What has the sector achieved?
As we begin the consultation to create the Government’s new strategic vision for archives, it is appropriate to reflect on three of the original themes of Archives Unlocked – digital capacity, resilience and impact – and the sector’s achievements in these areas.
The sector set out to:
- develop digital capacities within the sector
- enhance institutional resilience, and
- demonstrate the tangible impact of archives on society.
Practically, initiatives have focused on expanding digital preservation and access, on developing resilience and adapting to the changing needs of users and institutions, and on fostering a diverse and skilled workforce to reflect the nation’s rich heritage and the dynamically changing society in which archives operate.
Since its development and launch, Archives Unlocked has seen the sector working in partnership to deliver numerous successes.
Digital capacity building
Against a backdrop of rapid technological change, the sector has made huge progress, collaborating extensively and expanding its digital preservation, access and engagement work.
- A significant number of archives have embraced learning and digital skills training.
This has been delivered through programmes such as The National Archives’ online learning pathway with the Digital Preservation Coalition, Novice to Know How, which has over 2500 users worldwide, and the hands-on digital preservation training delivered through Archive School. - Archives across the sector have increased their confidence in undertaking digital workflows and have started to think more strategically and long term.
A review of The National Archives’ ambitious digital capacity building strategy, Plugged In Powered Up, highlighted the impact of this work, with over 60% of respondents using the digital engagement toolkit, while identifying opportunities for further development. - The sector has shared knowledge and ideas.
The National Archives’ Peer Mentoring programme has built relationships across the sector, sharing expertise and learning, and the Digital Archives Learning Exchange provides a network to share best practice, advice and inspiration. - Growing numbers of archives have increased their digital presence, making more of their collections available online.
Over 300 UK archives now use the Manage Your Collections tool to add collections information to The National Archives’ online catalogue Discovery, enabling more archives to have a greater online presence.
Plugged In Powered Up represented the archive sector’s first digital capacity building strategy. There is a need and an appetite to do more as we embark on the next stage of work through the Our Digital Century strategy.
Resilience
The COVID pandemic, and the response of the archive sector, demonstrated both the key role that archives play in capturing and preserving records of our collective experience during unique moments in history and the resilience of the sector in responding to challenges.
- The sector survived the pandemic and protected records from risk.
The National Archives’ Records at Risk grants, Resilience grants, and COVID-19 Archives Fund all provided significant support. - Places of Deposit have shown adaptability, moving from the 30-year transfer rule towards the 20-year transfer rule.
This has been supported through the annual distribution of £660,000 in New Burdens funding from the Treasury to local authority Places of Deposit. Over the past 9 years, almost £6m has been distributed to 95 organisations that have collectively brought in 11,565 km of public records to date, with 1 more year left of the programme. Participation rates for most regions are above 85%. - The sector has welcomed new routes into employment to create a sustainable workforce that is more diverse and draws in new skills.
Bridging the Digital Gap, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, offered traineeships to 24 individuals with digital skills but no prior archive experience, as part of ongoing efforts to diversify the archive workforce. In 2023, The National Archives launched the Archivist and Records Manager Apprenticeships, a new initiative aligning with ongoing efforts to diversify and enhance our sector’s professional capabilities. - Many archives have tried new approaches and implemented improved practices.
This has been supported by The National Archives’ Collaborate and Innovate funding programme, launched to foster creative solutions to the challenges faced by archives, and which has evolved into the Research and Innovation grants programme.
The archives sector now needs to build on this progress, as it continues to face challenges, with records still at risk, and a workforce that, as the Information Workforce Mapping Survey 2023 noted, still does not reflect the diversity of the population it serves.
Impact
Archives play a vital role within the communities they serve, contributing to democracy, community, social policy, education, positive mental health, research, history and culture. Our shared impact comes in diverse forms:
- Archives have connected with their communities and created opportunities for a variety of users to engage with their collections. Whether supporting exhibitions, performances, art or hosting community projects and events, we have opened up archives in original and inspiring ways.
The case studies produced annually in ‘A Year in Archives’ by the Archive Sector Leadership team illustrate the range and breadth of work across our sector, and Engagement Grants have supported new skills and innovation. - Many archives have contributed to public enquiries, supporting democracy and justice.
These have included the Infected Blood Inquiry, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, the UK Covid-19 Inquiry and the Hillsborough Inquiry. - Over 180 archives have achieved agreed good practice through the Archive Service Accreditation scheme and have used their accreditation to demonstrate their impact and advocate within their wider organisations.
The ongoing work of the UK Archive Service Accreditation Partnership across the UK has seen increasing numbers of archives applying for and achieving accreditation, further highlighting the importance of our sector’s work and the role we play in conserving and sharing collective memory.
While archives have made great strides in building and demonstrating impact, it is vital to find new ways to benefit society and demonstrate the real impact they make in these difficult financial times.