Previous section: 12. Templates for Key Documents
CONTENTS
- General
- Selecting Records for your Archives
- Cataloguing
- Collections Care, Storage, Preservation and Disaster Planning
- Collections Development and Collecting Policies
- Access and Activities
- Digital Records and Digitisation
- Oral History and Sound Recordings
- Photography, Film and Video
This is just a small selection of the resources that are available, but should act as a starting point for many topics.
Organisation and Governance
The National Archives: Running Your Organisation https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-sector/advice-and-guidance/running-your-organisation/
Community Archives and Heritage Group: Running a community archive https://www.communityarchives.org.uk/content/resource/running-a-community-archive-2023
Setting up a charity (Charity Commission) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/setting-up-a-charity-model-governing-documents and https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-set-up-a-charity-cc21a
National Council for Voluntary Organisations: advice and support for voluntary organisations. A wide range of Tools and Resources (subscription required, but free for small community organisations) https://knowhow.ncvo.org.uk/tools-resources
Association of Independent Museums (AIM) Success Guide on Successful Governance in Independent Museums, contains useful transferable information https://aim-museums.co.uk/resources/successful-governance-for-museums/
National Lottery Heritage Fund, Organisational sustainability and resilience good practice guidance https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/funding/good-practice-guidance/organisational-sustainability-resilience
Resilience Indicator tool for assessing the resilience of an archive organisation https://www.archives.org.uk/s/Archives_only_indicator_V2.xlsx and associated guidance https://www.archives.org.uk/s/Archive_Indicator_guidance_notes-yjfk.pdf
Collections
General
The National Archives, Archive Basics, aimed at non-professionals https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-sector/advice-and-guidance/managing-your-collection/archive-basics
The National Archives, general advice on managing your collection https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-sector/advice-and-guidance/managing-your-collection/
The National Archives: Archive Service Accreditation Guidance, https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/archives/archive-service-accreditation-standard-june-2018.pdf
Business Archives Council: Managing your archives https://www.managingbusinessarchives.co.uk/getting_started/setting_up_an_inhouse_archive/
Archives and Records Association Best Practice Guidelines https://www.archives.org.uk/resources
Community Archives and Heritage Group: Managing a collection https://www.communityarchives.org.uk/content/resource/managing-a-collection
AIM [Association of Independent Museums] Success Guides: Successfully Managing Archives in Museums https://aim-museums.co.uk/resources/successfully-managing-archives-in-museums/
Norfolk Record Office Community Archives Toolkit advice on Collections Management https://www.archives.norfolk.gov.uk/community-archives/collections-management
Gloucestershire Heritage Hub, advice on how to on how to manage and organise your archive https://www.heritagehub.org.uk/heritage-hub-online-training/online-collections-management-training/
Campaign for Voluntary Sector Archives, Archiving for Voluntary Organisations: Draft Guidance March 2017 https://www.voluntarysectorarchives.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Draft-Guidance-02-March-2017-version.docx
Managing Mixed Collections guidance produced for The National Archives https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/archives/managing-mixed-collections-guidance.pdf
Selecting Records for your Archives
The National Archives, What to keep and why https://nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/archives/what-to-keep-and-why.pdf
The National Archives, Deaccessioning and Disposal https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/Deaccessioning-and-disposal-guide.pdf
The National Archives: Management Framework for Retention and Transfer Charity Records and Archives – relevant to all voluntary organisations
Records Management in Charities: A Toolkit for Improvement (revised 2019) http://www.voluntarysectorarchives.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/records-management-in-charities-9.pdf
Cataloguing
The National Archives advice https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-sector/advice-and-guidance/managing-your-collection/cataloguing/cataloguing-archive-collections/
The National Archives advice on using volunteers for cataloguing projects https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/volunteer-cataloguing-in-archives.pdf
