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Local Authority Archive Services in England: Funding Opportunities and Development Needs
English Archival Mapping Project Phase Two Mapping Project Board
2001
1 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services Acknowledgements
The English Archival Mapping Project Phase Two has been directed and monitored by a Project Board, convened by the Public Record Office (PRO), and comprising representatives of the Association of Chief Archivists in Local Government (ACALG), the Historical Manuscripts Commission (HMC), and the Society of Archivists (SofA). The members of the Project Board were:
Elizabeth Hallam Smith Director of Public Services, (PRO, Chair) Jim Grisenthwaite County Archivist, Cumbria Record Office, (ACALG) Deborah Jenkins Head of the London Metropolitan Archives, (ACALG) Elizabeth Rees Chief Archivist, Tyne & Wear Archives Service, (ACALG) Ian Hart Senior Curatorial Officer, (HMC) Bruce Jackson County Archivist, Lancashire Record Office, (SofA) David Leitch1 Head of Archive Inspection Services Department, (PRO)
The Team which carried the Project forward on a day-to-day basis was based in the PRO’s Archive Inspection Services Department. Justin Frost designed the questionnaire; Steven Jones and Nicholas Coney were responsible for monitoring and processing the returned questionnaires; Fiona van Hoof and Sarah Jane Newbery were responsible for data entry. Justin Frost prepared this report on behalf of the Mapping Project Board.
We are grateful to all 132 head archivists and their colleagues in local authority record offices who took the time to complete the detailed project questionnaire. We are also grateful to the chairs of the Regional Archives Councils for their support for this project, and in validating the emerging findings.
Elizabeth Stazicker Chair of the East of England Regional Archive Council Rachel Watson Chair of the East Midlands Regional Archive Council David Mander Chair of the London Archives Regional Council Elizabeth Rees Chair of the North East Regional Archive Council Jim Grisenthwaite Chair of the North West Regional Archive Council Richard Childs Chair of the South East Regional Archive Council Paul Brough Chair of the South West Regional Archive Council Roger Vaughan Chair of the West Midlands Regional Archive Council Keith Sweetmore Chair of the Yorkshire Regional Archive Council
1 Succeeded in turn by Justin Frost and Steven Jones
2 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services
Enquiries about this report should be directed to:
Steven Jones Head of Archive Inspection Services Records Management Department Public Record Office Kew Surrey TW9 4DU
Telephone: 020 8392 5318 Fax: 020 8392 5283 e-mail: [email protected]
Abbreviations used in this report
A2A Access to Archives (national retrospective catalogue conversion programme) BS British Standard CIPFA Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy CITU Cabinet Office Information Technology Unit CPD Continuing professional development DCMS Department for Culture Media and Sport FOI Freedom of Information HEFCE Higher Education Funding Council for England HLF Heritage Lottery Fund HMC Historical Manuscripts Commission ICT Information and communications technology IDAC Inter-Departmental Archives Committee JISC Joint Information Services Committee (of the Higher Education Funding Councils) LIC Library and Information Commission LINC Library and Information Networking Co-operation Council NCA National Council on Archives NMGM National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside NOF New Opportunities Fund NPO National Preservation Office NTO National Training Organisation PRO Public Record Office RAC Regional Archive Council UKOLN United Kingdom Office of Library Networking (University of Bath)
3 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services
Contents
1 Purpose of this Report
2 Project History and Methodology
3 Main Findings
PART I: 4 Accommodation and Storage The National 5 Public Access and Services Analysis 6 Preservation and Conservation
7 Finding Aids and Reference Services
8 Information and Communications Technology
9 Electronic Records
10 Training and Development
11 External relations and Cross-sectoral Working
PART II: 12 East of England Region Regional Findings 13 East Midlands Region
14 London Region
15 North East Region
16 North West Region
17 South East Region
18 South West Region
19 West Midlands Region
20 Yorkshire Region
21 Mapping Project Phase Two: Overall Conclusions
Appendices 1. Statistical Data: National Charts; Regional Charts 2. Participating & Non-participating Archive Services 3. Useful Contacts and Addresses
4 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services
1. Purpose of this Report
The purpose of this report is to update the findings and conclusions of the Phase One English Archival Mapping Project – “Our Shared Past: an Archival Domesday for England” (1997)2 in 8 key areas of provision:
Accommodation and Storage Public Access and Services Preservation and Conservation Finding Aids and Reference Services Information and Communications Technology Electronic Records Training and Development External relations and Cross-sectoral Working
½ To analyse the findings of the 2000/2001 data ½ To indicate strengths and weaknesses of current provision in the English local authority archive sector ½ To signpost any development needs and priorities ½ To take account of new developments in the English archival scene ½ To indicate current funding opportunities
The findings of this report will provide Archives have gained significant the advocacy necessary to support ground since Phase One (1997-98) the improvement programmes of of this series of mapping surveys, local authority archive services, and both in profile and strategic capacity. to frame the direction of resources to enable archives to develop with confidence and purpose to meet the challenges of the 21st century. This report is intended for a wide audience: policy makers in central and local government, funding and grant awarding bodies, employing authorities, archivists and records managers, and all users of local authority archive services.
2 Our Shared Past: an Archival Domesday for England, Archival Mapping Project Board, March 1998 (commonly referred to as Phase One Mapping report)
5 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services
The establishment of Regional combating social exclusion, Archive Councils3 by the National promoting cultural diversity, Council on Archives, and the economic regeneration and urban creation of a new government renewal. Archives offer personal advisory body, Resource (The enjoyment, a sense of community Council for Museums, Archives and identity, and create valuable learning Libraries),4 have been major land- opportunities. With particular marks. They are conclusive evidence reference to recent legislation for that the archive sector is now firmly Data Protection, Freedom Of established in the context of the Information and Human Rights, regional cultural agenda, and archives stand as evidence which recognised by central government on can enable people to have a greater equal terms with the partner domains understanding and awareness of the of museums and libraries. way we are governed.
The value of archives The changing cultural landscape
The archives held by local authority In the last 30 years there has been a archive services have been created significant expansion in the quantity by local and central government and scope of archive collections. In bodies, private businesses, local parallel, there has been a continuing organisations and societies and increase in the number of people individuals. Holdings range from using those collections, fuelled in medieval parchment, paper files, large measure by the growth of letters, volumes, maps, plans, interest in family and local history. In photographs to modern media such England, there are as many as one as audio and video cassettes, film, million visits each year to archive computer tapes and disks, and collections, and over 75% of those CD-ROMs. Archives are an essential who visit do so for private or part of our cultural heritage, and the personal research.5 Across the exploration and understanding of our country the use of archival material archival treasures plays an important has never been more popular. part in improving the quality of life for Coupled with this growth is a many thousands of people. Archives changing Government agenda, engage users in a direct and which archives can seize to play a personal way and can play a full part key role in delivering information in developing and supporting wider policy objectives. The heart of this government policy aims, such as vision is a landscape where information is accessible to all.
3 RACs were set up by the NCA in Archives have a core role to play in response to proposals from the DCMS for embracing this vision. the development of regional cultural structures. 4 Resource was created in April 2000, embracing the former Museums and 5 Public Services Quality Group, Galleries Commission, and Library and National Survey of Visitors to British Information Commission, together with new Archives, June 1998. responsibilities for archives.
6 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services
2. Project History and Methodology
Project History authority archives since 1997, such as new buildings and refurbishments, In the last 5 years, the archive and the effects of administrative and community has become increasingly local government changes. The aware that it needs to adopt a much methodology of self-assessment by more coherent and objective questionnaire was identical to that approach to the determination of employed for Phase One, with one funding and strategic priorities. difference: from the outset, the Based on models developed for survey was executed on the basis of other cultural sectors, the concept of transparency and openness of an “archival map” has been findings in terms of priority bandings. successfully applied to surveys This arrangement, with the full beginning with Welsh local authority approval of all participants, gave the archive services (1996), English local project validity and integrity and authority archive services (Phase ensured common ownership of the One, 1997), and Scottish archives findings. As in Phase One, individual (1999). In addition to this update of scores were released only to the mapping for English local authority repositories concerned, and to RAC archive services (Phase Two), a chairs. The questionnaire was issued further Welsh update and a project to to all 134 local authority archive map English specialist repositories6 services in England in the autumn of are due to report shortly. 1999, and complete returns were received from 132 repositories by late Spring 2000. Methodology Returns were scored by the PRO In late Spring 1999, the Public project team using a standard Record Office convened a Project formula which gave weight to certain Board to take forward Phase Two of questions to produce an overall the English Archival Mapping score. Provisional results were then Project, a survey to update the sent to each RAC for validation and finding of Phase One and to take comments. As a result of this account of developments in local exercise, a number of “anomalies” were investigated by the project 6 The Missing Link, a project co- team, and in consultation with the ordinated by the Society of Archivists to map relevant head archivists of the specialist repositories in England has been repositories concerned, some funded by a grant from the British Library changes were made in order to Co-operation and Partnership Programme.
7 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services achieve consistency in the results. recognised by the archive community The revised results were then as essential. circulated to all RACs, individual repositories and the Project Board Note on scoring for final approval in Summer 2000. and priority bands Details of final individual scores and priority bands were then distributed Levels of provision have been to all participating repositories, assessed by placing record offices in together with overall summaries of 4 priority bands (see tables below). the results in August 2000. Most findings in this report have been expressed as percentages of The almost 100% response rate the number of record offices (out of a lends the findings of this report total of 132) falling within each of weight and credence. The key role these priority bands. These have played by the RACs in assessing been rounded to the nearest whole and moderating the scores provides percent, for ease of comparison and overwhelming evidence that a analysis. strategic approach to defining core priorities, and assessing funding requirements and objectives is
Very poor provision = Priority band 1
Poor provision = Priority band 2
Fair provision = Priority band 3
Good provision = Priority band 4
Priority bands have been expressed in pie chart form (see example, above) throughout this report. Percentage figures indicate the proportion of record offices’ scores which fall into each priority band.
For a survey population of 132 record offices: 2% = 3 record offices 50% = 66 record offices 5% = 6 record offices 60% = 79 record offices 10% = 13 record offices 70% = 92 record offices 20% = 26 record offices 80% = 106 record offices 30% = 40 record offices 90% = 119 record offices
40% = 54 record offices 100% = 132 record offices
8 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services 3. Main Findings
The evidence of this report leads inescapably to the conclusion that local authority archives continue to have significant investment needs. The detailed findings which follow indicate only limited change and improvement since Phase One of the survey in 1997.
In four key areas national provision is rated as poor: for the sections Accommodation and Storage, Preservation and Conservation, Finding Aids and Reference Services, and Information and Communications Technology national provision is rated as poor. For Electronic Records the national average provision is very poor. Public Access and Services provision is rated as fair, as are Training and Development and External Relations and Cross-sectoral Working.
Section by section headlines
Accommodation and Storage ½ A major concern is continued lack of space to store new accessions. A quarter of all services report that they are now full; nearly 80% will be full in 5 years or less ½ 70% of local authority archive services reported no change in records storage since 1997, although in 1997, 65% of services were found to be storing archives in premises which fell far short of adequacy
Public Access and Services ½ 50% of services report that user numbers are increasing ½ Reflecting increased user numbers, 30% of services report increases in staff numbers; however, 12% report a decrease ½ Despite growing pressure on public space, 42% of services report no change to searchroom facilities since 1997; 12% report significant change ½ 18% of services are now open more; 8% open for fewer hours ½ 73% of services have trained staff in customer care
The slight positive trend in the results for Accommodation and Storage and Public Access and Services since 1997 is partially explained by the completion of new buildings which have transformed the situation of major county record offices, (Surrey History Centre, Essex Record Office, Berkshire Record Office, and Oxfordshire Record Office), construction of new branch offices (East Kent Archives Centre), or significant developments to existing premises
9 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services
(Gloucestershire Record Office). Welcome as these developments are, there are still many locations where both public accommodation and archive storage are in need of significant investment to bring them up to recognised standards.
Preservation and Conservation ½ 30% of services have written conservation strategies; 56% have disaster control plans ½ 55% have current microform programmes or plan to have them; 31% are actively carrying out conservation surveys ½ 69% report no change in conservation facilities since 1997, despite the 1998 Mapping Project Phase One report recommending significant investment in this area
The overall finding of poor provision for Preservation and Conservation demonstrates that substantial investment is required in stewardship of collections.
Finding Aids and Reference Services ½ 39% of services report that they have unlisted and therefore inaccessible material – this ranges from 2% to 95%7 of an office’s total holdings, the average being 15% ½ 24% of services reported that over 95% of their finding aids are currently being produced by an automated software package ½ 63 offices are involved in A2A bids for retrospective conversion of catalogue data8
The poor provision for Finding Aids and Reference Services is a striking indication that many collections languish unlisted and unavailable.
Information and Communications Technology ½ 41% of services have an ICT strategy, but 46% rate the overall application of ICT in their service as poor or fairly poor ½ 37% are currently working on or planning programmes to digitise original records (25% in 1997) ½ 59% are linked to the Internet for staff use; 28% provide public Internet access
Of concern is the finding of low provision for Information and Communications Technology, which despite the investment of many record offices in archival
7 This figure is exceptionally high, due to particular circumstances in one institution. Only 2 services out of 132 reported figures higher than 20%. 8 This was the figure at the time of the survey (January 2000). 13 A2A bids for funding (from both regional and thematic consortia) are currently being assessed by HLF.
