City of York Archives: how to
become a civic asset
Gradual decline
• Civic archives moved from Guildhall to Central Library
& opened to the public in 1957.
• Relocated to unused wing of Art Gallery 1979/80 –
collecting overdrive
• PRO report “condemns” premises 2000
• Borthwick offers partnership 1999-2000
• No consensus on way forward, campaign against
change
• Request for alternative proposals 2003-04
• Scrutiny Committee 2005
• Service out to tender 2006-07
The First Lesson
• How to let fear of change lose you influence
• Pyrrhic victory – archives now bad news
BUT
• Market research counters propaganda
• External validation gives a bigger context
• Don’t be frightened of costings
• Negatives can be turned into positives:
TNA Inspection report
Emotion shows interest, not indifference
Trust, or the lack of one, 2007-2013
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Borthwick partnership discussions ended
Former city archivist retired 2008
Transfer to a Trust seen as the last remaining option
Richard Taylor seconded from NRM to carry out a
study on future options 2008
• Report rejects Trust, recommends restructure
• Report adopted Dec 2008, implementation 2009ongoing!
Study Remit
• To identify a new governance structure for the City
Archives that will unlock additional funding and
greatly increase user numbers and other outputs.
• Information analysed using SWOT techniques guided
by these principles:
– No raking over the coals about past decisions and
actions.
– The simplest solution is the best. Elaborate
solutions have no inherent value.
– We must address the situation faced by the
Archives today, not in the past.
STRENGTHS
 The size, depth and continuity
of the archive, and its relevance
to all citizens.
 The Archive offers hands-on
access to history in the city
centre.
 The enthusiasm and passion of
the staff
 The current organisational
structure is logical and delivers
city strategies.
 The Archives has an active user
support base
WEAKNESSES
 The Archive is too small to
benefit from stand-alone status.
 Archives service is currently
separated from the Local
History Library
 Current Archives building
threatens the survival of the
archive.
 The current Archives Collecting
Policy is not sustainable
OPPORTUNITIES
 Obtaining external funding is a
realistic aspiration
 The Archive has potential to
generate more income to seedcorn development
 The Archive has real potential
to increase its user numbers.
 There is significant potential for
partnerships with other York
archives
 Opportunities offered by the
proposed “Cultural Quarter”
 Opportunities offered by
Council records management
needs
THREATS
 External funding is not
guaranteed
 Local authority lending library
services are not eligible for HLF
funding.
 Existing users have previously
been hostile to change
Way forward
• Significant development potential, but no leadership,
management or financial capacity to allow it to
unlock that potential.
• The Archive is relevant to every citizen and to the city
strategies of a thriving city, an inclusive city, a
learning city, and a cultural city
• The Archive’s Unique Selling Proposition is its
continuity as the record of civic life and
accountability for 800 years, and this USP should be
reinforced.
The Second Lesson
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Start from clean sheet if at all possible
What’s the USP? Local ecology?
Again - don’t be frightened of costings
Quality of the collections counts
Perceived weaknesses can be strengths
Poor usage stats in isolation look bad – but
comparators can turn these into an asset
Cementing the USP
• The objective of the department is to maintain a
permanent publicly accessible record of the heritage
and culture of the City of York and its people as an
historical and educational resource, and as a focus
for promoting civic pride, local identity, and active
citizenship.
• We will give the highest priority to collecting a
comprehensive archive documenting the decisionmaking processes and the most significant activities
of the City of York Council and its predecessors in
law.
Collecting policy
• We will collect..from individuals and organisations in
both public and private sectors who have made a
significant contribution to the city, its citizens or its
neighbourhoods through active participation in the
community, civic or business life of the city.
• We will collect...to represent, as far as possible, the
full range of activities, cultures and viewpoints within
the City of York. We will regularly review the
collections in conjunction with our stakeholders to
identify any gaps in their coverage and take all
practicable steps to address any weak areas.
Advocacy tips and tricks
• Identify key relationships to build and ensure visible
presence of you and the archive
• Relevance bombs
• Keep your research up-to-date and ask the right
questions
• Be aware of opportunity costs
• Create alliances and deliver through others
• Self-conscious constant promotion
• Ask forgiveness not permission
• You are good news
Q35: Which of the following statements apply to you?
Base: all respondents who answered the question (n= 950)
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Q36: How strongly do you agree or disagree that each of the following would encourage you and / or
your family to visit the City Archives?
Base: all respondents who answered the question (n= 785-943)
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The rewards