Community Archives and Heritage Group: Cataloguing guidelines for community archives https://www.communityarchives.org.uk/content/resource/cataloguing-guidelines
Norfolk Record Office Community Archives Toolkit guidance on cataloguing https://www.archives.norfolk.gov.uk/community-archives/cataloguing
The National Archives Manage Your Collections offers a means of making completed catalogues available on the Discovery database https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-sector/finding-records-in-discovery-and-other-databases/manage-your-collections-in-discovery/
Advice on contributing catalogue information to The Archives Hub https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/contributing/
Collections Care, Storage, Preservation and Disaster Planning
The National Archives, guidance on planning a new repository https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-sector/advice-and-guidance/running-your-organisation/large-scale-projects/
The National Archives guidance https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-sector/advice-and-guidance/managing-your-collection/caring-for-archives/
Archives and Records Association, Collections Care Toolkit https://www.archives.org.uk/collections-care-toolkit
Benchmarks 3.0 Conservation Planning for Archives, Libraries and Museums http://www.ncs.org.uk/benchmarks3.php
Norfolk Record Office Community Archives Toolkit guidance on preservation https://www.archives.norfolk.gov.uk/community-archives/preservation
Gloucestershire Heritage Hub, advice on how to on how to protect and look after your physical archive https://www.heritagehub.org.uk/heritage-hub-online-training/online-collections-care-training/
University of Bristol Theatre Collection introductory videos on Caring for your own Records http://www.bristol.ac.uk/theatre-collection/caring-for-your-theatre–live-art-records/caring-for-your-own-records/
The National Archives, guidance on Mould in archive collections https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-sector/advice-and-guidance/managing-your-collection/mould-in-archive-collections/
South West Museum Development Pest Partners Programme ‘how-to’ videos on getting started with pest monitoring, management and treatment of objects https://southwestmuseums.org.uk/what-we-do/projects/pest-partners/
Wellcome Library example of a Conservation and Collections Care Policy https://wellcomecollection.org/conservation-and-collections-care-policy
The National Archives, Records at risk guidance https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-sector/advice-and-guidance/managing-your-collection/records-at-risk/
The National Archives: Protecting archives and manuscripts against disasters
London Fire Brigade: Emergency Response and Salvage Plans for heritage buildings, including template documents for a salvage plan https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/safety/property-management/fire-safety-in-heritage-and-historical-buildings/
Historic England: Writing an Emergency Response Plan, with templates https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/technical-advice/emergency-and-fire/response-plans/
United States National Archives and Records Administration links to advice on salvage procedures https://www.archives.gov/preservation/disaster-response/salvage-procedures.html
Collection Development and Collecting Policies
Collection Development guidance https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-sector/advice-and-guidance/managing-your-collection/developing-collections/collection-development/
Access and Activities
Community Archives and Heritage Group: Sharing a collection: https://www.communityarchives.org.uk/content/resource/sharing-a-collection
Archives and Records Association Archives for Education and Learning Section resources https://www.archives.org.uk/s/ALES-Useful-Resources-2022-WIP.pdf
Norfolk Record Office Community Archives Toolkit, advice on interpretive planning https://www.archives.norfolk.gov.uk/community-archives/interpretive-planning
Digital Records and Digitisation
The National Archives, Digitisation guidance https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/information-management/digitisation-at-the-national-archives.pdf [later sections are very technical but the early sections contain useful general advice]
Hampshire Archives, guidance on Digitising archives https://www.hants.gov.uk/librariesandarchives/archives/services/community-archives/digitising-archives
Norfolk Record Office, Community Archives Toolkit guidance on digitisation https://www.archives.norfolk.gov.uk/community-archives/digitisation
Norfolk Record Office, Community Archives Toolkit: video on Digitisation Procedures and Practical Tips https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enf5xmbmgMg
