Listening to the Past, Speaking to the Future

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Executive Summary and RecommendationsIt is an ambition ofthe Task Force thatthe collections in theUK’s archives arereadily accessibleto everyone.4 Our archives contain unique resources covering every aspect of the UK’s history(along with links to other nations and cultures), its interests, its business life andits creativity. Collectively these resources include something that is of interestto everyone: the school child, the student, the researcher, the family or villagehistorian, the individual seeking evidence of their identity or rights and thecitizen wishing to explore almost any topic or interest.It is not overstating the importance of archives to suggest that without theirexistence there would be no real sense of history, whether of the last ten years orthe last thousand years. Archives have always been the mainstay of traditionalscholarship and represent the raw material that enables the scholar orresearcher to analyse, compare and interpret.Archival records are also evidential components of the official record and aretherefore essential to understanding the processes of decision-making andgovernance. Preserving and managing these records has a long and honourablehistory. This role has become increasingly important to public life as theFreedom of Information Act, the Data Protection Act, the demands of electronicrecords management and increasing media scrutiny of government have broughtnew responsibilities to all public authorities for the care of archives and currentadministrative records.Today, the importance of archives to the historical and the public record remainsno less relevant in a world of increasing media and communication channels.FindingsOne of the immediate positive results of the commissioning of the ArchivesTask Force by government was that it has provided a forum for a completedebate about archives in the UK. This has stimulated not only a consultationexercise of a size and comprehensiveness that the domain has never seenbefore but a bringing together of key figures who have been able openly todebate the issues which will set the agenda for UK archives for a decade tocome. Although our report is presented to government and key policymakers,all who care about the UK’s unique archives will be interested in developing ourfindings and recommendations.During the course of its work, the Task Force has explored the condition of thenation’s archival collections, their use and scope and their preparedness torespond to the growing importance of public accountability, burgeoning digitalmedia and the rapidly growing number of people exploring their family historiesand identities, many of them from outside the UK.
Archives need thetools for the job –given the necessaryresources, they candeliver on outreachand stewardship andaccess.
Page 1 and 2: Listening to the Past,Speaking to t
Page 3: ForewordThe Museums, Libraries and
Page 7 and 8: Executive Summary and Recommendatio
Page 9 and 10: Executive Summary and Recommendatio
Page 12: 1The Importance of ArchivesThe arch
Page 15 and 16: The Importance of Archivesbrought i
Page 18 and 19: 18 DemandThe growing interest in pe
Page 20 and 21: Our approach hasbeen to develop and
Page 22: A Strategy for Action22‘ The Arch
Page 26 and 27: 26 of original documents. Digitisat
Page 28 and 29: 28working with the real materials c
Page 30 and 31: 30 The Wider Digital EnvironmentWe
Page 32 and 33: 32 for formal education, packages t
Page 34: 4Developing Archives and AudiencesA
Page 37 and 38: Developing Archives and Audiencescr
Page 39 and 40: Developing Archives and AudiencesTh
Page 41 and 42: Developing Archives and AudiencesLe
Page 45 and 46: Developing Archives and AudiencesCo
Page 50 and 51: 50 The Task Force is confident that
Page 52 and 53: Archives ought to befertile ground
Page 54 and 55:
54Volunteers known as Will Flattene
Page 56:
Funding, Recommendations, Next Step
Page 60 and 61:
60 four countries. Through MLA, a H
Page 62 and 63:
62 Action 5New services for the arc
Page 64 and 65:
64 Recommendation FourIncrease comm
Page 66 and 67:
66 Action 2Encourage regional partn
Page 68:
Appendices68‘ An archival heritag
Page 71 and 72:
Archives in 2004PlacesMotivation71
Page 73 and 74:
Archives in 2004Audiovisual archive
Page 75 and 76:
Archives in 2004Diversity of UK Arc
Page 77 and 78:
Archive Networking Achievements to
Page 79 and 80:
Archive Networking Achievements to
Page 81 and 82:
AcknowledgementsCllr David HarmerRe
Page 83 and 84:
AcknowledgementsVictor BelcherSteve
Page 85 and 86:
AcknowledgementsEamon DyasBusiness
Page 87 and 88:
AcknowledgementsJane HubbardWisbech
Page 89 and 90:
AcknowledgementsJudith Middleton-St
Page 91 and 92:
AcknowledgementsVictoria RogersMaur
Page 93 and 94:
AcknowledgementsAlan WatkinAndy Whi
Page 95 and 96:
IMAGE CREDITS95(Unless presented ea
Page 97:
Museums, Libraries and Archives Cou
show all

Listening to the Past, Speaking to the Future

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?