries clearly held even more dramatic potential than George Henry’s, and we felt that we needed to exploit this in some way. A spin-off blog was an obvious choice, as Charlotte’s diaries lent themselves so well to the blog format, revealing her story almost as a soap opera. Charlotte’s style was also much more self-reflective and emotional than George

Henry’s, and she wrote extensively about people and places she knew. A considerable heiress, Charlotte was orphaned at fifteen with the death of her mother (of whom Charlotte was very fond, despite what George Henry had written some years before), and at the time of the diaries was living with a disapproving stepfather

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who had quarrelled with her older sisters and was not on speaking terms with them. Charlotte was besieged by fortune hunters; she was anxious for her stepfather’s approval but also chafing at the restrictions he placed upon her; and she was desperate to fall in love. She was also disastrously inclined to flirt, which led her into various scrapes. Her diaries were clearly private and not intended for publication, and as a result make compulsive reading. She is by turns self-critical and indignant, naively admiring of others and suspicious, happy and miserable. She can also be endearingly frank – as, for example, when describing her impressions of Queen Victoria at the presentation of the first Victoria Crosses in Hyde Park in 1857, she dispenses altogether with awe at royalty: ‘I did not admire the Queen’s appearance, individually, as she is too dumpy to ride.’ Her situation as an heiress with little personal freedom and a member of a select group of wealthy gentry with strict social etiquette meant that she was constricted in ways we can scarcely imagine: criticised for travelling in the train with ‘only’ the company of her maid and younger sister, unable to marry without the consent and approval of her brother and step-father, reproved for kissing her fiancé in front of other people, and seeing her forthcoming marriage disintegrate because of the inability of the two families to agree over the financial settlements. Yet despite all this her diaries are full of warmth, vigour and enjoyment of life. This blog required a different editorial approach from the Voyage of the Vampire: for

one thing, Charlotte didn’t write an entry every day, and for another, there were so many themes, so many twists and turns in her story, that a strong editorial presence was needed to sift and sort the material into a structure that would make sense to the reader. It was decided to publish a new instalment of Charlotte’s saga once a week, with selected diary entries grouped together thematically to show the new developments in her tumultuous love life. A short introduction to each instalment was also needed to link the sections to each other and to lead the story on – something akin to the programme blurbs in a television schedule. Publication of Charlotte’s diary began while the Voyage of the Vampire was still

running, and it became clear very soon that Charlotte would prove even more popular than George Henry. Visitor numbers were consistent with peaks every Monday as readers dropped in to read the latest instalment, and positive comments were coming through the contact page. Best of all, distant relations of Charlotte’s emerged who were thrilled at finding her extraordinary story online. One was even able to provide us with a photograph of Charlotte. The donor of the collections was also very happy with the use we had made of the collections and commented that ‘the Scott Douglas papers have ended up in the right place.’ One of the most frequent comments from readers is that Charlotte’s diary would make ideal material for a BBC costume drama, an idea that we agree with heartily! The Voyage of the Vampire blogs have succeeded in raising the profile of the Heritage

Hub collections and engaging people with the compelling stories that can be found in

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the archives. While the publication of the blogs has finished (though they are still available on the internet in their entirety), the diaries themselves are so full of potential for further activity, especially Charlotte’s, that the Heritage Hub is now planning the next phase of the Voyage of the Vampire project. As well as the possibility of dramatising the diaries in some form, there is potential for links with businesses and other attractions in the local area, as well as the development of resources for schools. Illustrations:

Page4, Homepage of Voyage of the Vampire, www.voyageofthevampire.org.uk

Page 6, Launch of Voyage of the Vampire, Hawick, 2009

Voyage of the Vampire, www.voyageofthevampire.org.uk

Charlotte: My Diary and My Secret, www.voyageofthevampire.org.uk/mysister Sarah Chapman Scottish Borders Council Archive Service

Scottish Local History Forum Scottish Local History Forum Scottish Local History Forum Scottish Local History Forum UpdateUpdateUpdateUpdate

