An Island Library and Archives explored

As Suzi Heslan completes her first year as Librarian on the Isle of Man, she shares what she is learning about Manx National Heritage:

Manx National Heritage is tasked to help to preserve and conserve our heritage and landscape for future generations. A body of Museum and Ancient Monuments Trustees was established in the Isle of Man by Act of Tynwald in 1886 with the aim of preserving the Island’s cultural heritage and establishing the first national museum. The present day Manx Museum and National Trust is supported by the Isle of Man Government and its Trustees are appointed by Tynwald. The Trust exists to take the lead in protecting, conserving, making available and celebrating the Island’s natural and cultural heritage for current and future generations, whilst contributing to the Island’s prosperity and quality of life. The Manx Museum, a former hospital building, is situated in the Island’s capital, Douglas. It first opened its doors in November 1922, including an active library from the outset, managed by the first librarian William Cubbon.



We are still situated in the Manx Museum, although the library location has moved several times to allow for expansion and improved public facilities. Our current library and archives stack was constructed in the late 1950s; annexed new facilities were added in the early 1970s. Our archival and printed collections include a vast range of items such as manuscripts, photographs, maps, prints, posters, books, pamphlets, ephemera, newspapers and journals. Printed matter is especially strong in topics such as Manx history, culture, art, folklore, language, motorsport, archaeology, holiday guides and internment camps. Our archives include family history and building history resources, as well as papers relating to certain Manx businesses, churches, societies and families or individuals. We welcome a variety of people through our doors, ranging from legal clerks, authors and students to family historians and holiday makers.

Manx National Heritage and iMuseum
Manx National Heritage’s Museum is one of the most diverse digital catalogues I have ever encountered. It provides free and growing online access to parts of the Manx National Heritage Museum Collections, Manx National Heritage Library and Archives and the Isle of Man Sites and Monuments Record. Listed alphabetically, it offers search access to objects, items, sites and monuments. This is where items in the library and archives catalogue, traditionally viewable via an OPAC, but here included within iMuseum, can be searched online. This integrated museum, archives and ­library approach to searchable catalogues really resonates with me as an intuitive, impressive and searchable cross collection database resource. The iMuseum Newspapers & Publications provides digital access to the most complete run of Isle of Man newspapers from 1792 to 1960. Whilst access to iMuseum is free, the newspapers are a subscription service – or free to search from the library reading room.

Managing the printed collections
I have been Librarian for Manx National Heritage for over a year, having joined the team in June 2018 from Ironbridge Gorge Museums Trust. I manage the printed collections for the service, including books, pamphlets, ephemera and serials. During my initial months as Librarian, I was given the task of coordinating the move of our newspaper collection to a new store and I emerged from the task energised by getting better acquainted with the papers which form a jewel-in-the-crown of Manx National Heritage resources. The earliest issue we hold is the Manks Mercury of Tuesday 25 December 1792 and we collect up to the present day. Those spanning 1792-1960 are searchable digitally on iMuseum with more recent newspapers available to consult on microform or hard drive in our Reading Room at the Manx Museum. With many older newspaper titles being broadsheet rather than tabloid in size, the store move involved relocating hundreds of bulky, oversized boxes: help from a commercial removal firm was needed as well as some detailed planning. Practical matters such as team members and volunteers securing box lids to box bottoms had to be considered. Our revised opening hours have allowed us the flexibility to really focus on ­performing essential collections management tasks. My two weeks of planning and preparation, measuring shelving, counting boxes, liaising with the removal team and organising logistics flew by until removal day arrived and the removal team of seven were on hand and carefully set to work. Multiple trips later, having relocated boxes according to the moving plan; the contents were in their newly-refurbished store with room for growth. A big move for a big day!

Mutiny on the Bounty
Our printed collection has some interesting quirks. We are one of only a handful of libraries in the British Isles which use the subject classification of James Duff Brown, which was implemented by the first Librarian in 1922. I find this an easy classification system to work with and it has been adapted to suit the needs of our collection, as well as having historic prestige. There are subject areas in Manx heritage which surprise me, for instance, we collect printed items about Mutiny on the Bounty (two mutineers, Fletcher Christian and Peter Haywood were Manx). Also the Manx language and dialect section for me is most interesting, as it has enabled me to understand and learn about Manx culture. We also have a strong interest in the collecting material by the 19th century writer Hall Caine who spent the majority of his life living on the Island, set many of his novels here and whose personal papers we hold in the archives. He was once more famous than his contemporary Charles Dickens and our printed collection includes many first editions of his works.

The Library and Archives team
An Archivist, Librarian, two Library and Archives Assistants and a Conservator make up our small team. We open to the public four days a week (Weds-Sat) offering an “on demand service”, with no appointment necessary for researchers, although prior notice is appreciated. In addition we receive a wide-range of enquiries from around the world ranging from questions about how to trace a family member to the history of the Fairy Bridge in the south of the Island (in the Isle of Man, it is said to be bad luck not to greet the Little People said to dwell under the bridge). We are helped by many dedicated and hard-working volunteers. Some have ­contributed to extracting details of prisoners from the Castle Rushen gaol registers, 1825-1891, now available on imuseum.im. Other volunteer projects include repackaging of resources and harvesting data from the Calf of Man Bird Observatory logs. The regular team has at least one full day a week to work behind-the-scenes on cataloguing and collections management projects as well as participate in outreach events and work outside the office. During the past 12 months, we have assisted in the hosting of the summer ­regional meeting for Archives and ­Records Association North West, welcomed researching school groups and held tours and talks for private groups. We also participated in Explore Your Archives 2018, hosting remembrance sessions for the First World War in pubs around the island under the title Pubs, Pints and Poppies. We have also delivered family history ­research sessions for The Isle of Man Family History ­Society and a range of beginner’s sessions for members of the public. Our remit is ­always as varied and diverse as the ­people we welcome.

Libraries forum
Being a librarian on a small island which is also not part of the UK, means that I have had to learn much about the Manx context and governance of library and information environments. In addition my local knowledge is growing all the time. The Island’s Libraries forum has been an excellent way of learning and sharing best practice with library colleagues from across the sector island wide. The forum meets quarterly and includes information professionals from academic, health and public libraries and archives. It is a great way to share information and work more collaboratively as information providers. It is also the only information professional’s network I have worked with, which is representative of an entire nation.

The road ahead
The road ahead for Manx National Heritage is articulated in the 2019-2021 Manx Museum and National Trust Forward Plan. This was produced by our Director Edmund Southworth, Executive Leadership Team and Trustees to summarise and confirm the activities and priorities agreed by the Manx Museum and National Trust in the shorter and medium terms. Our Library and Archives Forward Plan gives a focus also for the next three years of our team’s work. In the meantime, my inaugural year as Librarian at Manx National Heritage is complete. I look forward to many more to come.