Call on Wales to recognise and acknowledge its heroes

It is crucial that we as a nation recognise the men and women who have made a notable contribution to the life of Wales and beyond.

[aoa id=”1″]So says The National Library of Wales as it prepares to launch of the new Dictionary of Welsh Biography website, which includes almost 5,000 biographies of men and women who have made such a contribution.

The new website will be launched on November 8 by The National Assembly for Wales’ presiding officer, Elin Jones, AM for Ceredigion, following a lecture discussing the contribution of women to the National Assembly over the last 20 years.

The Dictionary of Welsh Biography was first published in print format by the Cymmrodorion and in 2004 The National Library of Wales launched the on-line resource.[/aoa]

The website is now maintained and developed by library under the editorship of Professor Dafydd Johnston, of the Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies at the University of Wales. It is a comprehensive, authoritative reference work intended for users of all backgrounds and it is updated frequently with new articles.

The new website, which contains additional functions as well as new content and design, was developed with the help of the Colwinston Charitable Trust and the national library.

Linda Tomos, chief executive and librarian of the national library, said:

“It is crucial that we as a nation recognise people who have made a valuable contribution to the life of Wales during their lives and the Dictionary of Welsh Biography is a national resource for that.

“It stands alongside the other major digital resources of Wales and ensures that future generations not only know about prominent people but are inspired by them too.”

Professor Johnston added: “The Dictionary of Welsh Biography is a great resource for school teachers, local and family historians, lecturers and students and anyone interested in our history to learn about our heroes. It also allows them to share that information with others, thereby celebrating the contribution of these people.

“The important work of promoting and recognising the contribution of these people continues and the web allows us all to be part of that. Publishing the Dictionary of Welsh Biography on-line and making sure it’s available for free, allows us to share as well as access the information.

“We can also work with the users of the Dictionary of Welsh Biography to identify those who should be included in it, with the aim of ensuring that new biographies are published promptly and on an ongoing basis.”