News from Access Services at Public Record Office Victoria
December 2007 – Number 26

rEsearch is a bi-monthly update on public access news at Public Record Office Victoria (PROV). Current and past editions of rEsearch are available online here and are also emailed to subscribers. Email a request to ask.prov@prov.vic.gov.au if you want to be included on our subscriber list.

1. Local History Grants Program 2007-08
2. \Sir Rupert Hamer Record Management Awards 2007
3. 'Victorians at Work' - PROV's newest travelling exhibition now on display
4. PROV Seminar Series February - June 2008 and Archival Support Program 2008
5. Wilam Naling Small Grant recipients receive $39,000 in funding
6. PROV website survey 2007
7. Updated PROVguides
8. VAC and BAC reading room Christmas closure
9. New series available on the PROV online catalogue
10. Staff speaking engagements
11. Feedback
12. About this publication

1. LOCAL HISTORY GRANTS PROGRAM
The Local History Grants Program (LHGP) supports projects that preserve and present Victorian local history. Administered by PROV, the program is funded through the Community Support Fund.

The 2007-08 round of the LHGP is currently open for applications and closes on Monday 7 January 2008. For further details and application forms, visit our website at <http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/lhgp>.

2. SIR RUPERT HAMER RECORD MANAGEMENT AWARDS 2007
Each year the Public Records Advisory Council (PRAC) offers the Sir Rupert Hamer Records Management Awards, recognising excellence and innovation in records management in the Victorian public sector.

The Awards are named after Sir Rupert Hamer who was the Victorian Premier when the Public Records Act was passed in 1973 and when PROV opened its first office and repository in 1975.

Awards are made to government agencies who demonstrate preservation of records of permanent value and innovations in records management practices.

While in the past the awards have only been available to government agencies, for the first time in 2007, award categories for Places of Deposit (PODs) have been included in recognition of the work they do to preserve the local history of their communities.

The Sir Rupert Hamer Record Management Awards 2007 are now open for nominations and close on Thursday 20 March 2008. Information and nomination forms will be available from the PROV website from early January at <http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/events/rmham.asp>. In the mean time, please contact Manager, Public Programs, James McKinnon for further information by phone (03) 9348 5675 or email <james.mckinnon@prov.vic.gov.au>

3. 'VICTORIANS AT WORK' - PROV'S NEWEST TRAVELLING EXHIBITION NOW ON DISPLAY
PROV's newest travelling exhibition 'Victorians at Work', is now on display at the Victorian Archives Centre. The exhibition draws on PROV's vast photographic holdings, dating from the mid nineteenth century to the late 1960s and offers the viewer a glimpse of many different types of work undertaken by people in Victoria over the last 150 years.

The images, many of which have never before been on public view, provide a fascinating look into innovation, industry and community life in Victoria. The photographs are supported by records and fascinating tools and objects of work from a bygone era.

'Victorians at Work' is on display at the VAC until 29 February 2008. It will then be offered on loan (minus the records and artefacts) as a PROV travelling exhibition for venues and organisations throughout Victoria.

For more information on the exhibition and for enquiries on borrowing 'Victorians at Work' in 2008, please contact Public Programs on (03) 9348 5600.

4. PROV SEMINAR SERIES AND ARCHIVAL SUPPORT PROGRAM 2008
The Seminar Series program for February to June 2008 and the Archival Support Program 2008 will be available from early January as inserts in your mailed copy of 'PROactive', from PROV Reading Rooms and the 'Events and Programs' pages of the PROV website. Both programs feature a range of new seminars and material for anyone who wants to know more about archives and the type of research subjects that can be undertaken at PROV.

5. WILAM NALING SMALL GRANT RECIPIENTS RECEIVE $39,000 IN FUNDING
At a ceremony held at the Victorian Archives Centre on 22 November, Victorian Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Richard Wynne awarded 13 wiliam naling small grants totalling $39,000 to encourage, support and improve access to Aboriginal records in Victoria.

Funding for the wilam naling small grants was a response to the wilam naling, knowing who you arereport 2006 by the Victorian Koorie Records Taskforce, which detailed ten recommendations to improve access to Aboriginal records. The grants, administered by PROV's Koorie Records Unit (KRU) were devised to support non government organisations to improve recordkeeping systems, ensuring their stories are shared with communities.

For further information on the wilam naling report, visit the KRU section of the PROV website at <http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/about/kru/>. Full details on the wilam naling small grants including a complete list of the recipients and their projects will be added to the KRU section of the website in January.

6. PROV WEBSITE SURVEY 2007
PROV would like to say 'thank you' to the many rEsearch subscribers who filled out the survey on PROV website visitors in November. We received 300 completed surveys and appreciate the useful data obtained from your responses.

7. UPDATED PROVGUIDES
The following PROVguides have been updated and are available online at through the Research Tools menu, and in PROV Reading Rooms:

PROVguide 4 Ordering and Collecting Public Records - Government Access
Updated advice to agencies regarding the timeframe for use of records issued to them.

PROVguide 5 Cemetery Records
Now contains information about a recent records transfer from VA 4780 Melbourne (New) General Cemetery Trust, a "Locating a Burial" section with contact website for Cemeteries and Crematoria Program, and a reference to the 1992 National Trust publication "Cemeteries: Our Heritage".

PROVguide 61 Divorce Records
Updated contact details regarding accessing divorce records created after 1918 through the Victorian Supreme Court and Family Court. A link to divorce records held at BAC, a link to film & fiche finding aids, and more searching information have been added.

PROVguide 72 PROVguides Numerical List
Contains new PROVguide titles and subject headings.

PROVguide 73 PROVguides Subject List
Contains new PROVguide titles and subject headings.

8. VAC AND BAC READING ROOM CHRISTMAS CLOSURE
The VAC Reading Room will close from 4.30 pm on Friday 21 December 2007 and reopen at 9.30 am on Wednesday 2 January 2008. The BAC Reading Room will close from 4.30pm on Tuesday 18 December and reopen at 9.30am on Monday 7 January 2008.

9. NEW SERIES AVAILABLE ON THE PROV ONLINE CATALOGUE December 2007
Visit <http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/main/newrecords.asp> to view new series that have been made available online at 'Access the Collection'. The list is updated every two months as rEsearch is published.

10. STAFF SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
Visit our Events Calendar at <http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/events/calendar/default.asp> for a list of upcoming PROV speaking engagements.

11. FEEDBACK
If you would like to send feedback and suggestions on the content of this newsletter or if you know someone who would be interested in receiving rEsearch, please email <ask.prov@prov.vic.gov.au>

12. ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION
We have included you on our mailing list because you have indicated interest in receiving PROV information. However, if you do not wish to receive this newsletter, please email <ask.prov@prov.vic.gov.au> or phone PROV Reception (03) 9348 5600 and we will remove you from our list.

You can access the web page version of this newsletter at <http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/publications>. Back issues are also available on the website.

ISSN 1449-0323 Copyright © 2007 Public Record Office Victoria

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