PowerPoint Presentation

A National Strategy for Business Archives in ScotlandAchievements 2010-2016

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A National Strategy for Business Archives in ScotlandOur vision: business archives in Scotland will become even more valuable, representative of economic activity and innovation, accessible to all and supported and developed by strong networks and partnerships.

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Strategy Timeline

Strategy LaunchedData Mapping Project concludes

The Working Archive awareness campaign

Appointment of Surveying Officer

Launch of Scottish Business History Network201120132012201420152016Speak about strategy engagement at International Council Archives conferencePublished our 17th case studyTake part in UK Explore Your Archives awareness campaignHeld our 21st implementation group meetingBACS create Scotlands 100 oldest companies projectFirst Meet the Archivists workshopPromote use of business archives at WDYTYA live

2010 Consultation draft published

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Strategic GoalsThe National Strategy for Business Archives in Scotland was underpinned by a conviction that the records of Scottish businesses were vitally important and provided crucial commentary not only on Scotlands economic, political and social development, but also on that of the UK and many countries around the world. The Strategys four defined goals were to: Raise businesses awareness of the value of their archivesRaise the public profile of business archivesIncrease the number of publicly accessible business archive collections Improve standards in the care of business archives

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Implementation GroupAn Implementation Group was formed by volunteers in 2010 from the key stakeholder organisations to ensure that the actions set out in the strategy were implemented.

7 years | 16 members | 12 organisations | 23 meetings

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Implementation of the strategy was overseen by a steering group drawing members from private corporate archives, public collecting archives, museums, libraries and key archive bodies. ImplementationCreated annual action plans for the strategy to track our activities and objectivesThe group successfully met 86% of the original strategy actions

Joint working with our partners in the English and Welsh strategy on UK wide initiatives

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CollectionsOver 200 business archive collections have been deposited in Scottish archives since 2010. The strategy has actively worked to engage with custodians of business archives to promote their value and potential as well as supporting records at risk.

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The team was created in 2009 as part of the English & Welsh strategy to represent all parts of the archive sector to organise agreed responses to business archives under threat and it exists to monitor and assist in steering records at risk into suitable homes.

In Scotland the team investigated the archives of 26 businesses at risk and saved 13 collections. Including:Crisis Management Team

Ferguson Shipbuilders LtdThe Arches Theatre

Scottish Resources Group (Scottish Coal)

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A full-time Surveying Officer was first appointed by the Business Archives Council of Scotland in 1977. The existence of a Surveying Officer in Scotland has made a huge contribution to the status of the business archives sector in Scotland and helped to ensure that Scotland has a wealth of business and business-related archives. Surveying OfficerIn 2014, after a 3 year absence a Business Archives Surveying Officer was appointed following a successful collaborative effort to secure funding for the post30 business archive surveys completed between 2010-2015

Successful engagement with insolvency practitioners has created new cross-sector links to improve outcomes for records at risk

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AdvocacyOutreach and engagement has been at the heart of the Strategy and more than 30 different events, campaigns, workshops and opportunities have been used to promote the value of business archives to a wide audience.

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In 2013/14 the Working Archive awareness campaign supported the ongoing National Strategy for Business Archives in Scotland and explored the stories behind Scottish working life whilst promoting the vital role that archive and records management professionals play in creating and caring for our national heritage. Awareness CampaignA collaborative exhibition held at the National Records of Scotland celebrated Scotland's extraordinary working archives, included 31 rarely-seen documents and objects from 15 of Scotland's archives and museums55% of archives across Scotland participated in the campaign

10 case studies were published to celebrate Scotland's many extraordinary working lives and the unique stories contained in business archives across Scotland

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The Scots at Work exhibition was attended by Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Europe and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop who welcomed the exhibition as a celebration of: the diverse heritage of Scotland's businesses, and their products and services. Visitors have the chance to see fascinating evidence of the nations companies, consumers and employees at home and abroad over hundreds of years.

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Lemon drops oat cake oat cake sugar plum sweet gingerbread chocolate cake gingerbread.Portfolio One

Lemon drops oat cake oat cake sugar plum sweet gingerbread chocolate cake gingerbread.Portfolio One

Working Archive gallery featured 150 archive images provided by 23 organisations across Scotland

The strategys implementation group managed a business archives stall at the Scottish Council on Archives advocacy event at the Scottish Parliament in October 2013.Advocacy at the Scottish ParliamentAn unprecedented opportunity to talk directly to MSPs about the nature and importance of Scotlands business archives

The Cabinet Secretary referred to archives as being a research tool integral to businessBusiness records related to the construction of the Forth Rail Bridge and the Bank of Scotland were displayed

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The strategy has strived to connect with individuals and organisations across a variety of sectors including insolvency practitioners, family historians, chambers of commerce, academics and students. Reaching OutVisit by Humza Yousef MSP to the Scottish Business Archive at the University of Glasgow. Visits by Douglas Alexander MP and Annabel Goldie MSP to the Ballast TrustVisits and engagement with politiciansA guide to using business records for academic research and for family historyNumerous talks and presentations on using business archives including attending WDYTYA Live in 2014Search guides for users

Building new relationships with insolvency practitioners through records at risk work and training events for archivistsInsolvency practitioners

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To support the Explore Your Archive campaign in 2013, 2014 and 2015, the National Strategy for Business Archives in Scotland produced a series of posters based on our case studies highlighting the inspiring and valuable contributions Scottish business archives make to learning, industry and creative pursuits.