10 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services software and hardware since 1997 must cast doubts on the readiness of some services to participate in national networking initiatives such as the Access to Archives (A2A)9 rolling programme.
Electronic Records ½ Over half of all services surveyed reported that their authorities are creating and storing records electronically, but only 3% (4 services) have the capacity to store electronic records in accordance with the British Standard10 and 73% did not expect to be in a position to deal with electronic records within the next 2-3 years, making very real the prospect of severe information loss ½ In 1997, 98% of services were ill-equipped to deal with the selection and long- term preservation of electronic records generated by their authorities; Phase Two found that 94% of services were in this position of poor provision
The finding that Electronic Records are very poorly catered for is perhaps of most immediate concern, and serves to underline the view of many archivists and records managers that archives are still unable to meet some of even the most basic needs in this rapidly developing field. As a consequence we as a nation are in very real danger of losing irreplaceable records – “the black hole” of recent history is a threat. In addition, unless these issues are addressed now, local authorities may well find themselves in breach of information management legislation.
Training and Development ½ 63% of services hold internal courses, whilst 84% send staff on external courses ½ 77% of services regarded current training provision as fair or good ½ On specific training: 73% of services did not run courses in electronic records management, but 71% have trained staff in basic IT skills
The recognition of fair provision for Training and Development and comments from respondents indicate that although this area is not particularly well- resourced, the capacity of local authority archive services for self-help is considerable. A concentrated effort of resources on training to meet the electronic records and electronic networking agenda is essential to improve the situation in these key areas.
9 A2A aims to create a virtual national archive catalogue for England, bringing together 8 million catalogue entries (400,000 catalogue pages), and making that information available globally from a central web portal. Led by the PRO, A2A is managed by a consortium of archive bodies, and is funded centrally through a grant from the Treasury “Invest to Save” budget. Individual regional and local consortia projects for retro-conversion are seeking funding from HLF who fully support the principles of the programme. 10 British Standard BS 4783/1-8: 1988-1994 Recommendations for the storage, transportation and maintenance of media for use in data processing and information storage.
11 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services
External Relations and Cross-sector Working ½ 73% of services assessed cross-sectoral working and external relations as fair or good ½ 57% of services are part of a local network, working together for joint objectives or projects such as ICT, communications, training and development, exhibitions and other public services and events
The fair provision assessment accorded to External Relations and Cross-sector working is clear evidence of the willingness and ability of archives to develop constructive partnerships to contribute to wider agendas and to collaborate with museums, libraries and other organisations such as social services to achieve common goals and objectives. Regional Archive Councils are working with regional agencies such as Area Museum Councils and Regional Library Systems to develop a strong foundation for future collaboration.
Of course these assessments only tell half the story. Many record offices provide excellent public services and provide the best possible storage for the archives in their custody, in the face of continuing pressure on resources. Many are developing innovative and far-reaching ways to reach out to develop new audiences and new ways of working. Tribute must be paid to the many conscientious staff working in archives, making records available, interpreting them, and caring for their physical well-being. Local authority archive services are laying the foundations for future growth by active participation in the development and implementation of regional archive strategies through the RACs. In addition, by the end of Autumn 2001, Regional Archive Development Officers will have been appointed (one for each English region). These posts11 will provide much- needed support and capacity for the RACs.
11 The Regional Archive Development Officer posts were funded for one year by Resource
12 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services PART I: The National Analysis
4 Accommodation and Storage
5 Public Access and Services
6 Preservation and Conservation
7 Finding Aids and Reference Services
8 Information and Communications Technology
9 Electronic Records
10 Training and Development
11 External Relations and Cross- sectoral Working
13 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services 4. Accommodation and Storage
“additional strongroom accommodation is urgently needed to allow our service to develop”
“we have made little or no progress since 1997 in tackling our bigger problem – the poor quality and overall lack of archive storage space”
“very significant sums are required to bring the main building up to full BS 5454 standard”
55% of local authority record offices provide storage accommodation which is assessed as either poor or fairly poor
12% provide good storage accommodation
Key: see page 8
Archives must be held in suitable archive collections continue to be accommodation if they are to be housed in poor or fairly poor preserved for future generations. accommodation, and there is a Standards to which most institutions national chronic lack of accrual aspire are British Standard BS 5454 space for storage of new records. (2000),12 supported by the inspection Some 70% of record offices report regimes and advice of the PRO and no change in their main building HMC.13 storage since 1997. The need to improve or totally re-furbish or re- The overwhelming conclusion of build is clearly a priority for most the Phase Two survey is that services. The situation has improved over half of all local authority slightly since 1997, with the number of collections held in good 12 BS 5454 (2000): Recommendations accommodation nearly doubling, up for the storage and exhibition of archival 5% to 12%. This is encouraging, and documents. 13 reflects the impact of funding The accepted standards are those recognised by the PRO and HMC, namely streams such as the Heritage Lottery the HMC Standard for Record Repositories Fund which has provided for a small (3rd edition 2001), and Beyond the Public number of new buildings and building Record Office: Public Records in Places of improvements. However, it is notable Deposit (1994), both of which are framed that most recent significant new around the principles of BS 5454.
14 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services building schemes have been funded temperature, humidity and entirely through capital investment by ventilation. Many record offices find the parent authorities or that due to the constraints of public/private initiatives. occupying buildings not purposely designed for archives storage and Fire, water, security and public access, the absence of environmental protection effective environmental controls means that a stable environment All record offices take basic cannot be maintained during the precautions against these potential fluctuations of the seasons – “Air threats. Half of all offices report that conditioning equipment needs major fire protection is good or fair. New overhaul or replacement to solve EU regulations14 banning the use of seasonal problem of high humidity in halon as a fire suppressant have storage area resulting in mould imposed replacement obligations on outbreak” is an all too common some services.15 Given the tendency example of the problems reported. to store records in basements, and More favourably, whilst overall recent climate trends, the threat of conditions are variable, most offices water ingress has assumed an have programmes ensuring that increased importance. A number of archive material is protected by offices report incidences of flooding, being adequately boxed or wrapped. and water ingress through leaking The exception is map and outsize roofs and pipes in storage areas. document storage where many Although virtually all offices ensure offices report a lack of good quality controlled access to strongroom storage for these items. areas, security concerns are more likely where services occupy shared premises.16 Despite the number of Accrual space poor or fairly poor assessments of fire, water and security protection A quarter of local authority decreasing slightly since 1997, the archives report they are now full. underlying pattern of only limited Just under 50% report that they will improvements means that core be full in less than five years. Only problems still remain to be 7% have space for over 11 years addressed. growth. The inescapable conclusion of these findings is that without BS 5454 (2000), the standard for substantial investment, 94 out of 132 good archive storage recommends local authority archive services in careful control and observation of England will either have to limit acceptance of new accessions or 14 EC Regulation 2037/2000: Controls begin to de-accession material by on Ozone Depleting Substances. 2005. As space problems become 15 This expenditure is likely to come more acute many offices are placing from capital budgets for increasing reliance on substandard modernisation of parent authorities. 16 This is common where services outstores, with the added attendant share joint premises with library or problems of restricted public access, local studies collections
15 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services and increased document handling ways forward is the funding of risks. incremental improvement. Such projects, funded by the HLF and Special media storage other grant awarding bodies, include upgrading of fire defences, fitting of Over a third of all offices collect water alarms, installation of mobile material on special media.17 Virtually shelving to increase capacity, re- no offices have the capacity to deal boxing and packaging programmes, with electronic records, but many and the provision of environmental hold photographic, moving image monitoring and control equipment.19 and sound archives. However only In a number of cases, where a 12% rate their special media storage building has a large number of as good or fairly good, and those are faults, building of new premises almost universally archives which would prove a more economic use incorporate a designated film or of funding than continued sound archive18 within their remit, or investment in premises those offices built within the last 10 fundamentally unsuited for the years. storage of records.
New partnerships can offer Conclusion opportunities that can meet some of these needs. Neighbouring city Good buildings, fit for their and county record offices are joining purpose are the key to strong forces to create strong services archive services. Preservation of which can attract and sustain new archival holdings is equally as funding, such as the recent merger important as providing means of between Chester and Cheshire access to them. Large-scale Archive Services. Storage investment can only hope to secure partnerships with other service significant improvements to a small providers such as the universities or number of locations. Plans for the private sector and museum improvements and expansion are services can offer joint solutions to often dependent on often scarce shared problems. matching funding. Whilst the number of new or re-furbished buildings has given the impression of an overall improvement in standards, many services still have to make do with sub-standard storage. One of the most achievable and sustainable
17 Typically defined as all records that are not paper or parchment. 18 The Film Archive Forum and Film 19 For example, digital monitoring Council are currently developing strategies devices, and portable air handling to tackle the most urgent needs and (humidification / de-humidification, priorities for moving image collections. circulation and filtering) equipment.
16 5. Public Access and Services
“areas of excellence [of our service] are public service delivery, and imaginative outreach”
“public and staff accommodation is poor and we urgently need increased space. Public expectations are rising and we need to improve finding aids …”
“our strengths: the front-line public service, which the public acknowledge as high quality…”
65% of local authority record offices provide public services which are designated as either good or fair
50% of record offices are experiencing increased visitor numbers
Key: see page 8
Archives are almost unique in the Nearly two thirds of all cultural sector in experiencing repositories provide fair or good increasing user numbers. There is public services. This is comparable clearly public demand for archives with the findings of 1997. What is and their services.20 English local surprising is that 5% rated their authority archive services have a public services as very poor, strong tradition of responsive, well- compared to none in 1997. One respected public service, which is explanation for this anomaly is that borne out by user survey findings.21 familiarity with mapping enabled The findings of the Phase Two respondents to answer the Phase 2 survey strongly support this survey more objectively than in 1997. perception. Search room facilities
An archive searchroom must provide
20 an environment in which readers and This has, in part, been fuelled by staff can work comfortably and recent media interest in archives, the boom in genealogical research, and the drive for efficiently, whilst ensuring that the increased openness of official information. well-being of archival material is not 21 Public Services Quality Group, compromised. A disappointing National Survey of Visitors to British finding was that 88% of services Archives, 1998, 2000. In the 1998 survey, reported little or only moderate 69% of visitors rated services as excellent, whilst 90% rated staff friendly and helpful. change in searchroom facilities since
17 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services
1997, despite user numbers Access for users increasing. Many record offices are with special needs operating at full capacity. Given user demands for more microform Access for users with special needs equipment, self-service copying is a consideration when upgrading facilities and computer terminals, the existing, or planning new facilities. pressures on space become But all services endeavour to make apparent. Many offices counter suitable access arrangements where problems of overcrowding by possible and find it helpful if they are operating booking systems and given prior notification of visits. ensuring that any service restrictions Often, it is the legacy of poor building are fully publicised. There is an design which acts as a barrier to understandable conflict between access.25 Access for users with drives to attract new audiences disabilities is often difficult, though and increase user numbers and to 57% of services have public toilet manage this increase within facilities which are fully accessible.26 existing physical constraints. Parent authorities and local authority archives are encouraged The Phase Two survey updated data to break down access barriers. on the core facilities which users are increasingly growing to expect. Just Opening hours and enquiries under half of all offices provide exhibition space,22 and nearly a Users are growing to expect more quarter has access to a lecture convenient opening hours from all theatre. A third has meeting facilities, local authority archive services.27 and over 40% have a separate room Record office opening hours vary for visiting parties.23 Given the greatly from limited hours on limited necessary security measures days to full “office hours” five days a required in an archive searchroom it week with evening and weekend is surprising that only 38% of opening. It was heartening to find services provide public cloakrooms that only 8% of offices were open for and lockers. 30% of services provide fewer hours than in 1997, whilst 18% a public telephone. 80% provide were open longer, although some public toilet facilities, and 34% regions report fewer hours overall. provide a room or facilities for public Nearly half regarded their opening refreshments.24 hours as good or fair. In order to
22 This is often limited; for example 25 Many services occupy old buildings display panels and showcases in public with poor access; for example for those with areas. mobility impairments. Many offices lack 23 This is seen as essential for an induction loops, or have poor signage. effective community or external programme 26 Resource is currently carrying out as it means that meetings can be held when research across museums, archives and the main search room is in use. libraries to assess attitudes to disability 24 Some offices have taken an issues, and levels of current provision. enterprising approach to provision of 27 Libraries are required to meet legal tea/coffee/snack facilities for readers, all obligations concerning opening hours. Users aimed at making the visitor’s experience are growing to expect a similar level of more pleasant. service from archives.
