Public Service Update June 2013
Project Name
Achievements in 2012 / 13
Follow up in 2013 / 14
17 SFAs identified, digitised and transcribed. In total 382,183
catalogue entries transcribed.
54,541 catalogue entries already uploaded into Discovery.
Positive feedback from UAG and ARK staff. SFAs now owned
by individual record teams.
3 SFA removed from reading rooms – remaining 15 in FY
2013/2014.
2.5 million FO index entries now available via Discovery –
went live in February 2013. Reference convertor already
available to staff
Decision to be made on if, when
and how the FO converter work is
progressed.
To make available on Discovery scanned and transcribed
images of MH 47: Central Military Service Tribunal and
Middlesex Appeal Tribunal : Minutes and Papers, 1915-22, in
collaboration with FTNA and FFHS who are part funding the
project
Conservation work completed ahead of schedule in February
2013.
Scanning and quality assurance of images due for completion
end May 2013.
Completion of scanning and quality
assurance of images,
Commence and complete
transcription work
Complete catalogue enhancement
work
Upload of images and transcription
data to Discovery
Online User Engagement
615 community members currently registered,
TNA content published, on average, once a week.
During the pilot phase there were 76 discussion topics, 585
topic replies and seven groups set-up
27% of users have engaged in forum discussions, 24% have
joined and engaged in more than one group.
Community discussions have helped feed into Discovery
,Bookshop and the ‘Start Here’ online projects as well as
helping us to understand people’s research behaviours and
attitudes. Additionally, the community has helped develop the
the main TNA website which has negated the need for usability
testing and therefore enabled significant reductions in cost.
Continue to both promote the
community externally and engage
with areas of organisation to
encourage use of the community.
Supplementary Finding Aids
To use the content of paper Supplementary Finding Aids,
currently only available in the reading Rooms, to enhance online
catalogue descriptions and enable access to this information to
all users.
To remove the paper Supplementary Finding Aids from the
reading rooms once their content is accessible electronically.
MH47
This is a two year project to gather feedback and create
engagement channels for The National Archives’ online users.
The project was started in 2011-12, during which a pilot online
community was delivered. The pilot will be run for the first 6
months of this financial year. This will be followed by an
evaluation period which will inform our decisions regarding how
to best approach a full launch of the community or alternatively
to find a suitable alternative.
UAG
Project Name
Achievements in 2012 / 13
Follow up in 2013 / 14
Web Chat
To implement Web Chat as a business as usual service
offering. We will also pilot webinar software as a means of
providing talks and academic inductions to a remote user
population.
Preservation & Handling
Replacement of current online tutorial for new-reader induction
package. To provide more salient and easily digestible
document handling information to readers registering for
readers tickets, both on and off site.
Development of current public online tutorial to provide a similar
module for staff requiring access to original documents.
Document handling display for users of the self service camera
service in the document reading rooms.
Web chat now implemented as Business As Usual
Webinar pilots completed on 13 March 2013.
On site reader registration tutorial completed and launched
Staff training module completed and installed.
Display equipment purchased and installed for self service
camera service tutorial.
Adaptation equipment for self service camera service delivered
and installed .
Creation of video for self service
camera service
Lists & Directories
To produce accessible surrogates of the Coronation and Jubilee
Medal Rolls, which are part of the Library collection but have
been identified as unique material, to conserve or replace the
bindings on the originals and permit them to be withdrawn into
more appropriate storage. We have also identified up to 16
additional volumes of 18th century Army and Navy Lists that
were not included in the previous year’s work.
UAG
The Coronation and Jubilee medal rolls have been scanned
and facsimile copies have been received.
The originals have all been returned and those with damaged
bindings repaired. Originals have now been removed from
open access to Library rare books room and the facsimiles put
on the open shelves.
