Two new Transforming Archive trainees

This week we welcomed two new Transforming Archive trainees who will be working on developing their skills in digitisation, digital preservation and outreach.  We have asked them to introduce themselves:

I’m Tom Dealey I originally qualified as a structural engineer at Liverpool University, but through my experiences as a website developer for local heritage organisations, as well as volunteering at the HHC and the Ferens Art Gallery, I have decided to swap careers and move into archives and conservation work. This traineeship is the perfect opportunity for me to not only use my project management and IT skills in a new setting, but also to gain a huge amount of hands-on experience and learn specialist archival skills and technology. I am very keen to learn more about the latest technology that is being introduced into this field and how it will affect the future of archives. 

I’ve been able to quickly settle in at the HHC, mainly because I was already friendly with many of the staff from my previous work as a volunteer here. Expect to see regular updates on the blog about the work I’m undertaking over the course of the next year.

Francisco (left) and Tom enjoying a tour of the Conservation Suite at the History Centre

I am Francisco Castanon I hold a BA in Media & Audio Visual Communication Studies and Journalism from Universidad Europea de Madrid and I spent my last two years of university in Istanbul where I was selected to the Erasmus Mundus Programme in Photography and International Journalism.  

A few years ago I was awarded the Leonardo da Vinci grant, which gave me the opportunity to move to London, working as a Journalist with the Leonardo da Vinci programme (European internship abroad) at The Prisma, a Latin American bilingual newspaper based in London. During that time and due to my passion for the preservation of books, manuscripts, maps, drawings and nature, I decided to volunteer in different organizations like Lebrecht Music and Arts Photo Library, the Natural History Museum – Special Collections Library, the Imperial War Museum Photograph Archive and The National Portrait Gallery’s Heinz Archive and Library.  

I am sure this opportunity will help to meet really interesting people, learn new skills and improve my knowledge about the archive sector.