18 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services extend access many offices have The quality and popularity of archive “24-hour” access to finding aids and services is coming under service information through high- increasingly closer scrutiny and quality web sites. Two thirds of pressure as both user numbers and services rate their enquiry service as expectation increase. Some offices good or fairly good. 64% of services have successfully achieved are able to deal with e-mail recognition for good customer enquiries, and this figure is rising. service, such as the Government’s Authorities responsible for record Charter Mark award for excellence in offices might support public public service. In many offices, access further by maintaining numerous cost-neutral improvements opening hours and providing have been implemented, arising from resources to extend them where a culture of close consultation with there is sufficient demand. users, and a very real desire to improve services. While some record Staffing offices can justifiably boast well equipped and well appointed search The majority of respondents rooms, others are struggling with commented on the quality and cramped facilities and limited experience of their staff as being one opportunities for change. If archives of the greatest assets of their are to sustain new user groups, they service. 30% reported increases in must be pleasant to visit and provide staff complement; only 12% reported a range of services and facilities. a decrease. Where staff numbers increase the benefits are obvious – Funding bodies should be one office reported that a modest encouraged to support projects staffing increase enabled the re- for the provision of microform, introduction of Saturday morning special access needs and ICT opening. Many respondents reported equipment. For some offices, where that through innovative staff both the public space and storage deployment,28 improvements in space is acutely lacking, a move to public service such as increased new or expanded accommodation opening times and access to may be the only way forward. For professional advice can be made. others, it may be possible to identify Welcome though this improved options for change within existing efficiency is, it is no real premises. Delivery of efficient, substitute for the maintenance of effective public services is the key a full staff complement. to future success. Parent authorities might build on the proven track record of local Conclusion authority archive services to satisfy the requirements of an increasingly avid, sophisticated and diverse audience. 28 Examples include job-share, part- time working, “loans” of staff to and from other sections and units, and the use of “para-professional” staff.
19
6. Preservation and Conservation
“[our] main weakness is lack of conservation resources”
“space is restricted, particularly for large maps…we have difficulty filling vacancies”
“facilities and equipment have gained from project funding support”
70% of local authority record offices’ provision for records conservation is rated as poor or very poor
11 offices out of 132 regard provision as good
Key: see page 8
Conservation is the practical to upgrade existing equipment. application of techniques and Space is at premium, and many processes to archival documents to conservation units continue to achieve chemical and physical operate in cramped, poorly designed stabilisation to extend their life and premises. Only 28% of offices report usability, and accessibility to the that they have sufficient staff and public. Preservation is the on-going equipment to meet current needs. process of caring for archives to ensure that conservation can be kept Although there are shortcomings in to a minimum. many individual repositories it is important to note that the archives Facilities and staff sector is well provided with conservation facilities, many of which The conclusion of the Phase Two are centres of excellence. survey is that 70% of offices Approximately half of all offices regard provision for records surveyed have their own conservation as very poor or conservation facilities, and of this poor, compared to 60% of offices number 50% rate them as good or in these priority bands in 1997. fairly good. This suggests that Alarmingly, 69% of offices report no provision is being polarised between change in conservation facilities the conservation “haves” and the since 1997, and many report a need “have-nots.” Problems reported
20 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services include staff vacancies and a lack of resources thinly and duplicating suitable candidates to fill them, and efforts, bringing about economies of freezing or deleting of conservator scale, and ensuring that vital posts. This latter action is to be resources are not disaggregated by regretted in offices with in-house supporting multiple smaller units. facilities which are thus under- utilised. Investment in project- Policies and strategies based staff can go some way to filling vacancies, and sharing A well-run preservation programme expertise. needs good management. In addition, funding bodies will wish to A notable trend is the number of satisfy themselves that policies and offices reporting contracting out of programmes are in place as a conservation work as services are guarantee of continuing stewardship scaled back or re-structured as part of newly conserved material. A of efficiency programmes. Most priority identified in 1997 was a need offices, (including those that have in- for services to develop preservation house facilities) have budgets for policies to enshrine good practice placing external work, although and frame future work. Record overall many have remained static or offices are acutely aware of the had limited increases. importance of such documents, but lack of staff-time and resources are Another related trend is the pooling often reasons for delays in their of resources between offices and development. It is encouraging to other cultural institutions such as note that 29% of offices now have museums and libraries. In some written preservation policies in place cases, this has been a formalisation (compared to less than 20% in of existing local arrangements, but 1997), and 56% have a written successful as these ventures have disaster preparedness and control been, the problem of under- plan. Another 25% report that these resourced services remains where key documents are in preparation, offices do not have basic budgets to along with plans to provide staff enter into such arrangements. It may training. be argued that the time has come to take a radical look at Assessments of need conservation requirements and priorities both nationally and Record offices are encouraged to regionally. A solution based on co- adopt tools, such as the National operation and partnership could Preservation Office’s Preservation allow offices lacking facilities to join Needs Assessment Survey forces with institutions in similar Methodology29 to carry out collection circumstances to improve facilities or access to them. Developing 29 Developed by the NPO and PRO as regional conservation centres of a tool to survey and assess the preservation needs of library and archive collections, this excellence would be more survey is a method of obtaining a statistically beneficial than spreading valid snapshot of the state of preservation of a collection.
21 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services condition surveys to establish the electronic materials. Record extent of preservation needs. offices are encouraged to support Surveying has markedly suffered as the development of a national resources have been reduced. preservation strategy,30 which will Against a background of bring benefits in co-ordination and accumulating conservation backlogs, sharing of best practice. survey work is the best method of setting priorities, but very few offices Much can be done through good reported that they were currently preservation now to reduce the carrying out such work. Investment is conservation debt we pass to required to tackle backlogs and thus succeeding generations. Limited, make records accessible. targeted expenditure31 will reap benefits in later years. Credit must Microform programmes also be given to the work of volunteers who undertake minor It is a matter of concern that 20% of cleaning and repair work. offices report that they have no current microform programmes, We cannot afford to ignore the compared to 6% in 1997. The overwhelming public interest in the creation of surrogate records science and art of conservation.32 increases access and ensures Experience has shown that “behind preservation of popular or damaged the scenes” tours of work in progress items. This decrease may be both fascinate and stimulate public attributable to the rapid growth in interest and this can be turned to the digital technologies which have archive’s advantage. Partnerships diverted resources. Microform need to be developed to increase programmes most commonly capacity and to ensure that concern newspapers and family investment in conservation and history records. One office had preservation maintains parity with developed an ambitious programme other key activities of public to film its “archival treasures”. service.
Conclusion
Clearly, local authority record offices bear a backlog of conservation work. It is vital that efforts continue to be directed to address this workload. 30 See A National Preservation Investment in collection surveys, Strategy for Library and Archive Collections in the United Kingdom and Ireland: and support for more staff would principles and prospects, NPO, Jan 2001. alleviate some of the immediate 31 Many of these actions are burden. It is essential to develop a inexpensive, such as the provision of book co-ordinated framework of rests and cradles, weights and protective policies and strategies at local, film in search rooms. 32 The success of the NMGM’s regional and national level to Conservation Centre in Liverpool as an address both traditional and attraction in its own right attests to this philosophy.
22 7. Finding Aids and Reference Services
“user demand is taken into consideration when deciding cataloguing priorities”
“we need to develop ICT to maximise the benefit of our computer cataloguing system”
“our [online cataloguing] system is an example of excellence in the field, although additional funding is required to increase the quality of digitised images”
76% of local authority record offices have finding aids provision which is assessed as poor or very poor
But there are notable successes too, with nearly three quarters of all services involved in A2A bids
Key: see page 8
Good finding aids and reference emergence of the New Opportunities services are vital for the provision of Fund as a source of funding for access to our national archive themed cross-sectoral digitisation collections. Since 1997, significant and cataloguing projects under the advances have been made to create content creation strand of the a national archive network to provide People’s Network34 presents comprehensive information about innovative options for partnerships archival holdings. The NCA report and programmes. Welcome as Archives Online33 paved the way for these developments are, there is these developments, which have an urgent requirement to address been embraced with enthusiasm and the need for investment in core drive through the Access to Archives finding aids, if we are to see real (A2A) programme spearheaded by success. the PRO in partnership with the HMC and the British Library. The 34 The People’s Network is a NOF funded programme to link every public library in the UK to the Internet, create on- 33 NCA, Archives Online: the line content, and provide training for library establishment of a United Kingdom Archival staff. See New Library: The People’s Network, 1998. Network LIC, 1997.
23 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services
general backlogs and that the Catalogues and other finding aids sudden arrival of large and complex collections can set back this laudable A quarter of all offices report that at aim. Archivists may need to invest least 80% of their collections are fully considerable time researching catalogued, or at least box listed. collections and space to sort 40% of respondents report that their collections as part of the listing collections contain completely process is often at a premium, which unlisted material. On average, 15% can delay catalogue creation. It of the total collections held by the remains to be seen how cross- 132 local authority archive services sectoral initiatives such as Full is unlisted and unusable, Disclosure35 impact on reducing representing a significant investment the backlog of outstanding in storage of inaccessible material. cataloguing work. The problem is more acute in some areas, with metropolitan archives tending to have greater backlogs The Impact of ICT than shire county record offices. Many respondents quoted pressure Most archive offices now produce on front-line services as having an lists, catalogues and finding aids adverse impact on cataloguing and either using stand alone computers collection management with staff to produce typed outputs, or directly diverted to public duties. inputting data to systems using automated proprietary (or in-house) Record offices are adopting software packages. 5% of offices approaches to ameliorate the report that such a catalogue covers problems of inadequate or missing 100% of their holdings. One of the catalogue data. Many offices are greatest impacts of ICT has been in revising or compiling guides to the searchroom itself, and beyond collections that can then be mounted the archive, where users can access on the web, as well as published in finding aids remotely. Another benefit conventional form. Whilst lacking the of the ICT revolution has been detail of individual item listings, these in the development of core guides are invaluable in providing common standards for archive basic information. 44% of offices description, data sharing and replied that they had existing guides, interoperability.36 Description or were in the process of revising them. Projects to produce or 35 revise guides are one way of UKOLN Full Disclosure, Releasing the Value of Library and Archive Collections, providing users with at least basic presented to the Pathfinding Group of the information about collections. An British Library, LIC and LINC, 1999. encouraging response from many 36 The main standards are ISAD(G): offices was that most offices aim to General International Standard Archival list new accessions as they are Description, and ISAAR (CPF): International Standard Archival Authority Record for deposited. However this does mean Corporate Bodies, Persons & Families, both that resources can be diverted from by the ICA. The NCA and HMC have also developed National Name Authority Files.
24 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services standards offer a hierarchy of levels congratulation, and it is hoped that of description, which enable closer regional analysis of needs will catalogue entries to be compiled result in improved co-operation. which can neatly slot into a Regional archives could “pool” consolidated system, allowing for full resources short-term to create searching and retrieval capabilities. response teams which can work on a regional basis to meet specific areas of need. Conclusion There are clear public benefits in One of the fundamental objectives of the development and support of creating good finding aids is to special funding programmes to enable users to access information, create comprehensive works of efficiently and effectively, and to reference, through retrospective make that process as helpful as conversion of existing finding aids possible. As evidenced by this and the creation of new finding survey, the greatest area of need is aids. Only then will archives be able to allocate resources to tackle those to fully realise the potential of their collections and parts of collections, collections to meet the public service which through being large or agenda. complex or having inadequate finding aids extant, languish inaccessible in archive strongrooms. Programmes for support must be ambitious but realistic. Sustained cataloguing programmes stretching over several years can embrace several offices and regions to open up previously closed collections. The benefits of non-formula funding to realise such ambitions has been ably demonstrated in the university sector where access has been given considerable support through Follett37 funding. In addition, resources must be deployed to ensure that archives do not add to the legacy of work, by prompt and efficient cataloguing of new accessions. The development of regional partnerships and strategies such as the creative and diverse A2A consortia is a matter for
37 Follett, Professor Sir Brian, Joint Funding Councils Library Review Group: Report, HEFCE, 1993.
25 8. Information and Communications Technology
“[we have] very poor ICT provision and no specific budget for development”
“For its size, our office has very good IT facilities”
“one of our main failings has been a lack of resources for retrospective conversion projects”
62% of local authority record offices have ICT provision which is either poor or very poor
The percentage of offices rating their ICT provision as good has more than trebled since 1997
Key: see page 8
Information and Communications Office applications of ICT Technology (ICT) is continuing to revolutionise the ways in which users A welcome 42% of respondents have access information about record ICT strategies in place in their offices and collections, and institutions, either individual office increasingly in the future access to strategies or as part of an records themselves, either digital overarching parent authority images or records “born digital”. framework. Indeed these general Through ICT, archivists can make strategies can be of great help in information widely available to users securing funds as part of general across the world and beyond upgrading and modernisation traditional physical barriers. Record programmes. However, there are offices are aware of the very real instances where the parent body’s benefits of ICT, and staff are keen ICT priorities have not assisted to embrace new technologies and development of ICT in the record adopt a positive approach. office, and there are still too many cases where central, often remote,
26 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services corporate IT departments and units opportunity to bring archives to the have failed to understand the precise people, from the strongroom into requirements of the archive service, their homes and offices. New or have tried to impose ill-fitting opportunities are being opened up template solutions. There are likely through e-commerce and to be considerable benefits if commercial partnerships. archivists continue to work with Aspirations for future such units to achieve shared development of Internet use in solutions, and to raise awareness archives are high, with only 20% amongst general ICT practitioners of services rating their Internet of the specific requirements of provision as poor or fairly poor. archive systems. In the later 1990s many record Half of those surveyed reported that offices benefited as systems were ICT was used in the general upgraded to ensure Year 2000 management of the office, for compliance, but a common response maintenance of accessions registers, is that shortage of modern ICT databases, management and equipment is still holding back recording of conservation and significant progress. Another oft- cataloguing backlogs, seat repeated comment is that archives reservations and general production are perceived to be “missing out” on of word processed documents, as initiatives designed to increase ICT well as collection management and capacity in other cultural sectors, the production of finding aids. Nearly such as the People’s Network for two thirds of all offices now have public libraries.38 Various bodies are Internet access for staff use, and this working to address such anomalies, figure is rapidly rising as more and archives now have the services become “connected”. opportunity to demonstrate their worth through innovative programmes, such as DCMS’s Public service applications of ICT Culture On-line.39 Appropriate investment is needed to ensure Over a quarter of services provide that progress continues to be public Internet access in the made, and funding schemes might searchroom, although there are usefully be widened to include concerns over the costs and charges archive services where possible. to the user for provision of this service, and over finding suitable accommodation in already overcrowded search rooms. Certainly users are growing to expect 38 Some archives have benefited that such access will be available as under the People’s Network, but only where a matter of course. Many record they share library premises, or are within the offices maintain very good web-sites. same management or administrative structure. In areas with poor infrastructure, 39 Significant sums are likely to be these gateways and portals offer an released as part of the Culture On-line programme.
