Title: The National Archives' User Forum
Date: 17 December 2013
Location: Talks Room
Attendees (staff):
Jackie Marfleet (JM) Head of Advice and Records Knowledge (Chair)
Caroline Ottaway-Searle (COS) Director of Public Services and Human Resources
Lee Oliver (LMO) Head of Public Services Development
Rachael Corver (RC) Head of Marketing and Communications
Thomas Norton (TN) Press Officer
Joanna Robinson (JCR) Customer Intelligence Assistant (Minutes)
Attendees (users):
Grace Ioppolo, Else Churchill, Rosemary Morgan, Glen Phillips, Nick Sharman, Scott
Reeve, Gillian Stevens, Michael Hill , Richard P. Bateman, Graham Woolgar, John
Seaman, Susan Moore, Margaret O'Sullivan, Paul Blake, David Matthew, Tom
Adams.
1. JM welcomed all to the meeting.
2. Matters arising.
(2.1) (Item 2.10 10/13) LMO said we have speeded up the process to label files which contain distressing contents, when files which lack appropriate warnings are reported.
(2.2) (Item 3.2 10/13) LEV 1/138, LEV 1/19 and LEV 1.54 are digital collections, but the descriptions were created manually. There was a mix up in quality assurance due to human error; in future digital collections will be described automatically.
Names were incorrectly minuted; Chris Elliot was in fact Christopher Jeffries.
(2.3) (Item 2.7 10/13) Links between Discovery and DORIS break on occasion but are fixed again quickly. Unfortunately glitches do occur and the issue continues to be a work in progress. We will look into putting up advice on DORIS about the matter.

(2.4) (Item 2.2 10/13) Q. Anne Sampson, Chair of the Friends of TNA, advised me in correspondence that given users' concerns about the printers in the library, further investigation into this matter would take place with LMO. How are these issues progressing?
A. LMO said that we are currently digesting the results from a recent survey on technology use in the reading rooms, and we will present the results to a User Forum in the first quarter of 2014. We are also looking into bidding for further funding to improve reading room facilities.
(2.5) (Item 2.3 10/13) Q. GW said that certain points had not been covered sufficiently in the reclosure minutes. He said that decisions were made regarding reclosure though there have been no changes on the website.
A. We will publish the appropriate information when it is ready. The new reclosure policy will replace the current one.
(2.6) (Item 3.4 10/13) Q. Is TNA going to accession digital surrogates of Royal Navy
Record cards?
A. The original Royal Navy cards are still with the MoD and TNA has not accessioned them.
(2.7) Q. The creation of digital records of the 1939 National Register was discussed at the TNA Executive Team meeting on 13/09/13. Can you confirm if identity cards will be included in the digitisation?
A. Partial entries from the register (not actual identity cards) can be released; certain personal data will be redacted.
3. Press Office Update.
RC and TN gave a presentation on TNA's Marketing and Communications
Department and explained how the department focuses on effective communication and engaging with TNA's audience. The team consists of:

Press Team: responsibilities include: fielding media enquiries; working with the 'Who Do You Think You Are' team and other documentary filming projects; monitoring the media and public issues which relate to records held by TNA.

Marketing: responsibilities include: TNA branding; commercial support; public programmes including Writer of the Month at TNA.

Internal Communications: responsibilities include: TNA intranet; TNA staff magazine 'TALK'; co-ordination of staff talks and education programmes.
They advised the User Forum that the Press Office anticipates which archive releases may be popular with the public, and work on campaigns to capitalise on potential public interest. Press events in 2013 included intelligence files CAB 301,

FO 1093, CAB and PREM (1983 files). Press events due in 2014 include KV
(Security Services files), CAB and PREM (1985 and 1986 files).
They said if there were any queries, they could be contacted through the following email addresses: marketing@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk
press@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk
internalcomms@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk
Q. How do you deal with the possibility of journalists reporting on press events before documents are officially released?
A. All journalists attending events are informed about our embargoes. There have been a few instances where information has been mentioned on Twitter prior to document release, but we have had this removed as soon as we were aware of it. If journalists break embargoes they will not be invited back to TNA.
Q. How much time is there between a press event and the document release?
A. It is usually a couple of days; for the New Year releases, it is usually a couple of weeks. Press events are only for journalists. We also allocate places through the
Foreign Press Association (FPA) for foreign journalists if the documents are relevant to their country, for example 1984 papers relating to Hong Kong.
Q. In the letters page of the Times, someone wrote about the possible shredding of employment papers?
A. We speak to our colleagues in Archive Sector Development, who liaise with local archives. This case involved the Ministry of Justice. In cases like this we get in touch and work quickly to establish the facts.
Q. Did the release of the Migrated Archives (FCO 141) come about from an FOI request?
A. The migrated archive was uncovered as part of a search for papers relevant to a court case brought against HMG by Kenyan Mau Mau veterans. The Foreign and
Commonwealth Office had been holding these files. A lot of work went into releasing
FCO 141. The Cary report investigated why these files had not previously come to light.
4. Annual 'mopping up' session.
LMO gave a presentation with a spreadsheet which detailed open and completed actions following on from issues raised at the User Forum during the course of last year. He then took questions from the floor. This spreadsheet will be circulated with the minutes.

Q. What is the current situation with mobile masts at TNA? Reception can be poor.
A. There are currently masts at TNA; these actually point outwards from the building.
We have not concluded any discussions about additional masts.
LMO then spoke about downloading of records onsite. He said that an investment bid has been submitted for next year to investigate the feasibility of onsite downloading of records. LMO said TNA needs to ensure safeguards are in place which will allow onsite downloading of records, whilst minimising the risk of abuse.
Q. It is not possible to search for documents that have been released in the previous week whilst using Discovery inside the reading rooms, though it is possible outside
TNA. Why is this?
A. LMO said he was not aware of this issue, and would take it away.
[Post meeting note
– this has been checked and it is possible to search for records released in the previous week, using the Advanced Search function in Discovery]
5. Open Discussion.
Q. About a year ago, Julia Stocken recruited three people to temporary posts to prepare and catalogue records which HM Treasury were reviewing in an accelerated process. It has taken a year to transfer a few records, and there is still a backlog. If it takes so long, why bother with the 20 year rule?
A. Carol Tullo and IMP will take this up with the government departments.
Q. On 29 August, Iron Mountain, the American storage company which stores probate and wills on behalf of HM Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS), released
230,000 wills of WWI soldiers. The project was a partnership between Iron Mountain and HMCTS and there is a charge of £6 for a copy of a will.
A. Due to their legal status, these records were never due to come to TNA. They belong to HMCTS and the partnership between Iron Mountain and HMCTS has made these records available to the public.
Q. Who is the minister in charge of TNA?
A. Lord McNally.
[Post meeting note – it was announced on 20 December 2013 that the Rt. Hon.
Simon Hughes MP is now the Minister responsible for TNA]
Next meeting: 16 January 2014, 12:30
– 13:45