A blog for all seasons

Today we are unveiling a new and – we hope you’ll agree – improved Wellcome Library blog. I’d like to tell you about why we’ve made some changes, and highlight some of the new features.

Kite-flying at a boys’ festival in early spring. Colour woodcut by Yoshitora, 1865. Wellcome Library reference: 37454i.

An online survey conducted in autumn 2014 gave us a snapshot of this blog’s readership: what types of blog posts you like and your professional or personal reasons for reading. We also know from looking at our website usage that around 60% of our blog readers are coming from outside the UK. Recognising that different readers are looking for different types of stories, we have introduced six new blog sections so you can dip into the themes that are most relevant to you.

From the Collections digs deep into medical history and culture by showcasing the Library’s wonderful and unique archives, manuscripts, printed materials, multimedia, works of art and more.

The Researcher’s View will highlight first-hand stories from people who have used Wellcome Library collections in their research.

Digital Developments is where to go when you want to read about the digitisation programme, new digital collections, and the tools and technology under development for the digital library.

Events and Visits will show you what’s happening in the Library, including events, seminars, talks and group visits.

In the Library will cover major Wellcome Library news and anything that’s happening in our London library, including services and resources for Library members.

Early Medicine is a new strand which explores medicine and health from the ancient world to the end of the 17th century. Dr Elma Brenner, Medieval and Early Modern specialist, tells us more about it here.

What else is different?
Keeping up to date with the blog is now easier. You can sign up to receive an email whenever a new blog post is published. Look out for the Email Alerts box on the left side of the screen, or at the bottom if you’re on a mobile device. If you’re an old school RSS subscriber, you can still follow this blog, along with our other ‘newly available’ feeds.

For nearly seven years, we’ve been showcasing writing from staff and interns, as well as many researchers who’ve contributed blog posts (thank you!). Taking inspiration from the diverse and curious collections found in our London research library, the blog has covered themes from alchemy to quackery, from William Morris’s library to the UK Medical Heritage Library, and much, much more. We will continue to build on this, adding more expert voices to the mix and highlighting more of our digital collections as they are made available. We hope you enjoy reading!