27 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services
offices can contribute primary Digitisation and imaging material, with costs being shared. It was encouraging to note that 97% of This has been an area of remarkable respondents were aware of the PRO growth and interest since 1997. The programme currently underway to advantages to users in being able to digitise and make publicly available conduct research remotely by through the Internet the 1901 census consultation of digitised images via returns. the Internet are obvious. Coupled with the added preservation benefits, well-managed and sustainable Conclusion projects of this nature are worthy of investment and funding ICT should be a major strength in support. 37% of offices reported that each office, and an integral part of they are currently using ICT for the operations of both staff and document imaging either by public services. Many offices have scanning of original documents or well-established ICT networks and digitisation of already filmed images, programmes, and many more have which represents an increase in this aspirations to harness the area of activity since 1997. There are opportunities that modern technology innovative projects underway at has to offer. There is a case for the individual, local and regional level, establishment of a national involving parish records, business framework and strategy for ICT records, and the production of CD- development which sets minimum ROMs targeted for educational use standards and requirements, and and the genealogical market. a baseline level of ICT provision to Increasingly this is an area where be achieved by all record offices, offices are entering into commercial so that common standards of partnerships, with the twin benefits of service provision can be adhered generating small income streams, to. Improved understanding of ICT and raising profile. However 52% of among archivists would enable the offices rate their overall assessment development of the ICT environment, of digitisation as poor or fairly poor, and appropriate training and support indicating that there is large for this is essential. Grant awarding untapped resource awaiting bodies would help by focusing on discovery and “packaging” for new projects which would help to build audiences and markets. Reasons for a strong foundation for ICT slow penetration into this area development. These might include include a lack of funding, lack of retrospective conversion, digital necessary technical skills, lack of imaging projects, the development staff time for research, and the fact of websites and on-line resources, that smaller offices do not have the and training to secure a sound capacity to enter into such work. One skills base. solution may be to develop regional programmes in which groups of
28 9. Electronic Records
“the council will have to consider the long-term preservation of its electronic records and we are not in a position to accession them””
“our involvement with electronic records management remains worryingly limited…”
“no idea – even our IT people don’t have a full picture of what [systems are running] in departments…”
Provision for electronic records in 94% of local authority record offices is poor or very poor
Nationally, no office provides good provision for storage and retrieval of digital data
Key: see page 8
ICT developments are rapidly information revolution. For the public, changing the world around us and this means that by 2005, all services the way in which public services are should be available electronically. delivered. For archive services the Record offices will need to respond rapid growth of Internet use for public to this with regard to the services access to catalogues and other they provide. archival resources is one example of such fundamental changes. In Statutory obligations addition, the Government’s modernisation plans are setting Legislative and regulatory changes priorities and challenging targets for are demanding more effective the public sector. records management in the public sector. In particular, managing The Government’s White Paper, access under the Freedom Of Modernising Government40 clearly Information Act, 2000, and the Data sets out the context of the Protection Act, 1998, require an integrated approach at all stages of 40 Government White Paper (Cmnd the records life-cycle. 4310), Modernising Government: A Responsibilities under the Freedom framework for information age government: Of Information Act require local electronic records management, 1999 authorities to assess the effects of
29 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services the Act on their information holdings. electronic records.41 By comparison, Local authorities must start planning little has been done across the local now to be ready to respond to these government sector to address similar challenges. issues.
Electronic records Digital data storage and public access By far the most disturbing finding of the Phase Two survey is that 94% of Increasingly, records that were local authority archive services traditionally transferred to record have yet to make any significant offices in paper form will be created provision for the long-term public electronically. Only 3% of record accessibility of electronic records. offices currently offer special public (a marginal improvement since 1997, facilities for the consultation of when the figure was 98%). Only 3% electronic records held by that of offices have facilities suitable for office.42 A further 11% indicated that the storage of electronic records, and such access would be available in 2- these are all offices built within the 3 years. Investment in appropriate last five years. storage facilities for electronic records is essential. The Some local authority archive services establishment of regional digital are charged with carrying out records archives, which could operate in a management for their parent similar manner to the regional authority. Whilst some offices are moving image and sound clearly taking steps to raise their archives, may achieve this. records management profile, there are still many authorities which have Conclusion yet to get to grips with the management of their electronic The creation and use of electronic systems. 51% of respondents are records will become less “special aware that their local authority is media management” and more generating electronic records, both normal practice. This requires new datasets and electronic office ways of thinking by record creators systems. The quote concerning the authority that did not even have a 41 The PRO Records Management basic inventory of electronic systems Department is developing programmes to in operation is all too familiar. More promote electronic records management, positively, many offices report that producing practical guidance such as Management, appraisal and preservation of records management staffing has electronic records, Vol 1: Principles, and Vol marginally increased as 2 Procedures, (PRO 1999) responsibilities for information policy have been added to record office 42 This refers to records held by that duties. 25% of services report that office, or created by the parent authority. In information policy issues have practice, many offices provide access to other records (such as the holdings of changed the way in which their local NDAD) via Internet access at search room authority is thinking about its terminals.
30 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services and curators. The JISC/NPO collection of studies, Digital Culture, maximising the nation’s investment43 is a clear statement of the key issues, and makes sound recommendations for further work. Important areas for development include training for staff currently in post to equip them with the necessary new skills, and focusing on the management of digital information in higher education courses for archivists and information managers.
The development of structured policies would help to ensure that electronic records are effectively managed, preserved and made publicly available to meet business needs and enable citizens to exercise their rights to information.
43 JISC/NPO Digital Culture, maximising the nation’s investment: a synthesis of JISC/NPO studies on the preservation of electronic materials, 1999
31 10. Training and Development
“[we have] our own in-house para-professional development programme, and training linked to staff appraisal and development programmes…”
“we are proud of the level of training opportunities provided internally and externally to staff””
“this office is a recognised conservation training centre, but is no longer able to participate owing to other priorities”
77% of local authority record offices regard their training provision as fair or good
Although 73% provide training in customer care, only 8% provide training in electronic records management
Key: see page 8
Current training and The largest item of record office development opportunities expenditure is staff, and to function effectively, a record office must have The Phase Two questionnaire a well-trained, well-motivated staff sought detailed information about 6 base. Phase Two found an overall core competencies, and levels of positive response to training, with training provided. 63% of services 77% of offices regarding their provided in-house training courses, training provision as fair or good. The whether formally or informally. 84% overall impression is of a subscribed to external training professional, responsive workforce, courses, although it was remarked albeit one which is perceived to be that the costs for external courses strong in “traditional” skills. Alongside are rising steeply. Many offices share familiar training topics, there is now a training and expertise, and many raft of new skills and behaviours that value the regional and thematic archivists must acquire to be able to training courses provided by the provide a comprehensive service. Society of Archivists. Often, access to training is limited by level of staff complement and smaller services in
32 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services particular find it difficult to maintain in-house course44 and a modular front-line services and release staff course in partnership with higher for training. Unsurprisingly, traditional education institutions.45 Archives training scored highly on the survey also have an opportunity to influence with 73% of services providing the Department for Education and access to training in customer care, Skills review of the structure and 56% providing access to training in remit of the National Training conservation and preservation, and Organisations.46 Provision in basic 44% providing access to training in skills is good on the whole, but records administration and investment is required in training management. Of more concern were programmes which will develop the levels of training provision in competencies in “new” skills “new” areas. Although an relating to management of encouraging 71% of services electronic information and provided access to training in basic information policy, to build a IT skills, only 8% of services strong foundation for the future, provided access to training in and to develop the key core skill electronic records management, and set of a professional archivist. a disappointing 20% of services provided access to training in information policy issues such as freedom of information and data protection. Encouragingly, continuing professional development (CPD) is held in high regard with 69% of offices supporting the principle. In addition, initiatives such as Investors in People have offered opportunities for development and personal growth. 44 Between 1995 and 1997, in partnership with the School of Library, Conclusion Archive and Information Studies, University College London, the PRO ran a diploma/MA course in Archives and Records Training remains a high priority for Management for 18 members of staff. most local authority archive services although many are finding it 45 Since 1999 the PRO’s Records increasingly difficult to co-ordinate Management Department has established a training with public service modular training and education programme in records and information management for commitments. Encouraging work is government staff. Known as the rm3 in hand to develop the university partnership, it is a consortium of the PRO, training courses, and the Public University of Liverpool and the University of Record Office has pioneered the Northumbria. development of both a professional 46 Both the Cultural Heritage NTO, and Information Services NTO have elements which can be usefully applied to archive training programmes.
33 11. External Relations and Cross-sector Working
“we are currently involved in the development of a heritage and culture strategy for the county”
“we work increasingly with local museums and libraries on ICT projects, outreach activities and training”
“our Friends Society is a useful source of financial and other support”
Nearly three quarters of local authority record offices regard provision for external and cross-domain working as good or fair
Only 6 offices out of 132 felt that they were severely lacking in this area of provision
Key: see page 8
Local authority archive services have institutions, individuals, and a long history of fruitful partnerships community groups. Publications and with a wide variety of public and publicity are important methods of private services, individuals and raising profile, and in some cases institutions. The nature of these generating income. Nearly 50% of associations can be formal and offices have an active publications informal, and they range from the programme of leaflets, guides, personal relationship with the calendars and indexes or pamphlets depositor or donor to work with or books on aspects of their schools, museums, and libraries, on collections. An obvious area of local, national and international partnership is with neighbouring scale. archives and repositories, such as film and sound archives. Many local External relations authority archives have a strong community presence and These take many forms and approximately half have “Friends” embrace a range of official
34 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services societies or strong ties with local or Cross-sector working family history societies. Many offices are developing cross- Working to meet the education sector links not only for public and learning agenda service benefits, but also for institutional benefits. 57% are part of By far the most popular target area an established local network, for co-operation is with learning working together for the purposes of establishments, and the ICT, communication and training and development of services and development. 87% work with local products tailored to educational museums and libraries.48 Many needs. Three quarters of all record develop regular exhibitions and offices work with schools, further displays designed to tour local education institutions, community venues, and one office reported colleges and universities. A third run receiving a small grant from the Area their own education service with a Museum Council for such projects. designated education officer. Increasingly such services are being Through new strategic bodies, developed across cultural and innovative partnerships are heritage sectors. Investment is developing. For example links with required so that offices can the National Trust are being forged develop their education services through the RACs, who have a broad further. Many respondents were membership drawn from the heritage clear that links with teachers need sector, as well as local archives.49 strengthening, and suggested that The NCA and Resource are joint meetings to discuss curriculum developing guidance for archives on and research requirements at an the practical implementation of early stage, and advance collaboration with schools on set projects would be helpful. The production of educational packages such as CD-ROMs can also have 48 financial benefits. Offices report that The administrative structure of many they are keen to work with local government authorities means that responsibility for archives, libraries, universities, and such partnerships museums, leisure and culture often falls range from large-scale co-location under the same department or directorate. projects, to induction programmes 49 with undergraduates to fully utilise In addition to a membership drawn archive resources.47 from the institutions and associations which are members of the NCA, membership of each RAC may be increased by up to five additional seats, which may be offered to institutions or associations operating within 47 Resource is currently working to the boundaries of the region. Examples produce a strategy for Learning and a cross- include English Heritage, the National Trust, sector Learning and Access standard, which Regional Cultural Consortia, English is aimed at ensuring a comprehensive Partnerships, and the higher education benchmark of service delivery and activity sector. across museums, archives and libraries.
