The Friend. Y Cyfaill. Kyffin Williams Library book launch. Lansiad llyfr Kyffin Williams yn y Llyfrgell

Transcription

1 Y Cyfaill Haf 2004 The Friend Summer 2004 Lansiad llyfr Kyffin Williams yn y Llyfrgell Kyffin Williams Library book launch Cafwyd ymwelydd pwysig yn Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru ar 15 Mai, sef Syr Kyffin Williams. Braint ac anrhydedd i r Cyfeillion oedd cynnal lansiad ei lyfr newydd a gyhoeddwyd gan Lund Humphries ac a olygwyd gan Nicholas Sinclair.Teitl y llyfr yn syml yw Kyffin Williams ac mae ar gael o siop y Llyfrgell am 30 gyda r gostyngiad arferol o 10% i Gyfeillion sy n cyflwyno eu cardiau aelodaeth ar gyfer y flwyddyn. Cynhaliwyd y digwyddiad hwn yn y Drwm sef Awditoriwm newydd Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru. Bu r Cyfeillion yn ffodus iawn o gael bod y cyntaf i ddefnyddio adnodd newydd y Llyfrgell a hynny hyd yn oed cyn yr Agoriad Swyddogol! Pa ffordd well o fedyddio r Drwm na chael un o artistiaid enwocaf Cymru yno i lansio ei lyfr diweddaraf? Digwyddiad gwir hanesyddol. It was a great honour for the Friends of The National Library of Wales to welcome a very special guest on 15 May. Sir Kyffin Williams came to launch his new book published by Lund Humphries and edited by Nicholas Sinclair.The book is called simply Kyffin Williams and is available at the Library shop for 30 with the usual 10% discount for Friends who display a current membership card. This event was held in the Drwm, the Library s new Auditorium.The Friends were privileged to be the first people to use the Drwm even before the official opening! What better way to christen Drwm than to have one of Wales most famous artists to launch his latest book? A truly historic event. Syr Kyffin Williams Andrew Green, Syr Kyffin Williams, Dr R Brinley Jones

2 Gair gan y Cadeirydd Y mae Pwyllgor Gwaith Cymdeithas Cyfeillion y Llyfrgell wedi penderfynu ymuno gyda r Llyfrgell yn y Cylchlythyr newydd y mae r Llyfrgell yn ei gyhoeddi, trwy ddosbarthu Y Cyfaill gyda r cylchlythyr newydd, Dalen. Golyga hyn fod natur Y Cyfaill yn newid, ac efallai y bydd rhai ohonoch yn gweld colli r cylchgrawn a olygwyd mor raenus gan y ddau olygydd, Mary Burdett-Jones yn ystod y blynyddoedd diwethaf ac Alun Jones cyn hynny. Mawr yw ein diolch i r ddau am eu hymroddiad ar hyd y blynyddoedd. Gall y rhai ohonoch sydd eisiau deunydd darllen mwy swmpus dderbyn Cylchgrawn Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru yn rhad ac am ddim os anfonwch at Isadran Mynediad a Marchnata r Llyfrgell. Yn Y Cyfaill newydd hwn bwriedir canolbwyntio mwy ar newyddion am ddigwyddiadau a chyfarfodydd y Cyfeillion, er mwyn pwysleisio cysylltiad y Cyfeillion â r Llyfrgell. Ein cyfraniad amlycaf yw r help ariannol a roddir gennym i wahanol Adrannau i w cynorthwyo i brynu rhywbeth arbennig, fel Albwm Mary Dillwyn, neu r ffacsimili o Lawysgrif Lindisfarne. Cyfraniad arall yw r cyfarfodydd cyhoeddus a gynhelir yn y Llyfrgell, fel rheol, gydag aelodau r staff yn trafod y casgliadau, fel y gwnaeth Dr Huw Walters, John Watts-Williams a Brian Dafis yng nghyfarfod mis Chwefror Yr ydym hefyd wedi cynnal cyfarfodydd y tu allan i r Llyfrgell, fel darlith Dr Paul Joyner ar Thomas Jones, Pencerrig, ym Mhencerrig.Ar ddiwrnod y cyfarfod blynyddol ym mis Gorffennaf ceir darlith arbennig bob blwyddyn: llynedd cawsom ddarlith gysylltiedig ag arddangosfa Paul Robeson gan Dr Hywel Francis, AS, ac eleni bu r Athro David Howell yn trafod hanes y Gymdeithas Amaethyddol i gyd-fynd ag arddangosfa haf y Llyfrgell, Byw ar y Tir, sy n dathlu canmlwyddiant y Gymdeithas. Ers blynyddoedd bellach buom yn noddi darlith yn yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol ac y maent wedi dod yn hynod boblogaidd oherwydd safon arbennig y darlithwyr. Lansiwyd llyfr newydd Syr Kyffin Williams ar 15 Mai yn y Llyfrgell, ac ynghyd â Gwasg Prifysgol Cymru a thrwy haelioni teulu y ddiweddar Miss Rhiannon Francis Roberts, byddwn yn cyhoeddi ac yn lansio cyfrol ar John Davies, Mallwyd, yn deyrnged i Miss Roberts, ar 25 Medi. Yr ydym bob amser yn chwilio am aelodau newydd, ac os oes darllenwyr am ymuno â ni, cysylltwch â Rhiain Vaughan Williams, Cydlynydd y Cyfeillion, Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion SY23 3BU rnj@llgc.org.uk Dr Nesta Lloyd Cadeirydd y Cyfeillion Chair of the Friends A Word from the Chair The Executive Committee of the Society of Friends of the Library has decided to join with the Library in the new newsletter being issued by the Library by distributing The Friend with the new newsletter, Dalen.This means that the nature of The Friend will change somewhat, and some of you no doubt will miss the journal so ably edited by the two editors, Mary Burdett-Jones during the past few years and Alun Jones previously. Our debt is great to both of them for their commitment over the years.those of you who seek more substantial reading matter may receive free of charge a copy of The National Library of Wales Journal by contacting the Access and Marketing Section at the Library. In this new Friend we intend to concentrate more on news of Friends events and meetings, in order to emphasise the link between the Friends and the Library. Our most obvious contribution is the financial assistance which we give to different Departments to help them procure a special item, such as the Mary Dillwyn Album, or the facsimile of the Lindisfarne Gospels.Another contribution is the meetings we hold at the Library, usually to hear members of staff talking about the collections, as did Dr Huw Walters, John Watts-Williams and Brian Dafis at the meeting in February 2004.We have also held meetings outside the Library, such as Dr Paul Joyner s lecture on Thomas Jones of Pencerrig, held at Pencerrig. Each year on the day of the Annual General Meeting a lecture is delivered: last year we had a lecture by Dr Hywel Francis, MP relating to the Paul Robeson exhibition, and this year Professor David Howell discussed the history of the Welsh Agricultural Society to coincide with the Library s summer exhibition, Life on the Land, which celebrates the centenary of the Society. For several years past we have been sponsoring a lecture at the National Eisteddfod, an event which has become very popular owing to the high standard of lecturers. A new book by Sir Kyffin Williams was launched at the Library on 15 May, and in co-operation with the University of Wales Press and through the generosity of the family of the late Miss Rhiannon Francis Roberts, we will be publishing and launching a volume on John Davies, Mallwyd, as a tribute to Miss Roberts, on 25 September. We are always seeking new members, and if any readers wish to join us, please contact Rhiain Vaughan Williams, Friends Co-ordinator,The National Library of Wales,Aberystwyth, Ceredigion SY23 3BU rnj@llgc.org.uk 2

3 Trysorau Ar-lein Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru yw cartref rhai o drysorau pwysicaf y genedl. Mae n drysorfa i gasgliad o lawysgrifau cenedlaethol, llyfrau printiedig cynnar a phrin, mapiau hynafiaethol, ac amrywiol ddelweddau o brintiau a pheintiadau i ffotograffau a ffilmiau.y mae gan y Llyfrgell raglen hir-dymor i ddigido rhai o i thrysorau ac fe fydd mwy a mwy o ddelweddau yn ymddangos yn Y Drych Digidol yn eu tro. Gobeithir y bydd y cynnwys o ddefnydd i ddysgwyr gydol oes, i ymchwilwyr ac i r sawl sydd â diddordeb yn hanes