Orkney Folk Festival 2010

Today is the first day of Orkney's annual folk festival which showcases acts from down the road as well as across the sea. See here for all the acts who have been booked to appear. As you will see, the vast majority of events are sold out, but there are sometimes returned tickets at the door and the pubs of Stromness are sure to be filled with fiddles and accordions all week.

There is an archive connection to the festival in the form of the Song Shop Trio who you may remember performing on Radio Orkney during the Library and Archive Discovery Week. Sarah Jane of the trio is an archive employee and has been involved in the hugely successful Big Orkney Song project. This project is an attempt to collect, perform and make known the folk songs of Orkney. For some time now, a group of dedicated volunteers have been regularly visiting the archive in search of folk songs amongst the old newspapers, reel to reels and other documents.

We have also put together a small collection of material from the archive to celebrate, not only the folk festival, but the St Magnus festival which takes place later on in the Summer. Documents include original folk music collected by our very own photographic technician, photographs of various musical events, sheet music, programmes, bell music from the St Magnus Cathedral and a manuscript book of religious music that dates from around 1790.

So long, farewell

Verily did we weep, dear readers as yesterday we were forced to remove our Discovery Week Archive World Traill exhibitions from the walls of the Searchroom. Our displays are like our children. So much time is spent researching, collating, photocopying, sticking, snipping, gluing and arranging, it is hard not to grow attached to their dear presence.

As each piece was packed away in it's little acid free box or archival plastic poly pocket, we reminisced and softly laughed as we bid them adieu once more.

Three months is the maximum time that we like to have archival documents out of the carefully controlled atmospheres of the strongrooms and we have plans for a new exhibition. We have big machines on the sides of the strongroom walls which control the temperature and humidity of the room. These settings vary from room to room (there are four stores) with the photographs, for example, needing less humidity in the air than our paper documents.

I am not going to lie, this plays havoc with our hair and complexions. We are thinking of insisting on a wage enhancement to spend on conditioner and moisturiser. The plants need watered every day too, or their soil turns to dust. Seriously, my hairdresser is appalled...

The Munch Bunch Booze Again

We are partying again at the Orkney Library and Archive. Other members of staff have been setting up and it has just been whispered to me that both the magical cheese scones and a CAKE have been delivered.

And, although this will be a very sedate and sophisticated affair, I think that it is only pertinent to mention that all the leftover wine from our 'Gone With the Wine' promotion simply must be finished tonight as it has been open for a couple of days.

This isn't just wanton eating and drinking though. It's a celebration of Discovery Week. So it's work.

And the winners are...

Discovery Week is officially over. The balloons are down, the banner will soon follow suit and there is no baking or cooking going on anywhere in the building. We are a little morose. Prizes have been won, however, so let's look at the winners:

The winner of the Photo quiz and recipient of a year's worth of free DVD and CD loans is: Steven Smith!!!

The winner of the Archive World Traill (Traveller level) and recipient of 'The Seventy Great Journeys in History' and a year's worth of free DVD and CD loans is: Fran Flett Hollinrake!!!

And the joint winners of the Archive World Traill (Explorer level) and therefore winning a book each are: Chloe Barclay!!! and Kirsty Melrose!!!

Well done everyone and thank you for taking part. Chloe and Kirsty are pictured above with Michael Forsyth, who won the library cooks quiz, Chloe Rosie, the winner of the library scavenger hunt and our manager, Gary.

Other great news is that the wonderful soup for Haiti event raised over £360 pounds and the Coffee morning raised £125 for the same cause. Hooray!!!

Everyone agrees that Janice and Sandra did a fantastic job yesterday and thanks is due to our lovely volunteers for helping out at both events.

Mmmm, what are THESE delights???

The Archive department is just down the corridor from the Macgillivray room where our 'Broth and Breid' lunch is taking place. The delicious smells are making it very hard to concentrate on work.

Above you can see the array of fancy treats that are on offer along with the four soups and breads. Serving started at 12 and will continue for the next 2 hours. Hurry!

Fiddledy-diddledy do

Last night's broadcast of the Bruck Show from the library foyer was a great success with music from Hadhirgaan, Song Shop Trio and fiddler for both the Chair and Saltfishforty, Douglas Montgomery.