35 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services
policies and projects to combat social exclusion.50
Conclusion
Local authority archive services are thinking beyond traditional partners, and looking to the wider community for new opportunities. At the heart of such partnerships must be a strong commitment to improve the experience of those who use our archives and those who will do so in the future. This does not mean abandoning commitment to good stewardship, scholarship or research, but rather means working creatively to build upon some of the exciting developments that are already taking place.
50 NCA/Resource, Taking Part: an audit of social inclusion work in archives, May 2001
36 PART II: Regional Findings
Reports on archival provision in England51
12 East of England Region
13 East Midlands Region
14 London Region
15 North East Region
16 North West Region
17 South East Region
18 South West Region
19 West Midlands Region
20 Yorkshire Region
51 These reports have been compiled using information and text provided by RAC chairs, the NCA Archive Development Officer for the Regions, and the NCA Lottery Adviser. They draw heavily on the Regional Archive Strategies prepared for each region.
37 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services 12. Regional Findings East of England Region
Regional profile includes magnificent cathedrals, the first garden city in Letchworth, and The East of England region stretches the modernism of the Imperial War from the outskirts of London to the Museum at Duxford Airfield. At Wash, from Watford to Cromer. The present there are 82 organisations in region is really at least two distinct the region where archives are held areas: East Anglia (Norfolk, Suffolk, and made publicly available. Essex and part of Cambridgeshire) and the northern home counties (Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire). Commentary on East of England The rest of Cambridgeshire and Region Mapping Project Phase particularly Peterborough naturally Two scores look towards Northamptonshire, while the home counties often find The regional averages are above the they have more in common with the national averages in all areas of capital. The whole region is also provision with the exception of dominated by Cambridge, as both a electronic records. However this city and a university. Transport links masks some significant areas of poor north/south are reasonably good, provision. For Accommodation and especially into and out of London, Storage, the region is slightly above but east/west they are not so the national average, with half of all convenient and public transport is offices rating fair or good provision, often not the best way to travel. It is and no offices rating very poor a region of contrasts with tracts of provision. For both Public Access agricultural land with rural isolation in and Services, and Conservation the north and west, and with urban and Preservation, provision is settlements in the south The significantly higher than the national coastline of Norfolk, Suffolk and average with 42% of offices Essex give a maritime flavour to the providing good public access against history of the region. the national average of 18%, and a quarter of all offices reporting good conservation provision. Finding Archival treasures Aids and Reference Services are obvious areas for investment, as no The long and varied cultural history office reports good provision. of the region gives it many riches, Although recent investment in such as the great Roman cities of St Information & Communications Albans and Colchester, the Sutton Technology means that provision is Hoo burial and the lasting legacy of rated at 35% above the national the Vikings. The built heritage average, the scores for Electronic
38 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services
Records are virtually the same as Norfolk Record Office has recently those nationally, with one exception successfully secured HLF funding for (a newly built record office). Scores a new record office in Norwich. for both Staff Training and Development and External Relations and Cross-sector Strategic priorities and funding Working are significantly higher than needs for East of England Region the national average with no offices archives rating poor or very poor provision, reflecting the close working of Archives in the East of England can archives, libraries and museums in build on the mentoring role played by the region. staff in the searchroom to encourage and extend the self–directed learning which takes place there. User Cross-sector working, funding satisfaction is demonstrably high but grants and current initiatives there is a need for archive services to consider whether they are using The three Regional agencies for the all their resources to serve the same archive, museum, and library sectors people. A broader constituency could in the East of England have joined be served a little less together as ECLAIM (Eastern comprehensively with the same Counties’ Libraries, Archives, resources, in order to deliver equality Information and Museums) to of the entitlement to services. commission The Fourth Dimension, Archives can play an essential role in the East of England Museums, delivering government objectives of Archives and Libraries Strategy.52 democracy, citizenship, access to During the early half of 2001, the information under the Freedom of East of England Region prepared Information Act and responding to bids to Resource part way through the requirements of data protection. the research phase of the project, for However, it has to be acknowledged funding further cross-sector work. that there is a smaller professional The region was awarded a grant capacity within East of England towards developing a professional archives than in museums or web portal but two other bids were libraries. This restricts the unsuccessful. There is a cross– possibilities of implementing the regional initiative with an A2A bid provisions required in the changing which will enable the digitisation of electronic environment, for engaging around 19,600 catalogue pages for in training events and sharing archives illuminating the expertise across the region The development of the urban and rural vigour of archives in the Region is landscapes of the East of England. demonstrable but strategies must be developed to support them effectively. 52 ECLAIM, The Fourth Dimension, the East of England Museums, Archives and Libraries Strategy, Hilary McGowan and Janet Foster, March 2001.
39 13. Regional Findings East Midlands Region
Regional profile Archival treasures
Unlike some English regions, the There are five county record offices, East Midlands does not have a with the office of Leicestershire, strong historic sense of regional Leicester and Rutland providing joint identity. The six counties that services, and Northamptonshire comprise the East Midlands Region providing services for Peterborough. are Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Other major repositories in the region Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, are the Department of Manuscripts at Northamptonshire and Rutland. the University of Notttingham with a Much of the region is rural and some rich literary collection, strong in the parts are remote, but running papers of DH Lawrence, and the through the region, on a north – Welbeck Abbey papers, and other south axis along the M1 motorway, is public bodies such as schools, a more densely populated area charitable foundations and trusts. which contains most of the region’s Other notable holdings are the Boots major towns and cities. Elsewhere Company Archive, the Leonard the landscape is essentially Cheshire Foundation papers at agricultural, characterised by villages Staunton Harold, and the Cavendish and historic market towns, historic family papers at the Chatsworth castles and stately homes, which House Archive. together with the Peak District and the Lincolnshire Coast, attract millions of tourists into the region Commentary on East Midlands each year. Industrialisation came Mapping Project Phase Two early to some parts of the Region scores and the East Midlands economy is dominated by its manufacturing The survey suggests that local base, with specific parts of the region authority record offices in the Region having strong associations with provide facilities and services of a particular products, such as textiles variable standard. Regional and footwear, coal mining, and averages are above the national transport industries. Although averages in all areas except tourism is increasing substantially, electronic records. There are, agriculture remains a key element of however, significant areas of poor the economy. Ethnic diversity is the provision. External Relations and most recent characteristic regional Cross-sectoral Working and Public development. Access and Services are rated highly but there are serious capacity shortcomings in both Information
40 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services and Communications Technology catalogues of 21 major family and and Electronic Records. The score estate papers, drawn from archives for Finding Aids and Reference across the region. Services shows a marked variation to the national average with 80% of offices rated poor provision, showing Strategic priorities and funding this to be a serious investment need. needs for East Midlands Region When compared to the national archives average, the Region scores well for Accommodation and Storage and The East Midlands Archive Conservation and Preservation Strategy54 identifies key priorities for with no offices rating very poor future action and investment. provision. This reflects the fact that 3 Identification of non-users and the out of the 5 county record offices are development of outreach plans to comparatively recent buildings. promote use among under- Training and Development are represented groups, completion of comparable with national findings. an archival map of the region, and establishment of the East Midlands RAC website are key tasks. Longer Cross-sectoral working, funding term objectives include developing grants and current initiatives ICT skills and support for staff development, and a comprehensive Local authority archives are an programme of investment for the integral part of the cultural heritage creation of electronic finding aids at sector in the East Midlands, with a regional level. long history of libraries and archives working together. Joint working has been fostered by a series of cross- domain conferences, called Future Sure. Work with museums needs to be further developed, for example for records of archaeological excavations. The East Midlands and the West Midlands remain the only English regions that do not have a regional moving image/sound archive, although strenuous efforts are being made to develop a regional media archive.53 The RAC is currently awaiting a decision from HLF on its A2A project to convert the
53 MACE, The Media Archive for Central England has yet to be fully 54 East Midlands RAC, A Regional established, although a director has been Strategy for Archives in the East Midlands, appointed to develop the project. John Feather, March 2001
41 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services 14. Regional Findings London Region
Regional profile invidious to single out any one collection. The London region is further London is one of the great cities of the enriched by the collections of the world. A major centre of trade and Public Record Office at Kew and the enterprise, it occupies a leading British Library at St Pancras. In position in international commerce. addition there are many corporate and London’s cultural amenities and arts business archives, and archives run by facilities are renowned throughout the professional associations, livery world and attract a steady flow of companies, learned societies, international tourists in large numbers. museums and galleries, religious, London is also a place of contrast, with charity, higher education institutions pockets of extreme social deprivation and other public bodies. The and poverty located alongside affluent collections are distributed among 371 and prosperous areas. Public services different record offices and institutions. in London face the constant challenge The 36 local authority services provide of balancing priorities to target scarce a network of care for local archives, resources where they are most though the range of services varies needed. They must both support the greatly between locations. aspirations of the community at large and reach out to marginalised members of society most in need of Commentary on London Region help and support. The London Mapping Project Phase Two scores administrative region has a natural meaning and cohesion, and there are On the evidence of the mapping data, many historic loyalties within the area, London’s local authority repositories including the distinct identities of north face particularly acute problems in and south London, the differing terms of premises, staffing levels, characters of the City and the rest of funding and service provision. While Greater London, the twin links of the there are undeniably some good outer areas formerly in the shire services and centres of excellence in counties (Essex, Kent and Surrey), London, it is worrying that the London and local loyalties based on streets, averages are below the national places and support for football clubs. averages in every single aspect The city is cosmopolitan in character, covered by the mapping project. noted for its rich ethnic and cultural diversity. Cross-sector working, funding grants and current initiatives Archival treasures London Museums, Archives and The richness and diversity of the Libraries (LMAL) is an embryonic archival collections located in London developmental cross-sector agency. is second to none, and it would be Resolution of a number of issues in
42 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services
London will be required if the three domains are to come together fully. Strategic priorities and funding However, a way forward without needs for London Region archives55 commitment to full integration has been found and the partners in LMAL Yet for all the richness of the have signed up to a programme of collections and commitment of the cross-domain activities for the coming staff, there are serious problems for year while the long-term future remains archives in London. It is the aim of the open. LMAL has been successful in its London Regional Archive Strategy to bids to Resource for funding to highlight the issues and to make develop collaborative structures, and practical recommendations so that for training and development to raise archives can be properly protected and current levels of awareness for can attain their full potential in librarians, archivists and museum staff contributing to the social, cultural and on common sectoral and London-wide economic life of the capital. The vision issues. Further partnerships will be for London archives includes: developed to co-ordinate activity to reduce overlap and duplication, to ½ affirming the value of archives as "the make the available resources go memory of society", with public, private further and maximise the impact of and organisational archives all having their place in the "nation’s archival heritage" effort. Partnerships will also work across organisational boundaries and ½ promoting the incredible richness and recognise the potential for exploiting diversity of the archives located in the synergies between the museum, Capital archive and library domains in ½ enabling users to "discover" material in delivering better and more cost- archives, libraries and museums from a effective services to the community. single electronic source Links will be made across the sectors within the archive community, ½ making the history of the region accessible especially embracing the public, to everyone business, higher education and ½ harnessing the potential of ICT to ensure voluntary sectors in partnership the intellectual amalgamation of dispersed ventures. Other partnerships have content been developed to address specific ½ issues, such as the London Learning training and equipping staff to enhance the experience of on-site access Network Group, and the well- established and respected Greater ½ supporting a network of viable and vibrant London Archives Network. The impact archives services of the Lottery awards in London has ½ been the subject of much debate, but maximising the benefits for London archives by locking into national and local local authority archives have faired initiatives and sources of funding only marginally, mainly with small revenue grants. There are currently 3 55 bids from London consortia under the Strategies for London archives are A2A programme. The establishment of described more fully in Out of the Past – Into the Future: the Regional Archives Strategy for the Greater London Authority presents London, LARC/Chris Pickford, March 2001. new opportunities for the cultural See also Towards 2000 – the future of sector as a whole, which must be London’s Archives, a paper given by David seized for archives. Mander at the London Pride conference to discuss London archives, June 2000.
43 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services
The concentration and combined presence of archives in London (29% of all British archives) is greater than any other region, and the need for funding and support is at least proportional. London attracts archive users from all over the country and all around the world, yet many services and facilities are sub-standard and in need of an upgrade. The standard of provision in London is generally below the national average, indicating an urgent need for investment and improvement. Users like archives services, and archives have the potential to reach a far greater audience. This should be exploited and supported.
.
44 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services 15. Regional Findings North East Region
Regional profile of the North East: their life and work; their politics; their religions; their The North East is one of the smallest recreation; their health. It is impossible of the English regions in both area to refer here to all the archives (8,592 sq km) and population (2.6 available for public consultation in the million). It comprises Northumberland, region, but the following examples County Durham, Tyne & Wear and highlight some of the most important Teesside. It is a region of contrasts. and provide a flavour. Dozens of historic villages dot the region, and the landscape is still The Durham Diocesan Archives and largely unspoilt. Half of the region is Bishopric Estate Records show the rural. The Western part is formed by power and influence of the Bishops of the hills, moorlands and forests of the Durham. The muniments of Durham North Pennines, to the North the Cathedral include one of Europe’s Cheviot Hills and Kielder Forest lead to most complete medieval monastic the border with Scotland. In the South archives. the region borders North Yorkshire Moors, and the 160 kilometre North Notable estate collections, comprising Sea coastline forms the spectacular records of national and international Eastern border, on which industrial importance, include those of the Duke conurbations are grouped around the of Northumberland at Alnwick Castle; main river estuaries. The North East the Marquis of Londonderry and the has a proud industrial heritage. The Earls of Strathmore at Durham County region can boast a significant Record Office; the Trevelyan family of contribution to shaping the Industrial Wallington, Northumberland, in Revolution. In more recent times there Newcastle University Library; and the has been considerable diversification Earl Grey papers in Durham University of the traditional heavy manufacturing Library. These records include major base into new technology and service political papers reflecting the industries. importance of their creators in national and international affairs.
