Collections management policy

Lancashire Archives exists to collect and preserve the county's unique and irreplaceable archives, making them accessible to everyone, now and in the future, and inspiring learning and creativity through their use.

2.1 The purpose of this policy, and the suite of related collections policies, is to define why and how Lancashire Archives acquires, preserves, develops, facilitates access to, and encourages engagement with the archive and printed book collections in its care.

2.2 The policy serves as a guide for archive service staff, and demonstrates to external organisations and individuals that Lancashire Archives has adopted recognised professional standards, and aims to follow good practice.

2.3 The policy is underpinned by the British Standards Institution Code of practice for cultural collections management PAS 197:2009, the requirements of the Archive Service Accreditation Standard, June 2018, and Archives Unlocked, 2017, The National Archives strategic vision for archives.

2.4 This policy and the suite of related policies have revised and replaced version1 of the service collection policies, adopted in 2014.

'Archives are the record of the everyday activities of governments, organisations, businesses and individuals. They are central to the record of our national and local stories and are vital in creating cultural heritage and supporting public policy objectives. Their preservation ensures that future generations will be able to learn from the experiences of the past to make decisions about the present and the future'¹

¹ Archives for the 21st century, 2009

4.1 Lancashire Archives is the sole provider of archive services to Lancashire County Council and its constituent authorities under sections 224 and 226(5) of the Local Government Act 1972. This requires councils to make proper arrangements for any documents which belong to them, or are in their custody, and applies to records which are still in active use, as well as to those which are now inactive.

4.2 Lancashire Archives exercises the county council's powers in respect of historical, private and business records under the terms of the Local Government (Records) Act, 1962, as amended by the Local Government Act 1985. This empowers authorities to incur expenditure on facilities for the preservation, promotion of use, and public access to records of general or local interest, acquired by purchase, gift or deposit.

4.3 Since local government reorganisation in 1998 Lancashire Archives has also provided archive services to Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council under joint arrangements.

4.4 Lancashire Archives has been appointed by the Lord Chancellor as a place of deposit for local public records under the Public Records Act 1958 as amended 1967(especially in respect of s3(6) and s4(1)).

4.5 Lancashire Archives has been designated by the Master of the Rolls as a repository approved for the custody of manorial records under the Law of Property Act 1922 and the Law of Property (Amendment) Act, 1924 and the Manorial Document Rules 1959 and 1967; and for the deposit of tithe documents under the Tithes (Copies of Instruments of Apportionment) Rules, 1960 and 1963.

4.6 Lancashire Archives functions as a diocesan record office in respect of Anglican parishes within Lancashire and the dioceses of Blackburn, Liverpool, and Leeds, under the Parochial Registers and Records Measure 1978 (No 2) as amended by the Church of England's (Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure 1992 (No 1). It also serves as diocesan record office for the Roman Catholic dioceses of Lancaster and Salford and the Archdiocese of Liverpool.

5.1 The geographical area served by Lancashire Archives is the present administrative county of Lancashire and the unitary authority of Blackburn with Darwen. The archive service also retains responsibility for archives created by the administration of the county of Lancashire before 1974, which relate to the whole of the historic county.

5.2 The archive collections include material covering the historic County Palatine of Lancaster - from South Lakeland to Merseyside, Manchester and Warrington – and are of national and international importance as well as regional and local significance.

5.3 Lancashire Archives collections are among the largest in the North West covering almost 9 miles of shelving – about 1825 cubic metres in volume and comprising more than 5,300 separate collections. The archives are in a variety of materials and formats - parchment or vellum, paper, linen, volumes, microfilm and photographic material and audio and digital media - and range in size from tiny documents to rolled parchments or maps, which may be more than 6 metres in length. They document the county’s diverse history and culture from the mid-twelfth century to the present day and include the archives of people, organisations and businesses in Lancashire, reflecting the changing landscape, communities and economy over nine centuries.

5.4 Lancashire Archives also manages a significant collection of books and printed material relating to people and places in the former County Palatine – the Lancashire Printed Collection. This supports the archive collections and provides a countywide local studies resource.

6.1 Lancashire Archives is an Accredited Archive Service. Archive Service Accreditation is the UK standard for archive services. It defines good practice and identifies agreed standards to support development and improvement throughout the sector.

6.2 Lancashire's archive collections are managed in accordance with its own approved policies, within The National Archives framework of standards and best practice guidance, and following the Code of Ethics of the Archive and Records Association, updated February 2020.

6.3 We select and acquire unique and irreplaceable archive material of enduring historical significance to the county of Lancashire, and the unitary authority of Blackburn with Darwen, in accordance with our Collections Development Policy and plans. We accept regular transfers of material from the Records Management service of Lancashire County Council to ensure that the archives of our parent organisation are preserved. We offer facilities for organisations and individuals to donate or deposit archive collections for safekeeping and for the benefit of research. Our Collections Development Plan aims to ensure that our archive collections continue to reflect the diverse and changing community we serve.

6.4 We list, catalogue and record and provide information about the archive collections in accordance with our Collections Information Policy and Collections Information Plan. Cataloguing is carried out by trained and qualified archivists. We document our collections in accordance with appropriate professional standards and make collection level entries available online for all archive collections following the International Council on Archives General International Standard of Archival Description [ISAD(G)].

