Logjam: an Audit of Uncatalogued Collections in the North West
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Logjam: An audit of uncatalogued collections in the North West NWMLAC North West Museums Libraries & Archives Council Contents Acknowledgments 2 1. Introduction and Context 3 1.1 Project Aims 3 1.2 Expected Outputs 3 1.3 Expected Outcomes 4 1.4 National and Regional Context 4 2. Methodology 6 3. Results 11 3.1 Section A – Size of regional/sub-regional backlog 11 3.2 Section B – Size of backlog by repository type 13 3.3 Section C – Size of backlog by type 14 3.4 Section D – Collections covered by FOI 16 3.5 Section E – Future Cataloguing Priorities 17 3.6 Section F – Access Initiatives 18 3.7 Section G – Cataloguing Status 19 3.8 Section H – Cataloguing Resources 19 4. What Comprises the Backlog? 21 5. Recommendations 24 6. Conclusion 27 7. Appendices 28 Appendix A 28 Appendix B 29 Appendix C 30 Appendix D 31 Appendix E 34 Acknowledgments This project was funded by the Resource grant to NWMLAC, which the project partners acknowledge with thanks. The Logjam project has been guided and monitored by the following members of the Project Board, whose advice and experience proved invaluable: Katherine Taylor, Manchester Archives and Local Studies Simon Wilson, The Mersey Gateway Project, Liverpool City Council Anne Rowe, Cumbria Record Office Eileen Hume, Knowsley Archives Service Katy Goodrum, Cheshire and Chester Archives and Local Studies The project partners also wish to thank all the archivists and institutions who took the trouble to complete the questionnaire concerning cataloguing projects. Thanks are also extended to the members of the North West Regional Archives Council, and the archivists and colleagues from all the participating repositories. 2 1 Introduction The archival heritage of the North West The work was funded by Resource and reflects the region’s diverse history and undertaken by the North West Museums, culture from the past thousand years up to Libraries and Archives Council (NWMLAC) the present day. It includes the records of on behalf of North West Regional Archive great institutions, people and businesses in Council (NWRAC). the region and reflects the North West’s The aim of this report is not only to present changing landscape, communities and the results of the survey but to share the economies. However, if this heritage is to be methodology with other organisations. fully accessible to the growing number of archive users in the North West, then it will 1.1 Project aims be necessary to catalogue collections as yet uncatalogued and improve the physical The aim of the project was to identify, availability of the material. quantify and prioritise uncatalogued archival collections in the North West. Producing catalogues of the contents of Specifically it aimed to: archival collections is the bedrock of the work of an archive service. Without • produce a detailed picture of the descriptions of the documents it holds, archival collections which are an archive service cannot ensure: uncatalogued in each repository and the region as a whole • Efficient and equitable access • identify the resources required to • A stimulating learning environment catalogue these collections • Compliance with Freedom of • prioritise these collections and in Information and Data Protection particular identify specific priorities legislation for future collaborative projects within • An organisation’s corporate memory the region • Legal, financial and administrative resources 1.2 Expected outputs The security and preservation of • Expected outputs from the project were as documents follows: • Interpretative exhibitions and publications • A regional database of uncatalogued collections which can be used to inform In short, archive services with uncatalogued future collaborative projects collections cannot fulfil either their record • Individualised databases of keeping role, or ensure the place of archives uncatalogued collections for each at the cultural centre of the community. participating repository Without access via catalogues, archival • A regional report outlining the organisations are unable to play a role in aggregated results of the audits and people’s lives, managing organisations are recommendations for future action failing to meet their responsibilities and are • Individualised reports for each wasting money storing inaccessible repository, including an indication of documents. Taking the form of a detailed the timescale and resources required to audit, the Logjam project was designed to catalogue each collection scope the size and type of uncatalogued • An audit methodology that could be collections held in 30 of the region’s extended to other offices within the principal archive-holding institutions. region at a later date 3 During the course of the project a number developing a collaborative approach to of organisations have expressed an interest managing cataloguing backlogs. in utilising the project methodology for The project forms part of the over-arching their own audit of uncatalogued collections. Filling in the Gaps initiative, which aims to This has lead to the development of a toolkit map archival needs and resources which can be used to undertake similar throughout the North West. Comprising of 7 projects. regional projects, it will identify and 1.3 Expected outcomes prioritise needs in the North West and target potential solutions and funding The project aims to achieve the following streams. In particular, Logjam and the outcomes: preservation survey, NW Preservation • The development of a collaborative Assessment, will complement each other to approach to cataloguing which will give an accurate picture of the preservation assist in addressing the problem of and access needs across the region. cataloguing backlogs on a regional basis Freedom of Information • Improved access to the region’s archives by making finding aids and The Freedom of Information Act (FOI) Act collections more widely available 2000 provides the public with a general • An opportunity for individual right of access to all types of recorded repositories to prioritise their information held by public authorities. cataloguing work and the results to act Under the terms of the legislation, all public as an invaluable advocacy tool for the authorities will have to adopt and maintain region a publication scheme detailing the classes of information they hold, how this is 1.4 National and Regional Context information is to be published and whether this information is available to the public Increased access to information has become free of charge. However, archival-holding one of the key priorities for the national and institutions will be able to claim exemption regional agenda for archives in the United under Section 21 of the FOI Act if they can Kingdom. It is a central theme for all the claim that their archival collections are regional archives strategies and a number already ‘reasonably accessible’. of national initiatives have placed it at the Organisations that have a large volume of heart of their objectives. It is within this uncatalogued archival material will find it regional and national context that Logjam very difficult to claim exemption and will needs to be considered: be obliged to answer FOI enquiries themselves, as opposed to directing North West Regional Archive Strategy applicants towards the relevant finding Logjam is one of the basic building blocks aids. Penalties will be incurred upon of the implementation of the regional repositories which are unable to answer FOI archive strategy. Under the Theme of enquiries within 20 working days. The Access and Availability, NWRAC aims to potential impact for institutions with a improve and widen physical and remote substantial number of uncatalogued access to the region’s archives for the collections covered by FOI legislation could benefit of all users by making finding aids prove to be serious. and collections widely available and 4 Full Disclosure Resource: Shared Planning Framework Full Disclosure is a cross-domain initiative, Resource has recently set out a new the principal objective of which is to framework for the way in which Resource provide access to the nation’s heritage by and the nine Regional Agencies work establishing a comprehensive electronic together in the future.2 This is intended to catalogue.1 However, in order to achieve create a greater understanding of common this objective, the initiative acknowledges achievements and goals in the heritage that fundamental cataloguing work will sector. The Shared Planning Framework have to take place on collections as yet refers to 9 Programmes which Resource uncatalogued. In response to this need, one and the Regional Agencies will be involved of its key recommendations is that in during the planning year. Under the institutions should “identify and prioritise Programme heading ‘Collections’, Resource those collections that remain entirely highlights the identification of the “scale of uncatalogued.” cataloguing/documentation backlogs” and the co-ordination of “strategic planning As means to prioritise these collections, the programmes to address cataloguing initiative advocates the use of their documentations backlogs” as key shared Prioritisation Assessment Matrix, an deliverables for 2004-07. assessment tool which was specifically designed to enable funding bodies - and Archives Task Force: National Archives those seeking funding - to prioritise Network collections for retrospective conversion and cataloguing projects. The matrix outlines 5 Building upon the vision stated in Archives broad criteria for the