Explore Your Archives

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ProjectsScotland has a wealth of business and business related archives and expertise held within active business and collecting repositories. Our ongoing project to create case studies sought to document the innovative and interesting work happening in the sector. Our funded data mapping project aimed to document these collections and improve our understanding of them.

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In 2011 the Strategy embarked on a project, funded by the Archives & Records Association, to map Scottish business archive collections. The objective was to gain a better understanding of the business archives already held in Scotland to inform future collecting and encourage greater research use.

The project mapped 6,122 collections of which 63% were held by archive repositories, 21% by private bodies, 11% by libraries and 4% by museums. The findings inspired a proposal to survey the business archives held by industrial museums and have also been extensively used by textile historians.Data Mapping ProjectAn extract showing proportion of collections by some industry sectors

Shops, Merchants and Distributors

Textiles

Transport & Communications

13%11%10%

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Lemon drops oat cake oat cake sugar plum sweet gingerbread chocolate cake gingerbread.Portfolio One

Lemon drops oat cake oat cake sugar plum sweet gingerbread chocolate cake gingerbread.Portfolio One21 case studies published

On sectors as varied as shipbuilding, banking, brewing, textiles, publishing, carpet-making, whaling and energy.Demonstrating how business archives can be used to promote, inspire and educate.

Our heritage is key to our identity and designers often wish to consult the archive for inspiration. ~ Lorna MacAulay, Harris Tweed Authority

"Having archive materials to support brands gives even more credibility than any other message we could transmit." ~ Sarah Castillo, Diageo

"Our history gives us a distinct identity in today's competitive market. We are proud to be the custodians of such a significant archive." ~ Susan Rice, Lloyds Banking Group ScotlandCase StudiesThe case studies we have published from a variety of businesses, archives and heritage organisations show how business archive collections are used by businesses, researchers and archive organisations.

"Having such a rich and meaningful archive to look back on can really inspire our people to help shape the company we want to be, now and in years to come." ~ Stephen Ingledew, Standard Life

The Tennents archive is one of our key assets. ~ Mike Lees, Tennents Lager

"The Collins Archive is a deep and varied creative treasure trove, which helps highlight our heritage and inform and enhance our future thinking." ~ Sheena Barclay, HarperCollins Publishers

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ResourcesThe strategy published a number of tangible resources as outputs from our advocacy and project work. These aimed to help individuals and organisations that create, care for and use business archives.

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The strategy worked with the Business Archives Council of Scotland and the Archives and Records Association Scotland to provide training days on specific aspects of business records.

The resources from these training days were made available online. TrainingA hands-on training opportunity using the records of the Alliance Trust to learn more about financial records.Financial RecordsTraining to help custodians understand and describe maps, plans and technical drawings in their collections.Technical Records

Training that explored how to engage audiences with photographs, issues of copyright, and how to look after photographic material within archive collections.Photographic Records

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Inspired by the successful BAC model of meet the archivist days, the strategy has held 3 workshops to encourage researchers to make the most of business archives collections.Meet the ArchivistsWorkshop brought together academics and archivists to discuss and explore with students how business archive collections can be used for their research.2012Workshop brought together academics and archivists to discuss and explore with students how business archive collections can be used for their research with a focus on design and creative use of collections.2013

Workshop brought together academics and archivists to discuss and explore with students how business archive collections can be used with a focus on oral history collections and genealogical research.

2014

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201620152014201320122011Royal Bank of Scotland becomes first accredited business archive in Scotland020304050607New corporate archivists appointed at Standard Life and HarperCollins PublishersNew corporate archivist appointed at DC ThomsonNew corporate archivist appointed at SSE201001Three business collections inscribed to UNESCO UK Memory of the World register from RBS, NLS and Bank of Scotland collectionsHighlights of the Scottish Business Archives Landscape

Royal Bank of Scotland Archives and The National Library of Scotland: Company of Scotland Trading to Africa and the Indies 1695-1707 inscribed to UNESCO UK Memory of the World register Tennents Lager celebrates 130th anniversary with archive inspired packaging Scottish Canals launch a heritage strategyJohn Murray archive collection is deposited at NLSDiageo Archive celebrated its 20th anniversaryThe Scotch Whisky Association celebrates 100 years with exhibitions in Glasgow and EdinburghBritain From Above - Scotlands Industrial Might, exhibition of Aerofilms Ltd tours the country Establishment and launch of the Scottish Business History Network

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A not-for-profit Scottish Business History Network will ensure that the work the Strategy has begun will continue and evolve.

Membership is open to anyone with an interest in business archives and business history in Scotland and beyond, both individuals and institutions.

The aim of the new Network is to connect all those with an interest in Scottish business history and business archives in a way which: A Sustainable FutureDevelops communication, partnerships and networksIncreases awareness and access

Provides leadership, education and training

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