1. - Religious Archives Group



Mapping Religion-and Belief-Related Audio-Visual Collections in the UKReport to The National Archives, Religious Archives Group and British Library Oral History, June 2014Clare CanningContents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u 1. Executive summary PAGEREF _Toc268171872 \h 12. Background to the mapping project PAGEREF _Toc268171873 \h 2Aims PAGEREF _Toc268171874 \h 2Objectives PAGEREF _Toc268171875 \h 33. Methodology PAGEREF _Toc268171876 \h 3Parameters PAGEREF _Toc268171877 \h 3The database PAGEREF _Toc268171878 \h 4Desk-Based Research PAGEREF _Toc268171879 \h 4Surveys PAGEREF _Toc268171880 \h 5Response rate from surveys and emails PAGEREF _Toc268171881 \h 5Analysis and limitations of methodology PAGEREF _Toc268171882 \h 64. Analysis of results – Key findings and Issues PAGEREF _Toc268171883 \h 6Oral History PAGEREF _Toc268171884 \h 6Religion PAGEREF _Toc268171885 \h 6Geographical Scope PAGEREF _Toc268171886 \h 9Catalogues and Repositories PAGEREF _Toc268171887 \h 9Other Trends/Issues PAGEREF _Toc268171888 \h 105. Recommendations PAGEREF _Toc268171889 \h 11Immediate Recommendations PAGEREF _Toc268171890 \h 11Wider recommendations PAGEREF _Toc268171891 \h 116. Dissemination and Email Archiving PAGEREF _Toc268171892 \h 12Appendices PAGEREF _Toc268171893 \h 13Appendix A: Example of targeted email PAGEREF _Toc268171894 \h 13Appendix B: Example of list-serve survey email PAGEREF _Toc268171895 \h 14Appendix C: Total Collections by Region and Religion PAGEREF _Toc268171896 \h 151. Executive summaryThis report is built upon a small-scale mapping project of religion-related audio-visual collections in the UK. The steering group is made up of representatives from The National Archives, Religious Archives Group and the Oral History section of the British Library. This report accompanies an excel database containing details of 164 collections identified as a result of the mapping project.The collections are held in a wide variety of repositories, from regional sound and film archives to the archives of religious organisations. 62 entries have a catalogue or other reference number whilst others remain uncatalogued or are accessible online only. A total of 94 entries in the database are oral history collections or have an oral history component. Ten religions or religion-related movements are represented in the collections, alongside material concerning wider discussions of faith or a combination of more than one faith. Over half of the collections identified are national or international in scope. Of those collections which are local or regional in focus, London and the South East are the best represented. The size of collections varies a great deal. Many contain fewer than 10 interviews whilst larger collections hold up to 500 or several thousand recordings. Those not oral history-focussed can contain recordings of religious services, sermons, debates, radio programmes and music, amongst others. There appears to be significant enthusiasm for oral history projects exploring religion within local communities. The focus of many is on minority-faith groups, the development of places of worship, inter-faith relations and wider issues regarding migration and settlement within the UK. Whether supported by a major funding provider or otherwise, this should be underpinned with expertise on best practice regarding the archiving of original material.Based on the findings of the mapping project the following immediate recommendations have been made to the sponsors of the study, The National Archives, the British Library and the Religious Archives Group. Work with funding bodies to support religion-related oral history projects in an attempt to even the geographic scope and representation of religions and denominations, particularly in Wales, Northern Ireland, the North East, South West and Yorkshire and the Humber. More focus is required into research around minority faith groups with significant populations in the UK. (such as Sikhism, Hinduism, and Buddhism). In relation to Christian denominations, efforts should be focused on investing in collections related to the Church of England and Roman Catholicism, where large numbers of collections were expected as a result of population sizes yet few were located.Advise funding bodies to ensure conditions of funding regarding the archiving of original material are met. This includes ensuring up-to-date information regarding the location of original material in repositories is given on project websites. Use new-media platforms to assist with searching for relevant projects and collections, and for disseminating outcomes and calls for information.Make the database public and support the future update of information within it. Consider the archiving of project websites in the UK Web Archive where no original recordings have been identified.2. Background to the mapping projectThe National Archives (TNA), the Religious Archives Group (RAG) and the Archives and Records Association are partners in carrying forward a multi-year support plan for religious archives. One strand explores the potential to create new and to promote existing audio-visual collections, particularly