Archival treasures The records of the Borough of Berwick-upon-Tweed illustrate the The archives themselves reflect the turbulent history a small town, sited on long history of the region, its culture the border between England and and achievements, from the early Scotland. From becoming English in medieval manuscripts produced in the 1482 until being created a country in Kingdom of Northumbria, through the itself in 1836 to the town has had the boom and decline of heavy industry unique status of being “of” but not and up to the present day. Through “within” England. these records we glimpse the people
45 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services
The industrial heritage of the region is above the national average, partly due very well represented in its archives. the ground-breaking formation of the Durham and Northumberland Record North East Museums, Archives and Offices both hold large collections of Libraries Council (NEMLAC), as the coal mining records, from before and single cross-sectoral agency for the after nationalisation. Tyne and Wear North East. Archives Service has huge quantities of shipbuilding and heavy engineering records, many from famous firms such Cross-sector working, funding as Swan Hunter, Parsons, Hawthorn grants and current initiatives Leslie, Clarke Chapman Marine, Sunderland Shipbuilders and Vickers. NEMLAC, a new body set up by North East Museums, Information North, and Personal papers worthy of mention the North East Regional Archives include those of Gertrude Bell at Council became a fully constituted Newcastle University Library and body from April 2001 and took on the Josephine Butler at Northumberland roles of the museum and library bodies Record Office; and Fenwick’s while at the same time extending the collection of circus material and remit to archives. It is funded by Wood’s music hall posters at Tyne and Resource, and is the first cross- Wear Archives Service. sectoral agency to be formally established. The RAC has two seats on the NEMLAC Board. Archive Commentary on North East Region priorities have been defined in Mapping Project Phase Two scores NEMLAC’s Archive Strategy for the North East of England. 56 The Phase Two scored fairly poor provision Northern Region Film and Television for Public Access and Services for Archive57 is a good example of a the region as a whole. Search rooms regional partnership approach to a are at present unable to cope with specialised medium. The North East’s demand, and offices report waiting A2A bid is known as “Picks and lists. A further concern is a loss to the Pistons” and aims to convert 12,500 region of professional staff, both catalogue pages of industrial archives archivists and conservators. Scores for from a wide variety of sources. Accommodation and Storage, Conservation and Preservation and Staff Training and Development are broadly in line with the national averages. Finding Aids and Reference Services are markedly below the national average, with an overall assessment of poor or very 56 NEMLAC, An Archives Strategy for the poor for the Region. The low score for North East of England, Liz Bregazzi, March both Information and 2001 Communications Technology and 57 The Northern Region Film and Electronic Records indicates that Television Archive is a consortium of Tyne and investment is required to bring systems Wear Archives Service, the University of and catalogues up to standard. Teesside and Trade Films. Its remit is to External Relations and Cross- collect, preserve and provide access to film sectoral Working score significantly from the whole of the Northern Region.
46 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services
Strategic priorities and funding records will be addressed, beginning needs for North East Region with training for record creating bodies archives to inform and explore the implications. Further investigations will be carried The Archive Strategy for the North out into options for the management of East of England is designed to support electronic records, including the and encourage the diverse archives of desirability of setting up a Regional the Region. Archives will be supported Data Archive. There will be through the advisory, strategic and collaboration with Northern Arts and development services of NEMLAC. the Film Council to continue and The need for greater provision of develop funding for the Northern catalogues and other finding aids will Region Film and Television Archive. be tackled. The problem of electronic
47 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services 16. Regional Findings North West Region
Regional profile archives, Lancashire Record Office’s holdings of the Kay Shuttleworth and The North West Region of England Towneley archives, and the archives of stretches from the Scottish border in the Lowther Estate and of TH Mawson, the north to the Welsh border in the Landscape Architects, both held by the south. It is home to 6.9 million people, Cumbria Archive Service, are of more with over 65% living in the heavily than local significance. urbanised and industrialised area to the south of the region known as the Mersey Belt. Over half the land in the Commentary on North West Region region is rural and relatively sparsely Mapping Project Phase Two scores populated. Agriculture and tourism are the main economic drivers in the rural In the main the North West record areas. Although the industrial tradition offices perform below the national of the region remains strong, much of average except in respect of Public the traditional industrial base is in Access and Services and External decline. Great efforts are being made Relations and Cross-sectoral to encourage new economic Working, where the regional average development and investment whilst at score is above the national average. the same time emphasising the value The former difference can be of the heritage and cultural assets of explained, in part, by the increase in the region. opening hours reported by several offices in the region (without the concomitant increase in staffing levels, Archival treasures however). With regard to the latter category, many North West record The cultural diversity of the region is offices form parts of wider `heritage' or reflected in its archive collections. Of `cultural' departmental groupings and particular note are the collections of are, perforce, working more closely the Wordsworth Trust at Grasmere, the with library and museum professionals Methodist Archive held by the John amongst others. When comparing Rylands University Library in regional performance with the national Manchester and the holdings of the average scores between phases one North West Film Archive and National and two, it appears that the decline in Museum of Labour History, also in provision of Training and Manchester. Whilst it might be Development is more marked regarded as invidious to single out regionally than nationally, another particular local authority record offices factor attributable to the overall for mention, it is acknowledged that the reduction in resources and increased Chester City municipal archives, the workloads. When examining the Cheshire Diocesan archives, the performance of individual offices in the Liverpool City Engineers Department North West it becomes apparent that
48 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services there are few high points of provision Strategic priorities and funding but many areas of significant need. needs for North West region The offices which consistently score archives nearest to or above the regional and national averages are, unsurprisingly, The North West’s Regional Archives larger and better resourced than their Strategy Forward Together58 identifies counterparts in the region, reflecting the priorities across the wider archive the higher political, organisational and provision. From a local authority public profile they enjoy. viewpoint the most pressing need is for a political understanding of the balance that must be struck between access Cross-sector working, funding and stewardship. In the context of grants and current initiatives archives access and stewardship are not at opposite ends of a spectrum, At a regional level the nascent RAC they are merely two sides of the same has had fruitful discussions with coin. Accommodation is central to representatives of the North West delivering better access and care of Museums Service and the North West records and the North West needs Library System. A joint statement of more investment in better archive intent was issued in April 2000 and buildings. ICT is also a key to identified areas of mutual interest for delivering better access and future development, these being ICT, conservation and greater investment is Conservation, Training, Grant Making needed in a co-ordinated and planned and Standards. At a local level fashion to ensure that resources are collaborative projects with museums spent wisely and efficiently. The overall and libraries are becoming more a picture is not one of unrelieved gloom: norm than an exception (for example capital investment is still taking place, the touring Voices of Cumbria for example the Cumbria Archive Millennium Oral History Project). The Service opened a fourth office at involvement of the Regional Archive Whitehaven as recently as 1996 and Council with the newly formed the Cheshire Record Office improved Regional Cultural Consortium also its search room accommodation in offers opportunities for wider cross- 2000. sectoral initiatives. Successful HLF awards have been relatively few in number and modest in their scale. Recent successes include the North West regional A2A bid Our Mutual Friends in the North linking finding aids to records of mutual, friendly and philanthropic societies in the North West. From a public standpoint the increased access to collections provided by many local archive services is a major success.
58 North West Regional Archive Council, Forward Together: the North West Regional Archive Strategy, Nigel Rudyard, April 2001
49 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services 17. Regional Findings South East Region
Regional profile of material and readers. There are a sizeable and growing number of higher The South East Region surrounds education institutions with archival London. Unlike some other Regions, collections (such as the Design the South East struggles to find an Council Archive at Brighton University). identity. From Banbury in its north to This sector is dominated by the Ventnor on the Isle of Wight and collections of Oxford University, and Margate in the far east, the Region has the Bodleian Library. There are a seemingly little cohesion. There are significant number of school and nevertheless certain factors which college archives, as well as a typify the Region. It is predominantly substantial number of religious houses lowland, interspersed with rolling and military archives. There are downland. Its southern coastline is the relatively few business archives (major nearest point to continental Europe archives are those of Pfizer and and has historically provided some of Friends Provident), but there are a the Region's major influences, as has wide variety of other specialist the Region's juxtaposition to London. repositories including a health authority, stately homes and national The Region is the most prosperous organisations. The Region has two outside London, deriving much of its special media archives in the form of wealth from agriculture and trade. The the Wessex Film and Sound Archive Region did not undergo the massive based at Hampshire Record Office, expansion of industrialisation of the and the South East Film and Video nineteenth century. There are no large Archive at the University of Brighton. conurbations, but there are areas of The BBC Written Archives Centre is urban sprawl along the south coast. based at Caversham near Reading. With 8 million people it is the most populated Region. There are 7 county Commentary on South East Region councils and 12 unitary authorities. A Mapping Project Phase Two scores number of joint archive service arrangements have come into being The Region is above the national after local government re-organisation. average for Accommodation and Storage and Public Access and Archival treasures Services, which is partly explained by new or comparatively new buildings in There are 164 organisations within the a number of locations such as West Region where archives are held and Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, made publicly available. Whilst each Oxfordshire, Surrey and East Kent. county and a number of unitary Scores for Conservation and authorities have repositories, local Preservation, Information and authority archive services are not the Communications Technology, and largest number of providers, although Training and Development are also they do account for a greater quantity above the national average. The
50 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services
Region also scores rather better than the national average for electronic Strategic priorities and funding records, evidence that local needs for South East Region authorities are beginning to identify archives and address these issues. The score for External Relations and Cross- The Regional Archive Strategy for the sector Working is slightly down on the South East59 looks carefully at the best national average, reflecting the mechanisms for regional collaborative difficulties of working across such a working amongst archives, museums, disparate Region. Although the Region and libraries in the South East. There has a slightly higher rating than the is significant potential to enhance the national average for Finding Aids and archive contribution to a range of Reference Services, the poor rating is broader cultural, educational and 30% higher than the national figure, economic initiatives. The challenge is making this area ripe for investment. to maintain core values while grasping new opportunities. The opportunities Cross-sector working, funding are there - the Region's archives must grants and current initiatives work together with common purpose to secure the benefits for their users. A weakness already identified in the South East is the artificiality of the Despite the overall strength of archives Region, which tends to fall into 4 sub- in the South East there are pockets of regions. However despite this much seriously poor provision and under- useful work is taking place. Most funding. An archive service can be record offices have a strong presence strong in some areas and very weak in through talks and exhibitions, which others. In some repositories there is a actively seek to address social real need to improve the standard of inclusion in rural areas. Co-operative archival care and public access ventures, such as that between the facilities. Backlogs of cataloguing and South East Film and Video Archive, conservation work - crucial to access - University of Brighton, and county inhibit the work of many otherwise record offices in Kent, Surrey, East successful archives. Sussex and West Sussex, are good The archival resource remains largely examples of this way of working to untapped - despite exemplary work in achieve mutual benefits. During 2001, opening up the heritage for wider use South East Museums, Archives and in many areas. Archives need the tools Libraries will be employing a Strategic for the job - given the necessary Development Officer (funded by resources, they can deliver on Resource) to develop a framework for outreach and stewardship and access. future collaboration and establish strong links between key regional Key priorities for the South East are agencies and local government, and improving standards of preservation establishing a small cross-sector and stewardship, tackling cataloguing regional challenge fund. The South backlogs, and securing sufficient levels East was the first region to be awarded of core funding. a grant from HLF under A2A in February 2001. The project, entitled From Landlord to Labourer covers over 59 SERAC, South East Regional Archive 200 archive collections held in 15 local Strategy: Making SenSE of Archives, Chris repositories. Pickford, September 2001
51 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services
18 Regional Findings South West Region
Regional profile mixed success in attracting new economy business. Parts of the South The South West region is the largest West are now suffering economic English region by area. At almost 250 hardship as a consequence of Foot & miles long, the region stretches from Mouth. Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Dorset though Somerset to Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The region Archival treasures encompasses an extensive rural network of towns and villages as well Archival treasures of the region include as major conurbations. It has obvious records of Exeter Cathedral; Cornish geographical, transport infrastructure mining records (Cornwall is to be and communication problems. Nine designated a World Heritage Site for principal authorities operate archive its mining legacy); Exeter City local services. All principal authorities buy customs accounts; British Rail, into services if they do not themselves Western Region (formerly Great provide them. The local authorities Western Railway) archives; records of comprise a mixture of conventional Katherine, Lady Berkeley's Grammar two-tier systems with a number of School, Wotton-under-Edge; prison urban unitary councils. records from Gloucestershire County Gaol & Houses of Correction; The region has identified itself as ecclesiastical records from Salisbury, exceptionally diverse. Uniquely the St. Augustine's Abbey, Bristol, and South West of England Regional Winchcombe Abbey; estate and family Development Agency identified the papers of the Codrington family of Environment as a strategic driver in its Dodington (including architectural Regional Strategy. This document drawings by James Wyatt and others); alluded to the high concentration of Gloucestershire militia records; canal monuments, museums and historic records of the Stroudwater Canal, houses in the region and to high levels Thames & Severn Canal, and of participation in the cultural sector. Gloucester & Berkeley Canal; records The region is perceived to be of the Dursley Pedersen Cycle Co, and prosperous and dynamic but this hides records of the National Monuments serious economic problems in Bristol, Record Centre at Swindon. Plymouth, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, as well as in many of the smaller Commentary on South West Region coastal and market towns. There are Mapping Project Phase Two scores significant problems with traditional industries (farming, fishing, mineral The Phase Two scores for the South extraction, beach holidays) and only West broadly reflect the pattern in the
