History Day at DCDC21

For the Discovering Collections, Discovering Communities 2021 (DCDC21) conference, History Day held a special afternoon of free online events to showcase the value of collaborations between collections staff and researchers. 

History Day: connecting researchers with collections 

This panel session was chaired by Richard Espley, Head of Collections at Senate House Library, and showcased collection-based projects featuring partnerships between collections professionals and researchers:

• Ginny Mills (The Royal Society Library), Aaron Hanlon (Colby College, Maine) and Pamela MacKenzie (Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Berlin) discussed the Lisa Jardine Grant Scheme, which offers the opportunity for early career scholars to exploit history of science collections at the Royal Society Library in support of their research in the field of intellectual history.  
• Steven Spencer (Salvation Army International Heritage Centre) and Adam Millar (PhD candidate, University of Leicester) talked about their joint work on an ESRC funded collaborative doctoral award with the Salvation Army International Heritage Centre. Adam’s thesis explores the Salvation Army’s international settlements and colonies. 

History Day fair  

The History Day fair was held in a virtual exhibition area on SpatialChat, where attendees could discover history collections from across the UK. Collections staff showcased their collections on virtual stands and were available to answer questions and discuss ideas for future research projects.  

List of exhibitors

• Archives Portal Europe
• Armagh Observatory and Planetarium
• Bethlem Museum of the Mind
• Brunel University Archive and Special Collections
• Guildhall Library
• Institute of Historical Research
• Institution of Mechanical Engineers
• Jisc
• King’s College London Archives and Special Collections
• The King’s Fund
• London Metropolitan Archives
• LSE Library
• London School of Hygiene of Tropical Medicine Library and Archive
• The National Archives
• Oxford Brookes University Special Collections and Archive
• Senate House Library
• Wellcome Collection

History Day Social Hub 

This session was aimed at postgraduate and early career researchers in History and related disciplines to connect, share experiences, and to foster new collaborations, hosted by History Lab. The event began with an introduction from the History Lab Publicity Officers Natalie and Kerry in the Foyer and afterwards attendees were given access to five rooms available for them to enter and interact with other researchers.