One Hundred Years?

Located in the Library at Headingley, this interface with the rich surprising past of the University acted as a magnet for a variety of archival, special collection and artefact material. Enabling a germ of an idea to form that perhaps there was enough material and interest to establish an historical archive for Leeds Met.

Many have come to use this archive including students for course work, staff working on special projects, alumni reliving past memories and colleagues promoting various achievements and facets of the University. Each time someone engages these resources they themselves add to the richness of the archive not only as a physical and usable collection but reaffirm a concept and idea. This archive idea has been sustained quietly and patiently and through the good offices of very many people throughout the University, has been allowed to grow and flourish. But to succeed an archive must be sustained in the long term and fully embrace a ‘vision for the long run’. And perhaps in one hundred years time someone may ask. How did this archive begin?

First published in Libraries and Learning Innovation Newsletter October 2008