Conducting Research – Library and Archive Services
Each library and archive service houses varied materials of wide
ranging topics and offer individual guidelines and practices to help
you get the most out of each facility.
Below you will find guidelines and assistance in using our partner
library and archive services to get the most out of your research. For
further information please contact k.spiller@swansea.ac.uk
Topics covered include:
Facility Resources and Topics
Locating and Using Facility Materials
Online Services
Copying Materials and Service Charges
Contact Information
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Swansea Central Library
Facility resources and topics
The Central Library houses a large local history section with a wealth
of local information, OS maps and Microfilm.
The library service provides information and services that can help
you research local history and family history offering access to online
newspaper searches including the Cambrian Index and the Dylan
Thomas collection. Further information on the research facilities
available at the central library and local libraries is accessible at the
following link: http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=467
The Central Library also has a room hire service that includes the
Discovery room available for hire for events that are open to the
public with a Pod available for bookings.
Using research materials
Self service machines are available as well as a state of the art book
return system. You can also renew and reserve materials online, the
service is accessible at the following link:
http://www.libraries.swansea.gov.uk:8080/rooms/portal/page/2183
9_Reading_Room.psml?action=SetUserProfile&originSetting=default
&currentSetting=default
Online services
The Library has 63 public pc's and free access to the virtual
library with a range of useful resources including Ancestry.co.uk,
Family Index, Find My Past and The Cambrian Index Online.
There is an Online Library Service with a range of facilities freely
available online including Online Community Information and the
Reserve and Renew online service accessible at the following link:
http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=2161
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The library service also offers an E-Book service to download books
online, accessible at the following link:
http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=46502 and the
Library Line service that offers advice, information and renews over
the phone(see below: ‘Contact Information.’) – or you can use an
online enquiry form, accessible at the following link:
http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=3466
Copying materials and Service Charges
There is no charge for joining the library and loaning materials.
There are small charges related to photocopying and printing
materials, further information is accessible at the following link:
http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=43165
Contact Information
Tel: 01792 636464
Email: libraryline@swansea.gov.uk
http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=10956
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West Glamorgan Archive Service
Facility resources and topics
The basement strongrooms at Swansea Civic Centre hold three miles
of historic records ranging from the 12th century to the present day.
Everybody is welcome to visit the West Glamorgan Archives and
consult the wide variety of material held there. The Archives Services
holds a broad range of materials to help you discover a broad range
of topics from discovering when a house or building was constructed
or investigating how your local area has changed.
The Archives Service houses vast and varied collections including
Antiquarian Collections, Business Records, Chapel Records, Civil
Parish and Community Council Records, Court Records, Ecclesiastical
Records, Estate, Family and Manorial Records, Hospital Records and
Jewish Records.
The Archive Service also houses the Oral History Archive, The
Searchroom Library, Library and Museum Collections, Miscellaneous
Collections, Pictures and Maps. It also houses official local collections
including Political Papers, Public Records, Local Authority Records,
School; Primary and Elementary School Collections and Secondary
Schools and Other Education Records, Swansea City Archives;
Swansea County Borough / City Council, Town Clerks’ Department /
Private Deposits.
The collections also include the Royal Institute of South Wales
Collection, information on local Societies and Organisations,
Solicitors and Other Firms including Strick and Bellingham. You can
explore the collections online (see below: ‘Online Facilities.’)
The Archives Service offers a Research Service to help you conduct
research when a visit to the Archive Service isn’t possible. There are
also services available in family history and Maritime Heritage. A full
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range of the services available are accessible at the following link:
http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=17929
Using research materials
You can drop into the Archive Service to enquire about materials
during opening hours or information on bookable visits and tours is
accessible at the following link:
http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=17926 or you can
contact the Archive Service directly (see below: ‘Contact
Information.’)
Online facilities
All of the above listed collections are available as part of the online
research tool which can assist you in planning a visit to the Archives
Service, accessible at the following link:
http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=33708 with
additional leaflets available online to assist your research, accessible
at: http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=9310
Copyright and service charges
There are printing and copying services available at the Archives
Service. Staff can provide photocopies for you, within copyright
guidelines and providing this does not damage the document. You
can also use your own camera to photograph documents, within the
same guidelines. We can also provide high-quality scanned images.
For more details, please contact the Archive Service on
westglam.archives@swansea.gov.uk.
Photocopies can be sent by post: the minimum charge is £5
which pays for up to 7 copies. All further copies cost an extra 60p.
Photocopies which are ordered and collected in person in the archive
searchroom cost 60p each. Full guidelines and payment details are
accessible at the following link:
http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=20343
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Contact Information
Tel: 01792 636589
Email: westglam.archives@swansea.gov.uk
http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=406/
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Richard Burton Archives
Facility resources and topics
The Richard Burton Archives aims to preserve Swansea University's
archive collections and make them accessible for current and future
generations. The Archives provide a fascinating insight into the
industrial, cultural, social, political and educational history of South
Wales and is open to all.
