Great news

I recently received some fantastic news here at the WCML.  My contract has been extended until the end of March 2012 (not 2011 as it says in Shelf Life – our Friends of the library bulletin).  Our treasurer has dug deep and, with the agreement of the trustees, has managed to find the money from the library’s reserves to fund me for a further year.

Having the Heritage Lottery Fund money meant that we were up to a staffing level of 4½ meaning that we were able to increase the profile of the libary, but this, of course, involves an increased workload – which is fantastic, but not sustainable with just the core staff of 1½, plus our former Librarian for one day a week, and the trustees felt that another full time librarian would help matters.

All of which means that I will be taking the place of three people!!  Although I suspect (know) I won’t be able to do the work of three, I’m chuffed to bits to be able to stay and work with a great group of people (staff and volunteers alike) in a library which has so much history and so much relevance to working people today.

Unfortunately we can’t look beyond March 2012 until our long term funding situation becomes clearer when Salford Council sets its budget in the new year.

In other people news – Kate, our project archivist, has moved on to a new contract in a business archive, whilst Caroline moved on in August to go and train as a teacher.  She was replaced by Marie Widger, who will be with us part-time until the end of February 2011.

Have a happy festive season

Jane
Project Librarian (for now)

 

Irish collection (2)

Way back in March I blogged about our Irish Collection and mentioned that we would be adding more detail to the catalogue records for the pamphlet collection.

Well, I’ve finally finished fully cataloguing the Irish pamphlet collection and what a job it was.

The collection now runs to 42 boxes and includes information on a variety of subjects, including 2 boxes on the Easter Rising and 6 boxes on the Northern Ireland Troubles, covering the period 1968-1998.

There is also a collection of periodicals from, or about Ireland and information about the Irish Labour Party, the Irish Trade Union Congress and its successor the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.

To find any of the Irish collection books or pamphlets search our online catalogue at
www.wcml.org.uk/catalogue/adlib-catalogue/