National Lottery Heritage Fund, Digital good practice guidance https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/funding/good-practice-guidance/digital
Orphan Works: Guidance for archive services on reasonable searches to identify rights holders, produced by The National Archives and the Intellectual Property Office for services considering digitising copyright collections https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/archives/orphan-works-guidance.pdf
Copyright Assessment Framework: a pragmatic risk assessment tool to assist digitisation of collections https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1f-89Nuw1uWZxkdNlWXmqZO3YAM2C7HQWmgel_oYZPJY/edit#gid=1238125246
The National Archives: Basic digital preservation guidance https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/archives/digital-preservation-guidance-how-to-look-after-arts-records.pdf
Collections Trust guidance on Digitising collections https://collectionstrust.org.uk/digitisation-resources/
The National Archives: Preserving digital collections https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-sector/advice-and-guidance/managing-your-collection/preserving-digital-collections/
The National Archives, Our Digital Century https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-sector/our-archives-sector-role/our-digital-century/
Novice to Know-How, free online training resources relating to digital preservation https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-sector/advice-and-guidance/managing-your-collection/preserving-digital-collections/novice-to-know-how/
Tim Gollins, “Parsimonious (cheap) digital preservation at The National Archives”
The National Archives: Web Archiving guidance https://nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/information-management/web-archiving-guidance.pdf
OCLC Research: You’ve Got to Walk Before You Can Run: First Steps for Managing Born-Digital Content Received on Physical Media https://www.oclc.org/content/dam/research/publications/library/2012/2012-06.pdf
Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC), Digital preservation handbook https://dpconline.org/handbook and interactive decision tree https://www.dpconline.org/pages/handbook/dec-tree-select.html
Community Archives and Heritage Group: Digital preservation for community archives https://www.communityarchives.org.uk/content/resource/digital-preservation-community-archive
Gloucestershire Heritage Hub, advice on how to on how to look after digital material https://www.heritagehub.org.uk/heritage-hub-online-training/online-digital-preservation-training/
The Tate’s archives and access toolkit https://www.tate.org.uk/art/archive/archives-access-toolkit
The Paradigm Project (Personal Archives Accessible in Digital Media) http://www.paradigm.ac.uk
Council on Library and Information Resources’ report Born Digital: Guidance for Donors, Dealers, and Archival Repositories https://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub159/
Gloucestershire Archives example of a Digital Preservation Policy https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/archives/policies/digital-preservation-policy/
National Digital Stewardship Alliance [NDSA] Levels of Digital Preservation https://ndsa.org/activities/levels-of-digital-preservation/
Religious Archives Group: Care of Modern Media https://religiousarchivesgroup.files.wordpress.com/2020/02/section-3-modern-media.pdf
Oral History and Sound Recordings
Oral History Society Advice on getting started https://www.ohs.org.uk/advice/getting-started/
Open University Building on History project advice https://www.open.ac.uk/arts/research/religion-in-london/oral-history-guide
Norfolk Record Office Community Archives Toolkit, guidance on oral history https://www.archives.norfolk.gov.uk/community-archives/oral-history
East Midlands Oral History Archive videos on Audio Archiving https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3Rnsga7PXctZVjP6GLeE1PFsjcMrsjcV
National Lottery Heritage Fund oral history good practice guidance https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/funding/good-practice-guidance/oral-history
Photography, Film and Video
Scottish Council on Archives guidance on the preservation of photographic material, prepared by The British Library https://www.scottisharchives.org.uk/resources/preservation/british-library-preservation-of-photographic-material/
Scottish Council on Archives/National Records of Scotland: video presentation on Handling and Storage of Photographic Material (starts at 02:40) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fntIucqdLI
Community Archives and Heritage Group: Film and videotape and the community archive https://www.communityarchives.org.uk/content/resource/film-and-videotape-and-the-community-archive-2
Film Archives UK links to guidance http://www.filmarchives.org.uk/information/guidance/