a diwylliant Cymru. Amcan cynlluniau digido r Llyfrgell yw mynd â r Llyfrgell i gartrefi Cymru a r byd trwy gyfrwng y cyfrifiadur. Erbyn hyn y mae cynnyrch tua hanner cant o gynlluniau i w weld ar wefan y Llyfrgell o dan bennawd Y Drych Digidol. /drych/index_c.htm Mae r mwyafrif o r cynlluniau yn ymwneud â dau fath o wrthrych, gwrthrychau syml a gwrthrychau cymhleth. O gynllun i gynllun fe ddatblygodd ein dulliau o gyflwyno r gwrthrychau hyn. Dyma enghreifftiau sydd yn rhoi blas o gyfoeth ac amrywiaeth yr hyn sydd wedi i ddigido. Treasures Online The National Library of Wales is the home of some of the nation s most important treasures. It is a treasure-house which keeps the national collection of manuscripts, early and rare printed books, antiquarian maps, and diverse images from prints and paintings to photographs and films.the Library has a long-term programme for digitising its treasures and more and more images will appear in The Digital Mirror in due course. Hopefully the content will be of use to lifelong learners, to researchers and to those who have an interest in the history and culture of Wales.The aim of the Library s digitisation programme is to take the Library to the homes of Wales and the world by means of computer.the fruits of some fifty schemes may now be seen on the Library s website under the heading of The Digital Mirror. /drych/index_s.htm Most of the schemes deal with two types of object, simple and complex. Our method of presenting these objects has developed from scheme to scheme. Here are a few examples which give a flavour of the richness and variety of what has been digitised. Daguerreoteip Castell Margam Ffotograff cynharaf Cymru a dynnwyd gan y Parchedig Calvert Richard Jones / The earliest Welsh photograph taken by the Reverend Calvert Richard Jones ( ). Gwrthrych syml: un erthygl yn cynnwys un ddelwedd / Simple object: one article containing one image. Albwm Ffotograffau Mary Dillwyn ( ) Albwm o ffotograffau cynnar un o arloeswyr ffotograffiaeth a achubwyd i r genedl gan y Llyfrgell Genedlaethol / An album of early photographs, including the work of photographic pioneer Mary Dillwyn of Penlle'r-gaer, saved for the nation by The National Library. Un gyfrol gyda 47 delwedd / One volume with 47 images Yr Anthem Genedlaethol / The National Anthem Y copi cynharaf o'r gân Hen wlad fy nhadau dan yr enw gwreiddiol Glan Rhonddagan Evan James ( ) a James James ( ) o Bontypridd / The earliest known copy of the song Hen wlad fy nhadau under the original name of Glan Rhondda by Evan James and James James of Pontypridd. Un gyfrol gyda 176 delwedd / One volume with 176 images JMW Turner ( ) Melin Aberdulais - un o ddau enghraifft yng nghasgliadau r Llyfrgell o luniau o Gymru gan J. M.W.Turner ( ) / Aberdulais Mill - one of two Welsh pictures in the Library s collections by J. M.W.Turner. Gwrthrych syml: dwy eitem a dwy ddelwedd Simple object: two items and two images John Watts-Williams Pennaeth Isadran Digido ac Oldrosi Head of Digitisation and Retroconversion Section 3

4 THE MAP COLLECTION AT THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF WALES economic and cultural activities, relief, drainage, vegetation, land use, climate, communication and transport routes, buildings and structures, historic and tourist locations, the marine environment, the universe.the earliest Ordnance Survey large scale town plans may even identify the function of rooms in public buildings! Access to the Library's map collection is by card, schedule and database catalogue, whilst some maps, atlases and books relating to cartography (material constantly requested) are conveniently available to readers on the reference shelves. Many