Family History Resources: Historical Trade Directories

This week on the Secret Library we hear from Local and Family History’s Josh Flint, who will be exploring the excellent family history resource, historical trade directories. This article will help family history researchers understand what trade directories are, how they can be useful for family history research and finally where to find them. This…

Family History Resources: Newspaper Microfilms and Online Newspaper Databases

As part of a series examining family history resources for beginners, Local and Family History’s Josh Flint takes an in-depth look at one of the most useful resources for your family history research: online newspapers databases. This article will discuss how Leeds Libraries members can use multiple newspaper databases online and then show in detail how to…

New Armley Research Guide

This week Josh Flint will discuss the new Local and Family History Research Guide on Armley. This Research Guide will be of great use to anyone with an interest in the history of Armley and how that history is represented in the Leeds Central Library Collection. This article will examine interesting images highlighted in this…

Keep on Keeping On: Running a Library Department in a Crisis

This week, Antony Ramm, Librarian-Manager for the Local and Family History (LFH) department at Leeds Central Library, explains the steps staff have taken to continue operating a specialist public library department in these unprecedented times… As previously announced on the Secret Library, the Central Library in Leeds shut its doors to staff and the public…

Working-Class Women in Early Twentieth Century Leeds

On Wednesday the 11th March we have a talk on ‘Working-Class Women’s Autobiographies and the History of Everyday Life.’ This talk will be given by Dr Claire Martin, a Lecturer at The University of Leeds. This article will highlight interesting items from the Leeds Libraries Collection that detail the everyday life of working-class women and…

The Battle of Myton, 1319, 700 Years Later

This week Local and Family History’s Josh Flint will take a special look at the Battle of Myton, seven hundred years after the battle was fought. The Battle of Myton was fought during the Scottish War of Independence after a Scottish Army, ordered by Robert the Bruce, raided and ransacked northern England. At Myton the…

Fiftieth Anniversary of the Moon Landing Reminiscence Session

This week Local and Family History’s Josh Flint will discuss the Moon Landing Reminiscence event held at Horsforth Library to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Moon Landing. This event was designed for people who could remember the Moon Landing in 1969 to share their stories with children. To inspire inter-generational discussion with the guests…

National Libraries Week: The ‘Old Leeds’ Exhibition of 1908

To mark National Libraries Week, Leeds Central Library is hosting an exhibition exploring the history of the Library Service in the city. Today, Librarian Antony Ramm highlights one book series on display in that exhibition, focusing on the ‘Old Leeds’ celebrations of 1908… In the summer of 1908, over 70,000 people visited the Leeds Art…