Information Management
Commercial in Confidence
The Friends of Chain Bridge Forge
Information Management
Forge and All our Stories
Prepared By: / Geoff TaylorBusiness Name: / The Friends of Chain Bridge Forge
Address: / Site Address:
High Street
Spalding
Lincolnshire
PE11 1TX / Postal Address:
107 Hawthorn Bank
Spalding
Lincolnshire
PE11 1JQ
Tel. Number: / 07960 587724
Website /
www.chainbridgeforge.co.uk
&
www.southhollandlife.com
1.0 Introduction
Vision
“To build and develop a collection of material about South Holland heritage and community under the project title “All Our Stories”, which will help to foster deeper understanding of the regions’ cultural history, thus creating a sense of pride in that community.”
1.1 Executive Summary
The aim of the All Our Stories project is to expand upon the valuable work we have already completed in preserving Chain Bridge Forge and recording its history. At this point, as we move forward, we want to concentrate on telling the history of the community around the Forge in Spalding, and more broadly speaking, South Holland. We have found that through our prior projects with reconstructing the Chain Bridge Forge that the Forge itself was a central point for many people within the community, and that when they re-enter the building a process of recollection and nostalgia ensues. In response to, and inspired by these recollections, we are endeavouring to capture these, and to record further memories of the local area, and display a body of information to the benefit of the community, local schools, and specialist researchers. This will result in a collection of material that speaks to the sociohistorical culture of the area: its heritage and community life. It has been suggested, in papers written by scholars at the University of Bradford, that such a body of information has the potential to help people with dementia. Further to the All Our Stories project, we would like to explore this aspect and ensure that the output can be used in this way.
1.2 Overview
Our aim for the All Our Stories project is to collect primary material through oral history techniques, which will be presented alongside secondary material gathered through research on local publications on life in Spalding since the early 1900’s. Upon completion, oral history interviews will be transcribed to text documents, and indexed in the Dublin Core Catalogue which will be embodied on our website www.southhollandlife.com together with their original audio recording. Researchers will be able to gain access to the South Holland Life website, where they will be able to identify topics for further investigation, as well as view an interactive body of material which they can further engage with. Information within the collection is extremely accessible as it can be recovered remotely, outside of the Forge itself, thus widening its potential audience.
2.0 Customers
We are directing the All Our Stories project to the following customer base:
· The local community (members of which can both access and contribute to the collection)
· Local schools (who will be able to both access and contribute to the collection)
· People in Care Homes Institutions and people with dementia.
· Special interest groups and independent researchers
· Tourists to the region
3.0 Inputs
The All Our Stories project hopes to gain from the following inputs:
· A primary collection of oral histories
· A curated collection of primary material in the form of newspaper articles, and photographs
· A curated collection of secondary material in the form of articles, essays, videos about life in the region
· The engagement of local schools in the project in helping to collect material, as well as curating material for exhibition on the South Holland Life website.
· The Drainage Board, who are collaborating with us in the presentation of their archives.
· Archives, examples British Library,Spalding Gentlemen Society, Lincolnshire Local History Archive, English Heritage
· Local Companies — A number of local companies are long established companies and may have archives of material. Adams
4.0 The Deliverables/Output
The All Our Stories project aims to deliver the following outputs:
· A searchable database, which can be accessed and searched digitally and remotely online, through which one can access, and contribute towards, a collection of material pertaining to local history in text or oral format, which includes photographs and other multi-media.
· An oral history project presented as a body of primary documents, presented in both audio and transcribed format.
· An indexed collection of both primary and secondary material pertaining to this initial collection, including photographs, newspaper articles, and written contextual work.
· Education packs which will be delivered to schools, which encourage engagement with the All Our Stories project and collated material in terms of both input and access, via the South Holland Life website.
· An introductory guide, which highlights the strengths of the collection thematically, and can be utilised as a reference point for researchers.
· An information video that illustrates and introduces the collection, and how it can be accessed and utilised.
· An exhibition of the highlights of the All Our Stories collection, which can be viewed at the www.southhollandlife.com/library-of-local-history/ Chain Bridge Forge and outreach events.
· A potential tour guide, which walks the customer through some of the highlights of the All Our Stories collection.
· A potential development of this digital collection into an app for smart phones.
· A strong resource hub for Senior Citizens and those with dementia, which can be accessed individually or with the help of family members and care home workers.
· An aspiration to create Heritage/reminiscence boxes for schools and care homes.
5.0 Scope
The material collected in the All Our Stories project will fall under the following, often intersecting themes (presented here with, but not limited to, a number of examples of their sub-themes).
HOUSEHOLD AND DAILY LIFE
- Family History
- Childhood and School Life
- Leisure Time
- Retail and Services
- The Home
- Food & Drink
COMMUNITY AND PLACE
- The Community around Chain Bridge Forge
- The Port of Spalding
- Church and Chapel
- Travel
- Local Characters
- Village Life vs. Town Life
- Buildings and Architecture
WORK LIFE
- Industry and Trade
- Seasonal Workers
- Wages
WARTIME
DIALECT AND LOCAL IDIOMS
RECOLLECTIONS
- Essays and articles about life in and around Spalding
6.0 Process
6.1 Gathering Material and Developing the Collection
In developing the All Our Stories project, material will be sourced via the following means:
· Oral history interviews
· Coffee mornings at the Chain Bridge Forge
· Research in newspaper articles in the library Spalding, Lincoln and British Library,
· Research in Archives – Spalding Gentlemen Society
· Research into both secondary and primary material at the British Library
· Visits with Schools – 5 Spalding Schools are already engaged with the project
· Visits to local organisations who might collaborate and offer material to the collection – Drainage Board drawings and documents
· Through publishing and advertising in local newspaper – Guardian and Free Press
· The interactive element of website
· Visits to Care Homes
· Word of mouth
6.2 Conversion to Digital and Storage
All material gathered in the All Our Stories project will be converted to digital format; master copies will be retained in the Chain Bridge Forge or a safe local archive. Digital copies will be held on a Dreamhost server in the USA and on a hard drive in Chain Bridge Forge.
