The Archives Crisis. Why the time is right for change

Roland J C Smith FSA MIfA

Archives with no available museum or store

• Just 6% of practices in England hold:• 15,000 boxes of finds• 10,000 document file

• that they can not deposit

Those 6% of practices hold in total:• 42,500 boxes of finds

• From 6,750 separate projects

Undepositable archives – a toxic asset?

Archives with no available museum or store

• Survey of the number and size of undepositable archives

• Regular survey of present and future capacity in museums and stores

• Task force to agree practical solutions and implement them forthwith

• Sector works together to promote long term new storage facilities

Future Archives

• Survey of archive usage. What is researched, in what form, for what purpose and by whom?

• Meaningful selection, retention and disposal strategies implemented forthwith

• Pilot projects with outcomes publicised to the profession• Improved dialogue between contractors and museum

professionals • ALGAO members to be better informed about the

deposition of archives

Love and cherish our museum archaeologists!

Standards for Archive Preparation

• Modernise some archive preparation procedures• Standardise some common archival

requirements • Standards and protocols for digital archive data• Greater use of trusted digital depositories where

museums have limited capabilities • Practices must reinforce importance of archives

to practitioners