Work with Commercial Delivery to
get scanned images loaded to
Discovery
Project Name
Achievements in 2012 / 13
The OPERA system provides onsite public access to electronic
published resources, both online and on CD-Rom. OPERA is
now out-of-date and will not be compatible when we upgrade
the IT environment in the reading rooms later this year.
Consequently a new system is required that will deliver at least
the same level of access and remains compatible with the IT
environment.
The main aim of the project is to identify and implement a
replacement system for OPERA. The goals are to ensure the
system is compatible with thin clients, that it is user-friendly and
customisable to our requirements, that it will provide access to
the current collection of electronic publications, including CDRoms if possible, and that it is able to provide access to any
new electronic resources such as e-books. In addition it may be
possible to make cost and time savings by identifying open
source software that can be hosted and supported by an
external supplier.
Red Lists
Decision made to discontinue providing public access to
resources on CD-Rom.
Notice given not to renew licences for current OPERA system.
System requirements written and agreed with project team.
System identified, selected and contract awarded.
Resources on OPERA system reviewed and reduced list
created of resources required for new system.
Hosted server set up by supplier and system installed.
Test site and live site set up and links provided to TNA.
TNA branding incorporated.
Training provided to TNA Library staff by supplier.
Testing of system
Replacement system now live
To add content from the red paper lists in the Research &
Enquiries Room onto Discovery to ensure that onsite and online
data is identical.
850 Red series lists removed, comprising wholly catalogued
series and those of low use, and less than 100 descriptions in
the range A-C (this equates to 121 Red binders or 11 meters 12 standard shelves)
Follow up in 2013 / 14
OPERA Replacement
To consider the removal of paper lists from open access, in
collaboration with our users, as and when data is added online
UAG
Requests: 1 call back request so far
Digitised versions of trade
directories to be added to
Discovery
Continuation of agreed timetable
for removal to October 2014
Review undertaken in April 2013.
Continuation of dialogue with
Systems Development team to
further enhance Discovery with
regards to effective browsing
Further review in 2014/15 to
consider a further tranche for
removal based on a new agreed
criteria
Project Name
Achievements in 2012 / 13
To open up the museum, make it a more inviting space and
increase its use by TNA’s existing audiences through:
New direction for the museum and establishment of a
governance structure to ensure good future management.
Improvement of the environmental conditions for visitors and
taking the preservation actions required to support the
necessary changes.
Redevelopment of the Museum space through reorganisation
and additional interpretation enabling further and more
integrated use by the Education Department.
Opening up the existing entrance and glass wall to provide a
more direct, visible and inviting entrance to the museum
space.
The overall success of the project will be measured by a rise in
visitor numbers to the museum after project completion.
Regular visitor surveys will be undertaken upon project
completion to provide a comparison to the visitor survey
completed before the Museum Review 2012.
A governance structure is in place and relevant departments
are involved ensuring long-term management of the Keeper’s
Gallery.
A coherent programme for the general public and school
groups alike allowing for regular lessons in the Keeper’s
Gallery (measured via feedback from school groups).
A new direction for the museum and establishment of a
governance structure to ensure good future management:
The Museum has been given a new name, a mission
statement and a new governance board to ensure continued
best governance.
A system to gain an understanding of visitor numbers has
been established
Improvement of the environment for visitors and preservation
actions to support the necessary changes
Tthe temperature in the Keeper’s Gallery has been aligned
with other public spaces, the public facing walls and doors
have been removed and light levels have been increased
The number of display cases exhibiting original documents has
been decreased to 1/3 of all display cases
‘Turning the Pages’ stations have been maintained and moved
to new positions
Redevelopment of the Museum space through reorganisation
and additional interpretation enabling further and more
integrated use by the Education Department.
A space for education classes has been created
the old ‘Domesday Enclosure’ has been redeveloped to display
a larger number of documents in rotation to illustrate British
history aligned with Education’s curriculum
Opening up the existing entrance and glass wall to provide a
more direct, visible and inviting entrance to the museum
space.
Museum Project
UAG
Follow up in 2013 / 14