Some library staff members also did some interviews, baring their souls and revealing what really makes them tick. It was emotional.

...and there will be wine...

'Gone With the Wine' - a world tour in booze and books, shall take place tonight from 5pm - 7pm. It is what it sounds like, there will be books and there will be wine, two of the best things in the world I'm sure most people would agree (closely followed by sandwiches and tea.)

This event provides the perfect opportunity to be 'a drunk in a library' without the usual unflattering accouterments of poor personal hygiene, skip chic and carrier bags full of loose crisps and biscuits.

There is a scone...

There is a scone. A cheese scone to be exact. It appears at the library at irregular intervals but its approach is often suspected and the entire body of staff seem to know that a batch is here five seconds after they enter the building. I have never known one to be consumed cold.

These wonderful, buttery, crumbly and RIDICULOUSLY DELICIOUS scones are the tasty produce of the mother of a member of staff. We love them and they fill our hearts with joy.

Tommorrow, their recipe shall be revealed to the public as part of our 'Broth and Breid' day in the MacGillivray room. You're welcome Orkney. Staff shall prepare four different soups along with bread and crostini to raise money for the Haiti Earthquake Fund.

At the top of this post you can see the collection of tried and tested recipes that have been contributed by staff members and will be free to take away tommorrow. Recipes include a fail-safe chocolate cake, Honey and Soy salmon and Chocolate wedges which all sound delicious. BUT THE SCONE ONE IS THE BEST ONE; DON'T FORGET THE SCONE ONE. (It's the pink one on the right. Mmmmmmmmmm)

Mmmmmm, what delights are these?

Above you can see the wonderful selection of home bakes that is currently available in the MacGillivray Room and below you can see our beautiful new reference room being opened by Liam McArthur.

Bun Fun

It is day 4 of Discovery Week and there is a full day of activities planned. At 10.30am, Liam McArthur MSP shall open the brand new reference room which was fitted out with money we got for being totally brilliant. (Honestly) and then there will be a coffee morning straight afterwards in the MacGillivray room.

The staff have been slaving all weekend to prepare a selection of delicious, incomparable home bakes and will be serving them from a little hatch off the main room.

Tonight the Bruck Show, shall be broadcast *LIVE* from the foyer of the library with the help of a special Library staff guest presenter. We expect scenes similar to this.

The library book sale is still on as are the various competitions, the Archive World Traill and our i-pod shuffle prize draw.

You only get one sale, so make it count... You might never get this moment again.

It is the second day of Discovery week today and the library book sale has begun in the Marwick room.

Eager faces were pressed against the glass first thing this morning and, unfortunately, one staff member was crushed by the rabid tidalwave of book-fanciers who surged through the foyer like a tsunami.

The Marwick room is currently a writhing sea of books and book-lovers. Come join us if you enjoy books, photos (photographic prints from the archive are also for sale.) or crowd surfing. It's like a JLS concert down there... Right guys?

Yaabba dabbba doooooooooooooooooooooo!

The above phrase and the above photo (which has already been posted, but is possibly the greatest photo of all time) are the only way to truly express the beginning of the Orkney Library and Archive DISCOVERY WEEK.

We have books, sweets, library merchandise, free dvd and cd lends for a year and an i-pod shuffle as prizes for the various quizzes, trails and scavenger hunts that will be taking place and, at the very least, you will get a cup of tea or coffee as they are complimentary all week. Free tea, what's better than that?

Lionel leaping for joy beside a pole, that's what.

It's the Final Countdown! Doo roo doo doo, Doo roo doo doo doo.

There are only hours left until the first day of the rest of your life i.e. the first day of Orkney Library & Archive's Discovery Week 2010. Tomorrow is also World Book Day so those few non-Orcadians who read this blog (thanks guys) can celebrate by reading or dressing up as a book.

Downstairs in the library, sale books are being humphed, displays titivated and home-bake recipes pondered. But what is happening in the archives?

Lions... aeroplanes... skyscrapers... huskies & igloos... revolution... petitions...war....ritual charcoal and nudity related humiliation at the hands of South Sea islanders.... Our Archive Discovery World Traill has all these great things and more.

