Latest Library News
All material now available from Glutton Bridge Library
The move of the remaining material from the Matlock library to the Glutton Bridge library is now complete. It will take some time to organise the new material, but if you need anything, please contact the librarian.
Jenny Potts
26th July 2010
Consolidation of the Glutton Bridge and Matlock Libraries
We have been informed by the Librarian at Derbyshire Local Studies Library that following a reorganisation they are no longer able to accommodate that part of the BCA Library which is currently housed in Matlock.
With this in mind, steps are afoot to move the material from Matlock to Gliutton Bridge. This will result in the entire British Caving Library being on one site making its management much easier.
Jenny Potts
6th April 2010
Appointment of Senior Assistant Librarian
We are pleased to announce that Mary Wilde has accepted the appointment of Senior Assistant Librarian, based in the Glutton Bridge premises. Mary took over at the end of December from Janet Nash, who helped us to establish the new régime. Mary's position is part-time
Jenny Potts
6th April 2010
Caving Audio Archives
We have added a Caving Audio Archives to the website, which may be visited here.
There are currently 122 interviews given by 40 interviewees, lasting over 16 hours. The interviewees include such notable cavers as Herbert Balch, Eric Hensler, Bob Leakey, and Ken Pearce. None of the interviews last for more than 15 minutes.
More recordings are steadily being added from a stockpile, but many more are required!
The recordings are held in MP3 format, and are available from both embedded technology and as downloadable files.
The embedded technology uses an Adobe Flash MP3 player, and requires the Adobe Flash plugin to be installed on your browser and JavaScript to be be enabled. If this is inconvenient, you can download the MP3 files and play them offline.
We hope that you enjoy the recordings, and we very much look forward to your feedback as well as your contributions.
Webmaster
19th February 2009
An update on the British Caving Archive from Dave Checkley
Perhaps it is appropriate right at the start to make clear the nature of the archive. The archive includes all the original, unique data: the typed or hand written notes, the original surveys, the photographs and the negatives, for the exploration of British caves. It does not include any published material. Published material, however old, is for the library. We are fortunate in finding amongst the boxed library material many of the original record books, dating back to the 1930s, prepared by members of British caving's first national body, the British Speleological Association (BSA). These books are to form the core, of what we hope will develop into the National Caving Archive. BCRA and the BGS see this as the start of a unique, living record of cave exploration in Britain.
As a first step agreement has been reached with the British Geological Survey (on the terms of transfer of the archive material to secure, temperature and humidity controlled storage, at their site in Keyworth, Nottingham. Given concerns of potential donors to the archive and possible issues around ownership, the transfer will be made on the basis of "indefinite transfer", without transfer of ownership. David Checkley and David Judson hope to shortly sign the Terms of Deposit and Memorandum of Understanding forms, on behalf of BCRA Council. Members of the BGS will also sign these forms.
Dave Judson has completed the process of archiving (creating a special type of page by page catalogue) for the majority of the early BSA record books. This has been a painstaking labour of love, listing the contents of these fascinating books. The archive material will be available on line, on the BGS website, www.bgs.ac.uk. So for the first time cavers and the public will know the contents of these historic documents. They will also be able to access the archive record books, for reference, in the BGS library five days a week.
The program of future activities being planned with the BGS, includes the following:
- Continued archiving by BCRA volunteers, of surveys and photographs currently in storage at Glutton Bridge. Once archived they will be transferred to the BGS.
- Transfer of the record books from Dave Judson's house to Glutton Bridge, for a publicity event to mark the start of the British Caving Archive.
- Transfer of this material to the BGS for a possible further publicity event.
- Establishment of the British Caving Archive website as part of the BGS website.
- Continued work on the joint application for funding to the Heritage Lottery Fund. This funding will be used to digitise key elements of the record books, photographs and surveys and make them available to the public, on the British Caving Archive website.
- Continued publicity by BCRA and the BGS to promote the British Caving Archive.
I hope this gives a clear picture of where we are now and where we are going to, with the start of the British Caving Archive. We hope this will provide safe and protective storage for valuable historic material. We aim to make this material available to the public, for reference and on line, so that all of us can enjoy the fascinating stories of the exploration of British caves.
Dave Checkley
12th February 2009
Latest developments on the library front
The process of cataloguing all the material in the library is now nearing completion and is accessible from the online catalogue. Because the website and catalogue have only just become available, we welcome any feedback. Please let us have your views by contacting the librarian via the contact below.
In the process of opening hundreds of boxes of previous uncatalogued books and journals, we have found many early records of caving in Britain. This material is fragile and much of it has never been published. We are hoping that it will form the nucleus of the National Caving Archive that will be housed in the British Geological Survey (BGS) headquarters in Keyworth, and will in time become available on the web. There will be a link to the BGS archive as soon as this becomes possible.
Donations to the library are always welcome, so if you have new or old caving literature that you wish to donate, please contact the librarian.
Dave Checkley
19th November 2008