Despite it being ill mannered, I find it difficult to resist the urge to read a newspaper over someone's shoulder on a bus or a train. Similarly, a headline or a person's name will catch my eye when I am browsing through the archive and I cannot resist quickly reading the article.  I have therefore decided to start posting articles on here which have this 'must read' effect on me - I hope you will enjoy them too. 

Today, a statue of former South African President Nelson Mandela was unveiled in Parliament Square, London. At the unveiling Prime Minister Gordon Brown referred to Mandela as the "greatest and most courageous leader of our generation" and such a statement immediately made me want to read about Mandela's life.

The Keesing's World News Archive search engine makes researching individuals easy, and our articles are rich in hyperlinked cross references.  An article from the February 1990 issue of Keesing's Record of World Events reports President De Klerk's opening of Parliament speech in which the impending release of Nelson Mandela is announced and also the abolishment of the ban on the ANC, the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC–the ANC's smaller rival) and the South African Communist Party (SACP).  To read the full article, click here to sign up for a Keesing's account today.

In my last post I alerted you to the Breaking Histories that have been produced recently, but this is not the only new content on the web site.  I am pleased to announce that the May and June 2007 issues of Keesing's Record of World Events are now online.

Here in the Cambridge editorial office, we are currently working on our summer double issue. Having worked here for nearly a month now, it is fascinating to follow the impressively rapid evolution of a news story.  A story will break, be researched and authenticated, before a series of articles are written which create our monthly issue.  However, the process does not stop there: the content then appears live on the Keesing's web site, becoming part of the archive.

The archive is an invaluable tool for placing stories in both an immediate and historical context. Our Breaking Histories section gives you this context, but it is easy to explore the background to any story by following cross references or clicking on key words.  Having recently finished my degree (and having previous experience as a librarian), I understand the importance of accurate research and I look forward to announcing more content as it goes live.

I would like to introduce myself, in this, my first blog entry.  My name is Lorna, and after a fortnight working here at Keesing’s, I am settling into my role as the new online editor.

My work here at Keesing’s is proving busy and varied.  Tracking news stories, proofing texts, getting articles ready to go online – I find myself on a steep learning curve.  One of the most exciting and rewarding aspects of my job is in knowing that I am now part of a team that contributes to keeping the archive alive.

Sat at my desk, I can see every edition of the journal dating back to 1931, and at my fingertips I have the online version of this rich archive.  It is an incredible resource, and I hope you get as much enjoyment from exploring the archive as I do.

As I get to grips with my new job, I want to use this blog to chart my exploration of the functionality of the website, as well as announcing content as it goes live.   As ever, our breaking history section gives you the historical context of the biggest news stories from around the world.  This month, you can even go into space and read about the discovery of the new Saturian moon  (pub 30 Jul 2007).

Lorna