52 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services national aggregates. If priority bands one and two are aggregated the South Strategic priorities and funding West tends to do slightly better than needs for South West Region the national figure. The exceptions to archives this are Information and Communications Technology and There is no doubt that in archival Public Access and Services. The terms, the Region is dividing along the results invite further analysis of ICT lines of “haves and have-nots”, and and Electronic Records. For that Challenge Funding is a major Accommodation and Storage the driver of this process. The smallest South West has 60% of offices rated services, whose needs are arguably as fair or good compared to 44% greatest, appear least able to find staff nationally. Conservation and time and match funding. Quality and Preservation scores better than the standard of accommodation is also an national average with 60% of offices issue and, although some rated as fair or good against 30% accommodation is achieving most or nationally. all of the relevant standards, there are also some notably bad archive buildings in the region. Amongst the Cross-sector working, funding priorities must be the need to find a grants and current initiatives suitable home for the regional film archive, the largest of its kind in The South West Regional Archive England. Attention to electronic Council made a good start in cross- records, though better than elsewhere, sectoral working. A model for joint is still desperately poor. The Regional working was ratified early on. The Archive Strategy for the South West good working relationships have Region60 aims to develop a framework continued and the three domains will for advocacy for archives, wider be co-located from Autumn 2001. As recognition of the stewardship for Challenge Funding, varied bids responsibilities of archives, continuing have succeeded such as Plymouth’s improvements to accommodation multi-partner NOF bid for digitisation of standards of the Region’s archives and theatre records and the Dorset Coast support for cross-sector working and Digital Archive. Successful HLF bids understanding. for the Region include the consortium bid to Access to Archives @ The Heart of the Community (to retro-convert parish and school catalogues); the wide-ranging Access to Somerset’s Archives, Wiltshire Wills Diocesan records project, and grants for storage accommodation, improvements to finding aids, and the mounting of catalogues on-line at Gloucestershire. The National Monuments Record Centre at Swindon received an HLF grant of £3 million to develop community based volunteer 60 South West Regional Archive photography projects. Strategy, Developing the Region’s Archives, Kingshurst Consulting, March 2001
53 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services
19. Regional Findings West Midlands Region
Regional profile public access. Major local authority metropolitan collections can be found The West Midlands is the most at Birmingham City Archives, Coventry densely populated area in the UK City Archives, and Dudley, Sandwell, outside London. The Region is Walsall and Wolverhampton Archives comprised of the largely rural shire Services. Major shire county counties of Herefordshire, Shropshire, collections are held by Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, and the densely Worcestershire, and Herefordshire. populated conurbation of the West University collections include those of Midlands metropolitan districts and the Birmingham, Keele and Warwick. The unitary authorities of Stoke-on-Trent Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Record and Telford and the Wrekin. The urban Office holds archival material. A major core comprises the cities of business collection is the BP Amoco Birmingham (the regional capital and Archives. Important collections are the nation’s second largest city), also held by the Heritage Motor Coventry and the Black Country. The Museum Trust and the Ironbridge counties surrounding the conurbations Gorge Museum. Strengths of the have long been among the country’s Region’s collections include records of foremost agricultural communities the Wilkinson and Wedgwood which, with historic and attractive potteries, records of trade unions and market towns are now becoming the co-operative movement, and family tourist attractions in their own right for and estate papers of the Cadbury their natural beauty, rich history and family, Crossman, Eden, Chamberlain, cultural opportunities. The West Elgar, Samuel Johnson and Thomas Midlands sits at the heart of the UK’s Arnold of Rugby school. communications infrastucture, with strong road, rail and air networks, and good pubic transport. The Region Commentary on West Midlands boasts one of the most culturally Region Mapping Project Phase Two diverse populations in the UK, and the scores resultant cultural strength has a powerful impact on the life of the The Phase Two scores for the West Region. Midlands are broadly comparable for those nationally. Scores for Accommodation and Storage are Archival treasures similarly comparable, with 57% of West Midlands offices scoring poor or 150 archive holding bodies have been very poor. For Public Access and identified in the West Midlands. There Services 86% of offices score highly. are 18 archive services in the West Information and Communications Midlands (22 offices) that provide Technology and Electronic Records.
54 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services score poorly. Finding Aids and Muck and Brass project, which draws Reference Services score poorly with together the records of 16 archive 86% of offices rating poor or very poor holding bodies that relate to industrial provision. The scores for development and the associated Conservation and Preservation, families and firms, was successful, and Staff Training and Development and work on this project has now begun. External Relations and Cross- sectoral Working are in line with the national findings. Strategic priorities and funding needs for West Midlands region archives
Cross-sector working, funding 61 grants and current initiatives The Regional Archives Strategy sets out its ambitions for the archive sector. In the West Midlands, museums, The strategy places a high priority on archives and libraries have come the importance of developing the together to form WM:CLAM, the West capacity of the RAC and for Midlands Council for Libraries Archives investigating this in the context of and Museums, an un-constituted group working more closely with the RMC comprising the RAC, West Midlands and TLP-WM. It advocates regional Regional Museums Council and The solutions to archival issues. In Library Partnership West Midlands particular this includes regional (TLP-WM). One striking feature of the promotion, raising public awareness of pattern of provision in the West the potential of archives, and Midlands is that half (75 of 150) of the addressing archival provision through archive holding bodies in the region innovative approaches to access and are museums. WM:CLAM published a stewardship. It also encourages statement of purpose in December consistency in meeting customer 1999 called Common Ambition that service expectations. laid out a set of principles for how the three bodies would work together. The strategy recognises the Since then WM:CLAM have received importance of tackling cultural diversity funding from Resource for the both in terms of collections and users. Crossroads project which will be It echoes messages in the completed by March 2002. Crossroads Government Policy on Archives Action will improve access to the collections Plan, for example, the RAC is and resources of museums, galleries, committed to exploring options for archives and libraries in the West electronic records management in the Midlands through a web enabled region. database containing high level descriptions of the region’s resources. In addition, WM:CLAM has secured additional funding for the Profiles project which will seek to map resources for Black and South Asian history in the West Midlands, assess contemporary collecting needs and identify gaps in provision and look at marketing those resources better. The 61 West Midlands RAC, Future West Midlands A2A bid to HLF for the Directions, the West Midlands Archives Strategy, Jerry Weber, March 2001.
55 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services 20. Regional Findings Yorkshire Region
Regional profile Doncaster, Hull, Rotherham, Sheffield, and York. West Yorkshire Archives The Yorkshire Region covers Service runs offices covering Bradford, approximately 12% of England’s land Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and mass, with a population of 5 million Wakefield. The Universities of York, people. It includes the county of North Leeds, and Sheffield hold strong Yorkshire, the metropolitan districts of archival collections. There is a regional South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire, film Archive for Yorkshire, and the and the unitary authorities of the Borthwick Institute in York and York former county of Humberside. Minster hold major archive collections. Yorkshire has a strong regional identity. It is an area of exceptional natural beauty (one fifth of the Region Commentary on Yorkshire region is designated a national park) and Mapping Project Phase Two scores great historic interest. It is a region of contrasts from the North York Moors The Phase Two scores for the and Yorkshire Dales to the industrial Yorkshire Region compare favourably and post-industrial conurbations of with the national averages. The same South and West Yorkshire and the can be said of Yorkshire’s scores for heritage coast of North Yorkshire and Accommodation and Storage. For East Riding. Public Access and Services 64% of offices are rated as poor, compared to The region has a wealth of 30% nationally. Information and archaeological sites and historic Communications Technology scores buildings, including abbeys, castles, are slightly better than the national country houses, and industrial average, although scores for architecture. Regional distinctiveness Electronic Records. are poor. is also reflected in rich oral and folk Finding Aids and Reference traditions among both historic Services score well compared to the communities, and more recently national findings. The scores for settled ethnic groups. Conservation and Preservation, are poor compared to the national score. Staff Training and Development and Archival treasures External Relations and Cross- sectoral Working are slightly lower The Yorkshire region has a wealth of than the national averages. diverse archival institutions, covering rich collections of local, regional, and national importance. There are county Cross-sector working, funding record offices for East Riding of grants and current initiatives Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, North East Lincolnshire. Metropolitan archive The Yorkshire Signpost project has services are run by Barnsley, recently secured an award from HLF.
56 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services
Part of the A2A programme, it will the Regional Archives Strategy62 The enable the retro-conversion of 49,000 strategy aims place an emphasis on pages held by over 50 heritage archives' contribution to the growth, organisations. Led by West Yorkshire cohesion and promotion of Yorkshire Archive Service, it will form an and the Humber. Objectives identified electronic guide to archives available include sustainability, supporting to the public in the region, which will be regional development through particularly useful because archives in business, skills, learning and tourism, and about Yorkshire are not social regeneration and partnerships. necessarily held at the expected The strategy identifies over 50 archive location within modern administrative holding institutions in Yorkshire and boundaries. Yorkshire Signpost will the Humber and uses examples of enable a farmer at the head of practice from those institutions to Arkengarthdale to find out about illustrate the themes. Examples range sources to help trace his family tree; or from the West Yorkshire Archive a GCSE student in Whitby to access Service's COSMOS project to the information about records for the proposed partnership between the history of medicine held by the University of Hull, Hull City Council and Thackray Medical Museum in Leeds. Hull College to create a joint history centre. The strategy is informed by a During 2001/2002 the RAC, Yorkshire baseline study questionnaire that was Museums Council and Yorkshire distributed amongst archives in the Libraries and Information will be region. The results helped to identify completing two projects funded by key needs and opportunities on which Resource, to undertake market the strategy's aims are based. The research to determine the comparative strategy is supported by a one-year use and non-use of services in the action plan that will be updated year on three sectors. The research will look in year. particular at the differences in rural and urban use and what that might mean for joint marketing and promotion. A second related project will develop guidance on how to involve communities in the plans and activities of museums, archives and libraries. Both these projects will further the aims of the RAC's strategic framework.
Strategic priorities and funding needs for Yorkshire Region archives
A cross-sectoral policy unit has been established within the Yorkshire Museums Council, using funding from Resource. Each of the three agencies has contributed to the development of 62 Yorkshire RAC, A Regional Strategic Framework for Archives, Keith Sweetmore, March 2001
57
21. Conclusion
“Although the record office is small... it offers help and advice to local communities undertaking archive related projects and has a high profile in the area. It is well-used and supported by local people all year round, and is perceived as a community resource available to all – young and old, academics, and interested individuals”
The above quote from one of the offices play a part, also serves the Phase Two mapping project business needs of local authorities. questionnaires illustrates the value of local authority archive services to the local community. Taken as a whole User needs and expectations the network of local authority record offices up and down the land are an Use of local authority record offices undervalued national asset. Clearly, is increasing. This can partially be there is much exciting work taking explained as a consequence of place to build the record offices and national demographic changes and public services of the 21st century, increased leisure time for some but there remains much to be done. citizens. Recent media interest, in particular television programmes, have helped to popularise archival The role of local resources for family and local history. authority archive services The thirst for knowledge, learning and education continues unabated, Local authority archive services are from primary school-children to valued for two main reasons, and lifelong learners and “the university accordingly there are two main of the third age.” These users need arguments for funding them. There is to be equipped with the tools and the cultural heritage argument: local services to meet their needs. authority archives are custodians of Examples include the popular a vast wealth of fascinating and National Grid for Learning, and the unique information and artefacts Learning Curve website.63 The amassed by local communities. recent LIC report Empowering the These cover an astonishing array of Learning Community points to the topics - in fact all areas of local life. future direction of resources and There is also the good governance services.64 An increased public argument which although exerting a expectation of high quality public less emotional pull, places services and of access rights to obligations on record creators, and official information have led to a custodians to manage record greater public awareness of local holdings effectively and efficiently to authority archive services and the meet democratic and administrative role they can play in the local responsibilities of transparency and community. accountability. Good records management, in which many record 63 See http://learningcurve.pro.gov.uk/ 64 LIC, Empowering the Learning Community, March 2000 58 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services
Leading the way These developments are extremely welcome, but without The NCA in its document British matching investment, archives will Archives: The Way Forward66 gives not be ready to make the most of clear direction to frame priorities. these opportunities. HMC’s Archives at the Millennium is a summary of a wide ranging consultation with the archives New challenges community on the strengths and weaknesses of the UK’s archives.67 New users bring new challenges. In Resource has been developing some cases, increased pressure on cross-sector strategies68 and the already oversubscribed facilities is Action Plan of the Government compromising services. One county Policy on Archives,69 developed by archivist remarked that user pressure the Inter-Departmental Archives to provide national genealogical Committee sets a clear agenda and resources is beginning to goals for UK archives. compromise the role of the office to make historic county records available to county families for Investment priorities consultation. Throughout this report investment Changing technology offers needs have been identified. unparalleled opportunities for service Investment should address specific development. Access to finding aids deficiencies in a focused manner, and documents via the Internet is the and projects on relatively modest “world’s window” on the collections budgets can bring great benefits to and services of local authority local authority record offices. One archives. The time has come not to service reported that after a relatively merely gaze through that window, small grant, “the atmosphere has but to reach into the room beyond. been totally transformed for the first The electronic age means that new ways will need to be developed to 66 NCA, British Archives: the Way manage and preserve digital data. Forward, 2000 67 HMC, Archives at the Millennium, th Archives will continue to reach out to the 28 report of the RCHM 1991-1999, 1999 new groups such as children and the 68 To date, Resource is developing socially excluded. The DCMS report cross-sectoral strategies for ICT, Learning & 65 Centres For Social Change clearly Access, Stewardship, Archives and the sets a framework for cultural emerging regional agenda. 69 institutions to achieve a greater The aim of the Inter-Departmental Archives Committee is to bring about as breadth and cultural diversity in the much consistency in the handling of archive user and staffing base. policy matters within government The current work of IDAC is focused on the development and implementation of the Action Plan stemming from the publication of the Government Policy on Archives of December 1999.