catalogue records are now on the Library s web site,.to access the map catalogue click Catalogues and Electronic Resources, then GeoWeb Search the database information and follow the on-screen instructions. The site will also inform you about visiting the Library, its facilities and introductions to collections. For an overview of the map collection, click on Collections, then Maps.Also take a look at The Digital Mirror which is a significant new development reflecting some of the Library s treasures by displaying them through image, sound and text.the cartographic works of Lewis Morris, William Morris and Thomas Taylor can be seen under Treasures.You are welcome to , telephone, fax or write to the Library with your enquiries. The maps, plans, charts and atlases held by the Library constitute the largest cartographic collection in Wales. Included are a multiplicity of printed and manuscript materials, both antiquarian and modern, assembled by legal deposit, bequest, donation, deposit and purchase. Most printed maps are legal deposit copies, received by privilege of the Copyright Act of 1911, which entitles the Library to a copy of maps commercially produced in the British Isles. Important donations include foreign modern sheet mapping regularly received from the Ministry of Defence. Many manuscript estate maps have been deposited, whilst items purchased include antiquarian maps and foreign national atlases. Maps are important sources of knowledge and constantly provide information not available from other documents. Also, their spatial information is often easier and quicker to discern than textual descriptions. Maps can provide us with historical and topographical knowledge and help with academic studies, in business, utilizing natural resources, conservation, travel, public administration, warfare and leisure. Maps inform us about land ownership, tenancy, boundaries, place names, population distribution, the distribution of Visiting the Library to view the materials is highly recommended. From September 2004 you will be able to consult the maps in the newly refurbished South Reading Room. Historic investigations of specific Welsh sites are often best started by consulting modern small-scale Ordnance Survey (OS) maps such as those in the Landranger series, 4

5 to identify the location, then working back through larger scale and older OS and manuscript maps. Copies of maps can generally be provided, either on the day, or within a few days of viewing or ordering them.the Library s map users are multifarious and include students and others engaged in academic research, local and family historians, civil engineers and others undertaking site searches or investigating the history of their house or ownership of land and people planning journeys. The collection comprises the older Core Collection and modern Reference Collection. The Core Collection encompasses antiquarian printed and unique manuscript materials, principally relating to Wales. Included are printed maps, marine charts, manuscript estate plans, tithe maps, enclosure award maps, public utility plans, mining and quarry plans, architectural drawings and auctioneers sale particulars. Maps reflect the geographical knowledge of their period, cartographic technology and artistic fashions. Over time accuracy has improved whilst decoration has diminished.wales and other areas are represented in a variety of maps dating from the fourteenth to the late nineteenth century and facsimiles are available of many early maps such as the Gough map of the British Isles (ca. 1360), now in the Bodleian Library at Oxford. The oldest printed map of Wales as a separate entity is Humphrey Llwyd's Cambriae