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Delivering the work
The Wales Broadcast Archive
The Wales Broadcast Archive Centre was opened at the Library in March 2023 with the launch of the first national broadcast archive in the UK. By bringing together the archives of BBC Wales, ITV Cymru and S4C for the first time, hundreds of thousands of video clips from radio and television history will now be made available to the people of Wales.
The Broadcast Archive Centre not only gives access to a century of Welsh broadcasting history, but to a century of Welsh history. It has stories from all corners and communities in Wales and beyond.
The landmark moments of our history have been recorded for future generations through documentary items and general news, covering events such as the drowning of Tryweryn, the Aber-fan disaster, the Miners’ strikes and the opening of Parliament. Also among them are clips showing all aspects of life, from extensive coverage of sport since the 1940s, to entertainment and drama including the BBC’s longest running soap opera – Pobol y Cwm – which premiered in 1974.
The permanent exhibition uses state-of-the-art interactive technology to showcase highlights of the Broadcast Archive. The Centre features an audio and video lounge which acts as audio-visual bookshelves for leisurely browsing and the key service is being delivered through terminals that enables unprecedented access for the public and academics to access an extensive collection of digitised material from Wales’ audio-visual heritage. It will also be a venue for bespoke activities for volunteers, schools and groups.
As one of the most important developments for the Library since the beginning of this century, the opening of the Archive Centre in Aberystwyth marks a major milestone in the project to establish the Welsh Broadcasting Archive with the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Welsh Government and the National Library of Wales.
With the foundation now laid, it is the beginning of the next phase of introducing our broadcasting heritage to the people of Wales, through a vibrant programme of events and activities and by widening access to it at other sites across Wales. During 2023-24 we will establish a strong presence for the Broadcast Archive at the Cardiff Millennium Centre and will open Clip Corners where members of the public will be able to watch and listen to the thousands of broadcasts. The first Clip Corner will open in Carmarthen in the summer, and others across Wales in Caernarfon, Swansea, Conwy, Merthyr, Wrexham, Haverfordwest, Llangefni, Llanrwst, Ebbw Vale, Newtown, Cardiff, and Ruthin.
Developing a Play Area for Young Children
During the spring of 2022 a Play Area was opened for children up to age of 7. This popular area provides children with a variety of opportunities to play that stimulate the senses and arouse curiosity. It includes a reading library, traditional and technological activities, and places for adults to supervise their children or join in the play.
Some of our youngest users now come to the Library specifically for building with blocks, colouring and drawing, shopping, dressing up and role-playing, setting up camp and reading under the stars, and going on a trip to the seaside or to the forest.
Those who visit the Play Area do so as a family, as a group of families or as Grŵp Meithrin or Cylch Ti a Fi. It is all free, and there is no need to book in advance.
