North Yorkshire Libraries mark ‘Local and Community History Month’ this May with special events and exhibitions

Every May, libraries mark Local and Community History Month by holding events such as talks and exhibitions to get members of the public into branches.

The aim of the month is to increase awareness of local history and encourage all members of the community to participate.

Activities happen across the UK and include trips, library exhibitions and local lectures.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for libraries, Cllr Simon Myers, said: “Local and Community History Month is always an exciting time at our libraries, and we work hard to host exhibitions and events to interest all generations.

“We know that local residents are always keen to engage with their local heritage, and, with the poignant 80th anniversary of VE Day coming up in May, we hope more people than ever get involved.

“Our libraries boast a range of resources from local history collections to maps. We also offer online research tools including the British Newspaper Archive, Ancestry and Find my Past.”

Several libraries will be hosting special events to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day on May 8. In Knaresborough, staff from the town’s heritage centre will be delivering a free talk about life during the Second World War at 2.30pm. There will also be a month-long display from the local history group detailing properties linking to the census records.

At Scarborough, library staff, visitors and local care home residents will share memories from 11am to 3pm over tea and scones, and the wellbeing choir will be performing. There will also be displays from the British Newspaper Archive in Masham and Nidderdale libraries.

The Last Train to Whitby exhibition will return to Scarborough Library from May 22 to 24, after 710 people attended during its visit last month. Show manager Chris Martin built a replica Gallows Goods depot to mark the 60th anniversary of the Scarborough to Whitby line closing. The 14-foot working scale model will be on display alongside photographs and memorabilia.

Whitby Library will host a month-long exhibition to celebrate the history of the town’s schools, including photographs and documents. It will detail how the schools have changed in size, location, and how education has evolved through the decades.

Harrogate Library will host an illustrated talk by Paul Jennings at 2pm on May 14, exploring the hotels available to those staying in Harrogate from the 17th century to the present day. At 2pm on May 23, Graham Roberts will give a talk on the construction of the town’s war memorial and some of the 1,163 names listed on the plaques.

From May 3 to 5, Ripon Library is celebrating the history of Skell Voices through spoken recordings of growing up in the Skell Valley, using historical maps and animations, alongside display materials from West Yorkshire Archives.

North Yorkshire County Record Office, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary in May, will be hosting pop-up events in Newby and Scalby Library from 10.30am to 3.30pm on May 12.

For more details of events and to find out the full list, contact your local library. Contact details and online resources can be found at www.northyorks.gov.uk/libraries