We are delighted to share that The National Archives has just announced the online publication of ‘A Year in Archives‘, the TNA’s much-anticipated annual publication about and for the UK archives sector.
A Year in Archives celebrates and showcases the amazing work of archives though highlights and case studies. Highlights from London-based archives includes updates from the archives of Chigwell School, City of Westminster, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Croydon, Lambeth, The Victoria and Albert Museum, The Royal Albert Hall, and AIM-25 members London Metropolitan University, the Institution of Engineering and Technology* and Transport for London.
The report’s case studies hail from across England and include, for example, a chronicle of Durham County Record Office’s reincarnation as ‘The Story’. The Record Office’s six miles of collections contain 900 years of history, revealing fascinating glimpses into the lives of people throughout the county’s history. After years of advocacy, including extensive public consultations, fundraising, planning and building, the new archive service recently reopened as a wholly different proposition in a brand new location.
The report also showcases useful examples of innovation and risk that can be helpful to others in the Archives world, such as the case of Shakespeare’s Globe Research and Collections, which adopted an innovative new approach to developing research resources on Shakespeare’s plays.
Case studies such as these, says Saul Nassé, Chief Executive and Keeper of The National Archives, “…show the commitment and ingenuity that enable archives to preserve and open up all records of our collective experiences”. TNA have also taken steps to co-create the Government’s new strategic vision for archives, following a commission from The Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
The featured image for this story (above right) is from the Royal Albert Hall Archives, photograph by Andy Paradise.
*A recent AIM-25 blog post from Institution of Engineering and Technology can be found here.