6. 3 Cataloguing
All material gathered in the All Our Stories project will be available online, so it is important to ensure it is recoverable. This is the process where all information will be indexed so that it is discoverable by search engines within the website. This is achieved using a Dublin Core Spreadsheet containing the following information:
- Title
- Subject/keyword/theme
- Description
- Type
- Source
- Date/Coverage
- Creator
- Publisher
- Contributor
- Rights
- Date entered collection
- Formats
- Identifier – AOS(All our Stories) – O,T,P,D,M(Oral History, Transcript, Photo, Document, Multimedia) 0000 (serial number) Description
- Lanuage
- Audience
- Provenance
- Rights Holder
Please see Appendix A – Catalogue Example
6.4 Ownership and Intellectual Property Rights(IPR)
All material, including oral history recordings gathered through the All Our Stories project, will be referenced with source, author, owner, description, names of people (if known), location and, as appropriate, permission will be sought to display the information.
*Please see Appendix B – Oral History Recording and Artefacts Consent Form
7.0 All Our Stories - Oral History Project
In this project, we intend to collect and publish a number of oral histories in audio and video recording, and also transcription. By conducting and recording well-considered interviews with members of the local community, one creates both a source about the past and a record for the future. The nature of nostalgia has meant that often stories and anecdotes are passed from one generation to another by word of mouth, rather than the written word. These memories are invaluable, and, like the physical portions of a family archive, they too can be preserved in the form of an oral history for future generations. At all times, our greatest concern is with ensuring the comfort of our interviewees in this project. A guide for interviewers is provided including details on the following:
· Oral history ethics
· Introduction to themes of the All Our Stories project
· Preparation prior to interview
· Submitting material post-interview
· Checklist/Rapid Reference
*Oral history interviewers please see “Appendix C – Guide for Oral History Interviewers” and also reference “Appendix D - Historical Events in Spalding and South Holland”
7.1 Interviewees
We endeavour to interview a cross-section of the local community, however, we are prioritising the following in terms of collecting the material:
- Individuals with close a close relationship to the Chain Bridge Forge
- Individuals with specific relationships to the local area who have a specific story of interest to the project
- Those individuals whose oral history will offer insight to an earlier timeframe, whose perspective will not be found in the later generations of interviewees.
7.2 Artefacts
During this process, we are collecting other primary materials pertaining to the local history. Photographs, important documents and various objects have the potential to back strong memories.
As such, we are asking our interviewees if they have any material that they would like to discuss during the interview, or to contribute to the All Our Stories collection.
*A note for the collection of material by oral history interviewers can be found in “Appendix C – Guide for Oral History Interviewers”
7.3 Transcription
The aim of the All Our Stories project is to make transcripts of all oral history interviews conducted through the project. Transcripts are written document that includeeverything said during the oral history interview. This is done for a number of reasons:
· Written transcripts are often more practical to research and reference.
· Written transcripts, printed on archival quality acid-free paper, have greater longevity than CDs, DVDs, or digital files.
The oral history interviewer, or an outside company will create transcriptions.
7.4 Style Guide for Transcribers
We ask that once you have a "raw" transcript, that you format it to the following style guide so that the All Our Stories oral history transcripts are presented in the same way.
· Use 1.5 or double-spacing throughout the document
· List the speaker's full name in all caps, followed by a colon (:) at the top of the transcript.
· Follow this with the name of interviewer, and the date and location of the interview.
· After the first time you mention each speaker, you can just use initials or first names instead of full names (if two people have the same first and last initials, you can use a middle initial, too)
· Add page numbers
· Record the File Name, Date, Size
· At the end of the transcript write "end of interview"
7.5 Editing Transcripts
Whilst transcribing an oral history interview, we ask that editorial be kept to a minimum. The transcript should read as the interviewee speaks. We ask the following:
· Edit only to make the transcription readable – “ums” and “ahs” are typical in speech, and are thus a part of the transcription.
· If there are incorrect facts, please note these in a corrective footnote at the bottom of the page
· Before you submit your transcript to file, and to the collection please re-read it, and ensure that typos and misspelled names are corrected.
Appendices
Appendix A - Cataloguing Example
Appendix B – Oral History Recording and Artefacts Consent Form
Appendix C – Guide for Oral History Interviewers
Appendix D – Historical Events in Spalding and South Holland
APPENDIX A - Cataloguing Example
· Unique identifier - AOS P 0152
· Date entered collection - 2012
· Date Coverage - 1968
· Description – The demolish in of the Albert Bridge known locally as Chain Bridge which was original constructed in 1844 but final demolished in 1968. The Forge held the key for the opening and it was part of the Blacksmiths duties as Harbour master for which he was paid £5 annually and 1 shilling for each time it was opened.
· Subject – G R Dodd, Albert Bridge, High St., Spalding, Community around Forge
APPENDIX B - Oral History Recording and Artefacts Consent Form
The Friends of Chain Bridge Forge
Chain Bridge Forge
High St
Spalding
PE11 1TX
e-mail:
Telephone: 07960587724
Media and the recordings of oral histories are part of The Friends of Chain Bridge Forge are integral to preserve the nation’s memory. Your recorded interview and media will become part of a collection cared for by The Friends of Chain Bridge Forge, where it will be preserved as a permanent public reference resource for use in research, publication, education, lectures, broadcasting and the internet. The purpose of this Agreement is to ensure that your contribution is added to the collections in strict accordance with your wishes.