65 DCMS Centres for Social Change: Museums, Galleries and Archives for All , May 2000 59 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services time in over 30 years...and we have Chancellor70 with taking forward been given a sense of direction.” proposals for a new National Archives Act. This may help to ensure protection and support for Key priorities are: local authority and other archive services, to enable them to fulfil their ½ Phased programmes of potential for public benefit and to improvements to storage enable them to more effectively accommodation, and public facilities deliver the modernisation and information policy agenda of ½ Development of regional and government. national preservation strategies and improvements to conservation facilities and staffing levels New legislation alone cannot achieve all the objectives which local ½ Development of ICT infrastructure to authority record offices now face. support specific archive ICT The co-ordinated development of initiatives and improvements to these archives services can be taken finding aids using web based forwards individually, or collectively technology under the new regional structures, as a matter for immediate action. With ½ Development of strategies to bold commitment from funding address the effective management bodies, local authorities, and and long-term preservation of electronic data archivists themselves this opportunity for development can be ½ Continuing development of staff to seized to deliver long-term public equip them with new skills to meet benefits. new agendas
½ Continuing to work across cultural sectors to promote archives and make the best use of resources where interests are held in common
The future: regional archive strategies; a new national archives act?
The Regional Archive Strategies which are currently being launched and implemented will frame future priorities and set the objectives that will help deliver the local authority archive services of the 21st century.
Within central Government there is a real desire for change and an opportunity to establish local archives firmly in the popular consciousness. The Public Record 70 Office has been charged by the Lord Following initial development work by IDAC, in which the PRO participates. 60 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services Appendix 1: Statistical Data
The charts that follow show in pie graph from the distribution of priority bands nationally, and for each English region. The chart key and the scoring priority bands are explained on page 8 of this report.
National Charts
61 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services
Regional Charts: East of England Region
Key: see page 8
62 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services
Regional Charts: East Midlands Region
Key: see page 8
63 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services
Regional Charts: London Region
Key: see page 8
64 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services
Regional Charts: North East Region
ne
Key: see page 8
65 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services
Regional Charts: North West Region
66 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services
Regional Charts: South East Region
67 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services
Regional Charts: South West Region
68 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services
Regional Charts: West Midlands Region
69 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services
Regional Charts: Yorkshire Region
Key: see page 8
70 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services Appendix Two
LB of Croydon Local Studies North West Region List of Library participating LB of Ealing Local History Bolton Archives & Local Studies Library & Archive Service Service local authority LB of Enfield Local History Unit Bury Archive Service LB of Greenwich Local History Cheshire & Chester Archive archive services Library Cumbria Record Office, Barrow LB of Hackney Archives Dept Cumbria Record Office, Carlisle LB of H’smith & Fulham Cumbria Record Office, Kendal
East of England Region Archives Dept Cumbria Record Office, LB of Haringey Bruce Castle Whitehaven Bedfordshire & Luton Archives Museum Greater Manchester County Service LB of Hillingdon Local Record Office Cambridgeshire County Record Heritage Service Knowsley Archives Office, Cambridge LB of Hounslow, Chiswick Lancashire Record Office Cambridgeshire County Record Local Studies Library Liverpool/Merseyside Record Office, Huntingdon LB of Kensington & Chelsea, Offices Essex Record Office, Chelmsford Chelsea Library Manchester Local Studies Unit Essex Record Office, Colchester LB of Kensington & Chelsea, Oldham Archives Service Essex Record Office, Southend Kensington Library Rochdale Library Service Hertfordshire Archives & Local LB of Kingston-upon-Thames, Salford City Archives Service Studies North Kingston Heritage St Helen's Local History & Norfolk Record Office, King's Centre Archives Liby Lynn LB of Lambeth Archives Dept Stockport Archives Service Norfolk Record Office, Norwich LB of Lewisham Local History Tameside Archive Service Suffolk Record Office, Bury Centre Trafford Local Studies Centre Suffolk Record Office, Ipswich LB of Newham Borough Archives Wigan Archive Service Suffolk Record Office, Lowestoft LB of Redbridge Local Studies Wirral Archives Service and Archives
LB of Richmond-upon-Thames,
Richmond Library South East Region East Midlands Region LB of Richmond-upon-Thames,
Twickenham Library Berkshire Record Office Derbyshire Record Office LB of Southwark Local Studies Lincolnshire Archives Buckinghamshire Record Office Library Canterbury Cathedral Archives Northamptonshire Record Office LB of Sutton Archives Nottinghamshire Archives Centre for Kentish Studies, LB of Tower Hamlets Archive Maidstone The Record Office for Service Leicestershire, Leicester & East Kent Archives Centre, Dover LB of Waltham Forest Archives East Sussex Record Office Rutland LB of Wandsworth Local History Hampshire Record Office Library Isle of Wight Record Office LB of Westminster City Archives Medway Archives & Local Studies London Region Centre Oxfordshire Archives Corporation of London Record North East Region Portsmouth City Museums & Office Records Service London Guildhall Library Berwick upon Tweed Record Southampton Record Office London Metropolitan Archives 71 Office Surrey History Centre LB of Barking & Dagenham Durham Record Office West Sussex Record Office Archives Northumberland: Gosforth LB of Barnet Archives Service Northumberland: Morpeth LB of Bexley Libraries & Teesside Archives Museums Dept South West Region Tyne & Wear Archives Service LB of Brent Archives LB of Bromley Archives Service Bath & North East Somerset LB of Camden Archives & Local Record Office Studies Centre Bristol Record Office Cornwall Record Office Devon Record Office, Exeter 71 London Borough
71 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services
Dorset Record Office Gloucestershire Record Office List of non- North Devon Record Office participating Plymouth & West Devon Record Office local authority Somerset Record Office Wiltshire & Swindon Record archive services Office London Borough of Harrow, Harrow Reference Library West Midlands Region (Declined to participate in the English Archival Mapping Project Birmingham City Archives Phase Two) Coventry City Record Office Dudley Archives & Local History London Borough of Havering Service (Not surveyed in the English Herefordshire Record Office Archival Mapping Project Phases Sandwell Community History & One and Two. The London Archive Service, Smethwick Borough of Havering does not Shropshire Records & Research currently operate an archives Service service. Some Borough records are Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent kept at the Essex Record Office). Archives Service: Lichfield Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent London Borough of Islington, Archives Service: Stafford72 Islington Archives Walsall Archives Service (Declined to participate in the Warwickshire Record Office English Archival Mapping Project Wolverhampton Archives Phases One and Two) Worcester Record Office, City Centre Branch London Borough of Merton Worcestershire Record Office, (Not surveyed in the English Worcester Main Branch Archival Mapping Project Phases One and Two. The London Borough of Merton does not currently operate an archives Yorkshire Region service. Some Borough records are kept at the Surrey History Barnsley Archive Service Centre)
Doncaster Archives Department East Riding of Yorkshire Archive Office Hull City Archives North East Lincolnshire Archives North Yorkshire County Record Office, Northallerton Rotherham Borough Archives Sheffield Archives West Yorkshire Archive Service, Bradford West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale (Halifax) West Yorkshire Archive Service, Kirklees (Huddersfield) West Yorkshire Archive Service, Leeds West Yorkshire Archive Service, Wakefield York City Archives
72 The office at Stoke- on-Trent was not formally surveyed as it was a service point and did not then provide a full public service.
72 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services
Appendix Three: Useful addresses and contacts
Historical Manuscripts Society of Archivists Department for Culture, Commission Mr Patrick Cleary, Media & Sport Dr Chris Kitching, Secretary, Executive Secretary, Museums, Archives & Quality House, Quality Court, 40, Northampton Road, Libraries Division, Chancery Lane, London, EC1R 0HB 2-4 Cockspur Street, London, WC2A 1HP London Tel: 020 7278 8630 SW1Y 5DH Tel: 020 7242 1198 www.archives.org.uk www.hmc.gov.uk www.culture.gov.uk
Association of Chief Public Record Office Archivists in Local Kew, Richmond Government National Preservation Office Surrey, TW9 4DU Mrs Thea Randall, Secretary Dr Vanessa Marshall, c/o Staffordshire Record Office, Director, NPO, General Enquiries Eastgate Street, The British Library, Tel: 020 8876 3444 Stafford, ST16 2LZ 96, Euston Road, www.pro.gov.uk London, NW1 2DB Tel: 01785 278379 Archive Inspection Services Tel: 020 7412 7612 Mr Steven Jones, Tel: 020 8392 5318 National Council on Archives National Digital A2A Programme Secretary Archive of Datasets Ms Meg Sweet, Mrs Margaret Turner, 20 Guilford Street Tel: 020 8392 5315 26, Cruise Road, London WC1N 1DZ http://www.a2a.pro.gov.uk Sheffield, S11 7EF United Kingdom http://nca.archives.org.uk Tel:020 7692 1212. Resource Archives Lottery Adviser www.ndad.ac.uk/ Mr Justin Frost, Miss Alison Berwick Archive Policy Adviser c/o The Public Record Office, Resource, Kew, Richmond The Council for Museums, Surrey, TW9 4DU Archives & Libraries, Tel: 020 8876 5347
16, Queen Anne’s Gate, London, SW1H 9AA Archive Development
Officer for the Regions Tel: 020 7273 1477 Miss Dawn Routledge www.resource.gov.uk c/o Resource, The Council for Museums, Archives & Libraries,
Inter-Departmental Archives 16, Queen Anne’s Gate, Committee London, SW1H 9AA Dr David Leitch, Tel: 020 7273 1421 Secretary IDAC, Public Record Office, Kew, Richmond Surrey, TW9 4DU
Tel: 0208 8392 5262
73 Our Shared Past: Developing 21st Century Archive Services
Regional Archive Councils
South East (SERAC) East of England (EERAC) Mr Richard Childs Mrs Elizabeth Stazicker, Chair SERAC Chair ERAC c/o West Sussex Record Office c/o Cambridgeshire County Record Office, County Hall Shire Hall, Chichester Castle Hill West Sussex Cambridge PO19 1RN CB3 0AP
South West (SWRAC) East Midlands (EMRAC) Mr Paul Brough, Miss Rachel Watson, Chair SWRAC Chair EMRAC, c/o Cornwall County Record Office c/o Northamptonshire Record Office County Hall Wootton Hall Park Truro Northampton Cornwall NN4 8BQ TR1 3AY www.eastmidlandsarchives.org.uk/ www.southwestarchives.org
West Midlands (WMRAC) London (LARC) Mr Roger Vaughan Mr David Mander Chair WMRAC Chair LARC c/o Herbert Art Gallery and Museum c/o, Hackney Archives Dept Jordan Well 43 De Beauvoir Road London Coventry CV1 5QP N1 5SQ www.westmidlandsarchives.org.uk www.llng.og.uk/larc
Yorkshire (YARC) North East (NERAC) Mr Keith Sweetmore Ms Elizabeth Rees Chair YARC Chair NERAC c/o West Yorkshire Archive Service c/o, Tyne and Wear Archives Service Registry of Deeds Blandford House Newstead Road Blandford Square Wakefield Newcastle upon Tyne WF1 2DE NE14JA www.yarc.org.uk www.nemlac.co.uk
North West (NWRAC) Mr Jim Grisenthwaite Chair NWRAC c/o Cumbria Record Office The Castle Carlisle Cumbria CA3 8UR www.northwestarchives.org.uk
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