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County Societies Symposium

Institute of Historical Research, Senate House, University of London
1 May 2010, 10.30 – 4.30

A one-day symposium convened by the Victoria County History in partnership with the Institute of Historical Research, the British Association for Local History, the Historical Association, the Royal Historical Society, and the Centre for English Local History, University of Leicester.

The symposium is designed to provide a forum for county societies (whether archaeological, historical, antiquarian, natural history or records) to meet together to discuss matters of mutual interest and to share best practice.

County societies are invited to nominate a representative or representatives to attend the symposium, and are encouraged to bring sample literature including copies of their journals, recruitment material etc. A laptop computer will be available to showcase websites.

Aims

  1. How can we/are we coping with the situation/challenge of the present time? Are we able to recruit, and to do what?
  2. How should we be viewing change? Several of our sessions are on things which change including publishing, digitization, adult learning?
  3. Practical solutions towards our view of future structures linked to current organisations like the VCH or the Historical Association. Do we feel there is a need to share good practice on a more formal basis, and if so how should this be undertaken?

(Provisional) Programme for the day

10.30 – 11.00
Professor John Beckett, Director of the VCH and Chairman of The Thoroton Society – ‘The VCH, the county societies and the growth of local history since the nineteenth century’.
11.00 – 11.30
Rrecruitment, membership, funding and gift aid: a perspective from BALH’. Discussion led by Dr Gill Draper, British Association for Local History
11.30 – 12.30
Local history publishing: future trends: Dr John Chandler, independent local history publisher, Wiltshire, and Mr Peter Clifford, Managing Director of Boydell & Brewer.
12.30 – 1.30
Buffet lunch
1.30 – 2.15
Record Societies and their work: a discussion led by Dr David Crook (formerly TNA and General Editor of the Pipe Roll Society), Dr Peter Durrant (Berkshire Record Society), and others t.b.c
2.15 – 2.45
Digitization and the County Societies: a discussion chaired by Andrew Foster (Historical Association), Jonathan Blaney (BHOL), other contributors t.b.c.
2.45 – 3.15
The County Societies and the future of Adult Education provision, Discussants include Sue Clayton (local history tutor), and Don Henson (Council for British Archaeology)
3.15 – 3.45
Breakout groups: County Societies and research, funds, dissemination etc., research database, issues we missed, a network? How can we go forward?
3.45 – 4.30
Tea followed by a plenary session on whether county societies need a network, and if so how it should operate.
4.30
Conference closes.

[Notes from the day will be circulated after the event. You will be asked to leave an email address for contact.]

Societies are invited to present examples of their outputs and work including Proceedings and Transactions, newsletters, record society volumes, and so forth. Powerpoint presentations can be shown during the lunch break.

Booking

Please fill in and return the attached booking form to guarantee a place at the symposium.

A copy of this programme is available to print out and bring with you.

For more information please contact