British Film Institute Moving Image Collections: Guidance Notes, 2004 http://www.filmarchives.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/guidancenotes.pdf
D. M. Lee, Film & Sound Archives in Non-specialist Repositories, Society of Archivists, UK, revised version, 2009http://www.filmarchives.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/non-specialist-repositories.pdf
The Film Preservation Guide, The Basics for Archives, Libraries, and Museums, National Film Preservation Foundation, USA, 2004 https://www.filmpreservation.org/preservation-basics/the-film-preservation-guide
Religious Archives Group: Care of Modern Media https://religiousarchivesgroup.files.wordpress.com/2020/02/section-3-modern-media.pdf
International Federation of Film Archives: FIAF Moving Image Cataloguing Manual https://www.fiafnet.org/images/tinyUpload/E-Resources/Commission-And-PIP-Resources/CDC-resources/20160920_Fiaf_Manual-WEB.pdf
Legal Aspects and Ethics
Legislation relating to the Archives sector https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-sector/legislation/
Community Archives and Heritage Group, guidance on copyright, data protection and licensing the use of material in your collection https://www.communityarchives.org.uk/content/resource/legal-issues
Archives and Records Association Code of Ethics https://www.archives.org.uk/s/Code-Of-Ethics-March-2024-yc8e.pdf
Padfield on Copyright for Archivists and Records Managers by Tim Padfield & Victoria Stobo, 7th edition 2026, ISBN: 9781783307364
The National Archives Copyright information https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/information-management/copyright-related-rights.pdf
Copyright guidance from the government’s Intellectual Property Office https://www.gov.uk/topic/intellectual-property/copyright
Naomi Korn Associates copyright guidance and resources https://naomikorn.com/resources/
Copyrightuser.org, an independent online resource aimed at making UK Copyright Law accessible to creators, media professionals, entrepreneurs, students, and members of the public https://www.copyrightuser.org/
Oral History Society Advice on legal and ethical issues https://www.ohs.org.uk/advice/ethical-and-legal/
Wellcome Library policy on Access to Personal and Sensitive Information in our Collections https://wellcomecollection.cdn.prismic.io/wellcomecollection/aPJRIJ5xUNkB2GUB_AccesstoProceduralmanualOctober2024.pdf
The National Archives GDPR Advice and Frequently Asked Questions https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-sector/legislation/archives-data-protection-law-uk/
Data Protection Toolkit for Archive Services: a resource developed to assist with access requests for personal information in collections https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/data-protection-toolkit-for-archive-services-tickets-163188921457
Information Commissioner’s Office, UK GDPR guidance and resources https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/
Information Commissioner’s Office, Data Protection and GDPR resources for small and medium organisations https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/advice-for-small-organisations/getting-started-with-gdpr/
Fundraising
The National Archives grants and funding https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-sector/grants-and-funding/
National Lottery Heritage Fund [NLHF] https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/
National Manuscripts Conservation Trust [NMCT] for conservation grants https://www.nmct.co.uk
Community Archives and Heritage Group, list of Funding sources https://www.communityarchives.org.uk/content/resource/funding
The Heritage Alliance and the Architectural Heritage Fund, the Heritage Funding Directory is a free guide to financial and other support for anyone undertaking UK related heritage projectshttps://www.heritagefundingdirectoryuk.org/#
Video Resources
Scottish Council on Archives/National Records of Scotland: video presentation on Handling and Storage of Photographic Material (starts at 02:40) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fntIucqdLI
Norfolk Record Office, Community Archives Toolkit: video on Digitisation Procedures and Practical Tips https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enf5xmbmgMg
University of Bristol Theatre Collection introductory videos on Caring for your own Records http://www.bristol.ac.uk/theatre-collection/caring-for-your-theatre–live-art-records/caring-for-your-own-records/
South West Museum Development Pest Partners Programme ‘how-to’ videos on getting started with pest monitoring, management and treatment of objects https://southwestmuseums.org.uk/what-we-do/projects/pest-partners/
East Midlands Oral History Archive videos on Audio Archiving https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3Rnsga7PXctZVjP6GLeE1PFsjcMrsjcV
Land Transport Archives Network 