It’s all go in the Special Collections Centre for Book Week Scotland 2013, we’ve had so much book related excitement already and we’re only half way through!
On Monday, we were visited by Primary 4 from Cornhill Primary School who came to explore our amazing rare books collection and discover how and why we look after so many old and rare books. The pupils also made their own book plates to stick into books they have been writing themselves in class.
On Tuesday we were very excited to reveal the winners of our Flash Fiction Competition 2013 at a prize giving ceremony. As part of Book Week Scotland 2013, writers of various ages, experiences and backgrounds were asked to take inspiration from four images from the Special Collections Centre’s rare books and archives collections and write a short story of 500 words.
Award winning authors Dr Wayne Price and Caroline Clough were given the tough job of judging the 138 entries, with Wayne choosing an adult winner and Caroline selecting the best story from the children’s category.
The winners were named as Richard Bennett, 71, and Eleanor Tuladhar-Douglas, aged 9, who both received prizes donated by Waterstones Union Bridge, which supported the competition. You can read Richard and Eleanor’s stories and the rest of the competition entries on the Special Collections Centre website.
On Tuesday evening we ran a bookbinding workshop and talk with our book conservator Brannah MacKenzie and Rare Books Cataloguer Jane Pirie. Under Brannah’s tutelage the participants made their own little books using bookbinding techniques in the Glucksman Conservation Centre; they also got a fascinating introduction to the wonderful bindings in our rare books collection. Jane discussed different materials, techniques and decoration, and the participants got up close with magnifying glasses to examples of bindings from the medieval period up to the modern day. Due to popular demand we are hoping to run more of these workshops in the future.
And the book love doesn’t stop there! Tomorrow we welcome Tullynessle Primary School to explore our rare book collections, and on Saturday 30th November from 1-4pm we are dressing up as our favourite children’s book characters for our Family Fun event. We will be celebrating the good, the bad and the ugly of fictional characters, using them as inspiration for puppets. Dress up as your favourite character and come along. It’s free, drop-in, and for all the family – you’ll find us in the events space behind the gallery on the ground floor.
On Sunday 1st December teen book-lovers are challenged to a free Book Quiz. The event is being planned and hosted by our wonderful Duke of Edinburgh volunteer Alice and is a great opportunity for teenagers to meet like-minded people and prove their extensive literary knowledge! To register a team email scc.learning@abdn.ac.uk or phone (01224) 273047 or 273048. Free of charge but places limited – book early to avoid disappointment!
If you would like to get involved with Book Week Scotland but can’t visit us this week you can still join in on Twitter. Everyday we tweeting a different book-related question to generate discussion and we’d love to hear from you. Today’s question discusses the future of book collections: do you prefer e-books or hard copies? Let us know at @scc_aberdeen.
Posted by: Lynsey
UoA Collections 