for religious movements (Christian, non-Christian, alternative, secularist) which have emerged and/or grown significantly since c. 1970 and which often have limited documentary archives. The British Library has agreed to advise and assist with this strand.The UK currently has no national catalogue of audio-visual archive holdings, and those holdings are widely dispersed among several hundred repositories. This is especially true of community-based oral history work, for which there has generally been no national searchable database of projects and catalogue records (where these exist). An initial task was therefore identified to undertake, through desk-based research, a high-level mapping of the UK’s existing religion- and belief-related audio-visual collections at a collection (as opposed to item) description level. The particular focus is on oral and video history, although other audio-visual outputs (such as moving image and sound recordings, including music, conferences, lectures, debates and radio programmes) will also be relevant in the longer term.The main deliverable of the mapping project is an excel database, containing a breakdown of relevant collections identified. In addition, this report summarises the findings of the mapping project, which has been conducted over a total period of 25 days based at the Oral History section of the British Library, under direct supervision by Elspeth Millar, Archivist and Rob Perks, Lead Curator. The report outlines the aims and objectives of the project, the methodology and approach used in the production of the database, a gap analysis and an indication of recommendations for future audio-visual fieldwork in the religion and belief area.AimsThe aims of the mapping project were:To provide an indication of the nature of religion and belief related audio-visual material held in collections in the UK. This information will be available publicly, raising awareness of existing audio-visual collections and providing a useful research tool for the study of religion and belief in the UK. To identify detailed information (where possible) related to collections such as location, subject content, format of recordings, extent of collection, project funders, copyright, catalogue details and accessibility. Analysis of the key findings will provide the basis for a gap analysis, particularly in relation to oral history projects across the UK, and the formation of recommendations for the sector as a result. To assess whether the project methodology and outcomes can inform potential future projects, particularly in relation to larger-scale searches of audio-visual and oral history collections in the UK.Objectives The objectives of the mapping project were:To carry out desk-based research and conduct surveys regarding relevant collections; and to capture metadata (details relating to content, repository, accessibility and other fields). To input the data generated through research and surveys into an Excel database (which could, at a later date, be imported into a formal catalogue) containing top-level information about the content and location of the principal collections, with links or other signposts to available finding aids. This will be published online. To produce a report identifying key findings of the mapping project. The report is to outline the methodology and approach to searching for collections, highlight issues and trends raised by the key findings, and propose a set of recommendations for future audio-visual fieldwork in the religion and belief area.3. Methodology ParametersThe mapping project aimed to collate basic information regarding the nature and location of audio-visual collections in the UK relating to religion and belief. Metadata pertaining to the content of a collection, the repository, format and extent of recordings, copyright and access was anticipated. It was not thought that requests for such information should take up much time on the part of librarians and archivists, rather it was expected that an indication of the existence of a relevant collection would suffice in most instances. For this reason, a number of parameters were prescribed to effectively limit the scope of the search, whilst providing enough relevant data to inform future, perhaps more detailed, work in this area. The focus of the search was therefore on collection-level information, excluding those collections held outside the UK and collections held in the UK but relating to religion overseas (except for UK-based overseas missionary work). The primary effort was on identifying oral/video history collections although other audio-visual outputs are considered of interest. It was agreed by the steering group that photographic collections are too extensive to survey at this stage. A broad approach to the definition of religion and belief was taken, encompassing any collection related to a major religion or denomination alongside wider issues of faith, spirituality and non-religion. In the case of faiths where growth has been dependent upon immigration, the main focus of many oral history projects is on wider ethno-cultural interest. Such projects have been included where religion forms a distinct or intertwined