Giving Value
Funding priorities for
UK Archives 2005-2010
Giving Value - Funding priorities for UK Archives 2005-2010
Contents
Foreword
2
3.0 Context – The Last Five Years
1.0 Executive Summary
4
2.0 Five Key Priority Areas for 2005-2010
6
2.1 Online Access
2.1.1 Development of the National Archives Network
(including supporting the retro-conversion and
revision of paper catalogues)
2.1.2 Increasing digitisation of archival material
2.1.3 Promoting e-learning
7
3.1 The Archive Domain
3.1.1 Museums, Libraries and Archives Council
3.1.2 The National Archives
2.2 Engaging New Audiences
2.2.1 Delivering outreach services
2.2.2 Addressing social exclusion
2.2.3 Development of, and partnership with,
Community Archives
2.2.4 Developing innovative uses of archives to deliver
formal and informal education
2.2.5 Improving marketing of archive services
2.2.6 Developing a more diverse workforce
9
2.3 Sustainable Development
2.3.1 New buildings and capital improvements
2.3.2 Improving the preservation of archives
2.3.3 Ensuring appropriate developments in
electronic preservation
2.3.4 Improving the skills of the workforce
2.3.5 Encouraging the involvement and training
of volunteers
2.3.6 Capacity building in the archive domain
2.3.7 Collections Development
12
2.4 Interpretation
2.4.1 Supporting new cataloguing
2.4.2 Creation of high-quality exhibitions
16
3.2 Regionalisation
3.2.1 Regional cultural consortia
3.2.2 Development of regional archive strategies
3.2.3 Regional Agencies for Museums, Libraries
and Archives
3.2.4 Heritage Lottery Fund
20
3.3 Legislative changes impacting on the domain
3.3.1 Freedom of Information Act, 2000
3.3.2 Proposed records management and
archive legislation
21
3.4 The Funding Picture
3.4.1 Core funding
3.4.2 Non-core funding
21
3.5 User Trends
3.5.1 PSQG National Visitors Survey
3.5.2 Archive Awareness Campaign
3.5.3 Popular history in the media
3.5.4 Internet Usage
3.5.5 Government agendas
3.5.6 Cross-domain working
23
Appendix A
Chronology of Change
2.5 Excellence and Innovation
17
2.5.1 Development of centres of expertise
2.5.2 Encouraging and developing cross-domain working
2.5.3 Trialing new ideas
19
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1
2
The National Council on Archives
Foreword
This paper seeks to summarise for funders the
National Council on Archives’ (NCA) priorities
for archive development in the UK over the
next five years.
It builds on a range of policy and strategy publications issued by the
NCA and other key strategic agencies involved in supporting archives
in the UK. It has been agreed by the member bodies of the Council,
listed below, as their common view of the profession’s priorities and
supersedes British Archives: The Way Forward issued by the NCA in 1999.
The National Council on Archives was established in 1988 to bring
together the major bodies and organisations, including service providers,
users, owners and policy makers, across the UK concerned with archives
and their use. It aims to develop consensus on matters of mutual concern
and provide an authoritative common voice for the archival community.
Its membership includes:
Archives Council Wales
Association of Chief Archivists in Local Government
Association for Manuscripts and Archives in Research Collections
British Association for Local History
British Records Association
Business Archives Council
Consortium of University Research Libraries
Federation of Family History Societies
Film Archives Forum
Royal Historical Society
Scottish Council on Archives
Scottish Records Association
Society of Archivists
Standing Conference of National and University Libraries
Giving Value - Funding priorities for UK Archives 2005-2010
Observers include:
Advisory Council on Public Records
British Library
CyMAL (Amgueddfeydd, Archifau a Llyfrgelloedd Cymru / Museums,
Archives and Libraries Wales)
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Forum for Archive and Records Management Education and Research
Local Government Association
MLA (The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council)
National Archives of Scotland
National Preservation Office
The National Archives
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland
Our hope is that this document will:
• Assist governing bodies and core funders, funding bodies, trusts and
other grant-giving organisations in considering the current priorities
within the archive domain.
• Highlight the NCA’s view on the most appropriate ways for funders
to support the preservation of, and access to, archival materials in
order to ensure real infra-structural benefits and capacity building
for the domain.
A supplementary document entitled A Guide to Giving Value will
advise the archive domain in assessing how their priorities fit into
the strategies of a range of funders and how best to access funding
from these bodies.
November 2005
3
4
The National Council on Archives
1.0 Executive Summary
The NCA seeks to highlight five areas
of priority for funding over the next
five years (2005-2010).
Excellence and
Innovation
Interpretation
Online Access
Engaging New
Audiences
Sustainable
Development
2.1 Online Access
2.2 Engaging New Audiences
2.3 Sustainable Development
2.4 Interpretation
2.5 Excellence and Innovation
1.1 Key Priorities for the Archive Domain
The NCA considers that there are significant risks inherent in the ongoing
failure of many organisations to provide sufficient core-funding to
address these areas. The NCA calls on core funders properly to address
the funding gap to meet the demand for new services and rectify
problems created by chronic under investment. The NCA would
encourage external funding bodies to allocate funds in accordance
with these priorities as part of their own strategic activities within
the archive domain.
Within this report, each priority area has been broken down into
activity strands, with illustrative case studies. Whilst these strands
highlight the benefits of particular areas of activity as related to the
development of archive services, it is important that the funding is
directed into all these interlocking priority areas in order to provide
the users with archive services fit for the 21st century. These activity
strands are as follows:
1 Online Access
• Development of the National Archives Network (including supporting
the retro-conversion and revision of paper catalogues)
• Increasing digitisation of archival material
• Promoting e-learning
2
•
•
•
•
Engaging New Audiences
Delivering outreach services
Addressing social exclusion
Development of, and partnership with, community archives
Developing innovative uses of archives to deliver formal and
informal education
• Improving marketing of archive services
• Developing a more diverse workforce
3
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Sustainable Development
New buildings and capital improvements
Improving the preservation of archives
Ensuring appropriate developments in electronic preservation
Improving the skills of the workforce
Encouraging the involvement and training of volunteers
Capacity building in the archive domain
Collections Development
4 Interpretation
• Supporting new cataloguing
• Creation of high-quality exhibitions
5
•
•
•
Excellence and Innovation
Development of centres of expertise
Encouraging and developing of cross-domain working
Trialing new ideas
Giving Value - Funding priorities for UK Archives 2005-2010
1.2 Context
The five years since the publication of British Archives: The Way Forward
have seen significant changes in the strategic landscape for the archive
domain at both national and regional levels, as well as legislative
changes that have impacted on, and will continue to affect, archive
services. In addition, user numbers have increased over the period
both through on-site visits and virtual usage. User and government
expectations for the many ways in which archives can be accessed
and exploited has been raised and whilst there have been exciting
projects showcasing new methods of access, funding to embed these
activities into the mainstream of archive services remains illusive. At
the same time archives continue to battle with ongoing problems
surrounding the storage and conservation of their collections, as well
as new concerns surrounding the preservation of digital media.
Some specific points that are relevant to considering the context
within which UK archives are operating are:
• Major strategic changes in the sector including the creation of the
Museums, Libraries and Archives Council and its regional agencies as
well as the formation of The National Archives, bringing together the
Public Record Office and the Historical Manuscripts Commission.
• Demands on delivery of archive services are being increased by
Freedom of Information legislation and by government agendas
to tackle social exclusion, encourage regeneration, improve lifelong
learning opportunities and basic skills training, and generally promote
cultural entitlement issues.
• User demand is rising exponentially, and has resulted from the
raising of the profile of archives through the media, particularly in
respect of family history research. Meanwhile, access to the internet
has revolutionised the way many users access archival material.
• The NCA recognises the enormous role that external funders have
made over the last five years with over £62 million going into the
archive domain, with a further £52 million going into schemes
supporting both archives and libraries.
The challenge over the next five years is to maintain and improve
services within a changing landscape. For example, the lead up to
the London 2012 Olympics has the potential to have a significant
impact upon the heritage sector as a whole, drawing potential
volunteers and funding away from the sector. We are looking to
all those with an interest in supporting archives to continue their
commitment to funding the UK’s rich pattern of archive repositories.
5
2.0 Five Key Priority Areas for 2005-2010
2.1 Online Access
2.2 Engaging New Audiences
2.3 Sustainable Development
2.4 Interpretation
2.5 Excellence and Innovation
Giving Value - Funding priorities for UK Archives 2005-2010
2.1 Online Access
2.1.1 Development of the National Archives Network
(including supporting the retro-conversion and
revision of paper catalogues)
CASE STUDY
aUK: connecting archives
aUK is a groundbreaking new programme that
will revolutionise online access to archives. The
programme will centre on a powerful new search
engine to connect all of the UK’s archives. It will
promote the development and digitisation of new
archival content, taken from both official records
and different kinds of community and independent
archives. And it will set new technological standards
with a focus on improving interoperability standards
and initiating a new strategy for the hosting of
the UK’s online archives. The programme is being
led by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council,
the National Council on Archives, the National
Library of Wales, the National Archives of Scotland,
the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland and
The National Archives.
