Collection BPL - Beckett Park Library Collection

Identity area

Reference code

GB 2830 BPL

Title

Beckett Park Library Collection

Date(s)

  • 1851 - 2010 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

24 boxes containing paper documents, photographs, printed matter, textiles, metal objects. 4 wood and metal objects.

Context area

Name of creator

(fl. 1912 - 1996)

Administrative history

The City of Leeds Training College was formed in 1907. In 1913 a purpose built training college was opened in the grounds of the former Kirkstall Grange estate bought from the Beckett family. In 1933 Carnegie Hall was built on the same estate, to house the Carnegie College of Physical Training. A library was formed in the City of Leeds Training College and from 1912 this was housed in the Educational Block (today known as the James Graham Building). The hostels on the training college site each housed a Library but how extensive these were has not been established. From 1933 onwards Carnegie College had its own separate Library in Carnegie Hall. In 1968 the training college by then renamed City of Leeds College of Education was merged with the renamed Carnegie College of Physical Education to form the City of Leeds and Carnegie College and the separate libraries were combined. The College merged with Leeds Polytechnic in 1976 and the Library was retained at Beckett Park. In 1992 Leeds Polytechnic became Leeds Metropolitan University. The Library was renamed Beckett Park Learning Centre in 1996, in 2004 it became Headingley Campus Library.

Name of creator

(fl. 1965-1985)

Biographical history

Joan Newiss was a senior member of staff at the Beckett Park Library which served the City of Leeds Training College and later Leeds Polytechnic..

Name of creator

(fl. 1990-)

Biographical history

Currently Principal Information Assistant for Archives within Libraries and Learning Innovation. Was responsible for the present incarnation of the archive bringing together disparate parts of the University's history and heritage under the umbrella of the Archive and Special Collections.Began working for Leeds Polytechnic in 1990.

Name of creator

(fl. 1983 - 2010)

Biographical history

Retired Principal Lecturer, Carnegie Faculty of Sport and Education, Leeds Metropolitan University. Studied at Leeds Polytechnic and joined the staff in 1983. Professional interests include history in Primary Schools. Major achievement was to negotiate the use of the 1881 Census in schools and colleges during the 1990s.
Supported the fledgling archive by alerting potential users to its existence and facilitating regular donations.

Archival history

This artificial collection is based around material of historical interest housed by the Library at Beckett Park Campus later renamed Headingley Campus. The core items were entrusted to Joan Newiss, (Librarian) by Dr L. Connell (Principal), E. Exwood and P. Hamilton (senior members of staff) and by students of the college. Newiss records that the material was never part of the Library collection but was simply stored there for convenience. At some point possibly during the 1960s an attempt was made to formalise the material as an Archive Collection and some items bear markings and reference numbers from this period. Newiss also complied a detailed Calander of the material ca. mid 1980s. Robin Bateman (Librarian) and Newiss were the senior staff at the Library during this period. During the late 1970s and early 1980s a great deal of archival material was passed on to the Leeds District Archive at Sheepscar, the rationale being that the material made up part of the Local Education Authority records. The core material that makes up this collection was never passed on to Sheepscar and in 1994 Library managers decided that this should remain with the University as part of its heritage. Generally, substantial amount of heritage material was scattered throughout the Beckett Park site and an informal archive was developed in 1997 around the Newiss core holding by Keith Rowntree in an attempt to collect and preserve this historical material spread around the Campus. This archive in 2008 was formalised as the Archive and Special Collections with a University wide remit to collect and preserve the University's heritage.

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Beckett Park Library, Andy Bowles, Keith Rowntree

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Collection mainly focuses on material generated by the City of Leeds Training College and Carnegie Physical Training College. These include handbooks and prospectuses of the colleges dating from 1913 to 1970s, documents relating to the early years of Carnegie College, Carnegie College trip to Berlin Olympics in 1936. training college magazine ‘The Owl’ from 1930s, donations from alumni from various period, military items from 1940s when college was an Army Training Centre.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

None expected

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Conditions governing reproduction

Language of material

  • English
  • German

Script of material

    Language and script notes

    Physical characteristics and technical requirements

    Finding aids

    Allied materials area

    Existence and location of originals

    Existence and location of copies

    Related units of description

    Related descriptions

    Notes area

    Alternative identifier(s)

    Access points

    Subject access points

    Name access points

    Genre access points

    Description control area

    Description identifier

    Institution identifier

    Rules and/or conventions used

    ISAD(G) 2nd ed.

    Status

    Level of detail

    Dates of creation revision deletion

    January 2006, rev. June 2007, rev. June 2013

    Language(s)

      Script(s)

        Sources

        Archivist's note

        Compiled by Keith Rowntree

        Accession area