Scenario
You are the new archivist at a college within the university, founded 1880 as St
Nectan’s Hall and now known as Nectan-Dives College. Originally founded for
the training of Anglo-Catholic priests, the college underwent a number of
changes between the wars and was refounded as a postgraduate college in
1952 with an endowment from the renowned philanthropist Sir John Dives.
The College offers one undergraduate degree (in divinity), and a wider range of
postgraduate courses. Thanks to developments in the past three decades it has
internationally recognised research centres in equine dentistry, thirteenth
century prosody, and the social applications of nylon.
At present, the archive does not have any formal policies. Access can be
arranged on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at your discretion (this has been
available for many years, with volunteer support provided from the faculty and
alumni).
As part of your new role, you have been asked by your manager to apply for
Archive Service Accreditation. You have decided to begin by drafting a
governing policy for the archive, which will also satisfy multiple requirements
of the Accreditation Standard:
1.1
1.2
[1.4
[1.6
[2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
3.1
Mission Statement
Governance
Storage]
Workforce]
Collections Management]
Collections Development policy
Collections Information policy
Collections Care and Conservation policy
Access policy
Today’s session will help you to think through these elements and what might
go into each of these sections, focusing on 6 sections which can readily fit into
any governing policy.
You will contribute to at least 2 such sections, sharing ideas with your peers.
Nothing has to be perfect and finalised!
You won’t, of course, be able to decide everything alone. But you can flag up
where you need to discuss and consult to progress to a full draft.
Context
Context: the organisation
Nectan-Dives agreed to create an archivist post at its Annual Convocation, July
2014. Your formal reporting line is to the Librarian, then to Head of Resources.
The College also has a Heritage Committee, composed of interested alumni
and honorary officers from among the fellows. They hope to see the College
and its historic collections become better known.
Context: people
You are the first archivist to be employed by this organisation, following
recommendations made by an external review of the College’s information
resources and records management. Until now, the archive was maintained as
part of the library, and was the special care of Mrs A.N. Body, a College alumna
with a keen interest in volunteering to support the College’s work. She remains
on the Heritage Committee. You are the only employee of the College to have
any archives responsibility, formal training or wider archives and records
management experience.
Context: resources
The archive is housed in a secure store just off the library where collections are
consulted when you have external researchers. Conditions are not ideal, but
most material is boxed and there are no signs of significant pest infestations or
mould. Smoke alarms are fitted. The shelves are library stock, and are overfull.
There is also a modern records store (“the Secretary’s room”) containing a
quantity of unappraised modern records. The College now creates virtually all
its records electronically. You have a small annual budget for preservation
supplies, but are also expected to pursue external funding opportunities to
develop the archive further. Most of the College’s property and trust deeds,
and other legal papers are remain in the custody of the College Solicitors
Wright Hassle & Co. While the architectural plans and photographs of the
College premises and estate are stored in a ‘secure portakabin’ by the Facilites
Department who claim they need them for maintenance purposes.
Context: heritage
The College wants its heritage assets to become better known, and to raise
public awareness of its research, particularly the social applications of nylon, in
the UK and internationally. They have a part-time librarian for their collection
of rare equine dentistry texts, and musical notation. The library, especially
these special collections, benefits from volunteer support, mainly from
Heritage Committee members.
In the local area, the city also has a volunteer-run museum, and the University
has an Archives and Manuscripts department and a Registry. The county
maintains a joint archives service. The College has good links with the British
College of Nylon Developers in London, and the Centre for the Promotion of
Historic Prosody which runs a museum, library and archive in Swansea.
Context: collections
The collections (c.75 cu m) comprise core institutional records including a
complete run of Convocation and College Council minutes, and good though
incomplete coverage of its committees 1890-present. Student records 19241978. Servants’ employment records 1881-1985. Examination papers 18871950. Records of the wartime National Committees for Nylon Inspection
(related material is also held at The National Archives). Some personal papers
of eminent alumni (mostly c1920-60). Papers of the Nectan Social Settlement
(adult and children’s clubs supported by the divinity students), 1925-59 in
Bermondsey. The unappraised modern records in the separate store are
thought to be mostly faculty, student administrative, property and committee
papers, and possibly some more examination papers. Collections are almost
entirely paper based, though there are some floppy disks from the 1990s
which are believed to have been deposited by property maintenance.
