Orchard Learning Resources Centre

Title: Orchard Learning Resources Centre

Description: Mainly used by students and academic staff of the University of Birmingham, the OLRC collections comprise over 200,000 volumes, c.3000 sets of periodicals, over 800 current periodicals, videos, microfilm, microfiche, CDs and CD-ROMs, covering general, introductory and research level materials.
Subjects covered are quite broad, concentrating on Religious Studies, Humanities and Social Sciences. The Religious Studies collection forms the major part, including all major religions. For Christianity there are sections on Christian Theology, Biblical Studies and Church History. On Islam the main sections include Philosophy, Theology, History of Islam and of Arab and Muslim countries. Other religions include Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, other Asian religions, and New Religious Movements. Various Religious Education related audio-visual resources and artefacts form part of the collection as teaching aids for both trainee teachers and practising teachers.
The Social Sciences include Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work, including services for ethnic minorities, Gender Studies, Economics and Development Studies, Politics and International Relations, and Human Rights.
Other subject areas include Education, Language and Literature, Drama, Dance and Music, Fine Arts, Geography, History, and some introductory level sciences. The significant literature collection of mostly English Literature includes Caribbean and African literature, mostly in English.

With regard to resources for Black and Asian history studies the OLRC's Religious Studies collections include substantial materials on Muslims in Britain and in Europe, the majority of whom are of Asian origin, including British Muslims Monthly Survey, published here. The Social Sciences include minority affairs, immigration, social conditions, social work, gender issues, racism, and cultural diversity. Other areas include Education of Black and Asian Children, Literature, especially fiction, and Art and Culture. In total these resources amount to c.3000 books, c.40 periodicals, c.30 videos, 25 artefacts and a selection of posters, pictures and teaching packs.
Special Collection:
The archive of the Birmingham Black Oral History Project comprises 64 cassettes (copies of the original tapes), transcripts of these tapes, a video and photographs of interviewees. The originals of the tape recordings are deposited in Birmingham City Sound Archive, housed in the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.
Between 1990-92, 25 people were interviewed. Conducted by the Project members, the interviews were structured, following a set questionnaire, and were recorded on tape.
The collection moved to the Orchard Learning Resources Centre in September 1999. The Project was about putting the record straight, and was founded in 1990 by a charitable donation to collect, preserve and disseminate the spoken history of Birmingham’s black population. It has collected (on tape) a modest amount of material comprising life stories and reminiscences of elderly immigrants to Birmingham. They include grassroots experiences on arrival in Britain, first impressions, experiences of racism, reactions to cultural and social differences, and religious experiences, especially the unwelcome reception of African Caribbean peoples in mainstream churches in the UK.

Strengths: Collections on Islam, Muslims in Britain, Development Studies, New Religious Movements (African Independent Churches and Pentecostalism) and the Birmingham Black Oral History Project Archives.

Size: 200,000 volumes; c.3000 periodicals (800 active)

Catalogue: Talis

Catalogue URL: http://library.bham.ac.uk/

Main URL: http://www.is.bham.ac.uk/olrc/index.htm

Access: Members of the public can gain free access to the OLRC on five days within a 12-month period. Suitable identification (e.g. driver's licence, bank card, etc) should be presented on each visit, and visitors will be required to fill in a registration card. Beyond the five annual free visits there are a number of additional options open to members of the wider academic community. Full details are available on the following web pages: http://www.is.bham.ac.uk/lending/access.htm and http://www.is.bham.ac.uk/olrc/admissions.htm.
Opening hours during term time: Mondays to Thursdays: 08.30 - 22.00 / Fridays: 08.30 - 19.00 / Saturdays & Sundays: 10.00 - 18.00
Vacation opening hours: Mondays to Fridays: 09.00 - 19.00 / Saturdays: 10.00 - 14.00 / Sundays: Closed.

Acquisition dates: 1920 -

Note:

Interest: Asian, Black

Complete: Complete

Subjects

Religious groups

Religions

Oral history

Migration

Moslems

Islam

Ethnic groups

Christianity

Personal/Corporate names

Places

Birmingham, United Kingdom