What support do community archives need?
Summary of findings from a survey in 2007
By Jack Latimer and Vic Gray
In 2007, 90 community archives volunteers and professional archivists wrote about the support they felt that community archives needed during a session at the Community Archive summer conference. Here are the top 10 needs that were expressed.
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1. Advice and assistance with the storage of archival items
Help was mainly sought on how to conserve and properly store physical objects, though some requests concerned digital storage as well. (40 responses)
2. Guidance on funding opportunities
Guidance was particularly sought in relation to Lottery applications. Responses often referred to needing advice and guidance on form-filling. (34 responses)
3. Guidance on legal issues
Advice was wanted on copyright issues and legal issues relating to the uses and ownership of archive items (18 responses)
4. Advice on technical equipment
Advice on recording equipment was requested, but responses often asked for advice about digitisation equipment as well (18 responses)
5. Help with digitisation
This included help with the digitisation of documents and photographs, and with long-term storage and maintenance of digitised files. (13 responses)
6. Training
Responses were rarely explicit about what training in particular would be welcome. Many requests for advice under the other headings could be read as requests for training. Some responses cited the training of volunteers. (12 responses)
7. Developing relationships with local institutions
These respondents wished to develop relationships with, or enter into partnerships with, local institutions, such as archives, museums, and libraries. (11 responses)
8. Advice on cataloguing
Advice was needed on how to record and catalogue items correctly (10 responses)
9. Swapping information with other community archives
Some respondents wished to open avenues to swap information with other community archive groups (9 responses)
10. More funding (as opposed to guidance on existing funding)
These responses expressed a need for additional sources of funding or greater levels of funding - in particular, continuation funding. (8 responses)
This page was added on 04/04/2008.