aspect.The databaseFields for inclusion in the database were established as an initial step. The following categories have been identified and filled as far as possible for each data entry:Repository, Collection name, Catalogue reference number, Creator of collection, Format of recordings, Extent of audio-visual material, Content, Religion, Denomination, Other subjects, Funder, Copyright, Access, Links to further information, Contact, NotesIt was not anticipated that information will be available to fill each field, or that the whole database will be made publicly available. The Contact and Notes fields are intended largely for documentary purposes, in order to track contact made with archives and project managers where appropriate in future. Desk-Based ResearchInternet Research - Google searches were carried out to locate relevant collections and projects. Search terms such as ‘audio-visual’, ‘oral history’, ‘religion’, ‘belief’ and ‘faith’ were used alongside the names of religions, denominations and religious movements. These included but were not limited to ‘Christianity’, ‘Islam’, ‘Hinduism’, ‘Buddhism’, ‘Methodism’, ‘Judaism’, ‘Sikhism’, ‘Baha’i’, ‘Zoroastrianism’, ‘Sufism’, ‘Pentecostalism’, ‘United Reformed Church’, ‘Catholicism’, ‘Baptist’, ‘Humanist’, ‘Quaker’, ‘Latter-Day Saints’, ‘Paganism’, ‘Jainism’, ‘Jehovah’s Witness’ etc. Variations of these terms and other related words (including places of worship) were also used in searches. For example, ‘Jewish’, ‘Jew’, ‘Sephardi’, Sephardic’, ‘Synagogue’, ‘Liberal’ etc. If a relevant project or collection was found this way and little information was provided about the content or repository of original recordings, a targeted email was sent to the most appropriate contact requesting further information (see appendix A). This approach was also taken when searching online archive catalogues and websites, as below.Oral History Journal - Each issue of the Oral History Journal (from 1972-2013) was checked for any relevant oral history projects. The section ‘Current Work in British Oral History’ listed new and ongoing projects. MLAC Reports – During 2005-2008 reports were commissioned by various MLAs (Museums, Libraries and Archive Councils) in England about audio-visual collections in their regions. Reports for the North East, South East and West Midlands, available on the Oral History Society (OHS) website, were searched for relevant religion and belief related collections.Oral History Bibliographies – The following two publications were used to find relevant collections:Perks, R. 1990. Oral History: An Annotated Bibliography. London: The British Library National Sound ArchiveWeerasinghe, L. 1989. Directory of Recorded Sound Resources in the United Kingdom. London: The British Library Sound ArchiveBritish Library Collections – British Library sound archive collections were searched through the online Sound & Moving Image Catalogue. () Heritage Lottery Fund – The Heritage Lottery Fund website was used to search for oral history projects related to religion. Little information is available regarding individual projects so Google searches were also used. University Research Projects – A database compiled by Tim Powell, The National Archives, held details of recent work conducted by researchers in university departments. This information was used to search for projects on university websites, prior to requests for information regarding original recordings made directly to researchers via email. SurveysA call for information was sent via a number of email list-serves, as follows (see Appendix B):Religious Archives Group - religious-archives-group@jiscmail.ac.ukNational Register of Archives - archives-nra@jiscmail.ac.ukOral History Network - oral-history-network@British and Irish Sound Archives - BISA@jiscmail.ac.ukPosted on ‘H-Oralhist’ network - The call was also posted to ABTAPL and SocRel lists by Clive Field, and sent to regional film archives. The survey made a request for the identification of collection-level audio-visual material related to religion and belief. It was intended to invite brief responses to highlight relevant collections, to be followed up with a more detailed request for information if applicable. A response was requested within 10 days.Response rate from surveys and emailsEmails – 42 project or collection specific emails were sent to request further information following various searches. 18 initial responses were received.Surveys – 31 responses were received in reply to general calls for information. These generated a total of 36 entries (out of a total of 164) on the database. A breakdown of the number of entries found in response to each source is below.Analysis and limitations of methodologyThe use of the search terms above to locate religion-related collections is not extensive. This method is limited as there is no definitive list of religions, denominations and variations of terms to consult. Furthermore, it is not feasible to apply each term to every online catalogue, meaning collections may have been missed in this way. As the process is self-selective it was hoped a call for information would allow other collections, related to search terms otherwise not considered, to