There is a Guide to Collections published in 1989 by a former librarian. It
outlines the institutional records held, with a paragraph about the work of
each section or committee, and covering dates.
1.1 Mission statement
Must support the College’s mission: e.g. “a centre of excellent for learning and
research”… by preserving, collecting, cataloguing, promoting, making available
the collections
To: the college community, its partners, its wider community/audience,
specialist interest groups
Approved by: as high as possible: governors/principal/trustees: depending on
1.2 Governance.
1.2 Governance
Role of the archive is as a record of the history and heritage of the college –
therefore are all the responsibility of the College as an institution, with Council
ultimately responsible.
Ensure charity requirements met regarding records and reflected in policy.
The Heritage Committee has an advisory/consultative role, meeting x times per
year (with clear terms of reference and membership information)
Notes: clarifying reporting lines – archive to library to head of resources, but
with other parties e.g. college secretary, departments, records management,
3rd parties, and the Heritage committee. Above all this, college
committees/Council.
(Which might lead neatly onto something we didn’t look at in workshop: 1.6
Resources: workforce
Who is employed/charged with leading the archive service?
Are there honorary officers elsewhere in the College?
Can/should you formalise a volunteer policy relating to the Heritage
Committee or beyond? Is the role of volunteers in the service a core part of its
mission/therefore policy?)
2.2 Collections development policy
Institutional records collecting determined by a records management policy (to
be drawn up)/retention schedules.
Non-institutional records with a close relationship to existing holdings and to
College’s current activities. Consideration is given to available resources and
possibility of alternate repositories.
Look at collecting policies of related institutions (Nylon Developers, CPHP) and
previous collecting policy of Nectan Society at Bermondsey – overlap with
other institutions
Not collecting objects, e.g. nylon fabrics
(Notes: internal administrative records are a certainty, based on RM policy.
Other records decisions must be based on resources, other related collections,
inherent value in comparison with existing collections and alternate
institutions.)
2.3 Collections Information policy
Ideal basis would be a full ISAD(G) compliant description of all holdings, online
catalogue, clear basis for ownership of all holdings, digital repository
Funding is part of this to achieve it: identifying alumni support, external
sources and internal resources to make it possible (incl volunteers, alumni
groups, Heritage Committee)
All material accessioned (and deaccessioning fully recorded where relevant), to
include ownership, copyright information etc
2.4 Collections care and conservation policy
Aim to care of all collections in perpetuity, according to existing standards (PAS
198, PD5454:2012)
Preservation decisions will be based on a complete conservation survey and
environmental monitoring carried out across whole collections, then
reassessed at regular intervals.
The service will develop and annually maintain a disaster plan to identify risks
and procedures to deal with threats to collections.
Preservation is a priority, such that access to material will be subject to
conservation assessment (e.g. reserve the right to prevent access to fragile
material for preservation reasons – xref to 3.1 Access below)
[Notes: preservation assessments need to be based on use, impact and
available resources: need a long-term funding commitment to assure this;
secure, environmentally sound repository, rehousing and repackaging]
3.1 Access policy
Access for everyone! But NB invigilated, by appointment only, possibly priority
for internal users (depends on resourcing), and may be limited on preservation
grounds (see above).
Closure of records for corporate sensitivity; data protection; FoI exemptions
may apply
Remote access: is there a research service, will questions be answered, what is
chargeable? Might channel access to RM material/plans etc via archivist?
[Notes: for a 5 year plan: educational access, online exhibitions (subject to
time, money and copyright)]
Next steps:
What would you do next after this exercise, judging by the setup in your own
organisation?
Who needs to be consulted before you come up with a final draft?
Which role or body (or more than one) needs to sign it off to give it suitable
weight and help you to implement it?