Seven Stories online

[shewhomust]

The latest mailing from Seven Stories, the Centre for Children's Books, announces that it has now launched a new section of its web site "giving online access to records of its extensive Collection of artwork and archives". A first, hasty visit was only partly successful: the search feature failed to identify either of the two items which had been my favourites on our first visit to the Centre (a set of Pauline Baynes paintings, a letter from Peter Dickinson), and when I tried to launch the game, a message informed me that I had performed an illegal plug-in operation and should restart Firefox - no, not at this time of night.

The selection of "our favourite things", though, works just fine, and includes some genuine treasures: a letter from Joan Aiken to Kaye Webb, a page of Jan Mark's typescript from The Ennead, a book on Georgian London liberally bookmarked by Faith Jaques with references for her illustrations to Leon Garfield's Apprentices - and you can click the thumbnails to see them large as life, if not larger.

Comments

Seven Stories online

[elliementry.livejournal.com]

Hello,

I had your blog post forwarded on to me, as I was (and still am) quite closely involved in the development of our new website. I am an archivist working on the Seven Stories collection, so I worked mainly on the content of the website, rather than the design or delivery aspect.

I'm very glad you enjoyed the 'Our Favourite Things' section. Regarding your search of the online catalogues, I thought you'd like to know that the Pauline Baynes paintings on display in the Incredible Journeys exhibition were actually on loan to Seven Stories, so details of those paintings won't be in the online catalogues. However there is some correspondence from Pauline Baynes in our Kaye Webb, Peter Dickinson and Ursula Moray Williams collections. Also, we don't tend to catalogue down the level of individual letters, which is why you wouldn't find that specific letter to Peter Dickinson (and his reply) in our catalogues - you would however find more general information about his correspondence as a whole in the catalogues.

I did try the interactive game in my own version of Firefox with success, so perhaps this may be a problem with one of your local settings? However if you're still struggling to access it do let me know, and I'll get onto the web developers about it. If you would like any further information about the Seven Stories collection, please do not hesitate to get in touch!

Kind regards,

Elinor Robinson

Re: Seven Stories online

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

Hello Elinor - and thanks for this very detailed response. And congratulations on the new expanded site.

Ah, yes, I wondered whether some of the items not in the catalogue were loaned and so not part of the collection.

And the problem with the game was, I think, the level of Flash I have in Firefox; I tried it again with IE, and got in, no problem. And am currently running back and forth across the floor of the basement (it's probably just that I don't play enough computer games, but I can't work out how to move upwards).

Jean

Re: Seven Stories online

[elliementry.livejournal.com]

Hi Jean,

I've had hours and hours of practise on game, so can hopefully help you out! You need to press the space button to jump. If you hold down the left or right arrow keys as well, you'll jump and move at the same time. Hope that makes sense!

Elinor

Re: Seven Stories online

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

Thanks. That's what I was trying to do, so it looks as if it's my co-ordination that's at fault. I'm clearly just too old for this!