‘SHARING THE WONDER’— a collaborative approach to promoting, preserving and sharing the content of special collections

A one day conference at Queens’ College, Cambridge on 12th September 2011

The uniqueness and specialised appeal of our collections offers little protection from financial constraints. Many are under threat – of dispersal, of neglect and even disposal in favour of digitised copies – and this conference focuses on ways in which colleagues are sharing their expertise and knowledge to ensure their collections ‘work’, that is, that they continue to be relevant and available to meet the needs and interests of their varied audiences – be these scholars or the public at large.

Speakers will include:
Dr Stella Panayotova, Keeper of Rare Books & Manuscripts at the Fitzwilliam Museum, and mainstay of the ‘Cambridge Illuminations’ project to exhibit, catalogue and publish information about  the entire body of illuminated manuscripts held in the Colleges and other parts of the University.

Dr Alison Walker, retired head of the National Preservation Office at the British Library, who is coordinating a project to catalogue the dispersed library of Sir Hans Sloane that forms the 18th century core of the British Museum and Natural History Museum libraries.

Natalie Adams, Senior Archivist at the Churchill Archives who is involved in a commercial project to make Sir Winston Churchill’s papers available online.

We will also hear from the Parker Library of Corpus Christi College, which has collaborated with Stanford University to make its entire manuscript collection online; and from conservators at the Cambridge Colleges Conservation Consortium, who will describe how their work helps to keep special collections ‘in working order’ and also offers unexpected insights into the history of the book.

The cost of attendance is £25 and the programme includes lunch and a visit to a choice of special collections within a few minutes walking distance of Queens’ College.

To Book, please complete the form here.