Posts Tagged ‘Maps’

15
Apr

NSW Branch General Meeting on 11 April 2015

   Posted by: Leslie McCawley    in Meetings, News, NSW Branch News

meetingThe branch met on Saturday, 11 April 2015, at the Sydney Mechanics Institute on Pitt Street, with a very good turnout of regular members, new members, and several visitors.

Following some brief welcoming remarks from our Chairperson, our guest speaker, Maggie Patton, presented her fascinating illustrated program about ancient and medieval maps.

Following the presentation, Judith announced that our branch gave gifts of $100 to St James Anglican Church for their reinterment service in March, and £500 to the Leicester Cathedral towards the costs of the reinterment ceremonies. Announcements were made including the news that our branch will be in need of a new Treasurer to be responsible for branch finances when our long-serving Treasurer steps down in October; but that our Secretary will be staying for another year. The Executive Committee needs a variety of administrative assistance, and if you can offer some of your time and skills please contact the Chair to discuss availability.

The branch will soon be moving to electronic communications. This means that members will need to have an email address in order to receive renewal notices, newsletters, and other communications. One suggestion is for any member currently without email to arrange for a family member or friend to receive email on your behalf. Leslie has volunteered to help any branch member/friend to set up an email account and teach them how to use it, at the public library of their choice. Contact her if you wish to talk about it or have any questions. Moving to email will save the branch time, paper, postage and money, and will be in line with other membership organisations.

After the presentation, the raffle was drawn and we adjourned for a lovely afternoon tea once again provided by Joan, who is spoiling us with her homemade goodies. There was ample time for meeting the new members, catching up with those who had been away, and discussing the wonderful reinterment service and ceremonies that were broadcast from the UK in March. Now, at last, Richard III can rest in peace.

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6
Apr

Next General Meeting on 11 April 2015

   Posted by: Leslie McCawley    in Meetings, News, NSW Branch News

Next General Meeting on 11 April 2015

Don’t forget – the next General Meeting on 11 April 2015 (14h00)

Our guest speaker at the next General Meeting on 11 April 2015  will be Maggie Patton on “The known world in Richard’s time: maps and exploration in 15th Century”.

Maggie started her career at Sutherland Public Library in the early 1980s and moved to the State Library of New South Wales in 1990 as a reference librarian where she helped implement the online information service and in 2006 shifted from managing reference services to developing online exhibitions, public programs and digitisation projects. In 2009 she was appointed to Head of the Maps Section where she was able to combine her love of rare books with maps. She feels that both represent a slice of history, such as the political times, scientific era and social world in which they were created.

Maggie comments “An increasingly important but exciting challenge for map collections is the opportunity to promote and encourage use by the general public and researchers. In this area maps do have an advantage as they are both visual and historical. I have an unofficial criterion that all exhibitions developed at the State Library must include at least one map – if not an entire gallery! A surprising challenge for map collections is the general apprehension felt by clients, librarians and colleagues around finding and working with maps. Maps are just another form of information – nothing to be scared about!”

Come along and hear about maps from Richard’s day.

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