Happy Birthday Gathering the Jewels!

 

The first week of August saw the Gathering the Jewels website celebrate its first birthday.  The website was launched at the National Eisteddfod in Cardiff last year by the newly-appointed Heritage Minister Alun Ffred Jones.  Also present on the day were the President, Vice-President and Librarian of The National Library of Wales, Dafydd Wigley, Arwel Ellis Owen and Andrew Green.

We hope that the website’s new features, the new geographical searching facility (GIS) in particular, have made access to the historical and cultural treasures of Wales easier than ever.  There are now over 30,000 images on the websites from every corner of Wales.

In the same way as Gathering the Jewels has evolved over the past year, the provision of digital content in Wales has also developed.  At the moment, Gathering the Jewels staff are working towards a new Welsh Assembly Government project called The People’s Collection.  The People’s Collection will be an interactive, digital, bilingual resource celebrating the culture and heritage of Wales, enabling users to become a part of their local history and community.

A number of images from Gathering the Jewels will appear on this new website, as well as content uploaded by users.  It is hoped that the images of museums, libraries and archives will appear alongside those contributed by individuals, students, community groups and other interested parties. 

Keep an eye on the Gathering the Jewels website for the latest content and developments.

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