LOCAL STUDIES WORKSHOPS
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The result

These taster sessions have been successful in a number of respects:

• Participants leave with a much better knowledge of the local history resources available in Lincolnshire County Council's Library Service and how to exploit them;
• Most also leave with a better knowledge of the history of their own area;
• The library service benefits by having customers who have a better idea of what their local library can offer and know what to ask for - use of the local studies collections rises after a taster session;
• As these sessions are often held when the library is open, library staff pick up information by overhearing;
• Requests for talks to local clubs and societies often result from taster sessions, enabling the message to be spread wider;
• One library has had an informal local history group meeting monthly in the library as a result;
• Several large donations of books, cuttings and illustrations have been received from participants who perceive the library service as a safe place to deposit such items, and a place where they will be made available to the community.
• Ruth has been running these taster workshops for several years. Follow up workshops have been held in three libraries; approximately 100 people have attended taster sessions in the past 18 months.

The reasons for its success

The project has been successful for a number of reasons:

Stamford Library (photo François Matarasso)

• It is inexpensive;
• It uses existing resources and expertise;
• It responds to an existing need in the community for local history information;
• It is flexible, and can be run in almost any venue, in or out of a library.
• It has the support of local library staff to promote and host the sessions

Further information