Scottish Local History, the journal of the Scottish Local History Forum, has been

given a comprehensive makeover, commencing with Issue 80 (February 2011). Included in the re-design are four inside pages in colour and a colour cover. Some changes have been introduced to editorial policy, including a special commitment to the links between local and national history. An article in Issue 80 Local Contributions to Scotland’s National History provides some examples of how this can be achieved. Also in Issue 80 a short commendation by Professor Tom Devine endorses this policy. Another important element of the refreshed editorial policy is a commitment to

promoting the work of local societies across Scotland. Societies have been invited to send in details of their history and activities, with the intention that 4-5 societies will form the subject of special focus in each issue of Scottish Local History. Societies are also invited to send details of their publishing programmes, for notification in a Society Publications column in each issue. One reason for renewed focus on activities at local level is the awareness of threats

to local history services at the present time. The Forum is very aware of the present cutbacks in museums, archives and library local studies services. Its Trustees are especially alarmed at reductions in the number of professionals available to handle

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the custody, care and development of collections at local level. The new Scottish Local History carries a short feature on the East Dunbartonshire Heritage & History Forum, which has been set up in response to threats to museum, archive and library local studies services in that area. To meet the threat of service cuts of this kind the Forum is

keen to maintain existing links with professionals in archives, museums and libraries, and indeed to strengthen those links and if possible develop new ones. This most certainly includes a continuing close relationship with LOCSCOT. For many years LOCSCOT has been the only professional organisation to send a representative to Forum Committee meetings by arrangement, and this remains as a truly worthwhile link-up. The Forum is especially keen on cementing such relationships with local studies professionals as a means of keeping up to date with threats to service cuts. Where appropriate, the Forum will engage in lobbying of local councils, to underline the importance of collections fundamental to community memory, community history and community identity. The Forum will always be very happy to publicise LOCSCOT activities. To this

end an article by David Catto, entitled Scottish Local History Week: Still Going Strong appeared in the February issue of Scottish Local History. A gratis copy of this journal has been sent to the local studies libraries of all Scottish councils. It is hoped that local studies librarians will do everything they can to publicise the periodical, in the hope that many new members will be encouraged to join the Forum. The Forum is also very concerned about threats to Scottish history services at

national level, including the ‘rationalisation’ currently being carried out at the National Archives and the reduction in emphasis on Scottish history in the universities. To protest against such ‘progress’ the Forum intends to set up a Lobbying Sub-Group, which, it intends, will also make its voice heard at local level. The re-vamped Scottish Local History is just one part of a drive to reinvigorate the

Forum. This drive is the direct result of a crisis that befell the Forum just over a year ago. Several key officers, including the Editor of Scottish Local History, had announced their intention to resign, departmental changes at Edinburgh University meant that the Forum no longer had a ‘home’ there, and there was alarm that the 2009 AGM had been inquorate. To meet the crisis an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Forum was held in

April 2010, at which a Review Group was appointed to consider the its future. Since then, numerous changes have been made. To meet OSCR requirements, members of the Forum Committee have been designated as Trustees, with special financial

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responsibilities. This has implications for affiliations to the Forum that are currently being reviewed. The Forum Constitution is also subject to an ongoing review. A Publications Board has been appointed to look after all matters relating to the Forum’s journal and website. Several Sub-Groups are being set up to review the range of Forum activities. It is hoped that the Forum will now proceed from strength to strength. There is plenty of enthusiasm around, to enable it to do so. Illustration: Page 9, Cover of Scottish Local History, Issue 80, February 2011 Don Martin, Vice-Chair, SLHF

Local Studies Librarians ScotlandLocal Studies Librarians ScotlandLocal Studies Librarians ScotlandLocal Studies Librarians Scotland

Aberdeen City David Main, Local Studies Librarian, Aberdeen Library and Information Services, Central Library, Rosemount Viaduct, Aberdeen AB25 1GW Tel 01224 652563 e-mail: DaMain@aberdeencity.gov.uk Aberdeenshire David Catto, Local Studies Librarian, Aberdeenshire Libraries, Meldrum Meg Way, The Meadows Industrial Estate, Oldmeldrum, Aberdeenshire AB51 0GN Tel: 01651 871220 Fax: 01651 872142 e-mail: david.catto@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

Alan Ball AwardAlan Ball AwardAlan Ball AwardAlan Ball Award

Congratulations to East Lothian Council and East Renfrewshire Council for their achievements in the Alan Ball Awards. East Lothian Council received an award for East Lothian 1945-2000 edited by Sonia Baker, a seven volume series by various authors. East Renfrewshire were commended for www.portaltothepast.co.uk, the website of a large local history collection which includes an online database and image collection.

