I have been writing Stumbling Through the Past for over five years now. When I started this blog I thought that the right hand side column would be a great place for me to stow links to websites, libraries and archives that I have found useful in my research. I usually just add one or two links at a time, then move on with other things. This week I needed to go back over old work so I looked through the links.
I was surprised at what a useful Australian history resource I have gradually amassed. However, it is rather hidden on my blog as you have to scroll down to find it and look at the column. I wondered if anyone uses it, or whether I should place it elsewhere on my blog.
Australia’s Media History
While pondering these questions I added nine new links. These links are for websites and archives about Australian business and media history. Many of these links have been plumbed from the wonderful Australian Media History Database. This website and the Media Archives Project are provided by Macquarie University’s Centre for Media History. The Centre’s director, Professor Bridget Griffen-Foley has also edited an invaluable encyclopaedia on Australia’s media history. This week I consulted A Companion to the Australian Media while researching at the State Library of Victoria. It is the first place to go to when embarking on research into any aspect of Australia’s media history. I am also impressed by the work the Centre’s Media Archives Project has done to identify important records in Australia’s media history and work to ensure that these collections are secured for researchers to access in perpetuity.
The web resources of the Centre for Media History are extensive. While writing this I found the Centre’s Colonial Australian Literary Journalism website which currently covers literary journalism in Australia from the first European settlement until Federation (1901).
The internet is built by links. It is a collaborative exercise built on an ethos of generosity. Everyone benefits the more they share their own work and that of others. The Centre for Media History is just one of thousands of organisations and historians online who understand this.
(While writing this I digressed and added another link which I should have added a while ago. Check out Jennifer McLaren’s history blog)
Over to You
I have made the effort to share these links on my blog because I want to help you with your research, whether you are exploring your family history, working on local history, doing university or school research. But it’s not much use having a resource if it is rarely used. In the comments could you let me know what you think:
- Have you ever used these links – regularly, occasionally or never?
- Do you think that I should start a new tab on my blog (accessed immediately under my blog image) and move all the links there?
- Are the links categorised in a helpful way and is it clear what each link is about?
- Are there any good Australian history resources that I should add to the list?
- Are there any broken links I need to fix?
I’m looking forward to hearing from you!
I was unaware of your invaluable list of links as I simply read each post as it comes and had investigated your tabs at the top but had not seen the links way down below. Yes, please put them on to a separate page, tab or site.
Thanks for your feedback Carmel. While writing this post I thought that if this was someone else’s blog I would not have noticed the links either. I am glad that you have explored the tabs on the top. It sounded like a good idea to move the links to a separate page but I was unsure if they would be noticed there. What type of Australian history resources do you find particularly helpful?
Yvonne, I confess that I didn’t realize you had so many links until I read this post – because I rarely would scroll down below the end of the post. There’s no doubt though that they are a useful list and I will now make use of them. Thank you.
Thanks Marion. I found that even I was not using these useful links. But last night I had to do some searching for business history and media history resources and so I added them. Then I found that I had already listed some resources that I had forgotten about. If I cannot remember to refer to these links I certainly cannot expect others to refer to them!
I think the links would be easier to find under their own tab.
I agree Judith. It looks like from the responses so far I should definitely move them, but I felt it was important to check with readers. Thanks for your feedback.
Somewhere obvious would be great as although I now know the resources exist i still can’t find them.
They are hard to find. I think I will move them to another page in the next few days. Thanks for your feedback.
Hi Yvonne,
Where are all the links at the moment apart from in the text of the post?
Debbie
They are in the RHS column but you have to scroll down past the tag cloud, then past the list of categories of posts, past the archives drop down box and then you will see a heading !Recently Added! You are clearly not the only one that has not seen them so I will move them next week to a separate page on my blog.
Thanks Yvonne! Have you seen this update at AustLit http://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/news?onestory=9162067
No I hadn’t seen that. It is a great set of resources. I’ll add some of them to my new Australian history links page.
As others have said, a separate page would be great. You’ve collected a wonderful link resource – thanks for bringing it to our attention.
Thanks Michelle. I had a look at your blog and could see your RHS column with links clearly. I think the theme I chose is not so good at helping people notice the information in the RHS column.