Fonds BB - Papers of Barbara Burford

Original Digital object not accessible

Identity area

Reference code

GB 1534 BB

Title

Papers of Barbara Burford

Date(s)

  • 1976 - 1988 (Creation)

Level of description

Fonds

Extent and medium

5 Archival Boxes.

Context area

Name of creator

(09/12/1944-20/02/2010)

Biographical history

Barbara Burford was born in Jamaica in 1944. She moved to London in 1955 with her family, where she attended school and went onto study Medicine at London University. Barbara enjoyed a varied career with the NHS, the civil service and later as a consultant to various public-sector organisations. Barbara pioneered learning and social change throughout her career, and promoted equality in all that she did.

Barbara’s career in the NHS began in 1964. Initially, she specialised in postgraduate teaching hospitals, before leading a team at the Institute of Child Health and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children. She ran the pulmonary vascular laboratory there for several years during the 1980s and her team was central to several breakthroughs in heart and lung transplant surgery for infants and children. Later in the 1990s, Barbara moved to Leeds to set up IT systems for the NHS executive, a key achievement of which being Positively Diverse – a programme of guidelines designed to help achieve equality in the NHS. From 1999 Barbara was the director of Equality and Diversity at the Department of Health, beginning many initiatives that are now well established. In 2005, shortly before her retirement, the University of Bradford appointed her Deputy Director of its Centre for Inclusion and Diversity. Barbara then set up a consultancy to carry on her mentoring and coaching work.

During her lifetime Barbara was also a writer, with a particular interest in science fiction and very engaged in feminist politics. She wrote plays, poetry, short stories and a novella. Her play Patterns was produced at the Drill Hall theatre in 1984; the same year that her poetry featured in A Dangerous Knowing – Four Black Women Poets. In 1986 she published The Threshing Floor, a novella and collection of short stories.

Repository

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

This collection contains records relating to the life of Barbara Burford, including drafts of literary works, research notes, professional and personal correspondence, photographs, memorabilia and cassette tapes.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

This material has been appraised in line with the standard GB 1534 procedures.

Accruals

No further accruals expected.

System of arrangement

Organised into four thematic series. Subseries are also organised thematically. Original order has been maintained where possible.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Access through consultation with Glasgow Women's Library's. Email to make an appointment: info@womenslibrary.org.uk

Conditions governing reproduction

Consultation with Glasgow Women's Library (GWL).

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

    Language and script notes

    Physical characteristics and technical requirements

    There are no physical characteristics that affect the use of this material.

    Finding aids

    Allied materials area

    Existence and location of originals

    This material is original.

    Existence and location of copies

    Related units of description

    Related descriptions

    Notes area

    Alternative identifier(s)

    Access points

    Subject access points

    Place access points

    Name access points

    Genre access points

    Description control area

    Description identifier

    Institution identifier

    Rules and/or conventions used

    ISAD(G): General International Standard Archival Description, International Council on Archives (2nd edition, 2000).

    Status

    Draft

    Level of detail

    Partial

    Dates of creation revision deletion

    Created by Ellen Embleton, 27th of March 2018.

    Language(s)

    • English

    Script(s)

      Sources

      Digital object (Master) rights area

      Digital object (Reference) rights area

      Digital object (Thumbnail) rights area

      Accession area