This is an interesting article I’ve just come across. What an amazing find and one which will add so much to our knowledge of the history of South and Central America:

http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/Conquistador-letter-found/29424

It’s always surprising what can turn up in archives.  With the passage of years and archivists coming and going,  the accumulation of large amounts of records and changes in technology, it’s not always easy to keep accurate records of everything within a collection. Old, handwritten records are a key example. Transcribing these to a digitised format takes time and money which most archives don’t have and if those hard-copy records are ever lost or damaged in a flood or fire, they are gone forever.

Volunteers often play a vital role in helping to input old records. If you’ve ever thought of volunteering in an archive or library, the Lit and Phil Library in Newcastle and the Ouseburn Trust’s archive both welcome volunteers to be involved in various tasks. Contact them for further details or follow this link to search for opportunities:  http://www.do-it.org.uk/search/opportunities?unit=mile&distance=5&location=NE1+2BB