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About this blog
A blog about the work and collections of the National Library of Wales.
Due to the more personal nature of blogs it is the Library's policy to publish postings in the original language only. An equal number of blog posts are published in both Welsh and English, but they are not the same postings. For a translation of the blog readers may wish to try facilities such as Google Translate.
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Monthly Archives: October 2010
Dusty books and Archives
Many people are fascinated by the conservation related activities, and I am often asked questions like ‘Why is it necessary to clean the books and documents?’ or ‘Doesn’t the dust and dirt add to the mystique and sense of history … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Broadening horizons: from Calais to Tibet
The new Small World exhibition at the Library has been an opportunity to search our collections for early manuscripts on the theme of travel. A selection of our findings is presented for the next 6 months in the Hengwrt exhibition … Continue reading
Posted in Archives and Manuscripts
Print Networks Conference
Peter Isaac was Professor of Civil and Public Health Engineering at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, but in his spare time and after retirement he pursued his interest in a very different field: the history of the book trade. … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Engaging young minds in Wrexham
“What if I had a ‘Bazooka’ rocket launcher to blow a hole in the wall, surely then I’d be able to get into the cell and steal it?” was one of the more adventurous ideas suggested as we tried to … Continue reading
Posted in News and Events
Cathedral Libraries
One of the five “core funcions” specified in the National Library’s Royal Charter is professional collaboration with related bodies in the fields of library and information services, archives, museums and galleries. As Head of the Rare Books Unit I am … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
User Generated Content
One of the major challenges when digitising large photographic collections is the need to create descriptive metadata for each individual image. To make a collection searchable, each photograph requires hand crafted subject headings and keywords to describe its content. Currently, … Continue reading
Posted in Digitisation
Protecting the Collection
One of the Preventive Unit‘s specialized activities is the conservation mounting of works of art for display and protection. This year, Ruth Evans has the privilege of mounting works of art from the Kyffin Williams legacy. This is nearly the … Continue reading
Posted in Kyffin Blog
‘Gwlad Beirdd’ (A country of poets)
It thrills me every time I read a poem that has been written in the hand of the poet that created it. The handwriting conveys so much more than what is transferred in a printed copy. Drafts of a poem … Continue reading
Posted in Archives and Manuscripts
Storing a Treasured Collection………..
Preventive conservation is an important part of collection care. Working on the Kyffin Williams bequest’s collection of artwork has been an interesting and enjoyable challenge. As part of this work I have carefully examined each painting, noting damage caused by … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Contributing to the Europeana web portal
Early this morning I’m off to the Europeana Open Culture conference in Amsterdam. With over 300 attendees from libraries, archives and other heritage institutions from all over Europe, it’s an important forum to discuss the issues of creating, discovering and … Continue reading
Posted in Digitisation