Highlighting new digital content from across the sector. To submit a link email . Project links will be added to MLA databases searchable by project name, institution and content.

*NEW

A website you may remember!

Launch of Gunpowder Plot web site

Launched on October 12th, http://www.gunpowderplot.parliament.uk is a new web site marking the 400 year anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot. It is an interactive learning experience detailing the background to the plot, the events as they happened and the resulting capture and execution of the conspirators.

There are 2 versions of the site – one aimed at Key Stage 2 children aged 7-11 (Children’s Zone) and the other for Key Stage 3 children aged 11-14 and adults (Adults’ Zone). Both are supported by teacher’s notes.

The site was commissioned by The Parliamentary Archives, produced by 24 Hour Museum and designed and built by mwr.

Around 40% of the interactivity has been built with mwr’s “Image Interpreter” application. This allows the creation of in depth and engaging content by adding hot spots across digital images to which additional images, text, audio or video files can be added.

Helpers – a new web resource for family and local historians

Helpers, (http://www.helpers.shl.lon.ac.uk), a web interface designed to open up archival and manuscript collections in the University of London to family and local historians and other public library users, has just been launched, thanks to funding from the former Electronic Access to Resources
in Libraries (EARL) Consortium and the Laser Foundation
(http://www.bl.uk/about/cooperation/laser.html).
Helpers contains descriptions of archival and manuscript collections held in Senate House Library, University of London (www.shl.lon.ac.uk) and other libraries in the University of London which are of particular interest to family and local historians. There are also:
• special tutorials and introductions to higher education libraries and archives
• details of access arrangements
• digitised examples of the material described
This growing new web interface will help family and local historians to make the most of archival and manuscript collections held in higher education libraries and to build up a rich and contextualised history of their ancestors and localities.

For further information about Helpers (http://helpers.shl.lon.ac.uk) please contact:
Tom Boyd
Senate House Library
University of London
Senate House
Malet Street
London
WC1E 7HU

Telephone 020 7862 8477
Fax 020 7862 8480
Email

Previous Postings

Parliamentary Archives Online Catalogue - The Parliamentary Archives announces the launch of Portcullis, its online catalogue. This is the result of a 5-year project and contains over 700 electronic and paper finding aids and descriptions of all catalogued holdings in the archives. Further details at www.portcullis.parliament.uk

Texts in Context is a major new online recourse for secondary studfents from the British Library. Texts in context enables students to epxlore how the English Language has evolved and changed over time. Details available at www.bl.uk/learning

Churchill Sound Archive - Churchill's speeches are now available online at www.churchillspeeches.com. This innovative project is the result of a collaborative initiative involving learning technology specialist mwr, networking company Cisco Systems, and staff at the Cabinet War Rooms, delivers content authored by specialists, accompanied by a wealth of supporting materials and delivered with engaging interactivity and is well worth a look.

Manuscripts Queensland - The State Library of Queensland has launched a new web service Manuscripts Queensland making finding aids to orginal materials of the State Library of Queensland available online for the first time through the Queensland Digital Library. To view these go to www.manuscriptsqld.slq.qld.gov.au

National Railway Museum Search Engine Project - the project webpages of the NRM are now live . The project aims to make available the museums 180 tonnes of library and archvie material. Progress and details can be found at www.nrm.org.uk

A DNA digital archive is born

The Wellcome Library launched the Francis Crick 'Profiles in Science' digital archive in February http://profiles.nlm.nih.gov

The archive includes Crick’s DNA research notes, early sketches of the double helix, and drafts of his and James Watson’s ground-breaking 1953 articles in Nature, and forms a unique and essential resource for anyone interested in the evolution of genetics. This new online resource stems from a collaboration between the Wellcome Library and the United States National Library of Medicine. A detailed catalogue of the Crick papers can be searched at <http://archives.wellcome.ac.uk/>.

Dundee and India Roots, Rivalry and Interdependence An online exhibition illustrating Dundee's former industrial links with India can now be accessed online at

http://www.dundee.ac.uk/archives/IndiaExhib

The exhibition uses material from collections held by the University of Dundee Archive, Records Management and Museum Services.