Newspaper Article 2017 – How well do you know the Knowledge Bank?

How well do you know the Knowledge Bank?

“James Morgan had a vision of creating a web of personal tales.”

Hastings’ Stoneycroft House must have some of the nicest wallpaper in the region, a thick embossed paper to match its 1870’s era.

Contrasting with the traditional decor are people inside busy working on computers with whirring servers and high tech scanners.

Located on a corner of Omahu Road, Stoneycroft is home to Hawke’s Bay Knowledge Bank, a trust which preserves stories of the region’s people through a massive digital archive.

It borrows collections from people, including pictures, film, written work and oral histories to digitise and add to the archive.

Set up by former Herald Tribute editor James Morgan, it followed his vision of creating a web of personal tales.

This work is now completed by a two paid staff members and a team of 77 volunteers, aged from 13 to 88-years-old.

Linda Bainbridge is one of the paid staff and said funding and volunteers were always needed.

Only basic computer skills were required for volunteers, with some volunteering while seeking paid employment, plus volunteers with IT skills were also wanted.

Bainbridge said they were currently fundraising for a special machine to clean and capture photos from negatives after receiving a collection from late photographer Russell Spiller.

Donations were asked for in return for digitising and they also took on small digitising jobs.

The organisation is open each weekday, plus every first and third Saturday of each month with visitors welcome.

Hastings District Council brought [bought] the building and surrounding land in 2005 and takes care of the building exterior, while the trust takes care of the interior.

The ground floor of Stoneycroft features former dinning [dining] and living areas, including one which was converted into a meeting room also used by other groups for a donation.

Up a winding staircase are bedrooms, now offices where volunteers scan, transcribe and upload material.