The Alan ball Awards were established to encourage local history publishing by public libraries and local authorities. Any library, large or small, is encouraged to enter. For more details contact: Eric Winter, The Library Services Trust, CILIP, 7 Ridgmount Street, London WC1E 7AE. Tel.: 020 7255 0648. E-mail: eric.winter@cilip.org.uk

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Angus Fiona Scharlau, Local Studies Librarian/Archivist, Angus Archives, Hunter Library, Restenneth Priory, By Forfar DD8 2SZ Tel: 01307 468644 e-mail: angus.archives@angus.gov.uk

Argyll & Bute Eleanor McKay, Local Studies Librarian, Argyll & Bute Library HQ, Highland Avenue, Sandbank, Dunoon PA23 8PB Tel: 01369 703214 Fax: 01369 705797 e-mail: eleanor.mckay@argyll-bute.gov.uk

Borders Helen Darling, Part-time Local Studies Librarian, Scottish Borders Library and Information Service, Libraries Headquarters, St Mary’s Mill, Selkirk TD7 5EW Tel: 01750 20842 Fax: 01750 22875 e-mail: hdarling@scotborders.gov.uk

Clackmannanshire Ian Murray, Information Librarian and Archivist, Clackmannan Libraries, 26 – 28 Drysdale Street, Alloa FK10 1JL Tel: 01259 722262 Fax: 01259 219469 e-mail: libraries@clacks.gov.uk

Dumfries & Galloway Graham Roberts, Local Studies Coordinator, Ewart Library, Catherine Street, Dumfries DG1 1JB Tel: 01387 252070 Fax: 01387 260294 e-mail: graham.roberts@dumgal.gov.uk Alison Burgess, Local Studies Officer, Dumfries and Galloway Libraries, Information and Archives, Ewart Library, Catherine Street, Dumfries DG1 1JB Tel: 01387 253820 [Also 01387 269254 (Archives Centre)] email: alison.burgess@dumgal.gov.uk Dundee Deirdre Sweeney, Local Studies Librarian, Local History Centre, Central Library, The Wellgate, Dundee DD1 1DB Tel: 01382 431550 Fax: 01382 431504 e-mail: deirdre.sweeney@dundeecity.gov.uk

East Ayrshire Anne Geddes, Community Librarian (Heritage Services), East Ayrshire Libraries, Burns Monument Centre, Kay Park, Kilmarnock KA3 7RU Tel: 01563 553655 Fax: 01563 556690 e-mail: anne.geddes@east-ayrshire.gov.uk

East Dunbartonshire Christine Miller, Area Operations Leader, Information & Archives, East Dunbartonshire Libraries, The William Patrick Library, 2 West High Street, Kirkintilloch G66 1AD Tel: 0141 775 4537 Fax: 0141 776 0408 e-mail:christine.miller@eastdunbarton.gov.uk East Lothian Sheila Millar, Senior Librarian Local History and Promotions, Local History Centre, Haddington Library, Newton Port, Haddington EH41 3NA

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Tel: 01620 823307 e-mail: smillar@eastlothian.gov.uk

East Renfrewshire Amanda Robb, Local Studies Librarian, East Renfrewshire Council Education Department, Giffnock Community Library, Station Road, Giffnock G64 6JF Tel: 0141 557 3872 e-mail: amanda.robb@eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk

Edinburgh City Libraries James Hogg, Service Development Leader, Edinburgh and Scottish Collection, Central Library, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EG Tel: 0131 242 8070 e-mail: james.hogg@edinburgh.gov.uk Anne Morrison, Service Development Leader, Edinburgh and Scottish Collection, Central Library, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EG Tel 0131 242 8070 e-mail: anne.morrison@edinburgh.gov.uk

Falkirk Gray Allan, Librarian, Falkirk Library, Hope Street, Falkirk FK1 5AU Tel: 01324 503605 Fax: 01324 503606 e-mail: falkirk.library@falkirk.gov.uk

