I’ve been quiet for a while on the blog, but we’ve had some fantastic posts from Francesca and Georgie,  keeping us all entertained!

Our new archive facility at York Explore Library will open on the 5th January, but how does this affect our branch libraries? I’m pleased to announce the launch of our latest pilot project with Poppleton History Society (PHS) which is  giving  us the opportunity to share archives and local history through our branch libraries in collaboration with a community partner.

The project started with PHS  approaching us and requesting to store and make accessible their archive collection in Poppleton Library. Initially there were concerns around whether we would have enough space, as Poppleton is one of our smaller branch libraries. The Society had purchased two filing cabinets to house their archive material and we agreed to put the cabinets in the Library asking them to  select items of local interest to go inside.

We tasked PHS with cataloguing their own collection, as we felt they knew more about it than we did. I provided them with a box list template to make sure they captured the most important information. It was great to see them rise to the challenge and enjoy the process! They enjoyed it so much that three members of the society have been the first to book onto the Gateway to Your Archives  training workshops running next year (details to follow shortly).

We had no idea what material they had stored away in the garages and attics of their members but we were thrilled with what they came back to us with. The collection contains a wealth of information on the history of Poppleton especially relating to local schools and historic buildings, including the Tithe Barn. It also includes information on events and projects the Society have been involved with, in particular the themed historical banquets they run every year. The Society are currently transcribing a series of oral history recordings, and these will be made available as part of the collection over the coming months.

We held a fantastic launch event for this project a couple of weeks ago, everyone was so positive and pleased to see a new resource being made available in their local library. You can see all the photographs from the event on our Flickr page.

This pilot is part of the HLF Gateway to History project and demonstrates new and innovative ways of sharing archives and local history with our branch libraries. We’ve now got a fantastic working relationship with PHS which will enable us to work more with them in the future.

The Poppleton History Society Archive is now available in Poppleton Library for anyone to view. The collection is still owned by PHS so if you have any questions about the history of the village or the collection you can contact Julian Crabb, Secretary,  at  johnjcrabb@gmail.com.

Watch our website over the coming months as the catalogue for the PHS archive will be made available on the Poppleton Library page. Why not head over to Poppleton Library and take a look at the archive for yourself?

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