Northumberland Archives and Northumberland Libraries have teamed up with the University of East Anglia (UEA) in an exciting new project to unlock rare and fascinating collections. 

The Unlocking the Archive project aims to make historic books more accessible in new and exciting ways while educating people about the history of the books and their content.  

Northumberland Archives approached the team at the UEA’s School of Literature Drama and Creative Writing to offer up some of the county’s oldest and most rare collections to be made available online as part of the project. 

The chosen archives come from the Northumberland Libraries Local Studies Collections and includes: 

This the first project of its kind for Northumberland Archives and Northumberland Libraries in digitising their printed Local Studies stock and making them available online. Excerpts from the books are featured on the project website, where visitors can learn more about the books and their context by clicking interactive hot points. The originals are available to view at Northumberland Archives Study Centre at Woodhorn. 

Sue Wood, Head of Archives for Northumberland said: “We approached the team at UEA as we felt we had a number of important collections that could add impact to this project. 

“Northumberland has a rich selection of rare, printed books in the Northumberland Libraries collection and to have these available online, to a wider audience is a first for our archives. 

“Now more people will be able to discover our history and heritage. We hope this will be the start of a great partnership between us and the University.” 

Dr Sophie Butler, Lecturer in Early Modern Literature, School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing, at UEA said: “We had been looking at ways of expanding the Unlocking the Archive project so we’ve been delighted by the opportunity to work with Northumberland which has allowed us to broaden our project’s reach considerably. 

“Northumberland has such an important part to play in the history of the book, with many of the examples in their collection showing the contribution the county made to publishing in the 18th and 19th Century. The beautiful Thomas Bewick book chosen for this project is a great example of that. 

“Unlocking the Archive helps to bring these important documents to life and offers people a different way of exploring these rare collections. We’re thrilled to be launching this partnership during Local History Month, as we hope it will provide all kinds of new ways for individuals and communities to access Northumberland’s written heritage now and in the future.” 

The Unlocking the Archive project has been nominated in UEA’s Innovation and Impact Awards in the Outstanding Social or Cultural Impact category.