The management and use of the Omagh Bomb Archive
| Date | 31 July 2007 |
| Pages | 394-405 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/01435120710774521 |
| Published date | 31 July 2007 |
| Author | Evelyn Johns |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science |
The management and use of the
Omagh Bomb Archive
Evelyn Johns
Omagh Library, Western Education and Library Board, Omagh, UK
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine best practices for the management and use of the
Omagh Bomb Archive, an archive created following the car bomb in Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern
Ireland on 15 August 1998 which killed 29 people and injured hundreds more.
Design/methodology/approach – This research paper examines existing literature on established
practices for various components of archive management and compares these findings to data
extracted from questionnaires sent to four similar archives on their management practices. It then
analyses the creation and development of the Omagh Bomb Archive within this context.
Findings – The paper finds that the data provided by the research informed management practices
for the Omagh Bomb Archive. The research also established that implementing best management
practices in existing archives was determined by the level of funding.
Originality/value – This paper fills a gap in existing literature by examining the best practices for
the management of a spontaneous archive created out of a tragic event. It could be used by managers
of similar archives to inform and implement good management practices.
Keywords Archives management, Digital storage,Northern Ireland
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
On Saturday 15 August 1998, Market Street in Omagh, the county town of Tyrone in
Northern Ireland with a population of 23,000, was bustling, with some people shopping
and others, including a Spanish party, waiting for a parade of floats to arrive in the
town centre, the climax of a week long festival in the town. At 3.10 p.m. the relaxed and
happy atmosphere was shattered when a car bomb exploded killing 28 people (plus
unborn twins) and injuring 382 others. The 29th victim died in hospital three weeks
later from his injuries. Of those killed, 24 came from Omagh and the surrounding
districts. The remaining five were tourists (Irish and Spanish children and one of their
leaders) from Buncrana, in neighbouring County Donegal, and Madrid. Local family
doctors saw 2,000 people in the period immediately after the bomb.
In the days and weeks that followed, Omagh District Council, local churches,
businesses and schools were inundated with messages of sympathy from around the
world. Books of condolence, sympathy cards and e-mails were sent to the council
offices where an initial organisation of the material was carried out. However, council
officials were aware that this was a short-term arrangement and the material should be
passed on to an institution with the resources and expertise to store and preserve it.
They therefore approached the Western Education and Library Board (WELB), which
has responsibility for public libraries in the area, to assume responsibility for the future
custody and management of this sensitive and unique collection of material. At the
same time Omagh Library began systematically to collect newspaper articles and
media reports on the atrocity.
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0143-5124.htm
LM
28,6/7
394
Received 8 October 2006
Revised 12 January 2007
Accepted 22 March 2007
Library Management
Vol. 28 No. 6/7, 2007
pp. 394-405
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0143-5124
DOI 10.1108/01435120710774521
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