Written by Theresa Jacob and pictures by Isabelle Stanfield
The Week’s Activities and What we Learned
Our experience with the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Centre & Education Trust felt like a genuine golden opportunity. From the moment we arrived on Monday, we were welcomed warmly and given a clear overview of how the week would unfold, which immediately helped us feel prepared.
Later on Monday, Isabelle and I were introduced to the RACE Centre Library and given tasks to complete. We were asked to test materials before they were used with students and groups coming to work with the RACE Centre & Education Trust. It showed me how considerate and intentional the team is in planning sessions that keep people engaged.
I also really appreciated that our opinions were invited. We were always encouraged to share feedback on what could be improved and our suggestions to help sessions run more smoothly, were genuinely taken into consideration. Being trusted in that way made the experience feel more personal rather than just watchfulness. This was shown in our book display where Isabelle and I were allowed to create our own book display on a matter of the month, which we produced on Minority Mental Health Awareness Month.
As the week continued, we were given some choice in how to use our time, and we decided to create a social media post about the Search Room: what it is, how the public can access it, and what happens behind the scenes. While we worked on this, it gave me amazing insight on how staff work really hard to make archives accessible to everyone. We had the chance to watch the Librarians work with the archives and to understand how the booking system works for requesting archived materials. We then created videos and wrote on how to use the search room, making sure to include the key rules and guidelines that protect the archives and how to keep the space safe for everyone. It was a valuable lesson in communicating clearly and responsibility, especially when encouraging the public to engage with valuable materials.
On Thursday, Isabelle and I were given an incredible behind-the-scenes opportunity at John Rylands Library. We were able to see gallery items up close, including material such as a written piece of the Odysseus. Being trusted with that access felt like a tremendous honour, and it made me appreciate the scale of work involved in caring for collections of that importance. We also met the Collections Care Team and learned more about what goes into preparing items for a future gallery changeover. When seeing the Imaging Team at work, I understood how much time, skill, and patience it takes to create high quality digital copies of delicate items. It was inspiring to see how their effort helps open up rare collections to everyone through online access.
Overall, our experience at the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE Centre & Education Trust was the most eye-opening that we have ever experienced. Our opinions were heavily changed as we saw how much work goes behind different areas. Our social skills improved as we worked with different people and were always given the opportunity to share our opinions. Isabelle and I are extremely grateful for this work experience as it has taught us skills such as responsibility, hard work ethics and clear attention to detail.
