Genealogy and the Big Society
1
74 O ver the last few months, I’ve tried to raise awareness of the challenges facing our community as a consequence of the economic downturn and potential threats to the way of research that we sometimes take for granted, including access to archives and the protection of frontline specialist services. We now know the results of the Comprehensive Spending Review, although the full implications on local government and the provision of county, municipal and regional archives are yet to be fully specified. The steps taken by TNA last year – making 10 per cent cuts in one go – seem to have reduced the prospects of additional cuts to only a further 6 per cent reduction in budget in real terms over the next four years, probably saving further redundancies amongst staff. It would be churlish to point out that a phased reduction of 4 per cent per year, planned in stages linked to actual circumstances, might have reduced the pain of the initial exercise and allowed for more strategic redundancy planning: what’s done is done. Much has been made of the harsh level of cuts in the public sector under the CSR, the potential impact on the poorer elements of society and fears that it could trigger a ‘double dip’ recession. Yet there is a second element to the process that the coalition government is undertaking. By cutting back on the public sector, the hope is that the private and voluntary sectors will fill the void. This idea is described as Big Society. Paradoxically, this offers a real possibility for family historians to get involved in a wide variety of projects because there is already a strong volunteer base within the sector, from family history societies to transcribers for organizations such as FreeBMD. Last month I was appointed Executive Director for the three constituent projects that operate under the FreeBMD banner, which include the transcription of the civil registration indexes for England and Wales 1837–1983 (FreeBMD.org.uk), census returns 1841–1891 (FreeCEN.org.uk) and parish registers (FreeREG.org.uk). There are over 3,500 active volunteers working on these initiatives, creating free-to-use indexes and highly accurate transcriptions to these vital records. I’ve long been a critic of an over-reliance on online datasets in modern family history, in the sense that they should be a gateway to offline records, but the main bone of contention is the quality of the transcriptions and flexibility of the search engine. Well, this is my attempt to practise what I preach, and I am delighted to be involved in an initiative that has huge potential. For example, as part of the cuts planned by government departments, the long-awaited Digitization and Indexing project announced earlier this year was put on hold and expected to be scrapped; yet under the ethos of Big Society, a volunteer army of transcribers could take this on, checking the accuracy of already transcribed content and working on new material up to 1983. The cost would be a fraction of that proposed under the anticipated contract, with the benefit that experts with decades of experience would be responsible for the transcription work using a tried-and- tested model. Collaborative working is the way forward in this sector, using volunteers alongside professionals to increase workflow at reduced cost. One of the best examples of this in recent years was the Living the Poor Life project, co- ordinated by TNA under Dr Paul Carter, but utilizing remote local groups to examine, index and catalogue workhouse correspondence found in TNA record series MH 12. The volunteers were given access to scanned images, and created a standardized entry of each one. The descriptions and images were uploaded into TNA’s catalogue, and are available to view for free. Altogether, 20 groups representing about 200 volunteers took part, examining 108 volumes of correspondence covering 118,800 pages, saving an estimated £300,000. Sadly, the trial project ended without any firm commitment from TNA that it would be continued. At present, a university department along with the British Association for Local History is looking into reviving this fantastic initiative. FreeBMD and Living the Poor Life demonstrate the importance of collaborative projects, as they cement the bonds between the expertise of the archivists and the time, enthusiasm and sheer number of the volunteers. We are living through challenging times; yet they offer us a real opportunity to work together and make a difference – provided we care passionately enough about our shared heritage to take action to preserve and protect it. DECEMBER 2010 YOUR FAMILY HISTORY Genealogy and the Big Society THE LAST WORD Big Society offers a real possibility for family historians because there is already a strong volunteer base... LET US KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS on this topic – send us your comments using the form at www.your- familyhistory.com/yourstories.
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Nick Barratt thinks about the possibilities open to willing and existing family history volunteers in the government’s Big Society.
