Wellcome Film at Learning on Screen

The Wellcome Film project was showcased at the 2009 Learning on Screen Conference, hosted by the Wellcome Library and run by the BUFVC on 7-8 April. Held in the Auditorium of the Wellcome Collection building on 183 Euston Road, London, the event focussed on digital video accessibility issues with a special session on new online video initiatives. The presentations showed that a range of new software applications have the potential to make video more and more accessible to people with disabilities. Of particular note was Sal Cook’s introduction to the JISC’s TechDis service, with information about software for developers that will maximise audio-visual accessibility.

The Wellcome Film project was presented by Christy Henshaw and Angela Saward on the second day, providing an overview of the project, its context in the Library’s digitisation programme, choice of content, formats, metadata, and the various delivery methods utilised (open access via the Wellcome Library online catalogue, and HE/FE access via Film and Sound Online). A selection of clips was screened at the end of the presentation to illustrate the range of content chosen for inclusion in the project.

The Wellcome Film project has to date made over 200 titles accessible, including “Talk about Insulin“, 1959 (below). This video shows an interview with Prof. Charles H. Best and Dr R.D. Lawrence. Prof. Best, along with Dr Frederick Banting, discovered the use of insulin in treating diabetes. Dr R.D. Lawrence was one of the first diabetics to receive insulin, and went on to carry out further research in this area.