ParlRulesData.org

is an online database of parliamentary rules, containing the formal rules of procedure for various parliaments over time. The ParlRules database currently covers the UK House of Commons (1811-2019) and the Irish Dáil (1922-2020).

Over the coming years, ParlRules will extend data gathering efforts to other legislative chambers in Europe.

UK Parliament website give more details generally on parliamentary procedure with links to the relevant committees and current standing orders.

Hannah Chandler, Official Papers Librarian, Bodleian Libraries

League of Nations

The predecessor to the United Nations, the League of Nations was established in 1919, after World War I, under the Treaty of Versailles “to promote international cooperation and to achieve peace and security.” It was disbanded in 1940 due to its powerlessness to prevent conflict.

The National Library of Scotland have digitized a selection of League of Nations documents which are all freely available. Until recently relatively few documents at all had been digitised, so this is a welcome resource for researchers from many disciplines.  

Read more on the UK Official Papers Blog

10 things – improve your social media and information searching skills

The Scottish Government Library is now taking bookings for our next 10 Things course for those outside the Scottish Government.  10 Things is an online self-directed course developed by us, and is modelled on the 23 Things CPD programme. The aim is for you to spend a little time each week developing your social media and information searching skills over 10 weeks.

Registration is now open for the next course starting on Monday 20^th July.  Find out more and book your place at 10 Things.

National Records of Scotland’s Web Continuity Service

At the end of last year National Records of Scotland’s blog published a short series about their new Web Continuity Service. Here’s a handy round-up of the posts:

1. Websites as archival public records and the ‘looking glass’ into government

…government websites form an integral part of the public record. National archives, who capture, preserve and make available public records, are therefore taking steps to capture a representative record of this modern aspect of government. To do so, national archives are creating web archives…

Read the full post here

 

2.  What is web archiving? History, technology, collections

The World Wide Web was pioneered in the late 1980s to help share information more efficiently and effectively. Needless to say this new system proved to be a hit, leading to its global rollout in the early 1990s.  It didn’t take long for observers to ponder that there was probably a lot of content on the Web that would be worth saving for posterity (particularly due to its vulnerability to change), but how?

Click here to read more

 

3.  The NRS Web Archive and the NRS Web Continuity Service

The NRS Web Continuity Service went live in February 2017. Delivered as part of NRS’s Digital Preservation Programme, our service allows us to archive selected websites that fall within our statutory and strategic collecting remit, and make all archived snapshots accessible in the NRS Web Archive. After just a few months of operations, we are delighted to say that the service is fully functioning and delivering on what it set out to do.

To find out more, click here!

 

4.  Aiming for quality: selection, capture, QA and preservation of the NRS Web Archive

But what do we mean by ‘high quality web archive’? In web archiving, quality can be related to three elements:

• Completeness – how much of captured website’s links, text, downloads etc. the crawler has been able to access and capture
• Behaviour – how much of the navigational functionalities within the captured website snapshot have been preserved, compared to the live site
• Appearance – how much the design, ‘look and feel’ and user experience of the website has been captured and preserved

See the full post here

 

Introduction to the UK Parliament: People, Processes and Public Participation – Free course

From the 18th September Future Learn is offering  a 3 week course which will cover

• the difference between Parliament and Government including differing roles and responsibilities
• the three parts of Parliament and the role Parliament plays in scrutinising the work of the Government
• an introduction to the work of the House of Commons and the House of Lords
• how Parliamentary Questions are used by MPs and members of the House of Lords to hold the Government to account
• the difference between oral and written questions, and how questions can be used to seek immediate answers on urgent or important matters
• what happens during Prime Minister’s Questions and public perceptions of PMQs
• debates in Parliament, including some of the rules and conventions
• the role and work of select committees
• the different types of Bill, and the process of how a Bill becomes a law
• the effect that changes in the law can have on individuals and on society, with reference to specific case studies
• the different ways the public can input in the work of the UK Parliament.

Scottish Parliament Publication – Who Does What?

A very interesting link that may be of interest to Public Librarians and perhaps School Librarians alike.

This leaflet explains the different roles of the Scottish Parliament, the Scottish Government, the UK Parliament and the European Parliament.

Scottish Parliament Publication – Who Does What?

 

10 things course on social media and information searching skills.

The Scottish Government Library is now taking bookings for our next 10 Things course for those outside the Scottish Government.  10 Things is an online self-directed course developed by us, and is modelled on the 23 Things CPD programme. The aim is for you to spend a little time each week developing your social media and information searching skills over 10 weeks.

Registration is now open for the next course starting on Monday 12^th June.  Find out more and book your place at 10 Things. 

Introduction to the UK Parliament: People, Processes and Public Participation – Free online course

Starting on the 14th November…

Learn about the UK Parliament with this free online course from FutureLearn – explore the work of Parliament and find out how it’s evolving.

The course will introduce you to the work and role of the UK Parliament. From setting the age at which we start school to deciding pension policy, the UK Parliament makes laws that impact our lives, our work and our wider society.

Learn what Parliament is and does

You will begin by looking at what Parliament is, how it is different from government and how it has changed and evolved over hundreds of years. You will find out about the work of the House of Commons and the House of Lords and discover how things work in the Chambers and beyond on a day-to-day basis.

How much do you know about the EU?

EU referendum 26th June 2016

Take the EU quiz – get the facts  before you vote

From the  HM Government site

 

Your Scottish Parliament: Your Voice – Workshops

The Scottish Parliament is offering free workshops which give the opportunity to learn more about how the Parliament works and how to make your voice heard.Dates: 21 January, 23 February and, 24 March 2016 Time: 10.00 am – 12.30 pm Venue: Scottish Parliament, Holyrood (room TG20-21)

Follow #YourScotParlTweets about from:scotparl AND #yourscotparl

• Do you want to understand the business of the Scottish Parliament?
• Are you unsure how to influence and make your voice heard?
• Want to learn more about how Bills are made and passed?
• Need to know how to write evidence for Committees?

For More Information: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/gettinginvolved/95009.aspx

Your decide

A new online resource has been launched to help children become more engaged in politics.

The new You Decide website, launched by Education Scotland, includes materials for teachers to support political activity and literacy among school pupils, some of whom will be able to vote in the Scottish Parliament elections next year.

Researching and debating are among the skills to feature in the service.

How much do you know about the Houses of Parliament?

Test your knowledge with this quick  quiz from the Parliament Education Services.

 

Test video

Reflections on the General Election

Hansard Society event – Britain Votes 2015: Reflections on the General Election,10:00am – 4:30pm, Friday 29th May
People’s History Museum, Manchester.
Click here for more information or to register.

Supreme Court launches ‘video on demand’ service

UK Supreme Court proceedings can now be viewed any time, any place, with the launch of an on-demand archive of past hearings unveiled today to complement the court’s existing live streaming service.

Lawyers, law students and anyone interested in the workings of the highest court in the land will now be able to watch hearings of cases over the preceding year at their convenience – a move likely to cut legal costs in the production of transcripts as well as providing a unique educational tool.

“Now justice can be seen to be done at a time which suits you,” said Lord Neuberger, President of the Supreme Court. “The archive will help people see the background to decisions made in our highest appeal court. It will also be useful to the legal profession and serve as an informative tool for those considering a career in the law.”

https://www.supremecourt.uk/news/catch-up-on-court-action-supreme-court-launches-video-on-demand-service.html