By Kate Wilcox
History Day 2018 will be the biggest yet, with more than sixty libraries, archives and history organisations participating. On 27 November at Senate House, University of London, you can explore the History fair and meet with staff representing a diverse range of history collections and resources that could be invaluable for your research. Postgraduate students, final year undergraduates and private researchers will get a lot out of this free event and everyone is welcome.
The Institute of Historical Research and Senate House Library are pleased to welcome over a dozen new organisations to the sixth History Day. The Guardian News & Media Archive, Salvation Army International Heritage Centre, Shakespeare’s Globe and University of Manchester The John Rylands Library are just some of the institutions attending for the first time. From outside London we are welcoming Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford, Historic England Archive & Library, University of Leicester Library, EILC Engineering Institutions’ Librarians’ Committee and Gladstone’s Library. The Churchill Archives Centre will come alongside the University of Cambridge Archives Collections.
History Fair 2017
A range of subjects will be covered at this free event. The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art will be attending for the first year, alongside previous attendees National Portrait Gallery: Heinz Archive & Library and the Goldsmiths University of London Women’s Art Library. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew will be coming for the first time joining the Royal Horticultural Society Lindley Library. Organisations showcasing collections on the history of science and medicine include the Wellcome Library, Royal College of Physicians library and archives, Royal College of Nursing Library and Archive Service, the Dana Research Centre and Library, Science Museum, The Linnean Society of London and the Geological Society Library.
Information resources are also represented. COPAC joins this year with colleagues from Archives Hub and Archives Portal Europe. The History of Parliament Trust will attend for the second year. There will be plenty of opportunities to discuss your research and get help with locating collections and expertise. See a full list of participating organisations.
Alongside the history fair, a series of complementary drop-in talks will give research advice and insights into using a range of collections. From general advice to specific research topics, there will be something for everyone. The programme is available on the event website, where you can also read blog posts covering a range of collections on the theme of women’s history and a series describing the experiences of research students.
Sign up for this free event to enjoy an informative and fun day. There are still a few spaces available for organisations, please contact us for further information.
Kate Wilcox is Reader Experience and Technical Services Manager at the Institute of Historical Research and one of the organisers of History Day.