I am really excited to start as a Trainee at Stockport Heritage Library! The first few days were a blur of information, new faces and names. It was a little overwhelming but during the week we started to put into practice what we had learnt and this really helped me to remember a fraction at least of what I hope to learn in the coming weeks. My role as a trainee will be very varied. I will spend some time answering enquiries from the public, using the records we keep in the Heritage Library. I will also be cataloging a range of sources, such as newspaper cuttings, micro film, fiche, parish records, maps and many more archive collections. I will learn library processes, such a straightening books, monitoring public computer and filing. As a trainee with the Heritage Lottery Fund Project, I have the chance to go on courses to do with employability and also the chance to attend courses to do with heritage, some led by professional archivists to learn more about the field. This year’s trainees, Lauren and Natasha, have been on a variety of courses they recommend so I am looking forward to signing onto similar courses myself. Lauren and Natasha have been helping us to settle into the traineeship, and assure us that all of the information will sink in! It has been nice to meet them and to learn how they got on during their year as Trainees.
Here is a little of what I have been doing during my first week;
- I have been on tours of the library and the archive in the basement, and the work room
- I was introduced to how the heritage library works, using the computers, filing systems, microfilm users, queries and newsletters.
- I learnt how the classification system worked through straightening books
- I have enjoyed learning about and sorting photographs, the library has a fascinating and very extensive Image Archive!
- We were introduced to civil registration, parish records, the newspaper collection, electoral registers, trade directories, maps and census returns
- I have been practicing how to use microfilms
- We went out and about in Stockport taking photos of building around the centre for the archive
- We had an introduction to Ancestory.co.uk and other genealogy websites, which I really enjoyed and looking into family history is very addictive!
I feel very grateful for this opportunity and I am very excited for the year to come!