Fife Gavin Grant, Collections Development Team Leader, Fife Council Libraries & Museums HQ, 16 East Fergus Place, Kirkcaldy, Fife KY1 1XT Tel: 08451 555555 Ext: 452826 e-mail: gavin.grant@fife.gov.uk Janice Erskine, Local Studies and Family History Librarian, Dunfermline Carnegie Library, 1 Abbot Street, Dunfermline KY12 7NL Tel: 08451 555555 Ext: 493141 e-mail: janice.erskine@fife.gov.uk Sheila Campbell, Local Studies and Family History Librarian, Museum & Art Gallery, Abbotshall Road, Kirkcaldy KY1 1YG Tel: 08451 555555 Ext 473074 e-mail: sheila.campbell@fife.gov.uk Glasgow City Trish Grant, Principal Librarian, Family History and Local History, The Mitchell Library, North St, Glasgow G3 7DN. Tel: 0141 287 2847 e-mail: patricia.grant@csglasgow.org Vicky Clark, Librarian, The Mitchell Library, North St, Glasgow G3 7DN. Tel: 0141 287 2988 e-mail: vicky.clark@csglasgow.org Highland Julie Corcoran, Information Co-ordinator, The Highland Council, Library Support Unit, 31a Harbour Road, Inverness IV1 1UA Tel: 01463 251259 Fax: 01463 236986 e-mail: julie.corcoran@highland.gov.uk Inverclyde Alana Macmillan, Library Development Team Leader, Inverclyde Council, Central Library, Clyde Square, Greenock PA15 1NA Tel: 01475 712323 email: alana.macmillan@inverclyde.gov.uk

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Midlothian Ken Bogle, Local Studies Officer, Local Studies Library, Midlothian Library HQ, 2 Clerk Street, Loanhead EH20 9DR Tel: 0131 271 3976 Fax: 0131 440 4635 e-mail: ken.bogle@midlothian.gov.uk Moray Graeme Wilson, Local Heritage Officer, Local Heritage Centre, Institution Road, Elgin IV30 1RP Tel: 01343 560011 Fax: 01343 520660 e-mail: graeme.wilson@moray.gov.uk North Ayrshire Jill McColl, Local Studies Librarian, The North Ayrshire Heritage Centre Manse Street, Saltcoats KA21 5AA Tel : 01294 464174 e-mail: naheritage@north-ayrshire.gov.uk Norma Cullen, Local Studies Librarian, The North Ayrshire Heritage Centre Manse Street, Saltcoats KA21 5AA Tel : 01294 464174 e-mail: naheritage@north-ayrshire.gov.uk North Lanarkshire Margaret McGarry, Assistant Manager/Local Studies Librarian, Motherwell Heritage Centre, 1 High Road, Motherwell ML1 3HU Tel: 01698 251000 e-mail: mcgarrym@northlan.gov.uk. For Motherwell Heritage Centre e-mail: motherwellhistory@yahoo.co.uk Airdrie Library, Wellwynd, Airdrie ML6 0AG Tel: 01236 758073 Orkney David Mackie, Photographic archivist, The Orkney Library and Archive, 44 Junction Road, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1AG Tel: 01856 873166 Fax: 01856 875260 e-mail: david.mackie@orkneylibrary.org.uk Perth & Kinross Sara Ann Kelly, Local Studies Librarian, Perth and Kinross Council, A K Bell Library, York Place, Perth PH2 8EP Tel: 01738 477062 Fax: 01738 477010 e-mail: sakelly@pkc.gov.uk

Renfrewshire David Weir, Local Studies Librarian, Local Studies Library, Paisley Central Library, 68 High Street, Paisley PA1 2BB Tel: 0141 889 2360 Fax: 0141 887 6468 e-mail: locstuds.els@renfrewshire.gov.uk Shetland Islands Douglas Garden, Support Services Librarian, Shetland Library, Lower Hillhead, Lerwick ZE1 OEL Tel 01595 743868, e-mail: douglas.garden@sic.shetland.gov.uk.

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South Ayrshire Tom Barclay, Reference and Local Studies Librarian, South Ayrshire Council Libraries, Carnegie Library, 12 Main Street, Ayr KA8 8EB Tel: 01292 286385 Fax: 01292 611593 e-mail: tom.barclay@south-ayrshire.gov.uk South Lanarkshire John McGarrity, Information Services Coordinator, Hamilton Library, 102 Cadzow Street, Hamilton ML3 6HH Telephone: 01698 452220 e-mail: john.mcgarrity@library.s-lanark.org.uk Development Librarian, Hamilton Library, 102 Cadzow Street, Hamilton ML3 6HH Telephone: 01698 454220 East Kilbride Reference Section, East Kilbride Central Library, The Olympia Shopping Centre, East Kilbride G74 1PG Telephone: 01355 220046 e-mail: eastkilbride.reference@library.s-lanark.org.uk Hamilton Reference Section, Hamilton Town House Library, 102 Cadzow Street, Hamilton ML3 6HH Telephone: 01698 452121 e-mail: hamilton.reference@library.s-lanark.org.uk Lanark Reference Section, Lanark Library, 16 Hope Street, Lanark ML11 7LZ Telephone: 01555 661144 e-mail: Lanark.ref@library.s-lanark.org.uk Stirling Roana Mourad, Information and Local Studies Librarian, Central Library, Corn Exchange Road, Stirling FK8 2HX Tel: 01786 432106 Fax: 01786 473094 e-mail: mouradr@stirling.gov.uk

