News

Library receives Holocaust collection

The Albert Sloman Library recently received a valuable new addition to its history collection in the form of an entire private library, of some 400 books and 40 reels of microfilm, donated by one of the world's leading Holocaust teachers.

The donation comes as a direct result of research being conducted by Dr Rainer Schulze, of the Department of History. As reported in the November 2001 issue, Dr Schulze is currently tracing and interviewing survivors from the Bergen-Belsen Concentration camp, where approximately 50,000 Jews died during World War II. During the course of his research Dr Schulze has met a number of extraordinary people, all with unimaginable tales to tell, one such person is Amy Zahl Gottlieb who is world renowned for her work in educating people about the horrors of the Holocaust. It is Mrs Gottlieb's collection of material that is now being welcomed by the University Library.

Born in London, Amy became a member of the first Jewish Relief Unit sent overseas in February 1944 by the Jewish Committee for Relief. Following service in Egypt and Greece she later joined the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and directed the emigration of thousands of Jewish concentration camp survivors from displaced persons camps in Germany and Austria to the USA, Australia, Canada, South America and other countries.

Later she taught one of the first courses charting the history of the Holocaust at the University of Illinois and was also made the honorary historian and archivist of the Central British Fund for World Jewish Relief (CBF), founded in 1933, where she sorted archival records and prepared them for microfilm publication.

It is these microfilms, the 'Archives of the Central British Fund for World Jewish Relief 1933-1960,' that will now command a central position within the Library's twentieth century history collections. The microfilmed archives form series I of the larger project 'The Jewish People from Holocaust to Nationhood' which attempts to provide documentary evidence of the history of the Jewish people in modern times.

Much of the material is unique. It describes the efforts that were made to evacuate Jews from Nazi Germany and later Nazi controlled Europe as well as the subsequent care of these refugees, the post-war reparations, and generally the impact of the Holocaust on the Zionist movement.

The microfilmed archives consist of three parts (341 files on 71 reels of film), although the third part which concentrates on the post-war period and the issues of restitution and resettlement, have not been included in the donation. It is hoped they will be added at a later date.

In all, 208 files of the CBF archives (on 40 reels of film) have come to the Library. In addition, Amy Gottlieb also donated microfilmed copies of the Jewish Chronicle for the years 1937, 1938 and 1939 as well as books from her private library including some 200 books relating to the Holocaust, Jewish history and anti-Semitism and another 200 books on a wide range of literary and historic topics including several works on American immigration.

Deputy Librarian, Nigel Cochrane said: 'This generous donation complements the Library's already substantial holdings on the Holocaust, Nazism, World War II and twentieth century history in general. They will be an excellent new resource both for undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, as well as for research at the University.'

Vote of confidence for campus catering

More than two thirds of students and half of staff have given the University's catering services a vote of confidence.

A recent survey revealed high levels of satisfaction with campus catering outlets, with SX Express proving most popular with students and the Blues Café with staff.

But there was a demand for more food variety, including more Indian and Chinese food, and continental breakfasts. Catering provision in the holidays was also considered insufficient.

Food on 3 was praised for the speed of service

The refurbished Catering Services are now approaching the second year of trading. The major refurbishment was carried out to provide a greater variety of modern catering environments with a wide choice of foods.

During February and March, Catering Services invited a market research team to conduct a survey on campus to establish and understand the requirements of both staff and students.

Five hundred face to face interviews were randomly carried out around the catering outlets on campus, involving 400 students and 100 staff from a variety of backgrounds.

Questions ranged from eating behaviour to their overall thoughts regarding catering services provided. Units involved in the questionnaire were: Sizzlers, Top Bar, Blues Cafe, SX Express, Food on 3, Take 3, Café Vert and the Students' Union Bar.

Seventy per cent of students interviewed, and 53% of staff, were completely satisfied with the services provided, although a high proportion of staff bring in their own food at least once a week, mainly for financial reasons.

Quality, price, and value for money were the most important considerations for both staff and students.

Despite the increase in variety of catering outlets on campus the main reason for dissatisfaction was lack of choice of variety of food.

Other specific issues were:

• Lack of communication regarding outlets and opening hours - 61% had never used Sizzlers and did not know it was open in the evening.

• There is a demand for more oriental, Chinese and Indian food

• Continental breakfast is required

• There is not enough catering provision in the holidays

• Due to its popularity there is not enough seating in the Blues

• Top Bar is under used and did not score highly in any of the ratings

On the positive side:

• The Blues scored highly on quality, food and cleanliness
• Cafe Vert scored highly on environment and friendliness of staff
• Food on 3 and Take 3 scored highly on speed of service
• Sizzlers scored highly on range of food, choice and quality
• The SU Bar scored highly on value for money
• SX Express scored highly on opening hours and speed of service

What happens now - (The Way Forward):

• Food on 3 will be providing more oriental dishes during the day
• Sizzlers will take on an oriental theme for the evening with theatre style cookery (wok cooking to order) introduced for the autumn term 2002
• Catering Services will focus on healthy options in all outlets
• Catering Services will look at extending seating in the Blues Cafe
• The new evening offers and later opening hours of Sizzlers will be marketed extensively
• The Top Bar will take on a much more continental theme, offering continental breakfasts with espresso coffee and continental pastries throughout the morning. This will be complemented by more relaxed seating and a complete reorganisation of the facilities. Lunch time and evenings will see the introduction of freshly cooked pancakes with an endless variety of fillings
• For the more adventurous we will be introducing American and Tournament pool tables

Catering Services General Manager Deborah Doorish said: 'The market research has proved to be a valuable tool in better understanding the needs and wishes of students and staff on campus. This will help us focus on our future catering strategy to enable us to match our services to current and future demands.'

Burrows Lecture 2002: Celebrating Colchester' s history

The Annual University of Essex Burrows Lecture will be marking the 100th Birthday of Colchester Town Hall with a special lecture.

For the first time the Burrows Lecture will move to a venue away from Wivenhoe Park in honour of the town hall's centenary with a lecture by leading historian, Professor David Cannadine, Director of the Institute of Historical Research.

Entitled 'A Centenary of Civic Grandeur: History all around us in Colchester Town Hall', Professor Cannadine's lecture will delve into the civic rituals surrounding Colchester and the history of the Town Hall which is at the heart of local government in the borough.

Established in 1966 as the result of a gift from Major J H Burrows, managing Director of Southend Standard Newspapers, The Burrows Lecture is always of relevance to the county of Essex and open to the general public.

Professor David Cannadine, 'A Centenary of Civic Grandeur: History all around us in Colchester Town Hall', will be held on Friday 17 May at 7.30pm at Colchester Town Hall. The lecture is open to the public and admission is free.

Also in the printed April edition of Wyvern:

• £1 million boost for research
• Pupils experiments prove science is fun
• Phone appeal pledges £44,000

Plus

• Wyvern Readership Survey 2002