Author: durhamunilib

Welcome week and ongoing support

From Wednesday 2nd to Tuesday 8th of October, Bill Bryson Library hosted our ‘Welcome Fair’. Coming to into a Library the size and scale of the Billy B or the first time can be a bit of a daunting experience for many, so we wanted to offer a friendly and approachable hello! We also looked to make our students (both new and existing!) feel welcome in our spaces by promoting awareness and encouraging engagement with everything we have to offer across all of Library and Collections. Plus, we wanted our users to know that we are here to support them all throughout their time at Durham.

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eResource of the month: UK Parliamentary Papers

The UK Parliamentary Papers collection from Proquest is an interdisciplinary resource that encompasses nearly every aspect of life in the life in the United Kingdom, British Empire, and The Commonwealth from 1695 to the present day. As Proquest state, these Papers ‘constitute a major part of the world’s historical record’ and can be used by researchers in many subjects, in particular law, politics, history, economics, education, health, and science. The content includes Hansard debates (speeches and reports in Parliament) from 1803-2005; all Bills and Acts and Acts of Parliament 1695-2022; and House of Commons papers 1715-2022. You can see the detailed gathering of evidence for Royal Commissions and select committees, command papers (1715-2022), petitions to Parliament, proposals for legislation, the debates in the Commons and the Lords outlining different political, economic and philosophical perspectives on issues, the laws passed, and subsequent amendments. There are biographies of MPs (up to 2005), the public offices they held, and their contributions to debates.

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All change at the ISC Library

In addition to the Bill Bryson Library and the Barker Research Library up in Durham, there is also a ‘branch’ of the University Library down in Stockton-on-Tees.

The International Study Centre (ISC) Library is for use by ISC students and staff at Queen’s Campus, Stockton, and can be found on level 2 of the Ebsworth Building. There specifically to support the foundation programmes which run at the ISC (although Durham University staff and students who live in the area can also access study spaces within the library), it houses a few thousand print books and a range of study spaces.

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Open Access Week 2024 – Community Over Commercialisation

By Kelly Hetherington, Repository Officer

Next week (October 21st-27th) is Open Access Week 2024! The theme has been announced as ‘Community over Commercialisation’:

Open Access Week 2024 will continue the call to put “Community over Commercialization” and prioritize approaches to open scholarship that serve the best interests of the public and the academic community

This is my 5th Open Access week since joining the Open Research team in 2019 and this year’s theme really captures why I value and enjoy my job as part of the DRO team – helping to make sure all research at Durham can benefit the wider community with no barriers. I thought this would be a great opportunity to reflect on my experiences of witnessing or being involved with research benefitting people in Durham and beyond.  I’m very aware that there will be so many more examples – our team would love to continue this conversation so please get in touch with your examples at dro.admin@durham.ac.uk

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Conference season!

Over the summer, several colleagues have had chance to attend conferences on a number of different themes/topics.

Conference: Business Librarian’s Association Summer Conference, University of Northampton, 26th-28th June

Ben Taylorson, Faculty Librarian: It’s not as straightforward to get to Northampton as you might expect, but a mere 4 trains and 5 hours after leaving the house I had made it. Before the conference began, I was afforded the opportunity to have a look around the town and a wander over to the football ground, before making my way to the Waterside Campus. This is a collection of buildings overlooking the canal and a nearby park, which is lovely. The overpowering smell from the nearby Carlsberg brewery – not so much. 

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Item of the month: A Peek into the Mysterious World of 16th Century Witchcraft

A post by Archives & Special Collections Apprentice, Charlie Lough

Amongst the vast Durham Probate Records (DPR) collection is a modest document wrapper from the 16th century. However, upon closer inspection, this unassuming item hints at a world where witchcraft and sorcery were very real fears.

Let’s travel back to 1592, to the village of Chatton in Northumberland, where a man named Steven Revlye died. After his death, an inventory of his belongings was created. But what is really fascinating is not what Steven owned, but what was used to wrap up this inventory; a piece of paper that had served as a public notice. The document in question had the remains of a public announcement about “sorc[ery]” and “incha[ntment],” words that would send shivers down the spines of any 16th century villager. During this time, the word “witchcraft” was used to describe a wide range of practices, some of which were purely imaginary. But whether real or not, those accused of such practices often faced severe consequences.

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Being an intern at the Oriental Museum

A child playing in a small blue sandpit indoors on a checked carpet

A post by Erin Munro

Hi! My name is Erin and I’ve had the pleasure of being the Learning and Engagement Intern at the Oriental Museum for the last year. With my time here coming to an end I thought I’d share with you some of my experiences and what I’ve learnt whilst being part of this amazing team.

I kicked off the year shadowing and helping my predecessor in her final month as Intern, seeing first hand what was in store for me in my upcoming role. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous at first, it was something new and would have an impact on lots of lovely people! However, my supervisor Charlotte put me at ease, teaching me everything she knows and trusting me with many of her amazing programmes. I have a great lot to thank her for!

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