West Dunbartonshire Jo Sherington, Information Services Librarian (Clydebank), Central Library, Dumbarton Road, Clydebank G81 1XH Tel: 0141 562 2440 Fax: 0141 562 2430 e-mail: jo.sherington@west-dunbarton.gov.uk Samantha Moore, Information Services Librarian, Dumbarton Library, Strathleven Place, Dumbarton G82 1BD Tel: 01389 608965 Fax : 01389 608100 e-mail: samantha.moore@west-dunbarton.gov.uk West Lothian Sybil Cavanagh, West Lothian Heritage and Information Centre, County Buildings, High Street, Linlithgow EH49 7EZ Tel: 01506 282491 e-mail: sybil.cavanagh@westlothian.gov.uk Western Isles David Fowler, Senior Librarian Adult Services, Western Isles Libraries, 19 Cromwell Street, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis HS1 2DA Tel: 01851 708636 Fax: 01851 708676 e-mail: dfowler@cne-siar.gov.uk Please send any additions or amendments to david.catto@aberdeenshire.gov.uk. Thankyou

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Researching Digital ResourcesResearching Digital ResourcesResearching Digital ResourcesResearching Digital Resources

The internet has revolutionised family and local history research, introducing the subject to people who would never have thought to visit a local studies library or archive. Sophisticated search engines are available, many guides and articles have been published online and it is possible to see digital copies of much material at the touch of a button, rather than having to travel to a repository to consult the originals. However, because there is such a wealth of information relating to family and local

history online it can be difficult to know where to start, what to trust, and perhaps most importantly, what is missing. As with all online resources, users can be overwhelmed with information or may find it difficult to know what sites are reliable and what information is accurate. In addition to this librarians and archivists may have other issues with the

information that is available online. Digitisation comes at a cost, both for the digitiser and user, and may be driven by commercial requirements or lead to restriction of access to the originals. Concentration on quick searches and individual images may remove items from their original context. Funding streams for digitisation projects may lead to some types of material being privileged over others. There are some really useful sites out there and an awareness of these issues can

help users get the most out of them. It is important to understand what these sites are aiming to do, where the original records are, what other information they might hold and the context in which they were created. The sources referred to in these sites are just the tip of the iceberg. Researchers need to be aware that there is much more held in libraries and archives that may be of use. The Centre for Archive and Information Studies at the University of Dundee aims to help

researchers do just that. It offers courses in family and local history at all levels ranging from short six-week introductory courses to Masters Degrees. All material is delivered online through distance learning and tutored by experts. For more information see http://www.dundee.ac.uk/cais/. The following are some sites that are popular or serve as examples of the type of

information that is online.

1111.... Basic records Basic records Basic records Basic records The following are sites that will be familiar with most people who have done some

basic family or local history research. There are a number of models combining free or charged searches and access to digitised documents:

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• ScotlandsPeople http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ (documents continue to come online, currently digitised church records are being tested – see Scottish Documents http://www.scottishdocuments.com/default.asp)

• Ancestry http://www.ancestry.co.uk/ • Find My Past http://www.findmypast.co.uk/home.jsp • Genes Reunited http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/ • Family Search http://www.familysearch.org/eng/default.asp • Census Finder http://www.censusfinder.com/scotland.htm • FreeCen http://www.freecen.org.uk/

2222.... Guidance and information Guidance and information Guidance and information Guidance and information There is a lot of information about how to carry out family and local history

research on the internet. For those who are interested in understanding primary sources and archives and how these may be relevant, some of the best sources are the websites of National Archives

• The National Archives of Scotland http://www.nas.gov.uk/ (now the National Records of Scotland, their Guides to Records in the Doing Research section are useful)

• The National Archives http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ (lots of useful information here. Choose the Records section and try Looking for a Subject?)

