Gems: what can you do?
About the different Gems project roles …
There are several different ways that you can get involved in Gems, both as an individual and as a group. You can find out more about the different volunteering roles available below. If you need a reminder about what a Gem is read this page first.
We are keen to begin the initial curation of Gems as soon as possible, and will begin working with volunteers in the other listed roles once the Gems have been have selected.
You can volunteer for as many different roles as you like - please let us know what you or your group would like to do by using this form.
1. Initial Curation
We are looking for people with knowledge of local histories, and (ideally) some experience of using archival materials to help create the initial lists for Gems. You could be involved in a local history society, have a background as a historian/researcher, or have helped put together displays/trails/events on local heritage before. We want you to select some of the images and documents that you think are the most important and eye-catching elements of the history of your area.
We are keen for Gems to cover a range of themes, and so welcome submissions which cover, for example, social change, military history, key events, individuals and institutions, folklore, culture, faith, transport, education, housing, and politics.
We are aiming to get together 40-50 images and 15-25 documents for each area, before presenting these to the wider public for further input and suggestions. We will seek further input through a mixture of in-person discussions and online feedback - if your local group is keen to support these local events we would be glad to work with you.
2. Geolocation
If you’re keen on maps, this role is for you! Every single Gem will need a location attached to it so that it appears when visitors search with a postcode. Geolocating can be done on any device with access to Google maps, and you can do it at a time and place that suits you. Some items will be straightforward to plot on a map, but others (such as maps) may be trickier, as several points may need to be identified. Training and documents to capture the information will be provided.
3. Research and Descriptions
Every Gem will need a description which lets visitors know why it is important. The more details that you could provide, the better our system will be at connecting the Gems to other materials. If you like researching and writing, and want to help people new to archives begin their journey through fascinating collections, then we’d love to hear from you. Training and documents to capture the information will be provided, and if you would like to go further- for example translating Latin or transcribing hard-to-read documents- you would be very welcome to do so.
4. Audio/Visual Research
We will be using oral histories, sound recordings, and films from the North West Film Archive as part of Gems. We are looking for people to listen to and watch these sources, helping to choose clips and extracts from them that are particularly important or engaging. If you enjoy historic films on Youtube or a good podcast please get in touch!