be highlighted. Where the subject of religion and belief is intertwined in projects with a focus on wider ethno-cultural issues, difficulty also arose in searching using religion-related terminology. The methodology is therefore limited in terms of finding such projects, and also in whether they were to be included in the database (a decision largely left to personal judgement). The call for information was intended to result in brief replies indicating the presence of a collection. This was to be followed with a more specific email if further information was required from the archivist/librarian (e.g. if the collection was not catalogued). Initially, where more information was requested, a short template was sent as an attachment to fill various fields related to the database. Generally, this was considered to be too time-costly and a list of fields within the email was used thereafter. Confusion also arose in several cases as to what constituted ‘audio-visual’ material.In relation to searching entries in oral history bibliographies and the OHS Journal, entries made in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s were harder to locate than those made thereafter. Oral history projects funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and related to religion and belief were also difficult to find through the information provided on the HLF website. The name of the applicant is provided but little information regarding the scope of the project is available. Google searches were used in order to locate individual project websites; however this method was liable to the same limitations as other self-selective internet-based searches. A request to the HLF was made for a breakdown of funded oral history projects related to religion. A list of oral history projects is available which is currently being updated. The HLF indicated the updated information would be available in July 2014. 4. Analysis of results – Key findings and IssuesOral History 94 of a total 164 entries are oral history collections, projects or have an oral or video history component. Of these, 22 were funded by the HLF. Other funders include the AHRC (for research projects led by universities), Joseph Rowntree Trust, English Heritage, Forum of Faiths for Derby, MLA (the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council), Porticus, Henry Posner Fund, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, and Connexional Grants Committee. Religion Ten main religious categories have been established, alongside a ‘Mixed’ category for projects relating to two or more religions or broader faith-based topics. The total number of collections corresponding to each is displayed in the graph below. The graph also highlights the number of oral history collections within each category. Christianity is the focus of over a third of the total collections identified, the next largest category was ‘Mixed’ (indicating a focus on two or more religions or wider faith-based topics), followed by those relating to Judaism and Islam. Buddhism, Hinduism, Humanism, Mysticism, Sikhism, Yoga and Zoroastrianism are also represented in smaller numbers. Other faiths and religious movements, such as Jainism, Baha’i Faith, Taoism, Confucianism, Druidism, Rastafari Movement (as present in the 2011 Census for England and Wales) etc. are not represented at all. In relation to the presence of religious affiliation in England and Wales, it was expected that Christianity would be better represented than other faiths. It was also expected that Islam would have a relatively high level of representation in collections as reflected in Census 2011 figures. However, whilst Hinduism and Sikhism are the next largest groups according to Census 2011 figures, these faiths are poorly represented in audio-visual collections with just three and two collections identified respectively. Whereas the Jewish population is smaller than both Sikh and Hindu populations in England and Wales, a total of 28 collections have been identified. This can perhaps be explained by the focus of these collections on testimonies of the Holocaust, Second World War and evacuation. 23 of the 28 collections contain oral histories, suggesting that efforts have been centred on documenting living memories of these events. Census 2011 - Religion in England and WalesAll categories: ReligionChristianBuddhistHinduJewishMuslim (Islam)SikhOther religion: Total????????56,075,91233,243,175247,743816,633263,3462,706,066423,158240,530Figures taken from .ukIt is worth noting that the ‘Mixed’ category accounts for almost a third of all collections in the table. Within this category broader religion and belief related topics are present, alongside the representation of faiths which do not have a dedicated collection. For example, the Holocaust Collection, held by the USC Shoah Foundation, includes testimonies of Jehovah’s Witnesses as well as Jewish survivors. Likewise the ‘Young Persons Guide to Religion’ project at Rowan Arts in London, addresses Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and non-religion experience in the city.Within the 61 collections categorised as related to Christianity, 29 are related to particular denominations. Those