Archive Services - University of Glasgow · 2.3 Records Centre 2 2.4 Online services 3 2.5 Corporate relations 3 3. Managing location, accommodation and facilities 4 4. Developing

Annual Review2006/7

ArchiveServices

1. Overview of the year 12. Delivering quality services 2 2.1 Teaching and learning 2 2.2 Visitors and enquiries 2 2.3 Records Centre 2 2.4 Online services 3 2.5 Corporate relations 33. Managing location, accommodation and facilities 44. Developing the research collections 55. Ensuring efficiency, effectiveness and innovation 6 5.1 Administrative Review 6 5.2 Professional archival research 6 5.3 Projects and associated services 7 5.4 Our staff 86. Statistics 2006-7 11 6.1 Registration profile 11 6.2 Visitors and enquiries 12 6.3 Website visits 12 6.4 Collection development 13 6.5 Major acquisitions 14 6.6 Records Centre 14 6.7 Publicity and exhibitions 15

Contents

1. Overview of the yearOur year was greatly affected by the sudden and tragic loss of our colleague, Sarah Beckinsale, on 31 May. She made valuable contributions to many of this year’s successes and we are in no doubt she would have continued to be an asset to the profession.

Our achievements:

•ThelaunchoftheUniversityofGlasgowStorywebsiteandanadditionalChancellors Fund award to continue this work

•TheAdministrativeReviewPanelreportedtoCourtthatourlevelsofserviceare“exemplary”

•ProvidingtalksanddisplaysonthehistoryoftheUniversityfor25events

•AsuccessfulbidtotheHeritageLotteryFundforpreliminaryworkontheStoddards carpet archive

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2. Delivering quality services

2.1 Teaching and learning

This year we taught 8 classes and reached 180 students in the Arts and Social Sciences. We undertook a reassessment of our archive skills teaching and are looking to provide a greater degree of interactive online archive skills tutorials in future years.

2.2 Visitors and enquiries

As a result of the summer 2006 visitor survey, Thursday evening opening was reviewed. Dropping the need to book for evening service resulted in a 14% increase in numbers of users and a 24% increase in the hours of research undertaken on a Thursday evening.

In April a self service digital photography service was introduced with the aim of cutting down damage caused by the photocopying process. In line with guidance from the National Archives copyright advisor, notices are posted making camera users aware of their obligations to comply with the Copyright law. The service has been well received by visitors.

The number of templates available in MS Outlook for staff answering routine enquiries now standsat58.NewonesaddedthisyearincludefamilyhistoryinHouseofFraserArchive,dating binoculars made by Barr & Stroud and copyright enquiries about the Blackie publishing archive.

2.3 Records Centre

The number of boxes transferred to the Records Centre fell from 862 in 2005-6 to 527. This can be accounted for by the timings of large Finance Office transfers. From the statistics it would appear that work to improve communications with transferring departments has

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been successful. The percentage of files that could not be found fell from 9.4% to 7%. Reasons for failure to find include departments requesting files they already have or that have already been destroyed. 2.4 Online services

WorkhasbeguntobringthedepartmentalwebpagesintotheUniversity’sT4contentmanagement system. This opportunity has been taken to comprehensively review the content and structure and the site will be launched next academic year.

Delivery of our online catalogue has been delayed because of technical issues. It will be online in 2007-8.

Development of an image management system to improve access to digital surrogates began in May. This is the first stage to providing an online image gallery to be delivered in 2009.

2.5 Corporate relations

InadditiontoourworkontheUniversityStorywebsite(seeProjects and Associated Services section), we contributed original or facsimile archive material to 25 events reaching 1200 visitors. Among the 11 lectures was Footballing and other heroes delivered aspartoftheBlackHistoryMontheventsinOctober.ThisdrewattentiontotheUniversity’sconnections with Andrew Watson, the world’s first black international footballer. Displays were provided for a further 14 events including a reunion of the 1947 Engineering class in June, the launch of the Centre for International Development in January and the International Conference on Advancements in Marine Structures in March.

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3. Managing location, accommodation and facilities

From August to November the National Archives of Scotland placed equipment to monitor the fluctuations in temperature and humidity in our stores. The readings confirmed the wide variation in temperature that are outside the ranges set by the British Standard.

In March, they also placed a conservator with us to undertake a National Preservation Office Preservation Assessment Survey. The key recommendations of their report include upgrading the environmental conditions and allocating permanent staff for ongoing preventativecare.TheseissueswerealsohighlightedintheAdministrativeReview(seepage 06). Recruitment of a Preservation Manager has been initiated and discussions about the upgrade of the ventilation system will continue. We are grateful to the National Archives of Scotland for their assistance.

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4. Developing the research collectionsA Collection Development Team was introduced in August to standardise our approach to managing the collections. It meets once a month to review offers, prioritise cataloguing work against user requirements and monitor progress.

Much attention this year has focused on pruning the departmental library. The largest single collection to be removed was the Abridgements of the Registers of Sasines, copies of whichareavailableattheMitchellLibrary.Thisfreed13metresofshelvingwhichwasthenfilledupwithLloydsRegisterstransferredfromtheLibraryResearchAnnexe.Asinglesetfrom 1764 to the present day is now available in our searchroom.

ThepapersofgeneticistJamesHarrisonRenwick(1926-1994)weretransferredfromtheNationalCataloguingUnitfortheArchivesofContemporaryScientistsinBathwheretheyhad been catalogued with the support of a Wellcome Trust grant. The papers date from the 1940s to 1994 but they are, in the main, from the period of Renwick’s human genetics researchconductedinGlasgowinthe1960s.ThemajorityoftheresearchmaterialisthecontentsofRenwick’sboxfilesofdataonfamilypedigrees.TheUnitwillsoonbeginworking on an additional Wellcome Trust funded project on our behalf - the papers of anotherGlasgowgeneticist-MalcolmFerguson-Smith.Wearegratefulfortheircontinuingsupport and expertise.

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5. Ensuring efficiency, effectiveness and innovation

5.1 Administrative Review

This internal review process was commissioned by the Secretary of Court to assess our performance under four main headings - responsiveness, efficiency, progressiveness andcorporateness.Levelsofresponsivenessweredeterminedtobeverygoodandtheexpertise of the staff praised. Concerns were raised in particular about the efficiency of the buildingsforpreservingtheUniversity’sarchivalassets.

The Panel made four key recommendations which will all be acted upon by December 2007.

1. The evaluation/implementation of a proprietary collection management system as part of an overall collection management strategy

2. Funding of new search room IT infrastructure to improve efficiency

3. Activeconsiderationbegiventofurthercollaborationwithinthe“Library&Collections’ group so that resources and expertise might be accessed/deployed most efficiently

4. Short and long-term estates policies be developed as a matter of urgency in order to beintegratedintoGUestatespolicies,fund-raisingandotherstrategiesasappropriate.

5.2 Professional archival research

Research Archivist Victoria Peters went to Dresden in May to participate in a meeting of the International Council on Archives working group charged with drafting the latest in a range ofprofessionalstandards.HerworkwillbeanimportantpartoftheISAF:InternationalStandardonActivities/FunctionsofCorporateBodiesduetobelaunchedinKualaLumpur

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inJuly2008.ThisbuildsontheworkshestartedinusingtheUniversityofGlasgowarchivesasatestbedforthisapproach.ThankstoanArts&HumanitiesResearchCouncilgrantsheisnowusingtheHouseofFrasercollectionasatestbedforafunctionalapproachtocataloguing business archives.

5.3 Projects and associated services

University of Glasgow Story WebsiteInJunewelaunchedthefirstphaseoftheUniversityofGlasgowStorywebsitewhichfocussed on the people whose names are associated with Commemoration Day, the MemorialGatesandwithbuildingsorestablishedchairs.Wewereagainsuccessfulinsecuring funding from the Chancellor’s Fund to deliver the second phase which consists of anonlineRollofHonouroftheSecondWorldWarFallenandbiographiesofofficebearersand professors. An additional feature entitled Your University Story will enable alumni and friends to submit their own stories. This will be launched in the summer of 2008.

Carpeting the World – Stoddards Archive Project FollowingasuccessfulapplicationtotheHeritageLotteryFund,consultantswereappointed to investigate the possibilities for the acquisition, management and exploitation ofthedesignarchive,libraryandheritagecarpetsofJamesTempleton&CoLtdandStoddard International plc. The consultants’ reports were submitted in March 2007, allowing theUniversity,alongsidetheGlasgowSchoolofArtandCultureandSportGlasgow,todevelopaHeritageGrant(HLF)bidforthepurchase,managementandexploitationoftheArchive. This bid will be submitted next year.

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AHRC House of Fraser Archive ProjectWe are now in the second year of this three applied research project entitled Empowering the user: the development of flexible archival catalogues. The primary aim of the project is to test the creation of flexible and dynamic finding aids that are responsive to user needs andweareusingasatestbedtheoutstandingHouseofFraserDepartmentStorearchive.Over 1000 descriptions relating to 6 linear metres of records have so far been created and development of the user interface is now being undertaken.

Associated servicesWecontinuetoworkcloselywithNHSGreaterGlasgow&Clyde,theBusinessArchivesCouncil of Scotland and the Trustees of the Scottish Brewing Archive. These organisations all have separate reporting mechanisms. We are particularly grateful for the continuing support of the Ballast Trust and the National Archives of Scotland in preserving Scotland’s business archives.

5.4 Our staff

We were shocked and saddened by the sudden death of Sarah Beckinsale on 31 May. Sarahwasa23yearoldgraduatetraineewithaplaceensuredontheUniversity’sInformation Management and Preservation course. She was a girl who was keen to get things done, to learn new skills and acquire knowledge of things archival. She would have been an outstanding archivist and records manager. Our thoughts remain with her parents, her brother and sister and her boyfriend. A tree has been planted on the South Front in her memory.

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Sarah Beckinsale

University Archivist & Director of Archive ServicesLesleyRichmond

Professional Staff Support Staff BrianAitken(secondmentfromMay) SarahBeckinsale(toMay) Claire Daniel William Bill RachelHosker(toOctober) LouiseCameron(July) VikkiLaidlaw PaulineConstable(toJanuary) ClareListon(fromFebruary) GeorgeGardner(toJune) DavidPowell SusanGentles(fromSeptember) MoiraRankin VailaHolbourn(toSeptember) IainRussell ArchieLeitch AlmaTopen NeilLeitch AlistairTough TraceyPerrie(fromJanuary) ColinWaller(fromApril) JenniferReade(fromSeptember) EmmaYan(July)

VikkiLaidlawgraduatedwithanMScinInformationManagement&PreservationinNovember.

InMayBrianAitkenbeganaonedayaweeksecondmentfromHATII.HecontinuestoworkonthecontentmanagementsystemandwebsiteforUniversityStoryandhasbegunto develop an image management system to improve storage of and access to digital surrogates.

GeorgeGardnerretiredinJuneafternearly20yearsspecializinginprovidingaccesstotechnical records such as ship and railway drawings.

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George Gardner

Our work was again supported by a number of volunteers and placements.

Placements from

UniversityofGlasgowClub21BusinessPartnershipProgramme

UniversityofGlasgowMScinInformationManagement&Preservation

UniversityofLiverpoolMastersinArchives&RecordsManagement

HamiltonGrammarSchool

HolyCrossHighSchool

UddingstonGrammarSchool

Volunteers

Mathai Daniel Abraham

Nick Bhagat

Ronnie Cockburn

PatLucie

ElvaMcLean

Colin Waller

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6. Statistics 2006-7

6.1 Registration profile

Registered users by home address 2006-7

Unknown,10%

Rest of the world, 6%

Australasia, 8%

North America, 12%

Scotland, 35%

RestofUK,29% Scotland(826)RestofUK(677)NorthAmerica(290)Australasia(179)Restoftheworld(144)Unknown(219)

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Note – the category Unknown is given to be email enquiries for which a geographic location cannot be determined.

6.2 Visitors and enquiries

Visitors Hours of research Productions Enquiries Days Open 2006-7 2005-6 2006-7 2005-6 2006-7 2005-6 2006-7 2005-6 2006-7 2005-6 1110 1083 3452 3135 11700 10091 4900 5103 247 247 +3% +10% +16% -4% 0

6.3 Website visits

Visits GUAS Roll of Honour Forensic Medicine Total 2006/07 2005/06 2006/07 2005/06 2006/07 2005/06 2006/07 2005/06 609,153 512,626 403,548 56,414 39,937 36,684 1,052,638 605,724 +19% +615% +9% +74%

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6.4 Collection Development 2006-7 2005-6

Acquisitions Number 61 54 Extent(linearmetres) 68 64 Deaccessions to other repositories Number 6 5 Extent(linearmetres) 16.4 15.5 Box lists Extent(linearmetres) 48 117 Number of items described 12680 7416 Catalogues Extent(linearmetres) 22.4 27 Number of items described 933 3019

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6.5 Major acquisitions

University and related recordsJamesHarrisonRenwick1926-1994,geneticist:papers1940s-1980s.(Accn2971,UGC155)

QueenMargaretUnion:records1980-2007.(Accns2974,3068,3072,additionstoDC240)

Businesses and organisationsAnchorLine,shipowners:records(Accn3076,additiontoUGD255)

Coatsplc,threadandneedlecraftproductmanufacturer:records1880s-1990s(Accn3029,additiontoUGD199)

WilliamThomson&Co(TheBenLine),shipowners:voyagebooks1853-1922TransferredfromEdinburghUniversityLibrary.(Accn2949)

6.6 Records Centre

2006-7 2005-6 Transfers Number of boxes 527 862 Extent(linearmetres) 232.07 379.67 Destructions Number of boxes 1236 1453 Extent(linearmetres) 543.84 639.32 Files retrieved Successfullyretrieved(number) 1061 991 Notfound(number) 75 93

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6.7 Publicity and exhibitions

The following are a selection of the publications, exhibitions and broadcasts that have used ourcollections:

Kenneth C Calman, Medical Education: Past, Present and Future: Handing on Learning, (ChurchillLivingston,October2006).

Deborah Cohen, Household Gods: a history of the British and their possessions,(YaleUniversityPress,December2006).

M. Anne Crowther & Marguerite W. Dupree, Medical Lives in the Age of Surgical Revolution (CambridgeUniversityPress,April2007).

GuildhallArtGallery,A Mile of Style – A celebration of 180 years of shopping on Regent Street, exhibited 12 April-30 June.

Reg McKay, Killers Crooks & Cons(Black&WhitePublishing,April2007).

ScarletTelevisionLtd,Killer Forensics,broadcastonTheHistoryChannel,26March2007.

Scottish Television, Report on the First Minister’s visit to Passchendaele, in Scotland Today, broadcast on Scottish Television, 11 July 2007.

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