EU PARTNER SEARCH – CULTURE 2000
CHILDREN’S HISTORIC BOOK COLLECTION
Introduction
Buckinghamshire County Council, UK is searching for transnational partners to submit a bid under the
EU Culture 2000 programme. We currently house a 19 th Century Children’s Historic Book Collection
and are looking to base a digitisation / educational project around the collection to enable access and
learning throughout the EU.
Project Aims
The aim of the project is to part digitise and translate a selection of the children’s historic book
collection(s) to enable it to be exhibited throughout EU countries via the World Wide Web and CD
ROM. A website will be set up to house the digitised collection and act as a resource to map the stages
and developments of the project to date.
An extensive transnational educational programme will also be launched in conjunction with the
digitised collection, which will be used as an educational tool to reflect the lifestyles of children in the
19th century. This will result in comparisons between present and past lifestyles as well as reflecting
national similarities and differences.
The project aims to spread best practice and expertise on the preservation and conservation of such
collections, looking to develop common standards. The project will work around four transnational
themed visits and will comprise of a Steering Group, a Technical Seminar for the transnational partners
and a Themed Seminar to which all interested parties will be invited.
The themes of the transational visits will be based around the current stage of the project both
demonstrating the achievements to date and preparing for the development of the next stage of the
work plan.
The Culture 2000 project will develop the beginning of a European Network of Children’s Historic
Book Collections and the final stages of the project will achieve this through the identification of
relevant partners for future collaboration. The final conference will allow for the coming together of
parties interested in the Network and will formally launch the digitised collection, the education
resource and the conservation methods.
Partner search
We are searching for suitable partners across the EU who are interested in becoming partners in a
European project. We are looking for a variety of partner organisations which will bring a multitude of
skills and resources to the project.
Organisations that house similar collections are sought after. We would be looking to gain access to
collections from other Member States to build a truly European Children’s Historic Book Collection.
This would enable real comparisons between the lifestyles reflected through the pieces and allow us to
develop a European educational programme.
We also want to develop common standards in preservation and conservation and organisations that
can demonstrate expertise in this field and are able to assist in the development of such standards and
allow for the sharing of best practice and knowledge.
The digitisation process and the development of the website require both the technological expertise
and hardware to enable the collections to be accessible on the World Wide Web and in CD ROM
format. Organisations skilled in such areas are also sought.
Contact
If you require more information about the project, or are interested in becoming a partner please
contact
Claire Herbert, European Officer
Tel: +44 1296 382489
Fax: +44 1296 382060 or
E-mail: cherbert@buckscc.gov.uk
Or
Penny Stothard, European Assistant
Tel: +44 1296 392743
Fax: +44 1296 382060
E-mail: pstothard@buckscc.gov.uk
PROJECT PLAN
TRANSNATIONAL VISITS
MONTH
DAY-TO-DAY
PROJECT WORK

NOVEMBER
2000

Put mechanisms for
digitisation process
in place
Set up website
STEERING GROUP
TECHNICAL
THEME
SEMINAR THEME
Steering Group
Digitisation process
Existing historical
children’s book collections
DECEMBER
2001

JANUARY
2001
FEBRUARY
2001
MARCH
2001
JUNE
2001




Title pages
Images
Text
Translation

Digitisation &
website of
Collections
completed
Development &
completion of
conservation
standards
Hold travelling
collection
exhibitions


JULY
2001

AUGUST
2001
Steering Group
Access & promotion
of the collections
through
educational
programme(s)
Children’s life reflected in
historical literature
Add the following onto
Website:
APRIL
2001
MAY
2001
Transnational
educational
programme
developed

Steering Group
Preservation
Conservation
Steering Group
Establishing a
network of children’s
historic book
collections
Historical illustrations
Children’s’ illustrators
The cultural dimension of
historical children’s
literature
Identifying future
partners
Initiating idea for
network
SEPTEMBER
2001
FINAL CONFERENCE
OCTOBER
2001

Beginnings of
European Network
of Children’s
Historical Book
Collections
FORMAL LAUNCH OF
United Kingdom



Digitised collection
Education resource
Conservation methods