Dear colleagues,
On behalf of the CASBAH Project I am writing to request information from
members of this list who are willing to share information about their
experiences of using UK-based library collections for Caribbean studies and
research into the history of Black and Asian people in Britain.
For information, CASBAH (Caribbean Studies; Black and Asian History) is a
demonstrator project that was established in January 2000 to identify and
map national research resources for Caribbean studies and the history of
Black and Asian people in Britain. Funded by the Research Support Libraries
Programme, and based at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies (University of
London) the project is in the process of conducting surveys in repositories
throughout the UK in order to uncover collections of archival resources,
printed sources and audio-visual materials pertinent to the CASBAH subject
areas. Ultimately the results of this survey work will be posted on a
web-accessible database, due to be made available via the site
http://www.casbah.ac.uk by May 2002.
Having almost completed the project's archive-based research, CASBAH staff
are now preparing to conduct a UK-wide survey of academic, special and
public libraries in order to identify and map significant collections of
printed sources and audio-visual materials for Caribbean studies and the
history of Black and Asian people in Britain. As a prelude to this work we
are seeking the views and opinions of academics and writers who have
experience of using UK-based library collections for research in these
subject areas. The information we receive from you will assist us in
developing a targeted survey strategy and, ultimately, a representative
dataset for the web site.
We would be interested to receive your responses to the following questions:
(A) CARIBBEAN STUDIES RESOURCES:
(1) Please list your research specialism(s) and the names of UK-based
academic libraries that offer the greatest support for your particular
research focus (or foci).
(2) For each library that you have identified in response to point (1),
please give your opinions on the main strengths of the collection(s) (i.e.
size of the collection, the range of subjects covered, the numbers/names of
journals collected of relevance to Caribbean studies, topicality, the
library's collection policy in this area, whether the collection is relevant
for contemporary studies or historical research, form of the collection,
date range covered by the collection, etc.)
(3) Do you know any printed sources or audio-visual collections housed
in public libraries in the UK that researchers might also find useful for
Caribbean studies?
(4) Do you know of any business, commercial or other 'special' libraries
belonging to organisations other than academic institutions or local
authority libraries that have sizeable/significant collections researchers
might use for Caribbean studies (e.g. the library of a UK-based charitable
or commercial organisation with long-established connections with the
Caribbean region)?
(B) BLACK AND ASIAN BRITISH HISTORY RESOURCES:
(1) Please list your research specialism(s) and the names of UK-based
academic libraries that offer the greatest support for your particular
research focus (or foci).
(2) Please give your opinions on the main strengths of the collection(s)
identified above.
(3) Do you know any printed sources or audio-visual collections housed
in public libraries in the UK that researchers might also find useful for
conducting research into the history of Black and Asian people in Britain?
(4) Do you know of any business, commercial or other 'special' libraries
belonging to organisations other than academic institutions or local
authority libraries that house sizeable/significant collections pertinent to
research into the history of Black and Asian people in Britain?
Please send your responses to the above, and any other comments you have on
these issues, to Carol Dixon c/o The CASBAH Project (see full contact
details below).
The survey questionnaires are due to be distributed to libraries in May
2001, so we would be grateful for your comments and suggestions as soon as
possible.
Thank you, in advance, for your support.
Yours sincerely,
Carol Dixon
---------------------
Project Officer
CASBAH Project (Caribbean Studies, Black and Asian History)
Institute of Commonwealth Studies
28 Russell Square
London WC1B 5DS
Direct line: 020 7862 8824
Email: [log in to unmask]
Website: http://www.casbah.ac.uk
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