identified are displayed in the graph below. Whilst Methodism accounts for the largest number of Christian Denomination-related collections, Baptist, Church of England, New Testament Church of God, Pentecostal, Quaker, Roman Catholic, The Salvation Army, Ukrainian Orthodox and United Reformed Church are all represented. The issue of denomination and sect in non-Christian faiths is not specifically addressed in the description of collections. The content of collections ranges from oral history interviews to recordings of debates, services, sermons, music, lectures, radio programmes and documentary film footage. There are a substantial number of oral history projects exploring religion within local communities. The focus of many is on minority-faith groups, the development of places of worship and wider issues regarding migration and settlement within the UK.Geographical Scope Over half of the 164 collections identified are national (63) or international (22) in scope. The remainder have a local or regional focus, which has been noted in the database. For the purposes of this analysis, collections with a local focus have been grouped by region and religion (this table can be viewed at the end of the document in Appendix C).London and the South East are relatively well-represented with 22 and 15 entries respectively. The West Midlands has eight and the North West has seven, whilst the remainder of the regions have five entries or less. The North East, South West and Yorkshire and the Humber are particularly under-represented with two or three entries each. Nine entries relate to religion in Scotland, whilst just one entry is present for both Wales and Northern Ireland. Wales, Northern Ireland and Yorkshire and the Humber have entries categorised as Mixed only, with no representation of particular religions or denominations (unless within collections in the Mixed category). The majority of collections related to Judaism and Islam are based in London or national in scope. Catalogues and Repositories Only 62 of a total 164 entries in the database have a catalogue or accession number. Over half of those that do have a catalogue or accession number (35) are British Library collections. The others are generally regional archives or major university libraries, such as Wessex Film and Sound Archive (9), North West Sound Archive (4) and SOAS Library (1). Only one local archive has a catalogued entry (Bexley Local Studies and Archives Centre) and one religious institution (United Reformed Church House). Film and sound recordings are catalogued at item level (rather than collection level) on the online catalogues of several regional film and sound archives, such as the North West Film Archive, South West Film and Television Archive and the British Film Institute. These institutions are included in the database with one row giving examples of some of the recordings and films that they hold, but not individually listing these.Several projects have a dedicated website where whole interviews or extracts are available. Many of these have been HLF funded and as such should have a library or archive associated with the project where original recordings have been, or are planned to be, deposited. This partnership with a local archive, library or museum is a condition of funding yet the websites of several entries on the database do not provide this information. Examples include ‘Like Sugar in Milk: Stories of Zoroastrian Migration to the South East of England’ the Hindu Council of Birmingham Oral History Project, and ‘Leicester Jewish Voices’. In some instances where a partner archive has been identified it transpires the original recordings have not been deposited. For example, the website for the ‘We Are Here’ Muslim oral history project (wearehereproject.co.uk/) states Kensington Central Library as the archive for the project. However, the library has no record of them being deposited. Oral history project websites often do not make it aware that original recordings will be deposited in an archive, or which repository it will be if they do. Those entries without accession or catalogue numbers often either take the form of community based projects (where material is directly available online), or university based academic research projects (which indicates that the research material is still held within the university department). The lack of either a catalogue or accession number indicates that these collections are not formally archived (for example, An Introduction to Watford Quakers and the Westminster Faith Debates). The implications of this is that it is difficult for current researchers to discover detailed content information about individual interviews or access them, and that, in the longer term, the original recordings are unlikely to be preserved and made accessible for future generations.Other Trends/Issues A number of older collections and projects were difficult to locate. In some instances material had been misplaced prior to being deposited. In others it appears that collections have been misplaced as a result of archive moves. In one such case, a collection of tapes previously held at Church House Record Centre, Westminster was