I suspect this might be the first of several messages about successful 
NOF-digi projects, as the announcement of allocation of the 45 million 
was due to be made today. I trust that such announcements are of interest 
to MCG list subscribers? If not, please let me know.

-------------------------------------------------------------
Ian O. Morrison, Scottish Museums Documentation Officer
http://ianmorrison.topcities.com/index.htm
Hostes alienigeni me abduxerunt



---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 2 Jul 2001 15:18:15 +0100
From: Worden, Suzette <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Church Plans Online project

Posted by Sarah Wickham 
Reply to <[log in to unmask]>


-------------------------------------------------------------
Historic churches planned online through the People's Network
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Lambeth Palace Library has been awarded a grant of £75,000 by the New
Opportunities Fund towards its Church Plans Online project.  In conjunction
with the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, the Library will digitise all
the plans in the archive of the Incorporated Church Building Society.  Some
11,800 plans and drawings will be made freely available over the internet
during 2002-3 and onwards.   Around the world and around the clock, online
access will enable students, local historians, architects, and architectural
historians as well as those interested in their own parish church to study
these materials.

The Incorporated Church Building Society archive spans the period 1818-1982,
and covers the whole of England and Wales.  It is of national importance as
a record of the most significant period in church building since the middle
ages and the single largest source for plans of new and existing churches in
the country. Where a church has since been restored, converted or
demolished, the often-unique records in the archive preserve a vital part of
the shared cultural heritage of the people of England and Wales.

Church Plans Online will build on the existing services offered by the
Library's website <<http://www.lambethpalacelibrary.org/>> which in its
first year received 148,000 hits from around the world.  The Librarian,
Richard Palmer, said "We are delighted that one of Britain's oldest
libraries, founded by Archbishop Bancroft in 1610, will be in the vanguard
of the networked Information Society in contributing its historic resources
to wider public use."

Architectural historian Alexandrina Buchanan said "The Incorporated Church
Building Society aimed to help the poorest parishes in both urban and rural
areas. Its work was funded by public subscription and assisted by local
initiatives. We are very excited that everyone, wherever they live, can now
have free access to information about the past activities of their
community."

 "We are keenly aware of the great interest there is among the general
public in both local history and church architecture" said Michael Hall,
editor of Country Life.   "A project such as this, which will deliver
information about these buildings and their architects directly into
people's homes, will be greatly welcomed."

###
Notes:

1.	Lambeth Palace Library is the historic library of the Archbishops of
Canterbury and the principal library and record office for the history of
the Church of England. Since 1610 the Library has preserved and made
available free of charge an important part of the national heritage to all
those who wish to use its resources.  The Library welcomes around 2,000
users annually.  

2.	The Church Plans Online project is undertaken in partnership with
the Structural Images North East project at the University of Newcastle upon
Tyne <<http://www.ncl.ac.uk/ltan/>> and with the Society of Antiquaries of
London <<http://www.sal.org.uk>>.

3.	The People's Network represents the most comprehensive programme of
public information and communications technology provision so far supported
by the Government. It is co-ordinated by Re:source: The Council for Museums,
Archives and Libraries, a strategic agency working with museums, archives
and libraries across the UK. <<http://www.peoplesnetwork.gov.uk>> and
<<http://www.resource.gov.uk>>. 

4.	The New Opportunities Fund distributes National Lottery money to
health, education and environment projects across the UK.
www.nof.digitise.org is the £50 million New Opportunities fund programme to
support the digitisation of learning materials as content creation for the
People's Network.


CONTACT:
Sarah Wickham, Lambeth Palace Library, tel 020 7898 1400 fax 020 7928 7932  
[log in to unmask] <<http://www.lambethpalacelibrary.org>>