Great Britain and Ireland enjoy a rich cartographic heritage, yet historians have not made full use of early maps in their writings and research. This is partly due to a lack of information about exactly which maps are available. With the publication of this volume from the Royal Historical Society, we now have a comprehensive guide to the early maps of Great Britain. The book is divided into two parts: part one describes the history and purpose of maps in a series of short essays on the early mapping of the British Isles; part two comprises a guide to the collections, national and regional. Now available from Cambridge University Press, this volume provides an essential reference tool for anyone requiring to access maps of the British Isles dating back to the medieval period and beyond.

Old maps provide a rich source of information for all those interested in their local history and they are also a popular field for collectors. Dr. Hindle's describes the different types of map produced, explains what they were intended to show and where to find them.

An original and wide-ranging study of the mappings used to impose meaning on the world, Mapping Reality argues that maps create rather than merely represent the ground on which they rest. Distinctions between map and territory questioned by some theorists of the postmodern have always been arbitrary. From the history of cartography to the mappings of culture, sexuality and nation, Geoff King draws on an extensive range of materials, including mappings imposed in the colonial settlement of America, the Cold War, Vietnam and the events since the collapse of the Soviet bloc. He argues for a deconstruction of the opposition between map and territory to allow dominant mappings to be challenged, their contours redrawn and new grids imposed.

Family history should reveal more than facts and dates, lists of names and places it should bring ancestors alive in the context of their times and the surroundings they knew and research into local history records is one of the most rewarding ways of gaining this kind of insight into their world. That is why Jonathan Oatess detailed introduction to these records is such a useful tool for anyone who is trying to piece together a portrait of family members from the past. In a series of concise and informative chapters he looks at the origins and importance of local history from the sixteenth century onwards and at the principal archives national and local, those kept by government, councils, boroughs, museums, parishes, schools and clubs. He also explains how books, photographs and other illustrations, newspapers, maps, directories, and a range of other resources can be accessed and interpreted and how they can help to fill a gap in your knowledge. As well as describing how these records were compiled, he highlights their limitations and the possible pitfalls of using them, and he suggests how they can be combined to build up a picture of an individual, a family and the place and time in which they lived.

There is a queue, the phone is ringing, the photocopier has jammed and your enquirer is waiting for a response. You are stressed and you can feel the panic rising. Where do you go to find the information you need to answer the question promptly and accurately? Answering queries from users is one of the most important services undertaken by library and information staff. Yet it is also one of the most difficult, least understood subjects. There are still very few materials available to help frontline staff - often paraprofessional - develop their reader enquiry skills. This award-winning sourcebook is an essential guide to where to look to find the answers quickly. It is designed as a first point of reference for library and information practitioners, to be depended upon if they are unfamiliar with the subject of an enquiry - or wish to find out more. It is arranged in an easily searchable, fully cross-referenced A-Z list of around 150 of the subject areas most frequently handled at enquiry desks. Each subject entry lists the most important information sources and where to locate them, including printed and electronic sources, relevant websites and useful contacts for referral purposes. The authors use their extensive experience in reference work to offer useful tips, warn of potential pitfalls, and spotlight typical queries and how to tackle them. This new edition has been brought right up-to-date with all sources checked for currency and many new ones added. The searchability is enhanced by a comprehensive index to make those essential sources even easier to find - saving you valuable minutes! Readership: Offering quick and easy pointers to a multitude of information sources, this is an invaluable reference deskbook for all library and information staff in need of a speedy answer, in reference libraries, subject departments and other information units.

Many people interested in the history of their town or village want to undertake research into its past, and most need to use primary sources sooner or later. Nothing quite equates with the thrill of reading first-hand a letter, diary, set of accounts or other records written in the past. Some sources, such as parish registers and census returns, are well known, but others are undiscovered treasures. This new book introduces the reader to the enormous range of documents available. The authors convey their own enthusiasm for the material and explain the information it can reveal. Their unique background - working for The National Archives and for local record offices - gives them an unrivalled knowledge of archival sources, and both of them have used much of this material in their own research. The chapters deal with subjects such as the land, the people, poverty, health, crime and family life. An essential guide for the local or family historian needing to consult original documents.

This book introduces the local history practitioner to the world of maps - the special character (and appeal) of maps as an historical source, why they are invaluable in local history research, and questions that must be asked of them. The historical background to map creation in Ireland is outlined, with details on the major classes of cartographic and associated material and the repositories wherein they may be found. The Plantation series, travel and county maps, maps as part of published reports and journals, military mapping, estate and property mapping, and maritime maps, historic Ordnance Survey and Valuation Office maps, and more recent OS mapping, including the 1:50,000 Discovery series, are discussed. A section on essential map reading skills, including matters of scale, representation and accuracy, will help equip the researcher to explore this coded world. Step-by-step guidance for starting out to locate maps relevant to one's study area is provided. Case studies of working with maps in local history are offered as practical examples of what can be done, and guidelines for map-making are also included.