Library’s role in making 100 Years of Welsh programmes available in Cardiff

The National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth has played a key role in giving people living in Cardiff access to hundreds of thousands of radio and television programmes from the archives of BBC Cymru Wales, ITV Cymru Wales and S4C.

Clip Corners, which have computer terminals in comfortable places where anyone can see and listen to the variety of programmes available, have opened in Cardiff University’s Arts and Social Sciences Library as well as Glamorgan Archives.

The Welsh Broadcast Archive is the first of its kind in the UK, tracing almost a century of broadcasting. It draws together material from the screen and sound collections of BBC Cymru Wales, ITV Cymru Wales, S4C and the National Library.

By preserving, cataloguing and digitising this material and presenting it on a fully searchable website, the National Library is committed to making this extraordinary collection accessible to everyone.

The establishment of Clip Corners will ensure that communities beyond the National Library will be able to see the entire archive in their local area.

As part of this project, a diverse collection of 1,500 clips will also be curated and made available for anyone to view online and on social media.

The Welsh Broadcasting Archive project was funded with £4.7 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, £1m from the Welsh Government and £1m from the National Library’s private funds.

Rhodri Llwyd Morgan, National Library chief executive, said: ““As a library, we are dedicated to creating a closer link with the communities of Wales and to give people access to our collections in innovative ways.

“This Clip Corner will mean that we will build on the engagement work that has already been taking place with local groups in Cardiff in order to bring people closer to their radio and television heritage.”

Andrew White, director of the National Lottery Heritage Fund in Wales, said: “Broadcasting has played an important role in documenting the history of modern Wales.

“It has also enabled us to look back and learn about our heritage through programmes such as The Dragon Has Two Tongues: A History of the Welsh in 1985 and has put Wales on the map with popular series such as Doctor Who, Keeping Faith and Hinterland .

“It’ s our privilege to support this important and progressive project which will protect and share the broadcasting heritage of Wales so that today’s and future generations can appreciate, enjoy and learn from it for years to come.”