The idea of a National Archives Network was developed in the NCA
publication, Archives Online published in 19981. In 2002 The National
Council on Archives and National Archives Network User Research Group
(NANURG) collaborated on qualitative evaluation of the four archive
strands of the National Archives Network; A2A, AIM25, Archives Hub
and SCAN. This was published as National Council on Archives and
National Archives Network User Research Group (NANURG) - User
Evaluation: Report of Findings, March 2002. A year later the NCA
co-ordinated the development of an interoperability protocol between
the major online archive networks. The development of the National
Archives Network was the key recommendation of the Archives Task
Force. The NCA continues to fully support the notion of an online
network delivering archive catalogues and digitised archive sources as
a crucial component to unlocking access to the UK’s archives. Online
access is the most effective way to tap into a growth in general interest
in history with 1 in 5 people in the UK having used the internet to look
up a historical subject2.
CASE STUDY
South West Access All Areas
Poster design: www.sharkfinmedia.com
In order to provide comprehensive online access there has been
significant demand to convert existing paper catalogues into electronic
format and the Access to Archives (A2A) scheme in England, begun in
2000, has been a very positive achievement in this area. In addition,
many older catalogues within archive repositories need to be revised
to conform to international cataloguing standards (ISAD(G)) so that
they can be effectively cross-searched. Additional finding aids are also
essential to unlock access to particular types of records, for example
material of particular relevance to family historians featuring information
regarding named individuals may require detailed indexing. As with new
cataloguing, the NCA endorses the key nature of this work to improve
and enhance access to collections.
Linkage with previous strategic recommendations
Archives Task Force: Recommendation One Action 1 and 4
British Archives - The Way Forward: Focus Area One, Two and Four
South West Access All Areas
is one of a range of projects
supported by the Heritage
Lottery Fund which include
the retro-conversion of
existing catalogues, i.e.
the conversion of paper
catalogues into electronic
form, so that they can be
searched via the A2A database - www.a2a.org.uk.
This project, led by Cornwall Record Office, but
with a range of local authority partners, means
that at its completion almost all the catalogues
of collections in the South West will be available
to search online.
Photo: Poster promoting South West Access All Areas
Linkage with previous strategic recommendations
Archives Task Force: Recommendation One Action 1 and 4
British Archives - The Way Forward: Focus Area One, Two and Four
1
2
All NCA publications referenced in this report can be viewed at
http://www.ncaonline.co.uk/pubs.html
Non-Archive Users Survey: Omnibus Study, MORI June 2003
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The National Council on Archives
2.1 Online Access continued
2.1.2 Increasing digitisation of archival material
User feedback demonstrates a growing demand for users to be able to
access digital reproductions of material held in archives via the internet.
There were 30 million visits to the 1901 census on the day of its launch
in January 2002, more than the total visits to the National Museum
and Galleries funded by DCMS in the year 2001/2. Providing online
access to digitised images, in conjunction with searchable catalogues,
makes using archive websites a quality visitor experience in its own
right. For example users of The National Archives’ website on average
look at over 9 pages per visit in comparison with just over 2 pages
for the 24 hour Museum. The development of technical standards
for digitisation within the domain and improvements in technology
mean that digitisation can also have significant preservation benefits
in reducing the need for access to original materials. The NCA fully
endorses the aims of the domain to increase the amount of records
available in digitised form.
CASE STUDY
Scottish Documents
The Scottish Archive
Network, a partnership of the
National Archives of Scotland,
the Heritage Lottery Fund, and
the Genealogical Society of
Utah, has created Scottish
Documents online
www.scottishdocuments.com. This site aims to
provide access to digitised records from Scottish
archives. The project has allowed the partners
to create a single website providing a fully
searchable index of over 600,000 Scottish wills
and testaments dating from 1500 to 1901.
It enables the user to purchase online digital
images of documents. The site also includes
research tools, such as a handwriting guide.
Photo: Testament of John Barronn, whisky (‘aquavitie’) maker in Montrose,
1632 (National Archives of Scotland, Brechin Commissary Court Register
of Testaments, CC3/3/5 p.193)
Linkage with previous strategic recommendations
Archives Task Force: Recommendation One Action 3
2.1.3 Promoting e-learning
The use of digitised archive materials has allowed the domain to begin
to deliver more sophisticated learning resources for a range of audiences
from formal curriculum-based teaching tools through to products
designed for life-long learners. The integration of digitised photographs,
documents, maps, sound and film with appropriate web technology
has enabled the development of learning tools that can not only provide
a greater understanding of historical context but also encourage improved
ICT, literacy and numeracy skills. The NCA believes that the funding of
e-learning resources is an important part of the overall goal to achieve
greater online access to archives.
CASE STUDY
emsource
emsource is a project
funded by EMRAC
(East Midlands Regional
Archive Council) and
EMMLAC (East Midlands
Museums, Libraries and
Archives Council). It aims to raise awareness of and
promote the use of archives for learning. The project
has created a website www.emsource.org.uk with
source material from thirteen collections in the
East Midlands. This material is the focus for five
learning topics about the Second World War. In
addition to this website, the project also conducts
research into the use of archives within formal
education and runs training events for teachers
and archivists.
Photo: Advertisement Board produced for Nottingham Egg Week
Linkage with previous strategic recommendations
Archives Task Force: Recommendation One Action 5 and
Recommendation Three Action 2
Giving Value - Funding priorities for UK Archives 2005-2010
2.2 Engaging New Audiences
2.2.1 Delivering outreach services
The demands of delivering core visitor services have meant that archives
have often remained reliant upon encouraging new users to visit
repositories in order to develop audiences. This has tended to mean
that increased audiences have a similar demographic profile to existing
users3. The Non-Archive Users Survey: Omnibus Study, MORI June 2003
showed that a key barrier for use was the perception that ‘archives
are not relevant to me’. It is therefore important for archive services
to create imaginative approaches to audience development. Despite
staffing and financial constraints, the domain has begun to build upon
some of the experiences of the broader heritage sector in attempting
to go out to deliver services to new audiences in new locations. The
NCA fully supports national, regional and local initiatives to improve
archive outreach services.
CASE STUDY
Legacy Project
Tyne and Wear Archive Service
Legacy Project, funded by
Heritage Lottery Fund, is a
project aimed at addressing the
need to promote the archive
service to Tyne and Wear's
ethnically diverse communities,
and to collect appropriate records reflecting their
role in the region. Through partnership with
community organisations the Legacy Project is
delivering a range of outreach activities, such as
open days, workshops, and education work with
the writers' group 'Identity on Tyne'. In 2006 the
Legacy website will be launched and further
outreach work will be expanded in conjunction
with appropriate community events in the region.
Photo: Two men (unidentified) photographed by Roland Park, during
the Clive Street Clearances in North Shields, 1933
Linkage with previous strategic recommendations
Archives Task Force: Recommendation Four Action 1
2.2.2 Addressing social exclusion
Publicly funded archives have a duty to consider addressing issues that
might make specific groups or individuals feel excluded from the services
they provide. In addition archives are rich resources of materials that
can be used in a whole range of ways to assist with the broader social
inclusion agenda, from the use of archival material as a focus for
reminiscence groups for the elderly, through ‘sense of place’ projects
that attempt to develop community cohesion in regeneration areas,
to training programmes designed to assist the long-term unemployed
to develop new skills. The NCA publication Taking Part - An audit of
social inclusion work in archives, 2001, illustrated the beginnings of
the work of the domain in this area, and the NCA would encourage
funders to consider increasing both project grants and sustainable
core funding into this area.
CASE STUDY
There be Monsters
There be Monsters was a project
run by The National Archives,
funded by the Heritage Lottery
Fund. The project involved around
15 people from a group called
Workshop & Co, and the participants have a range
of mental health issues. The project used the map
collection to stimulate creative responses to the
drawings and representations of mythical figures
contained in them. Following introductory sessions
on the role of archives and conservation, the
participants created a series of designs and
papier-mâché models of their own interpretation
of what they have seen on the maps. A design
was then chosen for the group to work up into
a full-scale version. The final piece of art has been
installed within the grounds of The National
Archives.