Other sites which are worth investigating include: • The Scottish Archives Network http://www.scan.org.uk/ (an HLF funded

project; the Research Tools and Knowledge Base are useful. • Scottish Palaeography http://www.scottishhandwriting.com/ (help with

reading handwriting) • Language http://www.dsl.ac.uk/ (Dictionary of the Scots Language) • BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/familyhistory/next_steps/ • Society of Genealogists http://www.sog.org.uk/index.shtml (and many other

similar societies)

3333.... Particular Record Types Particular Record Types Particular Record Types Particular Record Types Newspapers

There have been several projects to digitise newspapers recently and many of the sites now require a subscription to view the images. The following are examples: • Times online http://archive.timesonline.co.uk/tol/archive/ • Scotsman http://archive.scotsman.com/ • British Library http://newspapers.bl.uk/blcs/

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• Newsplan / NLS http://www.nls.uk/about-us/working-with-others/newsplan-scotland (a survey of Newspapers in Scotland, the Guide to Scottish Newspapers Indexes is a good way of finding the location of newspapers)

Maps • National Library http://maps.nls.uk/index.html • RCAHMS http://www.rcahms.gov.uk/ • Scotland’s Places

http://www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/content/index.php?action=view&id=1 (combines information and records from a number of sources including RCAHMS)

Directories • England and Wales http://www.historicaldirectories.org/hd/index.asp • NLS project http://www.nls.uk/family-history/directories/post-office

(digitised directories) • British phone books http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=1025 Statistical Accounts • Scotland http://edina.ac.uk/stat-acc-scot/reading/intro.shtml • Victorian County History

http://www.victoriacountyhistory.ac.uk/NationalSite/Home/Main (Similar to the Statistical Accounts but for English counties)

4444.... Subjects Subjects Subjects Subjects Courts • HMCS http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/cms/aboutus.htm • Scottish Courts http://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/ • National Archives http://www.nas.gov.uk/guides/sheriffCourt.asp • The Old Bailey http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/ • Local initiatives http://www.fifefhs.org/Records/Court/fife.htm Army • The National Archives, London http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-subject/default.htm • Imperial War Museum http://www.iwm.org.uk/ • Commonwealth War Graves Commission http://www.cwgc.org/ • Scottish National War Memorial http://www.snwm.org/website/frames.html • Soldiers Wills http://www.nas.gov.uk/guides/soldiersWills.asp • Black Watch http://www.theblackwatch.co.uk/

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Emigration • Ancestors On Board http://www.ancestorsonboard.com/ • SCAN http://www.scan.org.uk/researchrtools/emigration.htm • Scottish Emigration Database http://www.abdn.ac.uk/emigration/ • Moving Here http://www.movinghere.org.uk/default.htm

5555.... Local Resources Local Resources Local Resources Local Resources Examples of community or other local projects and resources • Northumberland

http://communities.northumberland.gov.uk/Communities.htm • Dumfries and Galloway http://www.dgcommunity.net/historicalindexes/ • Dundee http://www.fdca.org.uk/FDCAHome1.html • Ayrshire http://www.maybole.org/ • Ayrshire (2)

http://www.maybole.org/community/kirkoswald/kirkoswaldkirksessionrecords.htm

• Virtual Mitchell http://www.mitchelllibrary.org/virtualmitchell/ • Dundee Photopolis http://www.dundeecity.gov.uk/photodb/main.htm

6. Other Resources6. Other Resources6. Other Resources6. Other Resources • SCRAN http://www.scran.ac.uk/ • Am Baile http://www.ambaile.org.uk/ • Cartoon Archive http://www.cartoons.ac.uk/ • British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/Default.aspx • Gazetteer of Scotland http://www.gazetteerofscotland.org.uk/ • Vision of Britain http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/ • History Pin http://www.historypin.com/

7777.... Internet Archives Internet Archives Internet Archives Internet Archives • British Library http://www.webarchive.org.uk/ukwa/ • The Internet Archive http://www.archive.org/

Online catalogues Online catalogues Online catalogues Online catalogues There is no one online catalogue for archives or primary sources. However the following are all useful: • The National Register of Archives