Transcript of Genealogy and the Big Society
74
Over the last few months, I’ve tried to raiseawareness of the challenges facing ourcommunity as a consequence of the economicdownturn and potential threats to the way of
research that we sometimes take for granted, includingaccess to archives and the protection of frontline specialistservices. We now know the results of the ComprehensiveSpending Review, although the full implications on localgovernment and the provision of county, municipal andregional archives are yet to be fully specified.
The steps taken by TNA last year – making 10 per centcuts in one go – seem to have reduced the prospects ofadditional cuts to only a further 6 per cent reduction inbudget in real terms over the next four years, probablysaving further redundancies amongst staff. It would bechurlish to point out that a phased reduction of 4 per centper year, planned in stages linked to actual circumstances,might have reduced the pain of the initial exercise andallowed for more strategic redundancy planning: what’sdone is done.
Much has been made of the harsh level of cuts in thepublic sector under the CSR, thepotential impact on the poorerelements of society and fearsthat it could trigger a ‘doubledip’ recession. Yet there is asecond element to the processthat the coalition government isundertaking. By cutting back onthe public sector, the hope isthat the private and voluntarysectors will fill the void. Thisidea is described as Big Society. Paradoxically, this offers areal possibility for family historians to get involved in awide variety of projects because there is already a strongvolunteer base within the sector, from family historysocieties to transcribers for organizations such as FreeBMD.
Last month I was appointed Executive Director for thethree constituent projects that operate under the FreeBMDbanner, which include the transcription of the civilregistration indexes for England and Wales 1837–1983(FreeBMD.org.uk), census returns 1841–1891(FreeCEN.org.uk) and parish registers (FreeREG.org.uk).There are over 3,500 active volunteers working on theseinitiatives, creating free-to-use indexes and highly accuratetranscriptions to these vital records.
I’ve long been a critic of an over-reliance on onlinedatasets in modern family history, in the sense that theyshould be a gateway to offline records, but the main boneof contention is the quality of the transcriptions and
flexibility of the search engine. Well, this is my attempt topractise what I preach, and I am delighted to be involvedin an initiative that has huge potential. For example, aspart of the cuts planned by government departments, thelong-awaited Digitization and Indexing project announcedearlier this year was put on hold and expected to bescrapped; yet under the ethos of Big Society, a volunteerarmy of transcribers could take this on, checking theaccuracy of already transcribed content and working onnew material up to 1983. The cost would be a fraction ofthat proposed under the anticipated contract, with thebenefit that experts with decades of experience would beresponsible for the transcription work using a tried-and-tested model.
Collaborative working is the way forward in this sector,using volunteers alongside professionals to increaseworkflow at reduced cost. One of the best examples of thisin recent years was the Living the Poor Life project, co-ordinated by TNA under Dr Paul Carter, but utilizingremote local groups to examine, index and catalogueworkhouse correspondence found in TNA record series MH
12. The volunteers were givenaccess to scanned images, andcreated a standardized entry ofeach one. The descriptions andimages were uploaded intoTNA’s catalogue, and areavailable to view for free.Altogether, 20 groupsrepresenting about 200volunteers took part, examining108 volumes of correspondence
covering 118,800 pages, saving an estimated £300,000. Sadly,the trial project ended without any firm commitment fromTNA that it would be continued. At present, a universitydepartment along with the British Association for LocalHistory is looking into reviving this fantastic initiative.
FreeBMD and Living the Poor Life demonstrate theimportance of collaborative projects, as they cement thebonds between the expertise of the archivists and thetime, enthusiasm and sheer number of the volunteers. Weare living through challenging times; yet they offer us areal opportunity to work together and make a difference –provided we care passionately enough about our sharedheritage to take action to preserve and protect it.
D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 0YO U R FA M I LY H I S TO RY
Genealogy and the Big Society
T H E L A S T W O R D
Big Society offers a realpossibility for familyhistorians because thereis already a strongvolunteer base...
LET US KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS on this topic – send us yourcomments using the form at www.your-familyhistory.com/yourstories.
LAST WORD NICK 74 26/10/10 16:13 Page 74
