Managing archives within Museums
Janice TullockArchives and Heritage Consultant
www.janicetullock.co.uk
Museums and Heritage Show 16 May 2012
Introduction
• Qualified and registered archivist• Background in local government archive
services• Experience as Archives Development Officer for
MLA NW• Archives Fellow on the Clore Leadership
Programme 2005/6• Director of Janice Tullock Associates since 2006
Definition of archives?
“Materials created or received by a person, family or organisation, public or private, in the conduct of their affairs and preserved because of the enduring value contained in them or as evidence of the functions and responsibilities of their creator, especially those materials maintained using the principles of provenance, original order and collective control; permanent records.” (Society of American Archivists)
Archives in museums
• Archives in museum collection – either mixed in with collections or treated as stand alone collections
• Archives of the museum itself – records of business, donations, correspondence, research etc.
Digital
• Reaching greater number of people more easily• Digitisation is a core activity • Digital provides new channels and methods to reach
users• Online catalogue provision is reaching a new level of
maturity• Digital is now being used to allow volunteering projects
and participation• Archivists are more confident in managing born-digital
materials and ensuring digital preservation.
Partnership Digitisation projects
Digital Users
• West Yorkshire archive service:– 7,000 onsite visitors– 19,000 off-site contacts (phone/email/post)
- 6 million views of images on Ancestry- 12 million views of metadata
30,000 image views over 24-26 December
Catalogues
Joint networking projects
Next steps for catalogues? Linked data?
Social Networking
Participation – making connections between collections and people
• Crowdsourcing work• Contributing expert/personal knowledge• Adding to collections• Remixing and reusing the archives• Involving the public in the organisation
• See Kate Theimer Archives Next Blog
Digital Preservation 4.4 Collections preservation
The Library believes that no single approach is likely to guarantee the long term survival ofthe Library’s digital material and consequently, a mixed strategy – focusing on, formatmigration and normalisation – is preferred. Acceptable preservation formats may includetext, XML or an ‘open’ format such as the Open Document Format. Other formats, such asfilms or commercial digital products, will be dealt with in a way appropriate to the needs ofthe material. The Library will respect intellectual property and other rights in materials when seeking topreserve commercial and private digital materials in its collections.
The Library has two approaches to this issue,
1. Rights secured – for digital archival materials donated or loaned to the Library we willseek permission from the donor/lender at the time of donation to carry out anypreservation activity, immediately or in the future, that may be required to preservethe material for future use, eg migration and/or normalisation.
2. Commercial rights – Where possible and practicable for digital commercial productsacquired by the Library we may seek permission to undertake necessarypreservation actions to ensure the future use of the material, eg migration and/ornormalisation.
Wellcome Library Preservation Policy 2007
Standards
• BS5454 replaces by PD5454, supported by PAS197 and 198
• Archive Service Accreditation – due for publication in June 2013
Benefits of Archive Service Accreditation
Benefits
Professionalism
Performance
People
PatronagePartnerships
Profile
Planning
Archive Service Accreditation• Three modules:
1. Organisational Health 2. Collections 3. Stakeholders and their experience
Requirements under each module:
- 1. Mission, governance, planning and resources (premises, finance and workforce)
- 2. Policies, plans and procedures for collections (development, information and care)
- 3. Access for the service’s identified community and stakeholders
Collections2.1 Collections management
2.2 Collections development
2.2.1 Policies on collections
development
2.2.2 Collections development plans
2.3 Collections information
2.3.1 Policies on collections
information
2.3.2 Collections information plans
2.3.3 Core collections information procedures
2.4 Collections Care and Conservation
2.4.1 Policies on collections care and
conservation
2.4.2 Collection care and conservation
plans
2.4.3 Procedures for routine collections
care
2.4.4 Procedures and plans for disaster and
recovery
Interpretation of collections
• Not something archivists have been traditionally comfortable with
• Not something that archives have traditionally undertaken
Archives+
Marks and Spencer archive exhibition
More information?
• Web page www.janicetullock.co.uk• Records Management for Museums and
Galleries by C Brunskill and Sarah Demb• http://www.museuminfo-records.org.uk/• http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-s
ector/