6.5 We preserve, care for and undertake archive conservation work on the archive collections in accordance with our Collections Care and Conservation Policy. We follow the guidance in BS 4971:2017 Conservation and care of archive and library collections, PAS 197:2009 Code of practice for cultural collections management, and BS EN 16893:2018 Conservation of Cultural Heritage – Specifications for location, construction and modification of buildings or rooms intended for the storage or use of heritage collections.

We ensure that the archives are preserved to the best current professional standards by storage in archive-quality packaging in purpose-built, climatically-controlled strongrooms and on secure digital servers or storage media, as well as by supervised use of the collections and an ongoing programme of condition surveys and assessment followed by appropriate remedial action.

6.5.1 Preventive Conservation underpins the long-term survival and accessibility of the archive collections. It is carried out by trained and qualified staff, and by volunteers under supervision, and is undertaken in accordance with health and safety requirements and nationally recognised standards.

6.5.2 Interventive repair of archives is undertaken where necessary. It is carried out by trained and qualified staff and undertaken in accordance with health and safety requirements and nationally recognised standards –BS 4971:2017 Conservation and care of archive and library collections, and the Institute of Conservation's Professional Standards and Code of Conduct 2014.

6.5.3 Born-digital records are stored on secure digital servers with regular backups. File fixity information is recorded for each folder and checked at regular intervals to ensure integrity. 2014

6.6 We provide access to Lancashire’s archival heritage in accordance with our Access Policy and Standards and with respect to the Equality Act 2010, the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Data Protection Act 2018, the Environmental Information Regulations and current and relevant Copyright legislation.

6.6.1 We provide direct public access, free of charge and (in normal circumstances) without appointment, in our public searchroom. We subscribe to the Archives Card, a national reader's ticket system managed by the Archives and Records Association. ‘We recognise our statutory duty to eliminate unlawful discrimination of all kinds and are committed to promoting equality of opportunity in all aspects of the service’²

Staff are available in the searchroom to assist visitors to find the information they need, to interpret the archive collections and to ensure safe and careful handling of the material.

We recognise the value of displaying archives as well as the risks of exhibiting original archival material. Any individual or organisation seeking to exhibit Lancashire archives must comply with our terms and conditions for loan and sign the Exhibition Loan Agreement.

² Lancashire Archives Access Policy Statement

7.1 The Lancashire Printed Collection is housed by Lancashire Archives. We manage, develop and preserve it in accordance with the Lancashire Printed Collection Policy and the Lancashire Printed Collection Procedures.

7.2 Professional advice and support in developing, classifying and cataloguing the collections is provided by qualified Librarians who are members of CILIP (The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals).

7.3 The collection is listed on the Lancashire Library catalogue.

8.1 We manage, preserve and conserve our archive and printed book collections effectively by providing an adequate level of staffing and ensuring that the people who work here understand the value and significance of the collections and are appropriately skilled and trained.

8.2 We deliver Lancashire County Council's stated performance management objectives through management support, service induction plans, opportunities for continued learning and professional development and regular performance engagement meetings to ensure that all staff have the necessary skills and abilities to meet their work objectives and carry out their defined roles in supporting the preservation of our archive collections.

8.3 We have a well-established archive volunteer programme. Volunteers are recruited through the Lancashire Volunteer Partnership and provided with appropriate training. They undertake a range of tasks which support the preservation of the archive collections and improve collections information to make material more accessible. They do not undertake work which would normally be carried out by salaried staff.

8.4 We manage the health, safety and wellbeing of all staff and volunteers working with the archive collections, in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) Regulations 2002 and Lancashire County Council's Health and Safety Policy and our own Record Office premises Arrangements for health, safety and wellbeing. And we provide, as far as is reasonably practicable, a safe environment for all visitors to the record office building.

8.5 Lancashire Archives is an Institutional Member of the Archives and Records Association (INA0012) and a member of the National Conservation Service.

8.6 Professional archivists and archive conservators are encouraged to become registered members of the Archives and Records Association. They are expected to subscribe to its Code of Ethics and to continue to develop their professional knowledge and skills. Accredited archive conservators also subscribe to the ICON (Institute of Conservation) code of conduct. Librarians subscribe to the CILIP set of ethical principles and code of professional practice for library, information and knowledge professionals.

9.1 The strategic aims for managing Lancashire’s archive collections have been incorporated into a Forward plan. These form the basis of the annual plan for Lancashire Archives to ensure that the aims are met and that they contribute to the goals of the Libraries, Museums, Culture and Archives service and the vision and strategic objectives of Lancashire County Council.

9.2 The Forward Plan is reviewed annually, together with the Collections Development, Collections Information and Collections Care and Conservation plans. The annual team plan is reviewed quarterly. The archive service has key performance indicators (KPIs) which are measured quarterly and contribute to the overall performance of the Libraries, Museums, Culture and Archives service.

10.1 This Collections Management Policy, together with the associated, Collections Development Policy, Collections Information Policy, Collections Care and Conservation Policy and Access Policy, will be approved by Lancashire County Council's Cabinet.

10.2 The policies will be reviewed no later than 5 years after the date of approval.

10.3 The policies will be communicated to all interested parties and made available to the public on Lancashire County Council's website.