The Richard Burton Archives hold a wealth of information including
Coalfield Web Materials, Local Archives, The Richard Burton
Collection, Special Collections, Dilwyn Collection and Swansea
University Collections.
The Collections include the Literary Collection a Welsh Writers in
English Collection containing records of Welsh writers in English and
includes the papers of Raymond Williams, Ron Berry and others. The
Raymond Williams collection has been catalogued courtesy of
funding from the Barry Amiel & Norman Melburn Trust. The papers
of the renowned cultural critic and writer Raymond Williams (19211988) range from the creative works of his childhood through his
time at Cambridge and World War Two, to his later academic life.
The collection reveals the development of this leading
intellectual figure.
The Richard Burton Archives also houses part of the South Wales
Coalfield Collection (shared also with the South Wales Miners Library
– see below.) The South Wales Coalfield Collection is an
internationally important research resource. The collection provides
a unique picture of life in the coalfield valleys during the late
nineteenth and the twentieth centuries, concentrating on the
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workers and the organisations they created. It contains records of
trade unions, notably the National Union of Mineworkers (South
Wales Area) and the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation, miners'
institutes, co-operative societies, and individuals connected with the
mining community.
All of the above collections can be accessed and viewed online (see
below: ‘Online Facilities.’)
Using Research Materials
The Richard Burton Archive is open to the public with visits and
bookable viewings available (see below: ‘Contact Information.’)
The Richard Burton Archives are part of the Archives Wales reader's
ticket scheme and visitors will need to register at their first visit,
unless they already hold a card issued by another participating
record office or archive service. As part of the registration process
readers' will agree to adhere to the rules in place at the Richard
Burton Archives.
Online facilities
An online catalogue is available which cover parts of the collections
and is being expanded on an ongoing basis. The catalogue can be
accessed at the following link: http://archives.swan.ac.uk/calmview/
The South Wales Coalfield Collection can be accessed at the
following link: http://www.swan.ac.uk/swcc/
The Literary Collection can be accessed at the following link:
http://archives.swan.ac.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Ca
talog&id=WWE%2f2
The Coalfield Web Collection can be accessed at:
http://www.agor.org.uk/cwm/Default.asp
The Special Collections can be accessed at:
http://www.swan.ac.uk/lis/historicalcollections/special_collections/
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and the Dillwyn Collection can be accessed at the following link:
http://www.swan.ac.uk/lis/historicalcollections/dillwyncollection/
All other searches, including searching Swansea University library
materials, can be viewed via the University’s iFind Discover facility,
accessible at the following link: https://ifind.swan.ac.uk/discover/
Copying Materials and Service Charges
Please contact Richard Burton Archives directly to discuss service
charges.
Contact Information:
Tel. 01792 295021; Email archives@swan.ac.uk
http://www.swan.ac.uk/lis/historicalcollections/archives/
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The National Waterfront Museum / Research Library
Facility Resources and topics
In addition to displays telling the story of industry and innovation
throughout Wales over the last three centuries, the Museum houses
an extensive research library. The library comprises more than
25,000 volumes and a photographic archive of over 40,000 images
relating to the industrial, maritime and transport history of Wales.
Researchers can also access the expertise of a team of specialist
curators and the collections of the whole of Amgueddfa Cymru –
National Museum Wales.
As well as a representative collection of industrial histories, the
library also holds technical and instructional works for these
industries. The library includes a complete set of Lloyds Registers
from 1836 to present day (plus selected volumes from 1764 to 1832),
and a series of volumes listing the shipwrecks that have occurred
around the coast of the British Isles. The library also holds good runs
of published lists of working mines and quarries from the 1850s to
the present day, and runs of significant periodicals including H.M.
Inspectors of Mines Annual Reports, which include lists of fatal
accidents from 1850 to 1914. The library presently subscribes to over
forty current periodicals.
Using research materials
The reference library is open to the public, by appointment only. As a
reference library the books may not be borrowed although books
may be loaned to other libraries through an inter- library loan
service.
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If you would like to use the library you will need to make an
appointment; this should be made with the curator responsible for
the section of the library that you wish to see.
Online facilities
The national museum has an online collections facility including
materials on Images of Industry, Art Collections and Geology. The
online collections facility is available here:
http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/collections/
Copyright and Service charges
It can be arranged that materials belonging to the Research Library
can be borrowed from other libraries via inter loans. You can
therefore submit an online enquiry form at
http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/swansea/visit/ or by telephone.