identified in Weerasinghe, 1989:47. The archive was moved to a location in South Bermondsey and the collection can no longer be located or traced. When searching the website of a sound or film archive, themed subjects are often listed to showcase material available. These often include subjects such as work-life, industry, wartime memories, transport, sport, leisure, music, education and housing. Religion is rarely found to be a theme in these instances. An exception to this is the Wessex Sound Film and Sound Archive which includes ‘The Church’ in a list of themes where notable collections are summarised. Audio-visual collections held outside the UK may have a substantial interest in British history and religious movements. For example, Brigham Young University, Utah conducted an oral history project around the experiences of Latter-Day-Saints in the British Isles from 1900-1950.5. RecommendationsThe following recommendations have been made to the sponsors of the study, The National Archives, the British Library and the Religious Archives Group, based upon the findings of the mapping project. The recommendations will be considered by the sponsors when discussing how best to move forward. Immediate RecommendationsWork with funding bodies to support religion-related oral history projects in an attempt to even the geographic scope and representation of religions and denominations. This may involve the promotion of oral history amongst religious groups which are under-represented or not represented at all. More investment is required in Wales, Northern Ireland, the North East, South West and Yorkshire and the Humber, regions which have been identified as holding the fewest number of collections related to religion and belief. More focus is required into research around minority faith groups with significant populations in the UK. These include Sikhism, Hinduism, Buddhism and those not listed as a main religious category in the 2011 England and Wales Census (such as the Rastafarian Movement, Druidism, Jainism etc.). In relation to Christian denominations, efforts should be focused on investing in collections related to the Church of England and Roman Catholicism, where large numbers of collections were expected as a result of population sizes yet few were located.Advise the Heritage Lottery Fund to ensure conditions of funding regarding the archiving of original material are met. This includes ensuring up-to-date information regarding the location of original material in repositories is given on project websites. Advise the AHRC to ensure conditions of funding regarding the archiving of original material by researchers are met. Use new-media platforms to assist with searching for relevant projects and collections, and for disseminating outcomes and calls for information (it may be helpful for RAG to consider a twitter account to assist with this).Make the database (or a selection of categories) public and support the future update of information within it. This may help to ensure information is correct whilst providing a tracking tool for collections which may be moved with archives in the future.Consider the archiving of project websites in the UK Web Archive (.uk/ukwa/) where no original recordings have been identified.Wider recommendationsMake efforts to increase understanding of non-religion or spiritual movements. Future fieldwork establishing how best to locate such projects and collections where they may not necessarily be considered religious in nature may be helpful. Similarly, the exploration of non-Christian sects and denominations could be valuable.Promote religion as a relevant ‘theme’ for archives to showcase material on their websites.Work with local, regional and national inter-faith organisations to locate current oral history projects, to address the importance of archiving original material and in the promotion of future oral history work.Work with religion-related research networks and centres within universities to locate relevant projects and promote the importance of archiving material.Identify collections held outside of the UK but related to religion in the UK in future fieldwork. This may be particularly useful in an attempt to fill gaps where no oral history collection has been identified in UK archives relating to particular religions or denominations.6. Dissemination and Email ArchivingA meeting of the Steering Group was held upon the completion of the project where initial drafts of the database and project report were discussed. The following steps were agreed in considering how best to move forward:A publicly accessible version of the project database will be made available via the Religious Archives Group website. This will include entries for projects and collections which have been archived and are therefore available to users. Personal contact information and notes made during the undertaking of the project will be removed.The Religious Archives Group will also hold a master copy of the project database, complete with all the information gathered as a result of the project. This version will not be made publicly available.The report will be made available via the Religious Archives Group website and a contact email