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Kyffin Experience

Project background

The National Library is inviting volunteers to participate in a meet and greet role for a major new immersive experience that will open its doors in November 2026, to celebrate the life and work of beloved Welsh artist Kyffin Williams. The free visitor experience, commemorates 20 years since Wales’ best loved artist gifted much of his life’s work to the nation by entrusting the Library at Aberystwyth with over 1,200 works on paper, 200 oil paintings and more than 300 original prints. 

The role will involve engaging with visitors before they enter the immersive experience. Library staff will be at hand at all times to respond to any specific incidents/queries. The meet and greet volunteers will attend an introduction and taster to the exhibition by staff members. 

 

Main tasks

  • Engaging with visitors, as and when needed
  • Collecting feedback
  • Passing on specific visitor queries to Library staff
  • Helping with visitors’ accessibility requirements

Essential

  • Reliability.
  • The ability to take instruction.
  • The ability to work with limited supervision.
  • The ability to engage with visitors from various backgrounds and with various requirements.
  • Attention to detail.

Desirable

  • The ability to converse in Welsh.
  • An interest in art.

An opportunity to develop

  • Interpersonal skills.
  • Knowledge of how art exhibitions are delivered.
  • Experience to enhance your CV.

Time and commitment

Possibly half-day slots; specific time to be agreed. (Mon - Sat)

Transcribing ITV programmes index cards

Project background

The ITV archive in Wales is one of the biggest television archives in Europe and comprises around 250,000 items including cans of film, tapes and other formats.  It represents a unique cultural, social and political history of Wales over the past 60 years and contains some of the most iconic television images of the times.

The archive contains a collection of index cards which detail the contents of a variety of programmes produced by ITV Wales and Bristol. 

We are inviting volunteers to transcribe the data on the index cards to an Excel document; this will enable the ITV Archivist to copy the transcriptions and upload them immediately on the ITV system.

Main tasks

  • Transcribing information from index cards to an Excel document.

Essential 

  • Excellent literacy skills.
  • IT skills (MS Excel in particular).
  • The ability to take instruction.
  • The ability to work with limited supervision.
  • Attention to detail and methodical.

Desirable

  • An interest in recent history.

An opportunity to develop

  • IT skills.
  • Organisational skills.
  • Experience to enhance your CV.

Time and commitment

  • To be agreed.

Meet and Greet

Project background

The National Library is inviting volunteers to participate in a meet and greet role for the ‘Mary Lloyd Jones,  Haenau - Layers’ Exhibition which runs from the end of July 26 to mid April 2027. The role will involve engaging with visitors, as appropriate. Library staff will be at hand at all times to respond to any specific incidents/queries. The meet and greet volunteers will attend an introduction to the exhibition Library staff curators. 

 

Main tasks

  • Engaging with visitors, as and when needed
  • Collecting feedback
  • Passing on specific visitor queries to Library staff
  • Helping with visitors’ accessibility requirements

Essential

  • Reliability.
  • The ability to take instruction.
  • The ability to work with limited supervision.
  • The ability to engage with visitors from various backgrounds and with various requirements.
  • Attention to detail.

Desirable

  • The ability to converse in Welsh.
  • An interest in art.

An opportunity to develop

  • Interpersonal skills.
  • Knowledge of how art exhibitions are delivered.
  • Experience to enhance your CV.

Time and commitment

Half-day slots; specific time to be agreed. (Mon - Sat)

Sub-titling the Library’s Online Presentations

Project Background

Over the past 5 years the Library has held a programme of live events online.  There are calls for these to be added to the NLW YouTube channel, they are a valuable resource.

During the lockdown period staff members (who were unable to carry out their normal roles at the Library) undertook this work; but as they have now returned to their designated roles this is not possible.  There is therefore an opportunity for volunteers to carry out this task.  

It’s unclear whether historically sub-titling of presentations in Drwm was carried out by staff; however, other than during the lockdown period, sub-titling of events presented directly online has definitely not been carried out by staff.

Staff would create a new YouTube channel specifically for volunteers on this task, staff would transfer the end product to the NLW account.

This task is also suitable for remote volunteers. 

Main tasks:

  • Viewing presentations and adding Welsh and English sub-titles in YouTube;
  • The transcription can be done onto a Word document;
  • For English presentations - upload the transcription and translate into Welsh;
  • For Welsh presentations - create a new transcription and translate into English;
  • Check the final version on the NLW YouTube channel and report any corrections needed to staff:
  • Above tasks can be split between volunteers.

Essential:

  • IT skills;
  • Excellent literacy skills;
  • The ability to take instruction;
  • The ability to work with limited supervision;
  • Attention to detail and methodical. 

Desirable:

  • An interest in Welsh history and culture. 

An opportunity to develop:

  • Specialist IT skills;
  • Knowledge of the Library’s collections and Welsh history;
  • Translation skills;
  • Experience to enhance your CV. 

Time and commitment:  

  • To be agreed 

W W Price index cards collection 

Watkin William Price was born on 4 September 1873 in Aberaman, Aberdare, Glamorganshire. His profession was a schoolmaster, although he devoted much of his life to researching the history and biographies of his local county.

This collection of index cards and newspaper cuttings, relating to notable individuals with Welsh connections, forms part of his legacy. His work also includes essays, records, and transcripts.

We are inviting volunteers to transcribe the information from the index cards into an Excel document. This will enable library staff to quickly locate notable individuals by location, name, occupation, and other key details.

Main tasks

  • Transcribing information from large bound volumes containing index cards into an Excel spreadsheet.
  • Carrying out research to fill in any missing information, using sources such as Wikipedia, the Dictionary of Welsh Biography, and other relevant websites.

Essential 

  • Excellent literacy skills.
  • IT skills (MS Excel in particular).
  • The ability to take instruction.
  • The ability to work with limited supervision.
  • Research skills.
  • Attention to detail and methodical.

Desirable:

  • An interest in Welsh history and culture.

An opportunity to develop

  • Specialist IT skills;
  • Knowledge of the Library’s collections and Welsh history;
  • Translation skills;
  • Experience to enhance your CV. 

Time and commitment:  

  •  To be agreed 

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