The project is funded by a grant from the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG), administered by CyMAL, the Assembly's division for museums, archives and libraries, through its Archives Strategic Grant Scheme. Flintshire is lead authority in the project and is working in partnership with Anglesey, Conwy, Denbighshire, Gwynedd and Wrexham Councils.
Senior Council Officers from these authorities will manage the project and will use the research and its conclusions to determine proposals for further actions and will seek to take forward those elements of the strategic review which are deemed viable.
The review will explore new models for the delivery of archive services which are currently delivered by the six unitary authorities in North Wales. It will seek to review the entire method of service provision in order to identify a range of complementary methods of service provision that fulfil the requirements of the public and stakeholders and are practical, sustainable and feasible for the councils to deliver.
Although the development of archive provision since 1996 has been encouraging, the project responds to the current issues facing archive services across North Wales, namely low levels of investment, underdeveloped customer services and public access to collections, limited storage capacity and provision for conservation. The aims for the work include:
- Improving and sustaining service standards;
- Identifying and prioritising the services that the archives should be delivering;
- Identifying the most effective models for delivering these services;
- Safeguarding archival documents through establishing and maintaining state of the art archive-storage facility/facilities with significant capacity for growth;
- Safeguarding archival documents through establishing and maintaining state of the art conservation facility/ facilities;
- Developing and maintaining effective methods of accessing archival documents [i.e. this would involve the examination of a range of methods, from personal access in search-room, through to digital access, video-conferencing etc.]
It will address key issues including:
- Assessment of individual archive services' requirements;
- Assessment of the requirements of stakeholders, including the governing bodies, archive service staff and depositors;
- Assessment of the requirements of the current users and potential new users of the archive services;
- Feasibility of establishing a regional / sub-regional archive service: to include technical, management, governance and financial aspects;
- Feasibility of establishing a regional / sub-regional model for the delivery of specific services: to include technical, management, governance and financial aspects;
- To explore the contribution of the proposal to sustaining and improving service standards, including the meeting of statutory requirements;
- Ensuring a fully bilingual service;
- Ensuring that the proposal makes a full and sustainable contribution to the provision of digital access to collections.
The work will be undertaken by Creative Cultures, a consultancy partnership of senior experienced consultants specialising in arts and cultural strategic planning, feasibility studies and organisational development, whose members have a track record of achievement and excellence in working with the public, not-for-profit and private sectors. For this important commission the Creative Cultures team is led by Brian Mitchell, Creative Cultures Partner and a cultural development consultant of many years standing, and David Mander, OBE, Senior Associate, a former Head of Archives in the London Borough of Hackney and a heritage industry professional of many years' experience.
For further information please contact Susan Ellis, Senior Archivist (01492 860882) or Ann Williams, Principal Officer for Archives, Arts and Museums (01492 575571)
