For 2014, SC&A has two advent calendars, one sombre and one festively seasonal.

The sombre view is online via the SC&A website, with images linking to 24 posts and tweets exploring the First World War through SC&A’s diverse collections. See more on the Red Wall at the Victoria Gallery & Museum, where the the ‘Professors, Parents, Patriots, Pacifists’ section of the First World War exhibition, Over by Christmas is on display until it closes for … well, Christmas.

Visitors to the Sydney Jones Library this month can see the December “caseload” in the display cases outside the Special Collections and Archives reading room:

The 24 days of Christmas display consists of 24 books related to the festive season, including, from the library of Sir Charles Sydney Jones, a copy of Beatrix Potter’s The Tailor of Gloucester, with a Christmas message from the author.  Other highlights include an 1843 edition of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol in a very festive holly leaf binding.

One item will be unveiled each day to create a colourful Special Collections and Archives advent calendar.