Litcraft in a Box – Libraries Initiative, 18 Sept 2018

Oct. 1, 2018 | james

After several months planning, the team is proud to announce that – thanks to Lancaster Universityy’s HEIF funding pot to support additional streams of research impact and especially in developing ties with external organisations – we have been able to expand Litcraft in a bold and exciting new way: Litcraft in a Box!

We have been working with two library authorities for a time, following our successful venture to the ASCEL digital training day back in March, with the idea of making our resource available in a ready-to-go, easy-to-transfer package to be gifted the central library so it could be passed around the individual libraries under their remit. Leeds (the hosts of that event) and Lancashire (our local authority) were the two initial partners, but Westminster and Tri-Borough contacted us after seeing our report in The Guardian, and we were able to include them in our initial foray. A few weeks later, Devon got in touch, and were able to attend the training day – which will hopefully lead to us being able to work with them closely with a (fingers crossed!) wave two release. And of course – the big handover (tempered somewhat by the fact two of them had to be carted cross-country by train, and we jam packed them with additional copies of the two books we used for this first wave – but no-one was complaining)

The day saw representatives from each authority come together for a run-down of Litcraft, future plans, the feedback we need to generate from the resource (closely aligned with their own requirements), and as a means of getting to know how they each plan to roll out the box across their services. We are very excited to be able to make Litcraft more widely available to the public – as well as spread awareness of the digital innovations being wrought here at Lancaster University – and believe this has been a fantastic means of doing so. https://chronotopiccartography.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/img_0253.jpg?w=1650 And it seems the resource is first being demonstrated at Garstang library:

Be the first to try @Chrono_Carto #Litcraft at #Garstang Take on the classic adventure of Treasure Island using #Minecraft at our @FunPalaces event on Saturday 6th October. Session starts at 10.30am, arrive early to guarantee a space. https://t.co/tCaEQqQej5 #GarstangLibrary pic.twitter.com/9fLB5L4ruz

— Lancashire libraries (@lancspublib) September 29, 2018

Work has already started on the next phase of Litcraft maps… watch this space!