Memories Scotland
About Memories Scotland
Memories Scotland is the latest development of a Scotland-wide project connecting heritage resources with reminiscence activity. In the wake of the pandemic, Memories Scotland aims to tackle social isolation and loneliness by bringing people together for informal group reminiscence.
Glasgow Libraries is delighted to be one of the many local authority library services which are official partners in the project.
Sessions in Glasgow Libraries
We are offering sessions in three of our libraries: Bridgeton Library, Dennistoun Library, Pollok Library and Woodside Library. These take place every month - for specific dates and times please see our What's On pages or contact the libraries direct.
The sessions are volunteer led, friendly and informal. We use handling kits from The Open Museum, Glasgow Museums' outreach service and images from our extensive Collections. The sessions aim to evoke memories, stimulate mental activity and improve well‐being. In sharing experiences or recollections, both participants and facilitators of Memory Groups report a range of positive outcomes.
These include anything from connecting with others and feeling less alone to renewed self-esteem and increased confidence. The sessions are dementia-friendly and therefore inclusive and open to all.
Glasgow Museums - The Open Museum- Handling Kits
The sessions will be using objects from themed handling kits, created by the The Open Museum. They take objects from the museum collections out to communities across the city, so that they can be enjoyed by everyone.
Topics included in the Memories Scotland sessions are Tenement Life, Childhood, the 1960s and the 1970s. We've included images of some of the items that will be used below.
The objects in the The Open Museum handling kits have prompted very positive feedback from participants:
"This box provoked a great response."
"It's amazing! You take out just one object....and then all the stories!!"
"This box was great, so many good stories about school and we had a go at the skipping ropes which was a laugh."
"A great wee kit. Lots of good stories to tell."
Glasgow Libraries Collections - The Virtual Mitchell
The sessions will also examine old photographs from our Collections. We have included some of them below and you can also take a trip down memory lane and explore your local history by searching the Virtual Mitchell by area, street or subject.
More information about Memories Scotland
You can find more information about the project, including its origins, reach and impact on the Memories Scotland website.
Contact Us
We welcome feedback from library users.
Contact us to let us know how we are doing or if you want to find out more.