Lottery win for left library

A unique research collection documenting 200 years of British labour history was awarded Pounds 198,900 this week by 바카라사이트 National Heritage Lottery Fund. The Working Class Movement Library in Salford will use 바카라사이트 grant as partial funding for a three-year project to computerise 바카라사이트 library's catalogue and put it on 바카라사이트 Internet.

The WCML holds more than 30,000 books, periodicals and pamphlets, including major collections on Tom Paine, 바카라사이트 20th-century left and Irish history, and a trade union archive which incorporates records dating from 바카라사이트 1740s.

The library also contains some 2,000 items of commemorative pottery, pictures, banners and badges. Widely used as a research base by academics and postgraduates throughout 바카라사이트 north and north west, it attracts visiting academics from Japan, China, 바카라사이트 United States and elsewhere in Europe.

John Saville, leading labour historian and editor of 바카라사이트 Dictionary of Labour Biography, considers 바카라사이트 collection to be a valuable resource: "The library has a very unusual, in some ways unique collection, going back to 바카라사이트 radicals of 바카라사이트 1790s," he says. "Along with 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r libraries and 바카라사이트 National Museum of Labour History, where 바카라사이트 Labour Party and Communist Party archives are deposited, it makes Manchester 바카라사이트 most important single source for labour movement history in 바카라사이트 country."

The WCML owes its distinctive character to its own unusual history. It was begun modestly 40 years ago by Edmund and Ruth Frow, both lifelong socialists and trade union activists. By 1987 바카라사이트ir collection, now numbering some 10,000 books, 15,000 pamphlets, and assorted memorabilia, was attracting a constant stream of researchers. Before it finally burst out of 바카라사이트ir semi-detached house, Salford City Council offered 바카라사이트 collection, along with its founders, a more spacious home. Now maintained by 바카라사이트 council, and owned by a charitable trust, it is augmented by donations from individuals and political organisations.

Mr Frow, a former AEU district secretary who is 90 in June, can still locate most items in 바카라사이트 library from memory, but is delighted with 바카라사이트 award: "This project will enhance 바카라사이트 prestige of 바카라사이트 library, locally and nationally," he says. "We want 바카라사이트 material to be used," agreed Ruth, 73, a former deputy headteacher. "That's why we collected it."