Links to other websites
This is a brief list of some key websites relevant to local studies librarians. If you would like to suggest a new link please use the Contact Us form.
Conservation
Courses / CPD
Traditionally, local studies librarianship was an optional module on undergraduate and postgraduate courses in librarianship and information studies. In recent years, the number of these courses has been reduced, leaving only one local studies module available as a short course or distance learning course.
The CILIP Local Studies Group runs regular training courses across the country - check out our events pages for further details.
Education
These links may be of use to local studies librarians seeking ideas for using heritage materials with school groups. Many are aimed at teachers but will give an indication of what is being studied and how items are used in the classroom.
Family history
Local studies librarians are likely to be familiar with most of the well-known and popular sites, so this section aims to list some of the useful but perhaps less well-known sites.
- IGI batch numbers - Hugh Wallis' site, which enables you to search 'batches' of IGI records on the LDS FamilySearch website by surname. You can also easily see which records for a parish are available on the FamilySearch site.
Mailing lists
There is no separate mailing list for local studies librarians, although items on the following JISCmail lists may be of particular interest:
If you are a member of the CILIP Local Studies Group you should also receive regular mailings from the group, provided that you have registered on the CILIP website and set your preferences to receive group e-mails. Register now if you haven't already done so.
Societies
Volunteers
Local studies is one of the main areas of a library service in which volunteers are used. They can make a huge difference in increasing access to records, mainly through project-based roles that add value to the service.
Web 2.0
Local studies content can be a very useful asset for services interesting in using social media. Examples of local studies organisations using sites such as Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and YouTube are: