We offer training to develop skills, knowledge and understanding within the archives sector. Our training sessions are relevant from both an organisational and individual perspective. Please email us if you would like more information about any of our sessions. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, our events and training moved online and some of our events remain digital, alongside our e-learning courses.
Most of our training sessions are free, and bookings are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. If you’re unable to cover the cost of travelling to one of our events, please get in touch and we’d be happy to discuss this. We have a limited number of spaces available at each session. Because of this, please only book if you are able to attend, and contact us if you can no longer attend.
Upcoming events
Discovering Collections Discovering Communities 2025 – Call for Papers
Discovering Collections Discovering Communities (DCDC) has just released its call for papers for the 2025 conference, which will take place on 29 – 31 July. The conference will be run as a hybrid event, hosted in-person at Durham and online using Pheedloop. The conference partners – The British Library, Jisc and The National Archives – welcome proposals for online and in-person contributions on the theme of ‘Choose your own adventure: resilient communities and sustainable solutions’. No matter where you are in the world or the stage of your career, DCDC25 is an exciting opportunity to explore the challenges we face across the Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums and Academia (GLAMA) sectors and to work together as a community to find solutions.
Find out more and apply to present before the deadline, 5pm (GMT) on 14 October 2024
Action Plan for Charity Archives: progress so far (online)
18 September (10:00 – 11:30)
Join us to hear about our progress with our action plan for charity archives. The Charity Archives Development Plan (CAD) was launched in 2022 with the aim of taking a collaborative approach to raising the profile of charity archives and addressing the urgent challenges that they face. In this online event we will be reviewing progress and reporting back on key achievements so far. We’ll be joined by speakers reflecting on the impacts of the action plan for charity archives and the wider archives sector. The event will also mark the launch of Paul Beard’s research to map charity archives, conducted during a 6-month placement at The National Archives towards his PhD on charity archives at risk.
Find out more and register to attend the Action Plan for Charity Archives webinar
Introducing an apprentice to your archive
This series will provide practical advice for setting up an apprenticeship within your archive, including first steps, recruitment, onboarding and mentoring. There will be a particular focus on the Level 7 Archivist and Records Manager Apprenticeship.
These events are suitable for all archive professionals interested in recruiting a Level 7 apprentice, regardless of whether or not your organisation has had an apprentice before. The guidance is relevant to archives in England and is not suitable for prospective apprentices themselves. If you’d like to find out more about the Level 7 apprentice please contact armapprenticeship@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Recruiting a Level 7 apprentice – Q&A drop-in session (online)
24 September (11:00 – 12:00)
This one-hour question-and-answer session is an opportunity to ask Jonathan Ladd (The National Archives) and Chris Sheridan (Archives and Records Association) questions about the Level 7 Archivist and Records Manager apprenticeships. Anthony Skates (consultant) will be in attendance to answer more general questions about recruiting, onboarding and mentoring an apprentice. This event is also an opportunity to discuss any potential barriers to taking on an apprentice that you may be concerned about.
Find out more and register to attend the Q&A drop-in session
Introducing an apprenticeship to your archive (online)
8 October (10:00 – 12:00)
This workshop will explore the importance of apprenticeships and the benefits that they can bring to your archive. We will discuss making the case to your organisation, internal planning and preparing for the recruitment process, providing you with practical tips for where to start, who to talk to and what to consider before you are able to recruit an apprentice.
Find out and register to attend the introducing an apprenticeship workshop
A guide to recruiting an apprentice to your archive (online)
15 October (10:00 – 12:00)
This workshop will discuss recruiting an apprentice and explore what you need to do and consider throughout the recruitment process. We will explore a range of topics such as good practice, job descriptions, application options, shortlisting, thinking about the interview process and making an offer.
Find out more and register to attend the guide to recruiting an apprentice workshop
A guide to onboarding and mentoring an apprentice in your archive (online)
22 October (10:00 – 12:00)
This workshop will discuss onboarding and mentoring an apprentice, and explore what you need to do and consider throughout. We will discuss what onboarding is, who should be involved, the five points of onboarding and what your organisations already do. We will explore the importance and benefits of mentoring, how to support an apprentice and finding the right mentor.
Find out more and register to attend the guide to onboarding and mentoring workshop
Manage Your Collections in Discovery webinar (online)
26 September (10:30 – 12:00)
Join us for a training webinar on Discovery and Manage Your Collections (MYC).
MYC allows archives to publish and edit their collections information directly in Discovery. It can be used as the primary means of getting collections data online or as a second point of access. MYC allows archives to access and update their catalogue data already on Discovery, contributed during the Access to Archives (A2A) programme. The webinar will first give an overview of Discovery and what collections information an archive may have on Discovery before moving on to the MYC tool. We’ll be going through the complete functionality, including an overview of the MYC Excel template, uploading using the template and the metadata mapper, and the different ways you can edit collections data.
Find out more and register to attend the Manage Your Collections in Discovery webinar
Writing on the Wall’s Creative Heritage model (online)
3 October (13:00 – 14:30)
Writing on the Wall (WoW) is a writing development and festival organisation that works with local, diverse communities. In this impact seminar, WoW’s directors, staff and participants will have an informal discussion on the Creative Heritage model WoW has created and the partnerships they have formed across the Liverpool City Region. Creative Heritage is WoW’s programme which explores and documents hidden histories while engaging local communities. The model includes activities designed to develop archiving skills and inspire creative work based on the stories they uncover.
Find out more and register for WoW’s Creative Heritage impact seminar
Digital Exhibitions – telling your archive’s stories online (online)
6, 13 and 20 November (10:00 – 12:00)
This free three-part course, led by digital specialists from The Audience Agency, will help archive staff and volunteers to develop the skills, understanding and confidence you need to successfully plan and create digital exhibitions. We will help you explore the benefits and value digital exhibitions could bring your archive. We will guide you through the first steps you need to take in creating a digital exhibition, from understanding your audiences and choosing the platform, to creating content that’s fit for purpose, measuring success and ensuring you’ve considered the ongoing management and legacy. Due to a limited number of places, to apply for this course, you will need to fill out an expression of interest form. Two members from each participating archive should attend to ensure that you are able to put the learning into practice within the archive effectively. It’s important to consider carefully which combination of people will best suit your archive’s developmental needs.
Find out more and submit an expression of interest to attend the digital exhibitions course
Carbon Literacy training for archives (online)
This Carbon Literacy training is a free course, designed to build awareness of the carbon emissions related to archives, records management and special collections. We will explore the science of climate change, how this can affect archives, and provide examples of actions that archives have taken to lower their carbon emissions.
The training is divided into four modules covered over two half-days. There will be numerous opportunities for facilitated discussion and break-out groups. Participants will be asked to consider their own context, creating two pledges to lower carbon emissions both individually and as a group. By completing the training and associated work you can earn ‘Carbon Literate’ status, awarded by the Carbon Literacy Project.
Due to the limited number of spaces, only one person per organisation can attend. By booking a place you will be agreeing to complete pre-training work, attend both half-day sessions in full and complete post-training work in order to earn ‘Carbon Literate’ status. Once carbon literate, you can become a carbon literacy trainer yourself and could run the carbon literacy training for your organisation.
The courses will be offered with a regional focus, with priority going to attendees from the region in question. Spaces for the North West and East & South East regions will be made available from Spring 2025.
Dates for each region:
- 11 & 14 November 2024 – Yorkshire and North East
- 10 & 12 December 2024 – Midlands
- 21 & 23 January 2025 – London
- 4 & 6 February 2025 – South West
Information on how to register for the Carbon Literacy training will be published on this page and our UKNatArcSector X account in September. If you have any questions, please contact carbonliteracy@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Round Tables for Archives Unlocked Refresh Consultation
Due to the General Election we are pausing consultation on the refresh of Archives Unlocked. It will recommence later in the year (the dates below will change)
The National Archives has been commissioned by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to refresh the government’s strategic vision for archives, Archives Unlocked. We have appointed BOP Consulting to carry out consultation on the current and future issues and opportunities for the archives sector. The consultation is based on a provocation paper.
We would greatly appreciate your input into this important refresh of the strategic vision for archives. We are running eight available roundtables, six of which will be in person across England and two of which will be online. Please note that you only need to attend one roundtable.
- 3 June – online
- 11 June – Durham University
- 20 June – Lancashire Archives
- 26 June – Essex Record Office
- 5 July – Birmingham Archives
- 10 July – The Box, Plymouth
- 12 July – online
- 16 July – London Metropolitan Archives
If you’re not able to attend any of the roundtables, there is also an online consultation form for archive sector professionals. If you are a member of the public, there is an online consultation form for archive users. Both forms will be open until 16 July 2024.
Find out more and register to attend one of the eight round tables
Further Autumn/Winter events – details to be announced
- 10, 17 & 24 October: Managing online volunteers (10:00 – 12:00)
- 16 and 23 October: An introduction to legacies and major gifts (10:00 – 12:00)
- 17 October: Cultural Property webinar (10:00 – 12:00)
- 5, 12 & 19 November: Managing onsite volunteers (10:00 – 12:00)
- 8 November: Impact seminar – creative storytelling (10:00 – 11:30)
- 22, 29 January & 12 February 2025: Digital Advocacy (10:00 – 12:00)
If you have any questions about these events please contact us at asl@nationalarchives.gov.uk
E-learning courses
Data Protection Toolkit for Archives
This toolkit is for archive service staff involved in providing access to personal data found within an archive service’s collections.
The toolkit is hosted on Moodle, an e-learning service that The National Archives uses to host learning and development content for the archive sector. Following the link provided below, please fill out the New Account form with your details. Please enter your email address as your username and use the enrolment key: ‘Data Protection Toolkit’. Once you have registered, you will receive an automatic confirmation email from Moodle.
Sign up to the Data Protection Toolkit for Archives
If you already have an account, log in to the Data Protection Toolkit
Archive Service Accreditation e-learning course
This e-learning course is for anyone working with archive collections who wishes to find out about Archive Service Accreditation. It provides a general introduction to the scheme and will help participants take the first steps towards making an application.
Sign up for the Archive Service Accreditation e-learning
Fundraising for Archives e-learning course
This e-learning course covers fundraising strategy, financial planning, cases for support, building networks and supporters, crowdfunding, and measuring outcomes and evaluation.
Video tutorials and step-by-step guidance will introduce you to each topic and guide you through online activities, enabling you to put what you are learning into practice and tailor it to your archive service.
Sign up for the Fundraising for Archives e-learning course
Transfer to Places of Deposit (PoD) e-learning course
This online learning course explains the key points of the Public Records Act for public record bodies. It describes what a place of deposit is and the process public record bodies should follow to select, prepare and transfer records for permanent preservation to a place of deposit.
The learning objectives of this course are to:
- understand the content and scope of the Public Records Act and the ’20 Year Rule’ changes
- gain knowledge about the process of selecting and transferring records from a public record body to a place of deposit
- recognise the roles and responsibilities for managing records under the Act and what the public record body needs to do
- find out about the guidance and support available from The National Archives
Sign up for the Transfer to Places of Deposit e-learning course
Recorded events
Take a look at our recorded events on YouTube, which cover a variety of topics, services and networks including:
Training
- organisational impact
- advanced bid-writing
- crowdfunding and digital fundraising
- Manage Your Collections in Discovery
Events
- Digital Archives Learning Exchange (DALE)
- Manorial Documents Register Conference 2022
- Archives for Everyone 2023 – 2027
- Launching the Level 7 Archivist and Records Manager apprenticeships
Grants programmes
- Risk and Resilience grants programme
- Cataloguing grants programme
- Research and Innovation grants programme
- Archives Revealed cataloguing grants