Contact Information
Tel: (029) 2057 3600
http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/swansea/
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Gwent Glamorgan Archaeological Trust (GGAT)
Facility resources and topics
GGAT currently hold about 25,000 records of archaeological and
historical interest and make this information available to all those
who have an involvement in the past whether as researchers,
developers, school children or farmers. GGAT’s aim is to advance the
education of the public in archaeology. Further information on GGAT
and all services and activities can be accessed via the following link:
http://www.ggat.org.uk/index.html
Historic Environment Record
The Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust’s Historic Environment
Record (HER) is the official register of archaeological sites in
Southeast Wales. Currently they hold about 25,000 records of
archaeological and historical interest covering the twelve unitary
authorities.
Using research materials
Information contained within the Historic Environment Record is
accessible to all interested in the archaeology of Southeast Wales.
The Trust receives grants to allow it to provide information free of
charge to private or academic researchers and local and national
bodies.
GGAT welcome enquiries either by phone, letter, email or fax. All
enquirers are asked to complete an enquiry form and to read and
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accept the Welsh Archaeological Trust's Guidelines for Access and
Charging and Conditions of Access (see below: Online Facilities.)
Alternatively a visit can be made to the HER in person, however, we
ask that an appointment be made in advance. A dedicated public
workstation is provided with access to the digital record and
mapping. Staff will be on hand to assist with any queries and
retrieval of paper records. Access is also available to our report
archive and small reference library.
Copying Materials and Service Charges
Copying is subject to copyright ownership and in some cases a
copyright holder will need to be consulted before material can be
released.
Further information on the HER, access guidelines, information on
services charges and an enquiry form can be accessed via the
following link: http://www.ggat.org.uk/her/english/accessing.html
Contact Information
Tel: 01792 655208
Email: enquiries@ggat.org.uk
http://www.ggat.org.uk/
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South Wales Miners Library
Facility resources and topics
The South Wales Miners' Library (SWML) was established by UWS in
1973 to house material collected by the Coalfield History Project. The
project attempted to locate, collect and preserve records relating to
the social, political, educational and cultural aspects of mining
communities throughout the South Wales Coalfield. The material
collected is now known as the South Wales Coalfield Collection. It is
split between two sites: the South Wales Miners' Library and the LIS
Archives located in the Library and Information Centre on the main
Singleton campus (see above: ‘Richard Burton Archives.’)
Material held at the South Wales Miners' Library includes South
Wales Miners' Federation and National Union of Mineworkers (South
Wales Area) minute books and annual reports, an oral history and
video collection, posters, banners, books and pamphlets from
Miners' Institutes and Welfare Halls across South Wales, Private
collections of books including those donated by the families of the
late Gwyn Thomas, George Daggar, Gomer Evans and Brinley
Griffiths, collections of pamphlets which belonged to politically
active men in the Coalfield, such as Dai Francis and S. O. Davies. The
library also holds a particularly strong collection of pamphlets
relating to the involvement of Welsh miners in the Spanish Civil War.
Both the South Wales Miners Library has a small collection of audiovisual material, including videos, audio cassettes and slides. The
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videos and audio cassettes can be borrowed by part time students
and SU staff.
SWML also houses the oral history and video collections of the South
Wales Coalfield Collection which may be searched via the SWCC web
catalogue (see below: Online Facilities.)
The above listed collections can be viewed and accessed online (see
below: ‘Online Facilities.’)
Using Research Materials
You can search the materials held in the SWML by using the Swansea
University iDiscover search facility accessible at the following link:
https://ifind.swan.ac.uk/discover/
The normal loan period for books, periodicals (except the latest issue
which is not borrowable) and audio-visual materials is four weeks,
but if items are reserved by other readers, they will be recalled after
one week.
Some books in heavy demand have been put on limited Loan and
may be borrowed for one week only.
If all copies of a book are out on loan, a reservation can be placed on
the library card system, using your library card number. The book is
then recalled from the current borrower and when it has been
returned a notification to collect from the library is sent to you.
Online Services
The collections housed at the SWML can be searched via the
Swansea University iFind Discover catalogue, accessible at the
following link: https://ifind.swan.ac.uk/discover/.
The South Wales Coalfield Collection is accessible at the following
link: http://www.swan.ac.uk/swcc/
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There are 22 Open Access PCs in the South Wales Miners'
Library. They offer the full range of Open Access software, including:
word processing, databases & spreadsheets, web browsers,
networked databases and the Library catalogue, iFind Discover.
There are additional Open Access PCs throughout SU.
Copying Materials and Service Charges
The South Wales Miners' Library has self-service Laser printing
facilities. Printing costs 5p per A4 sheet.
There are two self-service photocopiers in SWML. Photocopying
costs 5p per A4 sheet and 10p per A3 sheet. Your student card can
be used to photocopy, just recharge in the ICS machine. If you're
a visitor or researcher please ask issue desk staff to loan you a card;
or staff may do your copying for you at a cost of 10p A4, 20p A3.
Contact Information
Tel: 01792 518603/518693
Email: miners@swansea.ac.uk
http://www.swansea.ac.uk/iss/libraries/southwalesminerslibrary/
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