Typus, first published in the Additamentum to Abraham Ortelius's atlas Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (1573). and the Library is indebted to the Friends who contributed financially to its acquisition. John Speed, the most famous name in early British map-making, produced county maps including town plans in his work The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine (1611). For further information on the maps of Llwyd, Saxton and Speed see: D. Huw Owen, The Early Printed Maps of Wales (1996). Also represented from this century are works by many other British and Dutch map makers. Roads were often neglected on early maps and John Ogilby s maps (1675) were a remarkable departure from the norm. Not only are they road maps, but also they present the main roads in detailed strip map format. Welsh map makers include William Williams whose 'large-scale' map A new map of the County of Denbigh and Flint (1720) provides a wealth of detail. Emanuel Bowen issued many road maps and county maps and his well known map of South Wales (1729) is highly informative.the first large scale map of North Wales (1794/95) was by John Evans and in the south, detailed maps were produced of Glamorgan by George Yates (1799) and Cardiganshire by Joseph Singer (1803).The works of many other eighteenth and nineteenth century map makers provide documentation of the evolving landscape. Gwilym Tawy Llyfrgellydd Mapiau / Maps Librarian This article will be continued in the next issue of The Friend The Library holds twenty-two different versions of the five variant editions of this map. From Elizabethan times, British maps were often published as a collection of county maps.the earliest county maps of Wales appear in Christopher Saxton's Atlas of England and Wales (1579).The collection was enhanced considerably in 1986 with the purchase of the hitherto unrecorded Saxton Proof Map of Wales (1580) CYFEILLION LLYFRGELL GENEDLAETHOL CYMRU FRIENDS OF THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF WALES Rhif Elusen / Registered Charity Number: TÂL AELODAETH / MEMBERSHIP FEE 2004: (Ionawr Rhagfyr / January December) Cyfraniad blynyddol o 15 neu fwy Annual contributions of 15 or over Sieciau yn daladwy i / Cheques made payable to: Cyfeillion Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru The Friends of The National Library of Wales. Am wybodaeth bellach neu i drefnu archeb banc am 2005 cysylltwch â / For further information or to arrange a banker s order for 2005, please contact: Rhiain V.Williams Cydlynydd y Cyfeillion / Friends Co-ordinator Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru The National Library of Wales Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, SY23 3BU T: F: E: rnj@llgc.org.uk 5

6 6 mis prysur iawn! Rhiain Vaughan Williams, Cydlynydd y Cyfeillion sy n bwrw golwg dros hanner blwyddyn prysur a hanesyddol yn natblygiad y Llyfrgell a r Cyfeillion A hithau yn union ganol y flwyddyn, mae n gyfle gwych i edrych yn ôl ar ddigwyddiadau r rhaglen dros y chwe mis a fu ac i edrych ymlaen at weddill y digwyddiadau sydd wedi u trefnu ar gyfer Cyfeillion y Llyfrgell Genedlaethol. Mae r digwyddiadau wedi bod yn amrywiol ac wedi tynnu cynulleidfaoedd teilwng. Cafwyd darlith ar gasgliadau r Llyfrgell ym mis Chwefror, a diolch i r tri aelod o r Adran Casgliadau, agorwyd llygaid llawer o r aelodau i r hyn a gedwir ac a gesglir yma yn y Llyfrgell. Cyflwynwyd Papurau Newydd a Chynllun Newsplan gan Mr Brian Dafis, Rheolwr Uned Newsplan, Llyfryddiaeth Cymru gan Dr Huw Walters, Pennaeth Uned Llyfryddiaeth Cymru a Chynlluniau Digido gan Mr John Watts-Williams, Pennaeth Isadran Digido ac Oldrosi. Diolch i r tri ohonynt am roi o