Archive Service Accreditation is the UK Standard for archive services. The Standard looks at how an archive service acquires, preserves and provides access to their collections over the long term, through the management of risks and by planning for change. Archive Service Accreditation also represents a pathway for the ongoing development of a service, and is a reference point for archives of different types and sizes across the UK.
It allows archive services to participate in a scheme supporting the ongoing development of their service against a nationally agreed standard.
Any organisation that holds archive collections can benefit from Archive Service Accreditation, whatever its constitution – it is appropriate for both private and public sector archives.
Archive Service Accreditation also allows us to provide assurance that standards are being maintained by archive services that have been approved as Places of Deposit.
Benefits of Archive Service Accreditation
- Offers a benchmark for gauging performance, recognising achievement and driving improvement within the archives sector.
- Raises the profile of archive services by building confidence and credibility both within the parent organisations and externally, through increased awareness and understanding.
- Helps archive services adapt and respond to user needs and interests, and develop their workforce.
- Encourages partnership working within and between organisations, by helping archive services to examine how best to deliver their services.
- Provides a robust framework for forward planning to improve procedures and policy and reduce organisational risk.
- Is a badge of external recognition which demonstrates quality services.
- Encourages professionalism in the archives sector.
The Archive Service Accreditation Standard looks at an organisation’s ability to develop, care for, and provide access to its collections, and those areas such as resources and planning which underpin those activities.
Archive Service Accreditation is aligned with other relevant quality assurance schemes, improvement tools and data gathering processes.