I had already prepared this blog last week.I had written about my recent trip to Florence and the contribution of that beautiful city to global conservation and preservation activities. However, something happened over the weekend which incensed me so much that I had to blog about it!
Map store
I was having a lazy Sunday morning (my daughter at a sleepover) and reading the paper with the radio on in the background. Somebody was talking about someone whose works were “tucked away” in an archive. The term “tucked away” with its connotations of being hidden and forgotten about raised my ire. The perception that archives are dark, dusty basements where items rarely see the light of day, still persists, despite the reality of archival repositories holding material in a logical order, securely, in state of the art storage areas with controlled environmental conditions.
Material is not “tucked away” but actively preserved for access and use. Archivists are responsive to user demands and provide access to material through on-line catalogues, digitisation and exhibitions. They are engaging with new challenges, such as how to ensure continuing access to material in digital format. The issues involved with digital material is the focus of a forthcoming lecture by Dr Michael Pearson.
As the newly appointed Chair of the Archives and Records Association, Wales region, I am committed to advocating the reality of the work of the archival profession. This is to promote the care, management, access to, and use of, archives through professional standards and professional development. So next time you hear that archives are hidden away in basements, or that archivists are hermit like figures, please correct this misconception. I will, however, confess to owning a couple of cardigans!
Sally McInnes