Skip to 0 minutes and 5 seconds Populism. Inequality. Environmental degradation. Slavery. Wherever we look, the problems of the present are steeped in the past. We need to understand this past to make sense of the world we live in. But how do we get behind the media stories and what politicians tell us about history to get at the facts, and to form our own, independent judgement? This course will give you the skills to do precisely that. Academics from the universities of Nottingham, Birmingham, and archivists and curators from the British Library in London will share their insights and help you along the way to set you off on your own personal journey of discovery.
Skip to 0 minutes and 45 seconds We’ll debate what we can learn from the past, but we’ll also think about when history gets in the way. Have you ever wondered about the political language that we use to describe present problems? This language is a product of the past. But is it still appropriate for the present and for the future? We will introduce the collections of the British Library, one of the largest libraries in the world. We will showcase our unique historical resources and introduce you to our digital sources, including recorded sound and the web archive. Throughout the course, we’d like you to think about your own research projects. What sources will you choose to research? How will you discover them?
Skip to 1 minute and 22 seconds And what methods will you use to analyse them? Whether you are a researcher, a journalist, a campaigner, or just a curious citizen, please join us in a global community of citizens to explore the past and better understand the world in which we live.