Photo: 'There Be Monsters globe' in situ at The National Archives, Kew
3
For an analysis of archive users see the PSQG National Visitors Survey
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives/psqg
Linkage with previous strategic recommendations
Archives Task Force: Recommendation Four Action 1
and Recommendation Two Action 3
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The National Council on Archives
2.2 Engaging New Audiences continued
2.2.3 Development of, and partnership with,
Community Archives
The ‘formal’ archive domain is increasingly working in co-operation with
the grass roots community archives that have proliferated over the last
ten years. In addition archives are working with existing community
groups supporting and providing appropriate expertise to encourage
them to develop and co-ordinate the creation of their own archives. The
publication of the Community Access to Archives (CAAP) Best Practice
Model, 20044 is a model for future development that encourages and
empowers the involvement of community groups in archives, whilst
addressing some of the issues of longer term sustainability and collection
care that have been raised by the significant input of funding into this
area, in particular by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The NCA, a partner in
the CAAP project, welcomes further developments in this area and has
been playing a lead role in the creation of the Community Archives
Development Group (CADG).
2.2.4 Developing innovative uses of archives to
deliver formal and informal education
Archives can provide source material for the whole range of formal
and informal study. In many ways, however, they have remained a
remarkable untapped resource outside the higher education sector.
This is partly due to the lack of formal education skills within the
profession. For example there are only 15.5 (full time equivalent)
archive education officers employed in local authority archives in
England and Wales. To address this skills and staffing shortage, the
profession has worked with fellow heritage partners and with teachers
and educators to develop education projects. The Inspiring Learning
for All framework5 launched in 2004, is a welcome new addition to
help developments in this area. It provides a simple framework for
developing learning activities and measuring outcomes, which has
been created for use by archives, museums and libraries. Although
there has been a significant emphasis on e-learning, archives have
also been working closely with primary and secondary school children,
the higher education sector and life-learning learners to encourage
greater use of archive resources. The NCA is keen to ensure that the
development of educational provision within the domain includes
all aspects of formal and informal learning and the development of
resources both in archive services and as part of outreach programmes.
CASE STUDY
Comm@net
Comm@net
(www.commanet.org)
is a not for profit
organisation that
promotes and supports
community archives and
facilitates community ownership. It developed
out of a project in Batley, West Yorkshire in 1994.
The Comm@net software is now used by over
250 groups across the country, many of whom
have received funding via the Lottery’s Awards
for All scheme.
Photo: 1st Battalion detachment Batley Volunteers Boer War, 1900
Linkage with previous strategic recommendations
Archives Task Force: Recommendation Four Action 1
CASE STUDY
Education Through Football
Education Through
Football is a programme
run by Westminster
Council in conjunction
with Chelsea Football
Club. The programme focuses on the history,
literacy and citizenship curriculum for primary
school children. It demonstrates how archival
sources can be incorporated into wide ranging
and imaginative learning programmes. In addition
to looking at material from the City of Westminster
Archives, the first phase of the programme included
creative writing workshops for the children run by
the author Michael Morpurgo plus opportunities
to meet Chelsea Pensioners and an ex-Chelsea
player. The programme has received funding from
a range of sources including the National Literacy
Trust, Chelsea Football Club and London’s Museums,
Archives and Libraries.
Photo: Roy Bentley, former Chelsea captain from their 1955 Championship
team, with a Westminster pupil at the Education through Football Christmas
party with Chelsea Pensioner, Sgt Anthony Tremarco, in the background
Linkage with previous strategic recommendations
Archives Task Force: Recommendation Two Action 3,
Recommendation Three Action 1 and 2,
and Recommendation Five Action 2
4
Available http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/partnerprojects/caap/documents.htm
5
http://www.inspiringlearningforall.org.uk
Giving Value - Funding priorities for UK Archives 2005-2010
2.2.5 Improving marketing of archive services
Most archives have suffered from a lack of ring-fenced funding for
marketing their services and have been forced to rely upon minimal
publicity via website presence and basic information literature. The
importance of marketing as key to audience development often remains
unacknowledged by core and non-core funders alike. The domain as
a whole demonstrates that when opportunities arise they can make
use of marketing opportunities, as has been illustrated with Archive
Awareness Campaign activities and tie-in promotion with the BBC’s
2004 ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ series. The NCA is continuing to
co-ordinate the profile raising of archives at a national level, but is
looking to core funders and grant-giving bodies to assist in imaginative
marketing strategies at national, regional and local level.
CASE STUDY
Marketing Archives to New Audiences
Marketing Archives to New Audiences is
a project funded by SEMLAC’s Major Grants
Programme. The Museum of English Rural Life
at the University of Reading and Berkshire
Record Office are working together to develop
and implement a joint marketing scheme.
The scheme will focus on promoting the
collections and services of the two organisations
to leisure and higher education users.
Photo: Looking round an exhibition at Berkshire Record Office
Linkage with previous strategic recommendations
Archives Task Force: Recommendation Two Action 1
2.2.6 Developing a more diverse workforce
There is a surprising lack of information regarding the characteristics
of archive staff, however it is clear that the profession finds it difficult
to attract entrants from minority ethnic communities and from a broad
socio-economic background6. Archives need to address this issue in the
short and longer term. Developing a more diverse workforce will have
benefits to employers, and the profession in general, in being able to tap
into a wealth of different experiences and skills. However, the issue is
also significant in terms of audience development. The make-up of the
staffing of institutions is often seen as a cultural barrier, confirming
perceptions that the service is ‘not for the likes of us’. Whilst the domain
as a whole needs to address these issues in strategic ways, by bringing
together employers, strategic agencies, training providers, and professional
bodies, there is scope for individual projects and organisations to
implement short-term measures to improve the current situation.
The NCA would fully endorse any attempts of core and non-core
funders to address these issues.
CASE STUDY
Connecting Histories
Connecting Histories
is a project run by
Birmingham City
Archives in partnership
with the Black Pasts,
Birmingham Futures
group, the School of
Education at the University of Birmingham and
the Sociology Department at the University of
Warwick. The project, funded by the Heritage
Lottery Fund, to catalogue and digitise culturally
diverse collections and develop e-learning packages,
includes amongst the project staffing two positive
action trainees who will qualify as professional
archivists at the end of the project.
Photo: Izzy Mohammed, Community Access Officer for the Connecting
Histories project, at the Celebrating Sanctuary launch for Refugee Week
in Birmingham June 2005
Linkage with previous strategic recommendations
Archives Task Force: Recommendation Seven Action 5
6
For a detailed analysis of the issues surrounding entrance into the profession see Joint NCA/MLA Archives
Workforce Study, March 2004 http://www.ncaonline.org.uk/materials/trainingreview.pdf
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The National Council on Archives
2.3 Sustainable Development
2.3.1 New buildings and capital improvements
British Archives: The Way Forward spoke of how ‘The archival profession
has… had to cope with often sub-standard accommodation where the
lack of external elegance is depressingly consistent with the frequently
unsuitable, cramped, insecure and environmentally hostile internal
conditions in which they are stored and consulted’. In the last few years
there have been some exciting new archive building projects from the
Devon Record Office to the new Shetland Museum and Archives, due
to open in 2006. However, the number of major development schemes
continues to fall well short of the needs of the archives domain, whilst
the twin pressures of pro-active collecting and improving onsite visitor
services are ever increasing. Providing good archival services is a complex
task, requiring storage areas compliant with BS5454:2000 and service
delivery areas that comply with public service standards, including
newly enacted legislation, such as the Disability Discrimination Act, 1995.
The NCA strongly recommends core funders consider the long term
issues surrounding archive provision and would encourage grant giving
bodies to support both new builds and improvement to existing service
facilities. It is also important for core funders to recognise that capital
improvements may have an impact on running costs.
CASE STUDY
Norfolk Record Office
Norfolk Record
Office is now
housed in a
new £7.1 million
Archive Centre
adjacent to
County Hall in
Norwich. Its construction and fit out were funded
in part by the Heritage Lottery Fund and building
began in 2001. The Archive Centre opened to the
public in November 2003 and was officially opened
by the Queen on 5 February 2004. It contains the
Norfolk Record Office, the East Anglian Film Archive
and the new Norfolk Sound Archive. The centre
includes a purpose built gallery, and a secure and
temperature-controlled repository. The development
of the new centre has had a knock-on effect of
encouraging further deposits and increasing visitor
numbers.
Photo: The Archive Centre: external view, showing the repository and
the exterior of the Norfolk Record Office's conservation studio
Linkage with previous strategic recommendations
British Archives – The Way Forward: Focus Area Three
2.3.2 Improving the preservation of archives
Preservation measures and interventive conservation are key to the
long-term future of archives and to enabling access to materials in
the short term. Too often pressures to open up access to archives have
failed to take into account the importance of ensuring the integrity
of the original materials. However, where funding for conservation is
available, the work itself has often become integral to the interpretation
and celebration of archive materials, and can further enhance public
engagement with the records. Many archive services are forced to
survive without a specific budget set aside for interventive conservation
and are therefore solely reliant upon basic preservation measures to
ensure the long-term protection of the collections. It is important that
conservation work is prioritised by repositories and equally important
that it is seen in the context of creating generally appropriate storage
conditions (see 2.3.1). The NCA welcomes the continued support of
grant-giving bodies in this area and seeks to encourage core funders
to allocate appropriate ring-fenced funding to these activities.