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra/default.asp • SCAN (Scottish Local Authorities)

http://www.scan.org.uk/aboutus/indexonline.htm • A2A (local archives England) http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a • ANW (Archive Network Wales) http://www.archivesnetworkwales.info/

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• Archives Hub (university and further education repositories) http://www.archiveshub.ac.uk/

• The National Register of Archives Scotland http://www.nas.gov.uk/nras/ • Dundee http://www.dundee.ac.uk/archives/ (an example of a local university

catalogue)

Caroline Brown Centre for Archive and Information Studies, University of Dundee

EdinburghEdinburghEdinburghEdinburgh’s War: ’s War: ’s War: ’s War: AAAA virtual history project virtual history project virtual history project virtual history project

The Edinburgh’s War project was launched in 2009 by the Centre for the Study of

The Two World Wars at the University of Edinburgh, in collaboration with Edinburgh City Libraries. Its aim was to produce a unique history of the people and institutions of Edinburgh, Leith and the Lothians during the war years of 1914 to 1918. The project’s beginnings go back to March 2008 when I heard a talk about the

World War One Poetry Digital Archive at Oxford University. Part of that project was the Great War Archive which was to consist of scans of World War One related objects and documents which were to be contributed by members of the public. The Archive was to put on a series of open days to scan material, or the public could photograph objects themselves and upload them to the site. I was surprised to hear that none of these open days were being held in Scotland so

I suggested that Edinburgh Central Library would be a fantastic venue. Our event was held in June of that year. We enlisted the help of Yvonne McEwen from the Centre for the Study of the Two World Wars at the University of Edinburgh. She provided some much needed expertise to help us interpret and give some context to the memorabilia that people brought along. That help was absolutely invaluable and the day was a great success. We heard some fabulous stories: one letter from a nurse in France telling her mother that she didn’t think it was worth while sending parcels as she had to pay duty on them, and

wasn’t it an awful cheek of the French to charge them duty. Another gentleman produced a photograph of a woman and baby with a hole in it. He went on to tell the story of how the picture had been sent to the woman’s husband after he’d gone to the front, and that the hole was where a bullet had passed

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through his wallet and killed him. An elderly lady who had a photo of her father told how he’d been wounded and discharged from the army only to receive a white feather in the street, and join up again. He was wounded again, although he survived. As the day went on, we began to realise that these stories and the memorabilia that

went with them were in danger of being lost forever. After a similar event in 2008 - this time as part of the BBC’s Remembrance campaign -Yvonne and I began to discuss how to capture these stories about the people of Edinburgh’s lives during World War One, and that’s when the idea for Edinburgh’s War was born. The next step was to bring together a Project Team of

knowledgeable volunteers to work on the information required to start up a website. With the help of the University the Project Team contacted institutions, companies, charities, professional bodies, schools and individuals and met with an overwhelming response. Archive material was made freely available producing more stories and more information about the experiences of the people of Edinburgh in World War One than we really knew what to do with. However, the website was loaded by University IT staff and launched in October 2010. The website is only the beginning. The University has planned a series of events

leading up to 2014 - the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the war to end all wars. The Project Team has expanded to include members from Learning and Teaching Scotland and will soon be looking at ways of involving schools. The plan now is to use the Edinburgh’s War experience to produce Scotland’s War by

involving communities across the country. The history books concentrate on the war in France, but the effect of the war on

communities was devastating. The documentary evidence for the local consequences is all over the country but hidden away - rolls of honour stored in basements after the last redecoration; diaries, letters and photographs mouldering in trunks in the loft; unindexed local newspapers with amazing stories of the work of local people. The question and the challenge for local studies librarians in Scotland is how we capture that evidence and use it to engage with our communities. Libraries wishing to discuss the project or participate should contact Yvonne

McEwen at y.mcewen@ed.ac.uk Illustration: Page 20, Recruitment Poster, http://www.edinburghs-war.ed.ac.uk/ Fiona Myles, Edinburgh City Libraries

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NewsbitsNewsbitsNewsbitsNewsbits

Edinburgh City LibrariesEdinburgh City LibrariesEdinburgh City LibrariesEdinburgh City Libraries

Mystery Photographs Edinburgh Libraries’ Tales of One City Flickr site saw a huge rise in hits after the

Edinburgh Room’s mystery photographs stream was highlighted on STV’s The Hour show. Flickr has been a great way of enlisting the help of the local community in identifying those donations that came with no accompanying details. To see the mystery photos, log in to http://www.flickr.com/photos/talesofonecity/ and go to Our City. Edinburgh and Scottish Collection The Edinburgh Room and Scottish Library at Edinburgh Central Library have now

combined to form the Edinburgh and Scottish Collection. The new collection is based in the space formerly occupied by the Scottish Library. We hope to completely refurbish the area later in the year, but for now our customers are enjoying having all their local research needs met in the one place. Contact details for the new collection will be updated on our website at www.edinburgh.gov.uk/libraries.

