Collecting a Nation - 2020_ A Year to Remember

This webinar focussed on approaches to collecting material on national events and causes, such as the coronavirus, Black Lives Matter, and climate change. Speakers included Cambridge University Library and their COVID-19 collecting appeal, and the Bishopsgate Institute discussing their Angela Christofilou Archive, which contains digital photography of contemporary protests and demonstrations in the UK.

"Cambridge University Library collects COVID-19": Jacky Cox, Keeper of University Archives, Caylin Smith, Head of Digital Preservation, Cambridge University Library Jacky and Caylin talk about this ongoing initiative to record the pandemic experience of the people of the collegiate University and city of Cambridge; the challenges of developing a workflow for digital transfers while working from home and lessons learned for future collection development. The range of digital material donated will be illustrated.

“Every voice matters - collecting black History – Historical and Contemporary”: Nasir Adam, Curator of Black History, Amgueddfa Cymru/ National Museum of Wales Nasir Adam is an enabler and connector, who works to create opportunities for diverse communities in Wales and ensure that every voice count. Working on increasing the number of black history-related objects and oral histories in the collection. Revisiting the museum’s existing collection, and exploring opportunities to reinterpret objects through a decolonising lens.

"Accepting and making available a photographic archive of UK contemporary protests and demonstrations": Stef Dickers, Library and Archives Manager, Bishopsgate Institute and Angela Christofilou, creator of the Angela Christofilou Archive. Stef and Angela discuss the Angela Christofilou Archive, which is a photographic archive containing digital photography of contemporary protests and demonstrations in the UK, and how they accepted this archive and made it accessible.