CASE STUDY
Dick Peddie & McKay Collection
The Dick Peddie
& McKay Collection
was acquired in
1999 by the Royal
Commission on
the Ancient and
Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS),
with a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The
grant enabled 550 drawings to undergo detailed
conservation treatment alongside a larger RCAHMS
project entitled ‘The Scottish Architects’ Papers
Preservation Project’. This conservation work has
enabled the use of the papers for a range of
educational purposes. In addition, the collection
has since been consulted by Historic Scotland and
architects working to reconstruct Morgan Academy
in Dundee that was destroyed by fire in 2001.
Photo: Edinburgh, Caledonian Hotel, 1897 (SC672038)
Linkage with previous strategic recommendations
British Archives – The Way Forward: Focus Area Four
Giving Value - Funding priorities for UK Archives 2005-2010
2.3.3 Ensuring appropriate developments in
electronic preservation
‘Born digital’ and digitised materials provide a new challenge to the
domain. Electronic records are a reality in 21st century Britain with
distinct characteristics that archives must be able to deal with. There are
complex issues that need to be addressed to ensure the safekeeping
of these records and The Digital Preservation Coalition was set up in
2001 to co-ordinate action. The NCA is co-ordinating a working group
of key partners on digital preservation which is producing a digital
preservation handbook and advocacy document in autumn 2005.
There is a danger that funders consider these records to be too ‘new’
to warrant a substantial outlay of resources to ensure their preservation.
However, the nature of these materials mean that there are important
preservation issues to be considered from their creation, such as whether
information needs to be migrated from proprietary software to open
standards and what are the best storage methods for the materials in
the short and longer term.
Establishing basic capacity to achieve this is clearly an issue for core
funders. There have been some positive steps forward, for example in
2004 The Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) awarded grants
of over £1 million to nine UK educational institutions and their partners
to support digital preservation in higher and further education, however
there is scope for much more work to be done. The NCA would welcome
further additional funding into the domain to address these issues and
to demonstrate commitment to preserving current records for posterity.
2.3.4 Improving the skills of the workforce
As part of the evidence gathering for the Archives Task Force, the NCA
jointly commissioned with the MLA a workforce study7. MLA has also
published a workforce strategy which covers the whole museums,
libraries and archives sector. As is evident from this list of key priorities,
the core activities of a 21st century archive are very different to those
many professionals were traditionally trained to deliver. A whole new
range of IT, interpretation, outreach and marketing skills are required,
whilst maintaining the high level of professional training in traditional
archive and conservation skills. Work at a regional and local level that
can complement and feed into national initiatives is very much
welcomed by the NCA.
CASE STUDY
The ‘Digital Fridge’
The National Archives’ Digital Archive was
launched in 2003. Its holdings include the records
of a number of high-profile public inquiries,
departmental websites, and the records of
parliamentary committees and royal commissions.
Electronic records can exist in an enormous variety
of formats, including office-suite documents,
applications, databases, virtual-reality models and
audio-visual material. The service not only enables
access to these materials but also preserves
born-digital public records by safeguarding them
against technological obsolescence - keeping them
'fresh' for future generations. The Digital Archive
is an innovation award winner. Records held in
the Digital Archive are now available on the web
via Electronic Records Online, allowing access to
readers around the world.
Linkage with previous strategic recommendations
Archives Task Force: Recommendation Six Action 2
CASE STUDY
Archive Apprentice Framework
Archive Apprentice Framework is a
project being piloted by YMLAC, the regional
development agency for museums, libraries and
archives in Yorkshire, in 2005. The aim is to provide
apprenticeships at five archives for individuals with
no formal archive qualifications. A structured training
programme will lead to an accredited qualification.
The apprenticeship will be delivered through a
partnership between the employer, appropriate
higher education institutions and YMLAC.
Linkage with previous strategic recommendations
Archives Task Force: Recommendation Seven Action 5
7
Joint NCA/MLA Archives Workforce Study, Mar 2004
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The National Council on Archives
2.3 Sustainable Development continued
2.3.5 Encouraging the involvement and
training of volunteers
Archives have a long tradition of using volunteers to assist in the
development of improved services and in collection care, through
formally constituted Friends’ groups, work placements and dedicated
individuals. Increasingly there is an emphasis on bringing in new
types of volunteers and providing more structured volunteering
opportunities and training. The NCA is keen to encourage the
development of volunteer support to archives to complement
general workforce skills development issues and to increase active
participation in the domain.
CASE STUDY
A Place in the Sun
A Place in the Sun
is a project, run by
the London Archive
Users Forum, and
funded by the
Heritage Lottery Fund,
Guildhall Library and Awards for All. A team of
volunteers is indexing hundreds of volumes of
insurance policies issued by the Sun Insurance
Office in the period from 1710 to 1863.
The policies cover many fascinating aspects of
London life and are being indexed by people,
places and occupations. The index, created by
trained volunteers using laptops in the Guildhall
Library Manuscripts Section, is available online
as part of the Access to Archives catalogue
(www.a2a.org.uk).
Photo: Detail from Sun Fire Office archives
Linkage with previous strategic recommendations
Archives Task Force: Recommendation Seven Action 4
2.3.6 Capacity building in the archive domain
Whilst there has been a welcome input of additional funding into
the sector by grant-giving bodies, much of this has been to individual
projects. The archive domain is in urgent need of funding to ensure
that the benefits of projects are sustained and that services have the
capacity to mainstream these activities into the core service provision.
The NCA welcomes the aim of grant-giving bodies to ensure projects
have long-term outcomes and would encourage core funders to look
seriously at the evaluation of such projects to consider increasing
long term funding to sustain project benefits and embed new working
methods into core service delivery.
CASE STUDY
Digital Stroud
Digital Stroud was a project to create an interactive
digital resource about Stroud, from the resources
of the partner organisations; Stroud District
Museum Service, Gloucestershire Library Service,
Gloucestershire Record Office, Gloucestershire
Museums, Gloucestershire County Council IT unit,
curriculum and LEA, and Stroud Local History
Society. In addition to funding from all the partners
the project received support from SWMLAC and
the Learning and Skills Council (ESF funding). The
project team worked with a range of organisations,
groups and individuals to commemorate the 700th
anniversary of Stroud in 2004 though an interactive
website and series of adult learning courses. The
project enabled the purchase of equipment and
the recruitment of new staff. The staff that were
involved in the project are now permanently
employed within the partnership.
Linkage with previous strategic recommendations
Archives Task Force: Recommendation Five Action 1
and Recommendation Six Action 1 and 2
Giving Value - Funding priorities for UK Archives 2005-2010
2.3.7 Collections Development
Collecting policies and development are coming under increasing
scrutiny both within individual archives and at a regional and national
level. The need for local government-funded archives to collect materials
that reflect their local communities has already been flagged up as an
issue. The MLA Designation Scheme identifies and celebrates outstanding
collections of national and international importance held in England's
non-National museums, libraries and archives, based on their quality
and significance. This scheme began in 1997 and is being rolled out
to libraries and archives in 2005. It is hoped that the extension of this
scheme will highlight the significance of non-national collections to
funders and public alike. Although there is no evidence that there has
been an increase in nationally important collections being offered for
sale rather than gifted to archive repositories, there is concern that
there has been a reduction in the number of organisations with purchase
budgets. In a recent survey, undertaken by The National Archives, of
over 230 repositories, only 58 confirmed that they had any purchase
budget at all, and of these only 18 had a fund of more than £5000.
In addition there is some concern that online auctions are being used
to sell some archival materials as this form of sale has inherent risks
regarding issues of provenance.
CASE STUDY
Lady Anne Clifford
The Third Set of Lady Anne Clifford’s Great Book
of Record was purchased by the Cumbria Archive
Service in 2004. Funding for the acquisition came
from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Cumbria County
Council’s Eden Local Committee, Curwen Archives
Trust, Appleby-in-Westmorland Society, Clifford
Society, Cumbria Family History Society, Friends of
Cumbria Archive Service and individual donations.
Lady Anne Clifford (1590-1676) spent much of
her life fighting for her right to inherit her estates
in Westmorland and Craven. The result of this
endeavour was the Great Books of Record, part
cartulary, or register, of all the documents relating
to her family and her estates, many of which no
longer survive, part family pedigrees and part
autobiography.
Since the Great Books represented a major
undertaking and Lady Anne wanted frequent
access to them, three sets of these great volumes
were prepared, and kept separately at Appleby
Castle, Skipton Castle and Lincolns Inn. Lady Anne
frequently annotated the Great Books during her
travels and each set is therefore unique. Whilst
two sets were deposited with Cumbria Archive
Service, the third set had previously remained in
private hands. The acquisition also represents the
completion of a unique and continuous record of
the Clifford Estates from 1203 to 1649.
Photo: Lady Anne Clifford's Great Books of Record Book 3 Page 1 Family Tree
Linkage with previous strategic recommendations
Archives Task Force: Recommendation Five Action 5 and
Recommendation Six Action 1
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The National Council on Archives
2.4 Interpretation
2.4.1 Supporting new cataloguing
Cataloguing is essential in order to provide comprehensive access
opportunities, to enable users, from academics to lifelong learners to
choose their own research or learning paths. Cataloguing is also a key
requirement in developing interpretative activities, both online learning
resources and outreach or formal educational benefits – without this
key to a collection the most appropriate materials may not be found.
However, archive collections rarely enter a repository carefully arranged
and listed. It is the task of the professional archivist, often assisted by
support staff and/or volunteers, to create a catalogue of the material
to allow access to the collection. This completed catalogue assists with
security and collections management, provides an opportunity to see
how material relates to parts of the whole, can explain why material
is not extant, and provides the context for the collection through its
administrative history and provenance.
Cataloguing can be time consuming and labour intensive and increasing
emphasis on front line activities in many services has reduced the time
archive staff can spend on these activities, leading to the accumulation
of substantial backlogs. A number of projects have attempted to
estimate the existing backlogs of uncatalogued material. ‘LogJam’ is
a project that aimed to identify, quantify and prioritise uncatalogued
archival collections in the North West. The audit suggested that 29%
of the region’s holdings are uncatalogued and that it would take 299
archivist years and 62 paraprofessional years to eliminate the cataloguing
backlogs. The vital need for cataloguing as part of any development
to improve access to archives is endorsed by the NCA and it welcomes
all commitments by core funders and grant-giving bodies to support
this activity, particularly where it is evidenced by demonstrable user
demand. Whilst it is essential that core funders provide more support
for this activity on an ongoing basis, the fact that cataloguing is a
one-off activity makes it particularly suitable for funding as part of
specific funding streams.
2.4.2 Creation of high-quality exhibitions
The use of physical and online exhibitions is a traditional, but effective
way, to deliver interpreted access to archive materials to a broader
audience. Exhibitions can range from small transportable displays
through to the development of fully designed fixed exhibition areas.
Archives need to raise the standard of their display and presentation
of materials in line with the rest of the heritage sector. To achieve this
archives need both investment in infrastructure and project based funding
support. NCA welcomes the contribution of all types of funders to
this work.
CASE STUDY
Unlocking Neath’s Archival Heritage
Unlocking Neath’s Archival
Heritage is a joint venture
between West Glamorgan
Archive Service and Neath
Antiquarian Society, funded
by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The aim of the project was
for staff from the West Glamorgan Archive Service
to catalogue archive materials held by the Neath
Antiquarian Society at the Neath Mechanics
Institute. The materials will be available for
consultation at the West Glamorgan Archive
Service Neath Archives Access Point. Not only
was the collection previously uncatalogued but
in most cases there was no information on the
provenance, therefore to catalogue and structure
the collection required significant professional skills.
Photo: Front page of document from Neath Antiquarian Society
Linkage with previous strategic recommendations
Archives Task Force: Recommendation Seven Action 3
British Archives – The Way Forward: Focus Area Four
CASE STUDY
The Women’s Library
The Women’s Library opened its new facility
in East London, with funding support from the
Heritage Lottery Fund, in 2002. It has mounted
a series of successful exhibitions in building with
a combination of archive materials and objects.
These have ranged from 'Dirty Linen', an exhibition
exploring women's uneasy and at times obsessive
relationship with cleanliness to ‘Iron Ladies: Women
in Thatcher’s Britain’.
Photo: Art for Votes' Sake exhibition, 2003
Linkage with previous strategic recommendations
Archives Task Force: Recommendation Two Action 1
Giving Value - Funding priorities for UK Archives 2005-2010
2.5 Excellence and Innovation
2.5.1 Development of centres of expertise
The complexity of the archive domain; the range of size of
organisation and governing structures mean that it will never be
possible for all organisations holding archives to excel in all the key
priority areas. To ensure overall levels of improvement in care and
access it is therefore necessary to consider developing centres of
expertise that can provide resources, skills and services to a range
of archive institutions. The regional film archives are significant
examples of centres of excellence in the preservation of, and access
to, moving image collections. Unfortunately these services suffer
from a chronic lack of sustainable revenue funding. In 2004 MLA
funded the publication of Hidden Treasures: The UK Audiovisual
Archive Strategic Framework and the NCA would encourage funders
to support the aims and delivery of the strategy.
CASE STUDY
Yorkshire Film Archive
The Yorkshire Film Archive is an independent
charity based at York St John College. It is
housed in a newly equipped facility funded by
the Heritage Lottery Fund and Yorkshire Forward.
The purpose built premises include temperature
and humidity controlled storage vaults with
specialist facilities for the care of film, video tape
and digital materials, transfer facilities, analogue
and digital formats, editing facilities, specialist
repair and conservation rooms and a public
access viewing room.
Linkage with previous strategic recommendations
Archives Task Force: Recommendation Six Action 2 and
Recommendation Seven Action 1
2.5.2 Encouraging and developing
cross-domain working
The archive domain has acknowledged that it can learn much
from museum and library professionals when considering audience
development. Much of the advice and support the domain has
received from MLA has been through cross-domain initiatives.
For example, MLA’s Disability Portfolio, published in 2004, is a
collection of 12 guides on how best to meet the needs of disabled
people as users and staff. The domain has also benefited in developing
projects with library and museum partners that can draw upon the
strengths of each area. The NCA is keen for funders to support
cross-domain partnerships, particularly those that assist with
capacity building and skills-sharing.
CASE STUDY
‘Write on Fareham!’
‘Write on Fareham!’ was a
project delivered by Hampshire
Record Office and Westbury
Manor Museum, with funding
support from Arts Council
Southeast, and SEMLAC. The aim
of the project was to encourage
diverse new audiences in social history, and to
produce contemporary literature and art with
the aid of a writer-in-residence, using archives and
museum objects as creative as well as informative
resources. Three primary schools in the Fareham
district participated in the project that was led
by an archive education officer, curator and
Judy Waite, childrens’ author.
Photo: An example of student's work
Linkage with previous strategic recommendations
Archives Task Force: Recommendation Three Action 1
and Recommendation Four Action 1
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The National Council on Archives
2.5 Excellence and Innovation continued
2.5.3 Trialing new ideas
Archives are keen to demonstrate a willingness to address technological
changes, developing government agendas and new service delivery
methods. In order to allow archives to innovate, core funders and
grant-giving bodies must be willing to fund projects that are attempting
to trial new ideas. As long as projects can demonstrate in a robust
manner that they are attempting to meet user needs, and they have
a thorough built-in evaluation process, then it is important that the
benefits of potential innovation are balanced against the risks of
limited success. In other words such projects must have permission
to fail. For too long archives have been forced to follow the lead and
example of better-funded sectors and it is important that the practical
skills and knowledge of the sector can be drawn out into delivering
truly amazing new projects.
CASE STUDY
Travelling Archive
Travelling Archive, a project developed by
Time and Place Projects, was the first winner of
the Roots & Wings awards in 2004. Children from
Hackney primary schools formed their own learned
societies and then created an archive for their
society, including rolls of honour, bound journals,
portraits of members, letters and certificates. The
teams then swapped materials and conserved and
catalogued the collections, creating an archive
to make them accessible to friends and parents
and friends. The project included visits by the
children to London Metropolitan Archives.
Linkage with previous strategic recommendations
Archives Task Force: Recommendation Three Action 1
and Recommendation Four Action 1
Giving Value - Funding priorities for UK Archives 2005-2010
3.0 Context - the Last Five Years
In 1998 British Archives – The Way Forward was produced
by The National Council on Archives as a contribution to
shaping the agenda for the development of UK archive
services over the years 1999 to 2004. Particularly aimed
at funding bodies, the report analysed the state of play
in the domain and proposed future goals. A further NCA
publication, Changing the Future of Our Past (2002), made
the case to stakeholders for the importance of archives in
their own right and their relevance within government policy
initiatives from electronic government to education and
learning. Since the publication of these two documents there
have been a range of successful projects and programmes
that have further demonstrated this case and can be built
upon in the short and long-term. In addition significant
structural and legislative change in the heritage sector and
beyond, have had an impact upon archival provision, and
will continue to do so, over the next five years.
This section outlines some of these key aspects of change
and impact, providing a context for the five key priority
areas that NCA is highlighting for future development.
3.1 The Archive Domain
The archive domain in the United Kingdom is complex in
size and coverage. Within the umbrella of the archive domain
are organisations dedicated to the preservation and access
of archives, such as the national and county archive services;
organisations that make records available as part of their
total function such as university repositories; organisations
that make their own archives available such as a number
of businesses, charities and professional bodies and records
held in private hands. The Archon Directory, maintained by
The National Archives, lists over 2,200 archives, libraries
and other record holding institutions throughout the
United Kingdom. In addition to this ‘formal’ sector there is
an increasingly active community archive sector, with over
200 groups across the country. In the past there has been
little national co-ordination within the domain, other than
through professional bodies and the work of the National
Council on Archives itself.
8
IDAC includes representatives from the government bodies The National
Archives, National Archives of Scotland, Public Record Office of Northern
Ireland, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Department for Culture, Media
and Sport, The Department for Education and Skills, Scottish Executive,
National Assembly for Wales and Cymal: Museums Archives and Libraries
Wales. As well as expert advisers from Museums, Libraries and Archives
Council, National Council on Archives and The British Library.
3.1.1 Museums, Libraries and Archives Council
The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA)
was created in April 2000 (under the name Resource)
as a non-departmental public body, sponsored by the
Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS). MLA
replaced predecessor bodies concerned with the co-ordination
and development of libraries and museums, but this was
the first time that the DCMS had funded a body concerned
with advocacy for, and strategic development of, the English
archive domain as a whole. The creation of MLA emphasised
the synergies between the work of museums, libraries and
archives and has encouraged the archive domain to work
with its cultural partners; sharing experiences of best practice,
developing projects and programmes in partnership, and
jointly addressing new government agendas such as social
inclusion and basic skills provision. In 2001 MLA produced
a document called Developing the 21st Century Archive: An
Action Plan for UK Archives outlining initial actions within the
domain for the new agency. In 2002 MLA was invited by
the DCMS to establish the Archives Task Force. The report
of the Archives Task Force was published in 2004 under
the title Listening to the Past, Speaking to the Future. The
recommendations of this report will become the basis
for an action plan that is being developed by the UK
Inter-departmental Archive Committee (IDAC)8. Many of
the recommendations will be taken forward by MLA in its
Archives Development Plan, one of the delivery strands of
the IDAC report.
3.1.2 The National Archives
Following an announcement in Parliament in July 2002,
The National Archives (covering England, Wales and the
UK government) was formed in April 2003 by bringing
together the Public Record Office (PRO) and the Historical
Manuscripts Commission (HMC). The National Archives
operates under the responsibility of the Lord Chancellor.
The creation of The National Archives has allowed for a
greater central coherence, and the development of national
advisory services for archives building on the expertise of
both the HMC and PRO inspection services. It has also
allowed The National Archives to provide capacity building
for the domain through the central management or lead
partner status in projects such as Access to Archives (A2A),
an online catalogue of English archive collections; and to
develop models for best practice such as in the area of
digital preservation.
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The National Council on Archives
3.0 Context - the Last Five Years continued
3.2 Regionalisation
The last five years have seen increasing moves, encouraged
by the government’s devolution agenda, to look at the
delivery of services in regional contexts to develop better
partnership working, engage with regional priorities, and
encourage a sense of local accountability. However, following
the rejection of the proposal to establish an elected regional
assembly in the North East, in the referendum of November
2004, a future of increased regionalisation seems less certain.
Nevertheless an emphasis on strategic partnership working
will continue to have an impact both regionally, and via the
establishment of Local Area Agreements.
3.2.1 Regional cultural consortia
In 1999 the Department of Culture, Media and Sport
instigated the creation of regional cultural consortia in
England. Eight cultural consortia have been developed
(the Cultural Strategy Group for London has a similar
remit in London) and have published regional cultural
strategies. These strategies tie the work of archives into
a broader cultural context.
3.2.2 Development of regional
archive strategies
The regional archive strategies produced by the English
Regional Archive Councils, and the Archives Council Wales
between 2000-2001, attempting to provide for the first time
a comprehensive framework for action for the archives
domain across Great Britain. The regional archive councils
were set up by the NCA in 2000 by invitation of the DCMS
and with support from MLA. In 2001 the NCA published a
summary of most of these strategies in Archives in the Regions:
An Overview of the English Regional Archive Strategies. The
Scottish Council on Archives was set up in 2002 and will
shortly publish its own strategy.
3.2.3 Regional Agencies for Museums,
Libraries and Archives
In England much of the delivery of the regional archive
strategies has been achieved by the regional agencies
for museums, libraries and archives. Archives are also
contributing to cross-domain developments steered
either nationally (e.g. use of the ‘Inspiring Learning for
All’ framework), or addressing regional priorities. The nine
English Regional Agencies in each Government Office region
are core-funded by the Museums, Libraries and Archives
Council (MLA). The agencies deliver strategic programmes
based on a shared corporate planning framework with MLA.
This structure is currently being consolidated as part of a
major Organisational Development Programme in order
to create a more co-ordinated structure. In April 2004 the
Welsh Assembly Government established CyMAL: Museums
Archives and Libraries Wales, which has taken on similar
duties to the English regional agencies. In Scotland the
Cultural Commission has recently issued its final report
“Our Next Major Enterprise..” which will have an impact
on archives in Scotland, if its recommendations regarding
strategy and delivery within the cultural sector are taken
forward by the Scottish Executive.
3.2.4 Heritage Lottery Fund
Following a strategic review, the Heritage Lottery Fund
(HLF) also set up separate committees in Northern Ireland,
Scotland, Wales and each of the nine regions of England in
2001. The members of these regional committees make
decisions on Heritage Lottery Fund grant requests of up
to £2 million in their particular area, based on regional
priorities. The creation of the committees also aims to
ensure an equitable geographic spread of grant recipients.
Giving Value - Funding priorities for UK Archives 2005-2010
3.3 Legislative changes impacting
on the domain
3.3.1 Freedom of Information Act, 2000
From 1 January 2005 the Freedom of Information Act
gives individuals a right of access to information held by
English, Welsh and Northern Irish public authorities, for
example central and local government, police authorities and
the National Health Service. The Freedom of Information
(Scotland) Act, 2002 gives similar rights in Scotland. Public
authorities must tell an applicant (i.e. the person making a
request) if they hold the information. If they do, they must
provide the information unless it is subject to one of the
exemptions within the Act. The run-up to full implementation
of the Act saw an increase in local authorities and other
public bodies appointing records managers to assist in
managing the delivery of publication schemes and developing
internal systems for delivering compliance. The Act applies
retrospectively and thus the Act provides a strong impetus
towards the full cataloguing of archive material held in this
part of the archive domain.
3.3.2 Proposed records management and
archive legislation
In 2003, The National Archives launched a public consultation
on proposed revisions and developments to national records
and archives legislation. The proposal includes a new duty to
create and keep records in accordance with agreed standards
to be set by the Lord Chancellor for central, local and regional
government including provisions regarding digital record
preservation. A new statutory duty for principal local
authorities to provide archive services and the appropriate
monitoring and regulation of these duties were also key parts
of the proposals. The enactment of the latter, in particular,
would have a potentially significant impact on the future
core funding of a substantial part of the domain.
For more information on expenditure see Overview of Data in the Museums, Libraries and
Archive Sector, MLA, 2004 http://www.mla.gov.uk/documents/ev_stats_overview.doc
10 CIPFA's Leisure and Recreation Statistics Estimates series
9
11
CIPFA statistics analysis by Amanda Arrowsmith and Kate Thompson, AKA Partnership
(July 2003), http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives/psqg/cipfa.htm
3.4 The Funding Picture
Some welcome new funding has come into the sector
over the last five years, but the demands on archive
services have grown at least as quickly. Whilst some
services have transformed themselves into successful
fundraising operations others have still been unable, or
unwilling, to seek funding outside their own organisation.
The NCA, through its Archive Lottery Advisory Service,
and the regional agencies, through their own training
programmes and funding officers, have sought to address
some of the skills development issues about fundraising
and advocacy to give practitioners greater confidence in
this area.
3.4.1 Core funding
The complex nature of the domain makes it difficult to
assess total core-funding to archives in the UK. In many
organisations budgets for staffing archive provision or
collections care come under more general library or office
management budgets. The estimated net revenue expenditure
of local authority archives in England in 2003-4 was
£39.6 million, an increase of 9.4% on the previous year 9.
This compares with an estimated gross net expenditure for
local authority museums in England of nearly £143 million10.
Whilst local authority expenditure on museums is around
four times greater than on archives, library expenditure is
around eighteen times greater. From the archive service
statistics compiled by the Charter Institute of Public Finance
and Accountancy (CIPFA) it would appear that roughly
60% of archive expenditure is allocated to staff costs11.
3.4.2 Non-core funding
Archives still suffer from the lack of an appropriate range of
non-core funding streams that can provide funding for long
term developments. The funding opportunities that have been
available have tended to have a strong front-end emphasis on
new ways to deliver services. This funding has provided the
opportunity to trial new methods of audience development
for the domain, and many successful projects have harnessed
new technologies to achieve this aim. However, this funding
has not had the same impact on the chronic capacity issues
created by long-term under-investment in the domain. Major
sources of additional funds to the domain over the last five
years are listed on the following page.
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The National Council on Archives
3.0 Context - the Last Five Years continued
Regional Agencies for museums, libraries and archives
Type of projects funded: Projects have been led in the main
by publicly funded archives. Some of the regional funding
programmes have focused on stewardship and collection
care issues, or education and access; others have been
more general in their criteria.
Estimated total funding 2001-2004: over £600,000
Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF)
Type of projects funded: Projects led by not-for-profit
organisations. Builds and capital improvements, conservation,
cataloguing, digitisation and online resources, education
and audience development projects have all been elements
of successful projects. This funding stream has been key
in supporting the A2A, Archives Network Wales and SCAN
projects.
Estimated total funding 1999-2004: over £54 million12
New Opportunities Fund (NOF)
Type of projects funded: A programme of essentially
cross-domain projects for the digitisation of learning materials,
including resources from a range of archives across the UK.
Projects are now available via www.enrichUK.net.
Estimated total funding 1999-2004: *£50 million13
The Research Support Libraries Programme (RSLP)
The RSLP was a national initiative, funded by the four higher
education funding bodies. It started in the academic year
1999-2000 and finished in 2002.
Type of projects funded: Collaborative Collection Management
Strand and Research Collections in the Humanities and Social
Sciences Strand enabled a range of projects including mapping
studies, cataloguing, digitisation and development of online
gateways.
Estimated total funding 1999-2002: c£6 million
MLA/V&A Purchase Grant Fund
Type of projects funded: acquisitions of objects relating to
the arts, literature and history to regional museums, record
repositories and specialist libraries in England and Wales.
Estimated total funding 2000-2004: over £460,000
Full Disclosure
Full Disclosure, co-ordinated by the British Library, is the
national initiative committed to retrospective catalogue
conversion and retrospective cataloguing in museums,
archives and libraries.
Type of projects funded: retrospective catalogue conversion
and retrospective cataloguing.
Estimated total funding 2003-2004: £35,500
The National Manuscripts Conservation Trust (NMCT)
The British Library and the Royal Commission on Historical
Manuscripts created the Trust in 1990, with funding from the
then Office of Arts and Libraries (now the Department for
Culture, Media and Sport) and from private benefactors, to
provide financial assistance to owners and custodians in the
United Kingdom in preserving the nation’s written heritage.
The fund is now administered by The National Archives.
Type of projects funded: Grants to publicly funded archives
and charitable trusts for preservation measures and
conservation work.
Estimated total funding 1999-2004: £418,000
Research Resources in Medical History
This grant scheme was set up by the Wellcome Trust in 2000.
Type of projects funded: the cataloguing and preservation
of medical history collections in libraries and archives
across the UK.
Estimated total funding 2000-2004: over £1,524,000
Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
Esmée Fairbairn Foundation was established in 1961 by
Ian Fairbairn, a leading city figure whose company, M&G,
was the pioneer of the UK unit trust industry.
Type of projects funded: Grants to charities and not-for-profit
organisations for cataloguing and collections development.
Estimated total funding 1999-2004: £253,000
Pilgrim Trust
Edward Stephen Harkness of New York founded the Pilgrim
Trust in 1930.
Type of projects funded: Current priorities for funding include
the promotion of scholarship, academic research, cataloguing
and conservation within museums, galleries, libraries and
archives, particularly those outside London.
Estimated total funding 2001-2003: £235,000
HLF classes archive-related projects under the broader category of Documentary Heritage.
It states that it has funded projects in this area to a level of £190 million in the last
ten years. The figure in the text is from an estimated total for the ‘formal’ archive
sector [local authorities, higher education, specialist repositories and regional film
archive provision since 1999. There were an estimated 204 projects receiving funding.
Of that funding 25% has been spent on acquisitions, 36% on new builds, and 39%
on other projects including cataloguing, digitisation, outreach, education etc.
13*denotes total programme funding rather than the amount received specifically by
archives, or archive-related projects.
12
Giving Value - Funding priorities for UK Archives 2005-2010
3.5 User Trends
Over the past five years archives have looked to identify
more closely the nature of their core usage and create
audience development strategies at both national and local
levels. There has been a greater emphasis on the collection
of quantitative data about users in individual organisations
and across the UK. Recent theoretical research in the
cultural sector has advocated for new ways of measuring
the qualitative aspects of user experience14, and archives
have begun to use more sophisticated methods to identify
users’ perceptions and expectations of archive services.
However, attempting to find new ways to deliver improved
services to existing users, and new methods of access to
encourage a broader user base, has been difficult when
funding levels have not increased exponentially.
3.5.1 PSQG National Visitors Survey
The Public Services Quality group (PSQG) was established in
1996 as an informal network for those working in archives
to share best practice and develop new approaches to
delivering quality services. It is now formally constituted
as a sub-committee of the National Council on Archives15. The
first national visitors survey was organised in 1998. Further
surveys have been undertaken in 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2004.
IPF, the commercial arm of The Chartered Institute of Public
Finance and Accountancy, provides technical support for the
survey in gathering and processing the data. The statistics
shows that the archive user demographic has remained
relatively stable during the past five years. For example, in
2001, 79% of users were aged 45 or over and in 2004 the
figure was 74%. The number of visitors from the under-24
age group was 3% in 2001, and 4.5% in 2004. Archives
continue to attract relatively small numbers of visitors
identifying themselves as part of ethnic minority communities,
although there has been evidence of improvements in
this area, with an increase from 2% in total in 2001 to
3% in 2004.
Capturing Cultural Value: How culture has become a tool of
government policy, John Holden, Demos, 2004
15 Full information on the PSQG and survey reports is available at
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives/psqg/survey.htm
16 Full information on the Archive Awareness Campaign is available at
http://www.archiveawareness.com
14
There do, however, appear to have been shifts in the usage
of archives, demonstrating an increase understanding of the
evidential value of records. This shift will be advanced further
by the impact of Freedom of Information legislation. Whilst
in 2004, perhaps not surprisingly, 98% of visitors agreed that
archives contribute to society by ‘providing opportunities
for learning’ and 97% saw them as ‘preserving our culture
and heritage’, 66% also agreed that they contribute by
‘supporting the rights of citizens’. Increasingly archives are
being visited for business purposes and for formal education
which has meant that the percentage of users stating the
main purpose for their visit as ‘personal interest’ has dropped
from 78% in 1999 and 83% in 2001, to 63% in 2002 and
51% in 2004.
Another interesting trend is the usage of the internet by
archive users. Despite the evidence that a large proportion
of users are of aged 60+ the figures for internet usage
amongst archive users have always been high and have
increased rapidly, for example 52% of visitors in 1999
used the internet, and by 2004 this had reached 85%.
3.5.2 Archive Awareness Campaign
The NCA has co-ordinated the Archive Awareness Campaign16
since 2003 with funding support from The National Archives
and the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council. The aim
of the 2003 Archive Awareness Month (AAM) was to break
down the perceptions amongst the general public and the
media that archives are ‘boring’, ‘dusty’ and ‘difficult to access’.
This was achieved through a PR campaign and events across
the UK and Ireland aimed at encouraging new users. The
campaign management structure was designed to enable
central co-ordination but there was a strong emphasis on
empowering the regions and individual archives to contribute
at levels appropriate to their own organisation. The 2003
campaign used the theme ‘Love and Hate’ as a hook for
archive events and publicity. The national evaluation of
the 2003 campaign demonstrated that 41% of those who
attended AAM events were first time visitors to archives
and 40% of those who attended events felt that they had
changed their perceptions of archives.
23
24
The National Council on Archives
3.0 Context - the Last Five Years continued
In 2004 the campaign developed a media partnership by
working in conjunction with the BBC on its ‘Who Do You Think
You Are?’ programme, a 10-part series focusing on family and
social history by tracing the ancestry of a range of celebrities.
The media and PR campaign continued year-round with
opportunities for media training for archive practitioners.
To coincide with the series the events were spread over a
longer period, October to December 2004 and the theme
‘Routes to Roots’ was chosen to enable participant archives
to create both family history and other types of activities.
Over 500 events were held, including BBC Family History
Days, across the UK, with 72% of participants scoring events
as ‘Very Good’.
3.5.3 Popular history in the media
There have been a number of high-profile history series
broadcast over the last five years. Series such as Simon
Schama’s ‘A History of Britain’ and David Starkey’s
programmes focused on the monarchy have been joined
in the schedules by a wide range of series and one-off
shows focusing on topics as diverse as the Dark Ages,
the Victorians and the Second World War. Many of these
programmes either include archival footage or are based
on primary research in UK archives, however this has not
always been apparent from the final edit. In general the
productions have tended to follow one of two trends, either
the use of a single authoritative historian or talking heads
interspersed with dramatic reconstructions. The success of
the BBC’s ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ series demonstrates
the capacity of television to harness popular interest in
archives. The programme became the top-rated BBC2 show
of 2004 with an average of 4.7 million viewers per episode.