for enquiries and updates to the database will also be provided by RAG.The Oral History Society and other interested bodies will be invited to provide a link to the resource from their website.The British Library and Religious Archives Group will convene annually to discuss future developments and ensure the database is updated annually. An annual revision of data will be noted as an action in the Religious Archives Group Support Plan.The British Library may at a later point host the publicly accessible material on its website. Emails sent and received related to the gathering of data for the project will be saved at the British Library for future reference. An excel document containing data used for the analysis of results will also be saved.AppendicesAppendix A: Example of targeted emailHello,I am currently undertaking a project, on behalf of the British Library, The National Archives and the Religious Archives Group, compiling a searchable database of religion-related audio-visual collections in the UK. We hope that this will become publicly accessible in the future.I have become aware of a Heritage Lottery Fund project which was undertaken in 2012 in partnership with London Metropolitan University called ‘Muslim Women in Sport’. I believe the project had a number of audio-visual outputs including video histories with the film-makers and a final documentary film, ‘Sporting Sisters: Stories of Muslim Women in Sport’. Details of this can be found via the links below… was hoping you could let me know if a collection of the original recordings has been deposited with you as part of the Women’s Library. I believe they may have been part of that archive prior to the move to LSE.Any help you can provide in locating the original recordings so we can include the information in the database we are compiling will be much appreciated. Likewise if you are aware of any other relevant collections you think we should include in the database then do let us know.Best wishes,ClareClare Canning The British Library, The National Archives and Religious Archives GroupOral History & National Life StoriesThe British Library96 Euston Road | London | NW1 2DB020 7412 7345 | Clare.Canning@bl.ukbl.uk/oralhistoryAppendix B: Example of list-serve survey emailWith apologies for cross-posting.On behalf of the British Library, The National Archives and the Religious Archives Group, I am currently undertaking a high-level mapping of the UK’s existing religion-and belief-related audio-visual collections. I am writing to ask for your assistance in identifying any relevant collections (as opposed to items) which you may be aware of. The particular focus is on oral and video history, although other audio-visual outputs (such as moving images and sound recordings) will also be relevant in the longer term.The search excludes collections held outside the UK and collections held in the UK but relating to religion overseas (except for UK-based overseas missionary work). The primary effort is on identifying oral/video history collections.The main deliverable will be a searchable Excel database (which could, at a later date, be imported into a formal catalogue) containing top-level information about the content and location of the principal collections, with links or other signposts to available finding aids. This will be published online.Searching the Oral History journal has been useful so far. Discovering some of the older collections that are within archives but not catalogued fully, haven’t been archived or those projects which were not submitted as a news item to the journal may prove particularly helpful. Likewise, I would like to collect information relating to current projects where a repository has or has not yet been identified for the archiving of audio-visual material.If you are aware of any collections you may think are relevant for inclusion in the database could you please identify these in a reply to me at Clare.Canning@bl.uk (avoiding ‘reply to all’) if possible by Friday 30th May. As a result, I may also wish to contact you for further information regarding the collections identified. Any assistance you can provide will be much appreciated, and will hopefully contribute to a useful resource for the archives sector.Do please feel free to forward this message to others who may be interested in the project.Best wishes,ClareClare Canning The British Library, The National Archives and Religious Archives GroupThe British LibraryOral History & National Life Stories96 Euston Road | London | NW1 2DB020 7412 7345 | Clare.Canning@bl.ukbl.uk/oralhistoryAppendix C: Total Collections by Region and Religion?Total Collections by region and religionScopeBuddhismChristianityHinduismHumanistIslamJudaismMysticismSikhismYogaZoroastrianismMixedTotal by regionInternational?111?12????722National?181?813?1?2263East of England?2??1?????14East Midlands?1???1?1??25London14??36?1??722North East?1??1??????2North West?3???3????17Northern Ireland??????????11Scotland?4?1?3????19South East?13??1????1?15South West?1????1???13Wales??????????11West Midlands?31???????48Yorkshire and the Humber??????????22Total by religion161311528121150164 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download