There are two levels to the Traill; Explorer and Traveller. The winner of the Traveller's prize draw will win this brilliant book. The triumphant Explorer will take home not only this awesome tome, but a book of Great Explorer themed pop up board games that is so amazing, we will not post an image of it for fear that it will BLOW YOUR MINDS.

Discovery week starts tomorrow with the Traill, Book amnesty, photo quizzes, children's stories and craft with Britt Harcus at 4.00pm and Tom Muir's storytelling from 5.30 - 6.30pm in the MacGillivray Room on the first floor.

Our manager shall be hanging the Discovery Week banners outside this afternoon in a death-defying, fathers for justice-style crawl along the front of the building. Come along to laugh/cheer/boo, whatever comes naturally.

Marie celeste

No email working and no customers, as we are closed. It is a sad, lonely day for the archives... almost as sad as Eastenders *LIVE* (did he fall or jump by the way?)...

We are getting an awful lot done, however, so the absence of our beautiful customers is almost worth the pain. Shelves are being built, archives are being moved and thrilling preparations for Discovery Week are taking shape.

Apples and Pears

Tonight's television is possibly the most exciting event that could ever have been conceived: Eastenders LIVE!

Today in the library we shall be celebrating this truly momentous day by falling over, swearing and flicking our eyes at the CCTV cameras in a flustery panic.

In recognition of the fact that Soap Operas were originally intended as vehicles for soap commercials, we have posted a frankly quite disturbing advert from an 1890 edition of The Orcadian.

After tonight's show, you will probably feel quite downbeat and think that nothing else will match the visceral thrill that you have just experienced. Then, however, you shall remember that the library are hosting a live broadcast of Radio Orkney's the Bruck Show on Monday the 8th of March as part of Discovery Week. Phew.

Discovery Week 2010

'Good Lord', I hear you cry, 'what a brightly coloured, informative and well laid out leaflet that is! I do wonder what it's for?'

Well wonder no more. To the right, you can see a break down of all the events that have been planned for Discovery Week 2010. (Click on the image to enlarge.)

There will be food (Broth and Breid), there will be adventure (the Archive World Discovery Traill), there will be tea, biscuits, prizes, competitions, gentle mercy (Book Amnesty) and much, much more.

Our last Discovery Week occurred in 2008 and caused such frenzied and unbridled joy amongst the citizens of Orkney that we decided to make it a biennial celebration and provide a restful fallow year.

See you all on the 4-10th of March! Be there or be square!

Discovery Week 4th - 10th March 2010

Difficult as it may be to believe, there are some people in Orkney who do not use the Library and Archive... I know!

Don't worry, we've got it under control. the 4th of March is not only World Book Day, but the first day of Orkney Library & Archive's

Discovery Week.

This shall be a week of delights designed both to entice the remaining few who have not been tempted by our vast array of services (books, archives, sound archives, photographs, cds,dvds, reading groups, home library service, sing and sign and bookstart rhymetime sessions, friday cuppas etc) and to give our loyal customers even more to enjoy.

On Thursday the 4th of March, we shall have storytelling evening with Tom Muir.

A library booksale will begin on Friday the 5th.

Allan Guthrie shall host a writing workshop on Saturday the 6th.

Monday the 8th will see the opening ceremony of our wonderful new reference room by MSP Liam MacArthur to be followed by a coffee morning.

On Wednesday the 10th you will not even have to leave the building to get your lunch as soup, bread and crostini will be provided in the MacGillivray room to raise funds for The Haiti Earthquake Appeal.

All through the week there will be quizzes and competitions including the Archive World Traill which will showcase the many countries which are represented in the archives along with 5 Orcadian travellers and explorers (including Thomas Stewart Traill. Do you see what we did there?).

We shall keep you posted with the details of upcoming events here, our website, facebook and our twitter page. We look forward to seeing you then.

Weird Weather

This morning it was hideous; cold and rainy and threatening to blow a gale. This afternoon it is uncomfortably warm and sunny. Good old Orkney weather.

We have been busy today as quite often seems to happen at the tail end of the Summer and again, it is mostly family history enquiries.

Had a brainstorming session this morning for the next Library and Archive Discovery Week (Disco week) which we hope will provide untold delights for all visitors in March.