£2.2million investment for Welsh libraries, archives and museums
9 Apr 2014 03:51 PM
The Minister for Culture
and Sport, John Griffiths has today announced the latest round of grant funding
for Welsh libraries, archives and museums
Making the announcement at the
Richard Burton Archives in Swansea University the Minister outlined how the
£2.2m funding will be used to develop, promote access to and encourage
use of the rich and diverse collections on offer at museums, archives and
libraries across the country.
This new allocation for 2014-15
will be broken down by:
- nearly £1m to modernise 9
libraries at Pontardawe, Llantwit Major, Ely, Grangetown, Pembroke Dock,
Llandrindod Wells, Aberfan, Pennard and a mobile library in
Ceredigion
- £400,000 to ensure the
continued success and popularity of Welsh museums including the development of
joint marketing opportunities
- £685,000 to develop
library services such as improving digital inclusion and sharing
resources
- £140,000 for archives in
order to widen access to archival resources.
The Minister made the
announcement at the Richard Burton Archives in Swansea University, which
is one of four archive services across Wales to benefit from grant funding to
open up access to their collections relating to the steel industry as part of
the ‘Wales Showing Our Metal‘ project.
A Welsh Government grant of
£20,000 along with £56,000 from the from the National Cataloguing
grant scheme will enable the Richard Burton Archives, Glamorgan Archives,
Flintshire Record Office, Archives and Records Council Wales, Wrexham
Archives and Local Studies to catalogue and make details available online of
the archives of the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation, British Steel
Collection and the Brymbo Steel works collection.
John Griffiths
said:
"This welcome investment
will enable local museums, archives and libraries to develop their services,
improve facilities and encourage greater use by the public.
"It will help promote our
rich culture and heritage and ensure that more people can access and enjoy our
collections. An excellent example of this is the charity Kids in Museums. They
have received a grant of £34,870 to increase participation in museums by
children and young people across Wales.
"The Steel industry has
played a key role in the development of Wales and the ‘Wales Showing our
Metal’ project will enable researchers of all ages to understand the
legacy of the steel industry and its ongoing impact on Welsh
communities.
"Without the support of
archive services and this investment, these records could have been lost to
future generations."
Elisabeth Bennett, Head of the
Richard Burton Archives at Swansea University, said:
"Archives have a vital role
to play in bringing the past to life, as we see from the huge public interest
in the First World War.
"The funding announced
today is a very welcome boost for our work on the history of steel in Wales,
which has been an untold story for too long. By cataloguing the archives
and making them accessible, we will be able to make the fascinating history of
steel available to all."
The funding programme is
administered by the Welsh Government’s CyMAL: Museums Archives and
Libraries Wales division.