u hamser i baratoi ac i gyflwyno r wybodaeth drylwyr i r Cyfeillion. Cafwyd digwyddiad go bwysig yma ddechrau mis Ebrill sef Cynhadledd BAfM,The British Association of Friends of Museums.Tro Cymru oedd i gynnal y gynhadledd, felly a hithau yn cynrychioli Cymru ar bwyllgor BAfM, awgrymodd Dr Nesta Lloyd, Cadeirydd y Cyfeillion y byddai cynnal y gynhadledd yn y Llyfrgell yn syniad da. Paratowyd arlwy lawn o ddarlithoedd gan gynnwys Mr Andrew Green, Llyfrgellydd yn trafod Y Llyfrgell Ddigidol, Dr Rhidian Griffiths, Cyfarwyddwr Gwasanaethau Cyhoeddus y Llyfrgell yn cyflwyno r Llyfrgell Agored a braint o r mwyaf oedd cael cwmni Mrs Linda Tomos, Cyfarwyddwr CyMAL i ddarlithio. Llwyddodd Mrs Tomos i ddarganfod bwlch bach yn ei dyddiadur llawn i ymuno â ni i drafod Datblygu CyMAL:Amgueddfeydd,Archifau a Llyfrgelloedd Cymru. Braf iawn oedd cael cwrdd â hi a chlywed am syniadau CyMAL. Gwaith Mary Lloyd Jones ac Eirian Short Cafwyd digwyddiad hynod gyffrous ym mis Mai, sef lansiad llyfr Syr Kyffin Williams. Gweler manylion ar y dudalen flaen o r rhifyn hwn o r Cyfaill. Gwelwyd agoriad swyddogol Drwm, sef awditoriwm newydd Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru ym mis Mehefin, a chafwyd arlwy amrywiol iawn dros gyfnod o bythefnos i ddathlu r achlysur. Drwm oedd lleoliad un o weithgareddau mwyaf uchelgeisiol y Cyfeillion hyd yma, sef Arwerthiant Gelf ar 12 Mehefin. Gwahoddwyd amryw o artistiaid enwog o Gymru i gyfrannu gwaith Celf er mwyn ei werthu i godi arian i r Cyfeillion, fydd yn ei dro yn cael ei ddefnyddio er budd y Llyfrgell. Derbyniwyd cyfraniadau gan Jane Lewin, Gwilym Prichard, Edgar Holloway, Eirian Short, Denys Short, Ogwyn Davies, Emrys Parry, Arthur Giardelli, Kyffin Williams, Mary Lloyd Jones, Claudia Williams, Alistair Crawford, Gwasg Gregynog, David Tress, Ivor Davies, Shirley Jones, Marian Delyth a John Smout.Tipyn o gasgliad meddech chi! Wel oedd, mi oedd o! Fe m syfrdanwyd gan garedigrwydd yr artistiaid yma a mawr yw diolch y Cyfeillion iddynt gan i ni lwyddo dan arweiniad yr arwerthwr Super Jim Lloyd sy n enwog am ymddangos ar y rhaglen Twrio ar S4C, i godi bron 7,000. Rhaid hefyd gydnabod nawdd Anthony Burrell, Oriel y Bont am ei waith fframio a Pete Goodridge, Art Works am gludo rhai eitemau i r Llyfrgell. Diolch hefyd am gymorth proffesiynol fel arfer gan Isadrannau Arddangosfeydd, Marchnata a Reprograffeg y Llyfrgell. Bu n noson fythgofiadwy gyda lluniaeth arbennig wedi i pharatoi ymlaen llaw ym Mhen Dinas ac Aberjazz yn gefndir bywiog i r noson. Erbyn ymddangosiad y rhifyn hwn o r Cyfaill bydd y Cyfarfod Blynyddol wedi bod a darlith gan Yr Athro David Howell dan y teitl The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society: Its First Hundred Years. Ceir adroddiad yn y rhifyn nesaf. Eto i ddod: 5 Awst: Darlith y Cyfeillion yn Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru, Casnewydd Dr Brynley F. Roberts yn cyflwyno Digideiddio Bywyd: Gosod y Bywgraffiadur Cymreig Ar-lein 25 Medi: Lansio llyfr ar Dr John Davies, Mallwyd a darlith gan yr Athro R. Geraint Gruffydd yn Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru 11 Rhagfyr: Cyflwyniad ar Hanes yr Emyn yn Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru Ceir rhagor o fanylion ar dudalennau r Cyfeillion ar safle gwe r Llyfrgell: 6

