The National Archives has commissioned a toolkit to assist archivists and custodians who hold personal information relating to living people in their collections. You may be comfortable with how Data Protection legislation covers information relating to your own current and former staff, volunteers and supporters, but what about historical information such as factory staff records from the 1970s, or an accident book from the 1950s? How do you balance the need to comply with legislation and respect the privacy of data subjects with the needs of researchers?
The toolkit, created by Naomi Korn Associates in collaboration with an advisory group of practising archivists, presents a simplified overview of the statutory, regulatory, ethical and policy essentials in the context of access to information in archives. It then explores how these might apply in a series of 10 case studies. There are 4 sections in total which build on each other, allowing the user to move consecutively through each stage, gaining in understanding and confidence. It is also possible to use the toolkit as a quick reference resource.
The resource is free to use, but requires a password for access. More details can be found on the Eventbrite page here.
Land Transport Archives Network 