The exhibition will also celebrate the achievements of early historians of the county, and relate how they went about their work. It has been awarded a grant from the Millennium Festival 'Awards for All' scheme to make this project possible. It is hoped that the project will eventually encompass the whole of Wiltshire. More and more books are being published each year. This is despite the internet which was heralded as being the end of the printed word.
Local history is a good example.
More and more books and journals are coming off the presses, reflecting an increasing interest in the history of communities and local life up and down the country. Apart from the copyright libraries, who by no means have everything that is published in the field, no national body is collecting this material. Many of these publications, which are of real interst to historians, amateur or academic, could be lost to future generations of researchers. The Society of Genealogist's library is already a major resource for local historians, with books and pamphlets about many towns and villages in the United Kingdom, and, indeed, abroad. The SoG is keen to build up its holdings amd would welcome donations of local histories and local history journals, whether they come from local societies, church or WI groups, local authorities, or even private individuals.