7 A busy 6 months! Rhiain Vaughan Williams, Friends Co-ordinator looks back over an historic and busy six months Mid way through the year is a good time to take stock of the events organised by the Friends of the National Library of Wales which have taken place, and to look forward to those yet to come. The events were varied and drew good audiences. Back in February we held a successful introduction to the Library s collections and I would like to thank three members of the Collections Department staff for their interesting and informative talks: Brian Dafis, Newsplan Unit Manager, on Newspapers and the Newsplan Project, The Bibliography of Wales by Dr Huw Walters, Head of the Bibliography of Wales Unit, and Digitisation Projects by Mr John Watts-Williams, Head of the Digitisation and Retroconversion Section.We are grateful to all three for giving their time to prepare such interesting presentations for the Friends. An important conference was held at the Library at the beginning of April, the BAfM (The British Association of Friends of Museums) Conference. As it was Wales s turn to host the conference, Dr Nesta Lloyd, Chair of the Friends of the Library (who is Wales s representative on the BAfM committee) suggested that the conference be held at the National Library of Wales.We had a full day of presentations, including Mr Andrew Green, the Librarian discussing The Digital Library, Dr Rhidian Griffiths, Director of Public Services on The Open Library and Mrs Linda Tomos, Director of CyMAL. Mrs Tomos managed to find space in her busy schedule to give a lecture on Developing CyMAL: Museums, Archives and Libraries in Wales. It was good to meet her and hear about CyMAL s ideas and aims. We welcomed an important guest here in May: Sir Kyffin Williams to launch his latest book.a report may be seen on the front page of this issue of The Friend. The Drwm, which is the Library s new auditorium was officially opened in June and two weeks of events were organised to mark this occasion. The Drwm was the location for one of The Friends most ambitious events to date, an Art Auction, which was held on 12 June. Several famous Welsh artists were invited to donate work Paintings by Gwilym Prichard and Claudia Williams to be auctioned to raise money for the Friends, which in turn would be used for the Library s benefit. Contributions were received from Jane Lewin, Gwilym Prichard, Edgar Holloway, Eirian Short, Denys Short, Ogwyn Davies, Emrys Parry, Arthur Giardelli, Kyffin Williams, Mary Lloyd Jones, Claudia Williams, Alistair Crawford, Gwasg Gregynog, David Tress, Ivor Davies, Shirley Jones, Marian Delyth and John Smout. Quite a collection I hear you say! And it was! I was stunned by the generosity of these artists and a huge thank you to them as we managed, with guidance from the auctioneer Super Jim Lloyd, famous for appearing on S4C s Twrio, to raise nearly 7,000. We must also acknowledge sponsorship from Anthony Burrell, Oriel y Bont for his framing work and Pete Goodridge of Art Works for delivering various pieces to the Library.Thanks must also be given to the Library s Exhibitions, Marketing and Reprographic Sections for their commitment and dedication. It truly was a memorable evening with a great buffet in Pen Dinas prior to the Auction to the sound of a lively Aberjazz. By the time this edition of the Friend appears, the Annual General Meeting will have been held with a lecture by Professor David Howell on The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society: Its First Hundred Years. There will be a report in the next issue. Yet to come: 5 August: The Friends Lecture at The National Eisteddfod of Wales, Newport Digitizing Lives: Placing The Welsh Biographical Dictionary On-line by Dr Brynley F. Roberts 25 September: Launch of a new book on Dr John Davies, Mallwyd and lecture by Professor R. Geraint Gruffydd to be held at The National Library of Wales 11 December: Presentation on the History of the Hymn to be held at The National Library of Wales For further information, browse the Library website: Work by Denys Short and Eirian Short 7

