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September 25, 2024
Special Issue Published: MRC @ 50
Writing about web page https://doi.org/10.31273/eirj.v11i4
After only a month, another special issue of Exchanges is launched to celebrate a unique, special and impactful archive
This half of the year has felt rather like a continual production of issues of Exchanges, which I guess is no bad thing! After last month’s highly anticipated and well-received Research Culture special issue, today I am so pleased to reveal we’ve just published our next one. This time the special issue [1] celebrates, commemorates and highlights work on and around the Modern Records Centre (MRC) archive here at the University of Warwick. In part the issue is a potted guide to the history of the MRC itself, but mostly it celebrates the fantastic role archives play in enabling groundbreaking and insightful social, cultural and historical research.
Read the issue:
https://exchanges.warwick.ac.uk/index.php/exchanges/issue/view/100 or https://doi.org/10.31273/eirj.v11i4
Most of the articles in the issue are drawn from the 50th anniversary symposium hosted last year by the MRC, where speakers talked about their personal reflections of the archive, as much as they focused in on the research its collections have helped them to achieve. Hence this issue is very much a reflection of that day, wherein we invited all the speakers to contribute in some way. Not everyone decided or was able to contribute, but I would argue a strongly representative sample of the speakers have, making this volume a fitting capstone to the fantastic MRC’s ‘special’ birthday year.
Naturally, as with all specials there’s been a lot of work behind the scenes to bring the issue to you, not least of that from a great team of associate editors. Along the way we’ve faced some unexpected organisational challenges which did slow down the production of the issue a little bit – but I have been so impressed as always by the dedication, focus and team spirit I’ve seen from all the editors. Much as I am happy to have the issue live, I’m certainly sad I won’t be working with these people closely for the foreseeable future – they really have been a fantastic group!
Anyway, with this issue out, I can return my focus to the forthcoming regular issue of Exchanges due out next month (!), and following up with all the authors of both recent special issues too.[2] Not to mention, talking with my editors on the other special issues we’ve got developing…
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[1] Officially our 8th special, since the first one in 2020. 4 more are active development right now too.
[2] I’m hoping I’ve not been too quiet in the past couple of weeks as my focus has been squarely on getting this issue out!
Gareth Johnson
25 Sep 2024 14:03
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Tags: Archives Centre Issue Modern Mrc Published Records Special Warwick
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September 21, 2023
MRC at 50 – Conference & Special Issue Contribution Launch
Writing about web page https://warwick.ac.uk/services/library/mrc/
MRC anniversary celebrations set the scene for an exciting future journal volume.
Yesterday I attended the 50th anniversary symposium in honour of the Modern Records Centre (MRC) at Warwick. If you’re not been previously aware of the MRC and its work, the website and indeed the Centre itself is most certainly well worth a visit: if only to marvel at the variety and breadth of their collections. This diversity was a key element reflected across the spread of topics discussed at yesterday’s event. Speaker’s talked about their research which had all been generated – in part or in its entirety through usage of the MRC’s collections. From sex workers to trade unions through the French Resistance, disability and cycling: it was an undoubted smorgasbord of themes.
I recall, many years ago and in a previous post at Warwick, I had the opportunity to be walked through the MRC’s archive itself by the then Archivist. It was a rare opportunity to get ‘up close and personal’ with the ephemera, communications and collected papers of many significant figures in political, social and national history alike. Certainly, being that close to historical documents was a thrilling moment.
Since its founding though, the MRC has clearly had an impact far beyond Warwick itself. This was undoubtably reflected through the international scope of the discussions and presenters represented yesterday. I shan’t try and capture the essence of the day: there was so much to take in. Plus, I suspect offering this kind of perspective is an element which the special issue call we informally launched yesterday will do to a greater degree.
An archive of thinking and research to honour the archive itself!
Hence, we will be approaching all of the presenters, and a few other selected people too, over the coming weeks to invite them all to contribute a paper to this forthcoming special commemorative issue of Exchanges. I can assure readers that if its contents are anything like as engaging as yesterday’s talks, then you are in for a real treat! We hope to bring you the issue sometime in early to mid-2024, so watch out on our social media for more news as we get closer to the launch date.
My thanks to Pierre Botcherby and the whole MRC team for inviting Exchanges to form a modest but valuable marker of the MRC’s first 50 years of success!
A copy of the call for papers is now available.
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For more information on the MRC’s work or collections, visit warwick.ac.uk/services/library/mrc/ or contact archives@warwick.ac.uk. For more about the forthcoming special issue, contact Exchanges at exchangesjournal@warwick.ac.uk.
Gareth Johnson
21 Sep 2023 10:41
| Tags: Archives Collaboration Conference History Issue Launch Mrc Special
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