HTB

i-Base library archived at the Bishopsgate Institute and Wellcome Collection

17 September 2024. Related: Treatment advocacy, Other news.

Simon Collins, HIV i-Base

Early edition of TAC’s Equal Treatment newsletter from South Africa (May 2003)

At the end of August 2024, the i-Base library – accumulated over more than 25 years of treatment activism – joined the HIV-related collections housed at the Bishopsgate Institute and the Wellcome Collection.

Community-related material, including more than 3000 diverse newsletters, booklets, magazines, posters, T-shirts and even conference bags have a new home at the Bishopsgate Institute. The archive includes materials from the UK and similar community groups in other countries.

This material fits well with the Institute’s focus on community activism and social history and will be easy to access at the main archive in east London.

Abstract book from IAS 1991

The early community archive includes publications and related material from i-Base, AIDS Treatment Project (ATP), the UK-Coalition of People Living with HIV, Positive Nation, Positive Times and Body Positive. Other community publications in the collection include REMAIDES (France), Lo Positivo (Spain), Equal Treatment (South Africa) and GMHC Treatment Issues, Diseased Pariah News, Beta, PRN, POZ and others (all from the US).

More technical resources, including abstract books, programmes and printed posters from more than 350 HIV medical conferences and workshops are now at the Wellcome Institute.

Elena and Loesja from Wellcome working through the conference archives

This includes material from all the large International AIDS Society (IAS), CROI, EACS and Glasgow conferences since 1997. It also include specialist workshops on pharmacology, HIV drug resistance, HIV and women, paediatric care, global access to treatment and much more.

A guide to the archive is also available and i-Base catalogued the material in several Excel files to search and access contents until they are formally archived.

The need to archive these resources was also linked to changes at i-Base that involved giving up our physical office near Tower Bridge and moving to a virtual base, largely to reduce costs given the difficulties of funding core costs.
i-Base changes during 2024

Catalogue listing of publications and resources

The following PDF files from five Excel spreadsheets catalogue the publications in both archives.

Digital material, including photographs and video material will be added to both archives later.

Links to other websites are current at date of posting but not maintained.