Aberdeen City LibrariesAberdeen City LibrariesAberdeen City LibrariesAberdeen City Libraries PLQIM Funding Local Studies have been successful in a bid for Scottish Government PLQIM

funding for an online digital archive project which will give wider access to our historic collections of local interest. Phase 1 will be to establish an online archive of the photographic collections which will then be developed to create content reflecting the history of Aberdeen and surrounding area. Aberdeen Beach Ballroom Aberdeen Beach Ballroom, famous for its 50s bands and 60s pop groups including

the Beatles celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2009. A reminiscence project was launched and a book of memories and photographs is currently being compiled for publication later on this year. Aberdeen 50+ festival The Festival is held annually in September/October as part of the 50+ activities

programme. Local Studies created a special exhibition of Aberdeen in the Fifties featuring photographs, memorabilia and artefacts from our collections. The exhibition proved very popular and is currently touring the community libraries.

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Accounts

Registered Charity no. 313014 LOCSCOT Scottish Sub-Group of the Local Studies Group of CILIP INCOME & EXPENDITURE A/C for the year ended 31st December 2010 EXPENDITURE £ INCOME £ NET VAT on Goods & Services 4-10 Day Schools/Conferences: Committee Expenses 382-66 Fees: 1642-15# Postages 7-68 LESS Room & Equipment Hire LOCSCOT Magazine: 220-40# Printing 91-00 Speakers 123-97# Mailing 99-84 190-84 Catering 324-87# Stationery 52-06# Postages 46-80 716-04 Subscription: Scottish Local History SURPLUS on Day Schools, etc 926-11 Forum 24-00 Interest on Charities Deposit: 661-34 Paid to Charity a/c 7-12 Paid into Bank a/c 0-47 7-59 NET SURPLUS for 2010 272-36 933-70 933-70 ===== ===== #=Net of VAT. BALANCE SHEET as at 31st December 2010 LIABILITIES Accumulated Surplus as at 31st December 2009 £4115-55 ADD Surplus for 2010 (as above) 272-36 4387-91 Creditor: CILIP (Net VAT for Autumn 2010) 30-27 £4418-18 ====== ASSETS Balance at Bank (Current Account) £2601-94 Balance at COIF Charities Deposit 1816-24 £4418-18 ====== P.A.MALCOLM 14th February 2011 P.D.THOMAS Hon. Treasurer Hon. Auditor

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1911 1911 1911 1911 Census Census Census Census CampaignCampaignCampaignCampaign

LOCSCOT is still intending to campaign for the publication of the full data from

the 1911 Census in microfilm or some other browsable format to allow wider access to the Census information. This will take the form of an e-petition, which is currently in preparation, to the Scottish Parliament once the Petitions Committee is up and running. The e-petition will be supported by a Facebook page which is also in preparation. We will let you know when the e-petition is live on the Scottish Parliament site and would urge you to forward the information to as many of your contacts as may be interested in signing and encourage them to do likewise. E-petitions are live for a limited period so we have to muster support as efficiently as possible.

LocScot Committee

Chair Eleanor Mckay (Argyll & Bute) eleanor.harris@argyll-bute.gov.uk

locscot@hotmail.co.uk Secretary David Catto (Aberdeenshire) david.catto@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

Treasurers Pat Malcolm/Jo Sherington jo.sherington@west-dunbarton.gov.uk (West Dunbartonshire) or locscotfinance@yahoo.co.uk Ken Bogle (Midlothian) ken.bogle@midlothian.gov.uk Trish Grant (Glasgow) patricia.grant@csglasgow.org Sara Ann Kelly (Perth and Kinross) sakelly@pkc.gov.uk David Main (Aberdeen) DaMain@aberdeencity.gov.uk Fiona Myles (Edinburgh City) fiona.myles@edinburgh.gov.uk Amanda Robb (East Renfrewshire) amanda.robb@eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk