The University of North London has been awarded an £80,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to improve and extend access to British Trade Union publications in the TUC Library Collections held at the University.
The grant will enable the University to:
- convert catalogue records for British Trade Union Publications
- ensure the resulting records are publicly available in a web-accessible catalogue
- share records created by the Project with libraries holding related material by posting them on the TALIS database
- carry out basic conservation work
- ensure that this newly disclosed resource is fully exploited by a range of publicity and information activities
The project will cost £99,842 and will be completed in 12 months. The Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded £80,000 towards the total costs.
The University anticipates that a wide range of visitors will use this facility. The University will energetically publicise the Collections through exhibitions, publications, lectures and study programmes with the aim of attracting not only academics, but also the staff of trade unions and other work-related organisations, national and local policy makers, schoolteachers, lifelong learners, and the media.
Vice Chancellor Brian Roper said: "The publications held in the TUC Library Collections, form a significant part of the national heritage. This grant will allow universal access to these materials through the World Wide Web."
TUC General Secretary, John Monks said: "This Lottery money presents us with a marvellous opportunity to do justice at long last to this amazing collection. The TUC and trade unions have produced material on a wide range of subjects down the years, but many students and researchers remain unaware of the existence of these publications. This welcome Lottery grant will hopefully change all that. And once the TUC catalogue goes on the internet, students from around the world will be able to learn more from British trade unions' rich social history."
The TUC Library Collections already have an access policy which encourages use of the resources by non-academic researchers - some 25 per cent of visitors are from non-Higher Education backgrounds. Widening access will be a priority of the Collections.
For more information see the Trade Union Congress Library Collections Web site.
Posted: 21 June 2000