Recently, I had the incredible opportunity to undertake a work experience placement at The Common Room. As a Year 12 student studying History and English Literature, this experience allowed me to explore how my passions can translate into the world of work.
When I first arrived, I was struck by the beauty of Neville Hall. I had previously been unaware that this was the location of The Common Room, and I was immediately amazed by the building and the history it contains. During my work experience, I received a tour of the building, which included the magnificent Nicholas Wood Memorial Hall and the Lecture Theatre. However, my favourite part was seeing the archives, where the entirety of the building’s collection resides. The extensive collection of documents, posters, and journals was fascinating, and the specialised facilities and organisation were impressive, especially since this is an area few people get to see.
I spent time working with the archives team and the brilliant volunteers who spend countless hours digitising the archives, scanning books, and performing other tasks to keep the collection organised, up-to-date, and available for research. I learned to use one of the systems for keeping a digital record of documents and digitised many sources on various aspects of the coal mining process, many specific to the North East. This process, though complicated at first, helped me improve my IT skills and gain valuable insight into managing a collection as rich and vast as the one Neville Hall holds. I enjoyed scanning rare books, one from 1934 and another from 1795, and seeing how to record and store these documents long-term. I liked categorising photographs from the local newspaper, The Coal News, and assigning keywords to each image to allow them to be found with ease. It was interesting to see the minor regional differences across each issue, highlighting the extent and impact of coal mining in the North East and the sense of community it created. Additionally, I spent time making specialised folders to store the documents within the archives, a tiring but rewarding process, which was great to see how the collection is stored to maintain its condition.
I also spent time within The Common Room’s offices, learning about the roles and responsibilities of team members and the hard work they do behind the scenes to keep Neville Hall running and organise events. I especially enjoyed writing blog posts for the website, as it gave me the opportunity to develop my writing skills and learn about different aspects of The Common Room, its mission, Neville Hall, NEIMME, and the history of the North East. Writing about the Inspiring Pioneers programme, which highlights the lives of five local women who made incredible contributions to the STEM field, was my favourite. Learning about these women and writing about their achievements was inspiring, and it is brilliant that they are finally receiving the attention they deserve. This helped me see how a place like The Common Room is promoted online and in person, and how social media can be used to inform the public about the events and history of the building.
Overall, my work experience at The Common Room was brilliant, and I enjoyed every aspect of my week. Every area I had the opportunity to try was interesting, and I was able to develop my skills and learn about a part of my local history that I had not really encountered before. I enjoyed every minute, and this experience has helped me consider the types of jobs I might pursue in the future. The team was welcoming and made my experience exceptional, and I am grateful to have had my work experience at such an amazing organisation with such great people.
-Ruby
Work experience student, The Common Room
