Description
As attested to by a public exhibition, public engagement event, and collaboration with the Centre for Public History (QUB), and the Institute of Electronics, Communications and Information Technology, QUB.
The public exhibition, McClay Library (May-July 2022) was a collaboration between academics, librarians, designers, local and UK business.This collaboration, promoting the public understanding of research-generated knowledge and the holdings of Special Collections, contributed creatively and constructively to strategic initiatives in the School, Faculty, and University to improve quality of life, engage with the local community, and provision long-term investment in the institution. My AHRC fellowship funded the salary costs of Louisa Costelloe (Special Collections, McClay Library), designer of the online exhibition. The exhibition also included successful application to the AHRC for permission to purchase a glass display case and plaque commemorating Professor Keith Jeffery (circa £8200). A bonus was that Deirdre Wildy, Special Collections, found matching funding to purchase a second display case. The artwork and design of the panels were done by Jonathan Ridgway (CDS Print and Creative, Belfast), of the plaque by Terry Curry (Gilchrist & Co, Belfast), and the exhibition cards by David McLaughlin (Fineprint, Northern Ireland). The museum display case was purchased from Click Netherfield. Design of the project webpage detailing the exhibition was done by a postdoctoral student, Dr Aisling Reid (AEL). The exhibition will run again in 2023 with more public engagement events. It was advertised through social media channels (twitter, Instagram, facebook), academic networks (Mediev – L, the Network for the study of Glossing, Academia.edu), blogs (Special Collections Library blog), webpages (HAPP Webpage and Project web page) and on HAPP social media (Twitter and Facebook).
The first public engagement event (Great Hall, June 2022) was a public lecture on cryptography with speakers from King’s College London and the Institute of Electronic, Communications and Information Technology, QUB. The event, supported by the Centre for Public History, foregrounded the importance of cryptography, an area in which Queen’s University Belfast has made a significant contribution through the work of Professor Maire O’Neill (Leading Cyber Security Expert, QUB) and the late Professor Keith Jeffery (Historian of MI6, Professor of British History, 2005-2016).
| Period | 2021 → 2023 |
|---|---|
| Event type | Other |
| Degree of Recognition | Local |