The emphasis, both on the shows themselves and in the
additional interactive and online BBC product, on active
audience engagement ensured that the archival research
was highly visible in the series. The show’s popularity was
translated into increased demand for archival sources at
both a national and local level. For example, the National
Archives’ Documents Online service received 400% more
requests in November 2004 than November 2003 and a
snapshot of 10 archive services revealed an increase in new
users of 36% in the last quarter of 2004. The BBC’s own
evaluation demonstrated that 7% of UK adults claimed to
have started researching their family history for the first
time during the timescale of the series.
The TV interest in historical subjects has coincided with a
rise in the publication of popular history books. This has been
fed by interest surrounding the millennium and TV tie-in
publications. There has also been a trend towards the use
of historical settings and/or research in both popular and
literary fiction and an expansion in the number of general
and specialist history magazines, for example there are now
at least five magazines published in the UK dedicated to
family history. Although this level of general interest in
historical subjects cannot be guaranteed to continue it is
important that archives are given the funding and tools
to capitalize on the current enthusiasm.
Giving Value - Funding priorities for UK Archives 2005-2010
3.5.4 Internet Usage
The internet has allowed access to material from archive
holdings in unprecedented ways. The challenge for archives
is to harness the technology available whilst managing user
expectations regarding ‘instant’ information. Use of the
internet to source information from archives has increased
at a dramatic rate. For example, information requests on
The National Archives’ website reached 117 million in
2003/4, a tenfold increase since 2001. A survey of non-users
demonstrated that around a third thought they were likely
to use the internet for family history research over the
next two years where only 11% thought they might join
a local history society17. Online researchers are increasingly
sophisticated and are looking for both mass and tailored
access to integrated search facilities. For example, research
undertaken by the NCA, for what is now the aUK partnership,
demonstrated that 87% of users “strongly agree” that they
would like to search all UK archives on line from one website18.
The use of the internet as a primary access tool has also
had an impact on issues of ownership. The ability to create
online community archives has enabled new groups to
bring together archive material to develop sites focusing
on a sense of place, or cultural identity. These community
sites have advantages in allowing their creators to bypass
traditional archive structures, but if not funded and managed
appropriately there can be risks from lack of sustainability,
copyright concerns and an insufficient regard for preservation
of original materials.
17
Non-archive user survey, Omnibus Study, MORI, MLA, 2003
18
Online survey of users - for more information on aUK see 2.1.1
25
26
The National Council on Archives
3.0 Context - the Last Five Years continued
3.5.5 Government agendas
3.5.6 Cross-domain working
Since the election of the Labour government in 1997, there
has been increasing pressure on publicly funded archives to
improve access to their collections to the broadest possible
audience. This has meant addressing the issues surrounding
the narrow demographic make-up of the traditional user
base. In addition to promoting use of archives for new
purposes, and to new under-represented audiences, there
have been calls to improve services to those most at risk
of social exclusion. Working with social excluded groups
requires different approaches and requires the development
of long-term partnerships, which makes such work time
and staff intensive. Since the successful opening in 1988
of the Tate’s outpost in the Albert Docks in Liverpool, the
use of cultural attractions and the heritage as part of
broader regeneration schemes has also been promoted
by government19. This has led to the siting of new archive
premises within regeneration areas, such as the Greenwich
Heritage Centre based in the historic Woolwich Arsenal,
and the development of archive-related projects in local
areas in receipt of Neighbourhood Renewal Funding.
Much of the work promoted by MLA is predicated on the
development of working across the museum, library and
archive sector. The concept of learning from projects,
techniques and staff in the wider heritage environment
has enabled archives to move more quickly towards the
delivery of the government agendas outlined in 3.5.5.
Similarly archive professionals have been able to contribute
skills to the broader sector. Examples of cross-domain
working range from individual projects such as those
developed under the NOF-digitise funding stream, through
to the development of policy and guidance. Cross-domain
working can take place at a micro level within a particular
organisation or at national levels. Successful partnership
working across museums, libraries and archives requires
understanding of the similarities and differences between
these closely related professions and respect for different
working methods. External funding streams have been used
successfully to pilot new work practices and partnerships. The
fragmentation of the archive domain makes the concept of
partnership working even more relevant. For example, projects
involving a number of archives located across the higher
education sector, local authorities, businesses and charities
and other specialist repositories can be equally beneficial.
19
For example, Culture at the Heart of Regeneration, DCMS consultation paper, 2004
Giving Value - Funding priorities for UK Archives 2005-2010
Appendix A - Chronology of change
1998
2002
• British Archives – The Way Forward, National Council on
Archives, published
• Data Protection Act, 1998 passed
• First PSQG National Visitors Survey
• Changing the Future of Our Past, National Council
on Archives, published
• MLA invited by DCMS to establish an Archives Task Force
• Consultation to develop an Archives Policy for Northern
Ireland (APNI) began
• New Opportunities Fund awards £50 million under
Digitisation programme
• Freedom of Information Act (Scotland) passed
• Government Policy on Archives Action Plan
• NCA began issuing quarterly Parliamentary Briefings
• Scottish Council on Archives created
1999
• Research Support Libraries Programme developed by
the four higher education funding bodies (ended 2002)
• DCMS instigates regional cultural consortia
2000
• Launch of Resource, later renamed MLA (Museums,
Libraries and Archives Council)
• Creation of regional archive councils in England
• Freedom of Information Act, 2000 passed
• BS 5454: 2000 Recommendations for the storage and
exhibition of archival documents published
• Research Resources in Medical History grant scheme
set up by Wellcome Trust
• ISAD(G): General International Standard Archival
Description (Second Edition), published by the
International Council on Archives
2001
• Developing the 21st Century Archive: An Action Plan
for UK Archives, MLA, published
• Archives in the Regions: An Overview of the English
Regional Archive Strategies, NCA, published
• NEMLAC, the first regional agency for museums,
archives and libraries established in the North-East
• Separate committees for Northern Ireland, Scotland,
Wales and the nine regions of England established
by the Heritage Lottery Fund
• BS ISO 15489 -1:2001 Information and
documentation - Records management, published
2003
• Creation of The National Archives (bringing together the
Public Record Office and the Historical Manuscripts
Commission)
• The National Archives produces a proposal regarding new
national records and archive legislation
• Launch of the Archive Awareness Campaign run by
National Council on Archives
2004
• Launch of ALM London completed the process of the
establishment of the nine regional agencies for museums,
archives and libraries
• CyMAL: Museums Archives and Libraries Wales
established within the Welsh Assembly Government
• Launch of Listening to the Past, Speaking to the Future,
the report of the Archives Task Force
• Archives Policy for Northern Ireland (APNI) produced
• Big Lottery Fund launched (to take over the work of the
New Opportunities Fund and the Community Fund)
• 10th anniversary of the National Lottery
2005
• Full implementation of the Freedom of Information Act,
2000 and the Freedom of Information Act (Scotland) 2002
• Scottish Cultural Commission report
27
28
The National Council on Archives
Photography Credits
2.1.2 Scottish Documents
Scottish Archive Network (SCAN)
2.1.3 emsource
Department of Manuscripts & Special Collections
at University of Nottingham
2.2.1 Legacy Project
Tyne and Wear Archives Collections
2.2.2 There be Monsters
Photographer: Tariq Chaudry
2.2.3 Comm@net
Copyright: Batley Community Archive Group
2.2.4 Education through Football
City of Westminster Archives
2.2.5 Marketing archive to new audiences
Photographer: Stewart Turkington
2.2.6 Connecting Histories
Birmingham City Archives
2.3.1 Norfolk Record Office
Norfolk Record Office
2.3.2 Dick Peddie & McKay Collection
Crown Copyright: RCAHMS
(Dick Peddie & McKay Collection)
2.3.5 A Place in the Sun
Guildhall Library MS section
2.3.7 Lady Anne Clifford
Cumbria Archive Service, Cumbria Record Office
(Kendal) Ref WD/CAT
2.4.1 Unlocking Neath’s Archival Heritage
Courtesy of the Neath Antiquarian Society
2.4.2 The Women’s Library
Courtesy of the Women’s Library
2.5.2 Write on Fareham!
Hampshire Record Office
A Company registered in England & Wales:
Registered No: 4124338.
Registered Office:
c/o The National Archives, Ruskin Avenue,
Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 4DU
Registered as a Charity:
Number 1088088
www.ncaonline.org.uk
The National Council on Archives
receives core financial support from the
Museums, Libraries and Archives Council
and The National Archives