Ayrshire Libraries Forum

Ayrshire’s working past - how we lived and worked in Ayrshire

The pattern of employment across the county of Ayrshire continues to change radically: old industries decline and new ones take their place; or people commute to work within and outwith the county.

It is fascinating to look at how we used to work, and a new Working Lives website established by The Ayrshire Libraries Forum enables you to do just that. Some 400 searchable images, complete with captions and background information, will help school pupils with project work, local history researchers, or those just generally interested in Ayrshire’s working past.

This website is the first part of a local history website to be developed by The Ayrshire Libraries Forum. One of the Forum’s aims is to bring together in a ‘virtual’ environment related materials distributed among its members’ collections: images from the county’s three public library collections, from East Ayrshire Arts and Museums, from the SAC (Scottish Agricultural College) at Auchincruive and from Ayrshire Archives all combine to give a fascinating view of working lives across Ayrshire over the last hundred or so years.

Fishing, agriculture, building, transport, commerce and many other occupations are all featured in a range of fascinating images. They will serve both to enlighten research and bring back memories. ‘The website is an extremely entertaining one-stop shop to Ayrshire’s social history and will be a useful tool for researchers of all ages’, said Stuart James, Chairman of the Ayrshire Libraries Forum.

The website is being launched on 4th June at the History Fair in the Walker Halls in Troon. It is freely available to anybody interested at www.workinglives.org.uk .

For further information contact:
Elaine Gray on 01563 554333 or elaine.gray@east-ayrshire.gov.uk

Last updated: 17 January 2007 All comments and suggestions regarding the information on these pages is welcome, and should be directed to Philomena Millar, University of Paisley Library