8 Y Cyfeillion yn lansio cyfrol newydd Dr John Davies of Mallwyd:Welsh Renaissance Scholar Un o uchelbwyntiau cyfarfodydd y Cyfeillion eleni fydd cyhoeddi cyfrol ar fywyd a gwaith y Dr John Davies, Mallwyd, i ddathlu pedwar can mlwyddiant ei benodi n rheithor Mallwyd ar 29 Awst Ysbrydolwyd y gyfrol, sy n seiliedig ar draethawd M.A. Miss Rhiannon Francis Roberts, pan wahoddodd Mrs Mary Burdett-Jones Mr a Mrs Iolo Roberts, brawd a chwaer yng nghyfraith Miss Roberts, i gyfarfod o Gymdeithas Hynafiaethwyr Ceredigion ym Mallwyd ar 10 Hydref 1998.Tros de trafodwyd y posibilrwydd o gyhoeddi r traethawd gyda chyfraniadau ychwanegol i adlewyrchu r wybodaeth a ddaeth i r golwg ers ymddangosiad traethawd Miss Roberts yn Ar ôl y cyfarfod aeth Mrs Burdett-Jones ymlaen gyda brwdfrydedd i annog y Cyfeillion i ymgymryd â chyhoeddi r traethawd, a hwyluswyd y gwaith gan ddau ddigwyddiad ffodus. Y cyntaf oedd i dri brawd Miss Roberts a u teuluoedd noddi r llyfr, trwy gyflwyno swm i Gyfeillion y Llyfrgell i dalu r gost o gyhoeddi. Heb y rhodd anrhydeddus hon ni allasai r Cyfeillion gyhoeddi cyfrol mor uchelgeisiol a mawr yw ein diolch i r teulu am eu haelioni eithriadol.yr ail lwc oedd i r Athro Ceri Davies gytuno i olygu r gyfrol ac iddo wneud y gwaith gyda graslonrwydd ac Pont Minllyn, Mallwyd ymroddiad arbennig. Cytunodd Gwasg Prifysgol Cymru i gyhoeddi r gyfrol ar ran y Llyfrgell a r Cyfeillion ac y mae n enghraifft odidog o u gwaith. Braint yw cael diolch i r Cyfeillion hyn am ysbrydoli, noddi a chyflawni r deyrnged hon i ddau o ysgolheigion mawr Cymru, y Dr John Davies a i fywgraffydd arloesol, Miss Rhiannon Francis Roberts a roes oes o waith i r Llyfrgell Genedlaethol. September launch of a new biography Dr John Davies of Mallwyd:Welsh Renaissance Scholar 8 One of the high points of the calendar of Friends events this year will be the publication of a volume on the life and work of Dr John Davies of Mallwyd, to mark the four hundredth anniversary of his appointment as rector of Mallwyd on 29 August 1604.The idea for the volume, which is based on the M.A. thesis of Miss Rhiannon Francis Roberts, was conceived when Mrs Mary Burdett-Jones invited Miss Roberts brother and sister-in-law, Mr and Mrs Iolo Roberts, to a meeting of the Ceredigion Antiquarian Society in Mallwyd on 10 October At tea the possibility was mooted of publishing the Eglwys Mallwyd Church thesis with the addition of contributions reflecting knowledge which has come to light since Miss Roberts thesis was submitted in After the meeting Mrs Burdett-Jones enthusiastically urged the Friends to undertake the publication of the thesis, and the work was further assisted by two fortunate developments. The first was that Miss Roberts three brothers and their families sponsored the book by donating to the Friends a sum of money to cover the cost of publication. But for this generous gesture the Friends would not have been able to publish so ambitious a volume, and we are much indebted to the family for their munificence.the second happy chance was that Professor Ceri Davies agreed to edit the volume and has done so with great diligence.the University of Wales Press undertook the publication of the book on behalf of the Library and the Friends and the work is to their usual high standard. It is a privilege to thank these Friends for inspiring, sponsoring and bringing to fruition this tribute to two of Wales great scholars, Dr John Davies and his pioneer biographer, Miss Rhiannon Francis Roberts, who gave a lifetime of service to the National Library. Cyhoeddwyd gan Gyfeillion Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru / Published by the Friends of The National Library of Wales