Carol Tullo and Isobel Siddons

May 2013

The National Archives and local government archive services

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

•Government department•UK Government archive•National Archive for England and Wales•Advise ministers on archival and information policy•Regulatory role for sector

Leadership role for the archives sector: October 2011

Who do we lead?•2000 archives in England•Massive variety: size, subject, parent body, funding

LOCAL AUTHORITY ARCHIVES

•Backbone of the archive network – local access to collections of local (and national) importance

•120 local authority archive services

•90 are Places of Deposit for public records

•Not just culture and history – also evidence and information including for councils themselves

•Assets: collections, expert staff, large volume of volunteers

•Massive online audience, digitisation of core family history resources

VISION FOR THE ARCHIVES SECTOR

•Archives for the 21st century: government policy

•Sustainable services

•Accreditation – self improvement framework

•TNA supports and fosters innovation in technical and professional standards, and in new approaches top service delivery

WHAT WE OFFER

•Expertise as a practitioner body: national and international reputation

•Unlocking expertise embedded in sector through networks, case studies, models, partnerships

•Influencing policy landscape, regionally and nationally

•Research evidence and advocacy

•Partnership brokering

•Pilot initiatives and demonstrator models

•Consortia approaches

•Training and advice via website and training programme

•Funding

•Centralised database to increase access to archives

ENGAGEMENT TEAM

•Primary point of contact for local authority archives

•Engagement Managers regionally

•Work with services, managers, regional strategic partners and funders

•Broad based technical knowledge and access to experts in TNA and sector: GPs or telephone operators

•Strategic interventions, including place based approaches

•Focus on innovation and development as well as crisis

KEY CHALLENGES

SUSTAINABILITY

•Governance and new service delivery models

•Guidance and case studies, service review seminar, pilot projects, research

•Audience development

•Training, guidance, research, partnership projects, Campaign

KEY CHALLENGES

SUSTAINABILITY

•Funding and income generation

•Funding advisor, strategic relationships, training and development programmes, guidance, case studies research, peer knowledge exchange network

•Planning, vision, advocacy

•Accreditation, guidance, training – including CCLOA outcomes framework, case studies

KEY CHALLENGES

ARCHIVE ISSUES

•Digital records

•Expert advice and research, storage in the cloud procurement list, digitisation consortia, peer wiki, website archiving

•20 Year Rule

•Advice, process improvement, advocacy with central government

Isobel SiddonsHead of Engagementisobel.siddons@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-sector/

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