Archives and Records Association

Archives and Records Association
Name	Archives and Records Association
Formation	2010
Type	Professional body
Purpose	Representation of archivists, archive conservators, and records managers
Region served	United Kingdom and Ireland
Headquarters	London
Membership	Archivists, conservators, records managers

Contents

Archives and Records Association

The Archives and Records Association is a professional body representing practitioners in archives, conservation and records management across the United Kingdom and Ireland. It serves as an umbrella organisation uniting professionals who work with documentary heritage from institutions such as The National Archives (United Kingdom), British Library, Bodleian Libraries, Royal Archives, Public Record Office of Northern Ireland and numerous university, local authority and corporate repositories. The Association promotes professional standards, training, advocacy and public engagement with collections that relate to figures and institutions like William Shakespeare, Winston Churchill, Ada Lovelace, Isambard Kingdom Brunel and events including the Industrial Revolution, World War I, and the Great Plague of London.

History

Formed in 2010 through a merger of legacy organisations, the Association consolidated roles formerly held by bodies such as the Auxiliary Historical Society, Society of Archivists, Guild of Records Managers and Administrators and predecessor regional associations linked to institutions like Cambridge University Library, Trinity College Dublin, National Library of Scotland and National Library of Wales. Its establishment responded to professional debates that had engaged stakeholders including Sir Hilary Jenkinson-era proponents, postwar reformers associated with The National Archives (United Kingdom), and advocates from campaigns connected to archives of the Suffragette movement, Labour Party, Conservative Party and civic groups across cities such as London, Dublin, Edinburgh and Cardiff. The Association’s formation paralleled developments in allied professions exemplified by bodies like Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, Institute of Conservation, and international entities such as International Council on Archives.

Governance combines a central council with regional and specialist sections that mirror institutions including the National Trust, British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, major universities such as University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University College London and public bodies like Historic England. Elected officers have backgrounds in archives connected to personalities like Florence Nightingale and collections tied to events such as the Battle of Trafalgar and the Magna Carta holdings. Membership categories encompass accredited professionals, student members, retired practitioners and corporate affiliates from organisations such as BBC, HSBC, Bank of England and local authorities including City of London Corporation and county archives across Lancashire, Kent and Gloucestershire. Specialist interest groups reflect subject areas tied to collections on figures like Charles Darwin, Mary Shelley, Queen Victoria and movements including the Chartist movement.

Core activities include advocacy, public outreach, training and professional development. The Association lobbies policymakers and funders such as UK Parliament, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Irish Government, Arts Council England and heritage funders linked to projects at Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Blenheim Palace and university archives. It organises conferences featuring speakers from institutions like British Library, Imperial War Museums, Wellcome Collection and Science Museum and runs workshops on conservation techniques used for materials associated with Leonardo da Vinci, George Orwell, Jane Austen and archival collections from campaigns like Chartism and the Miners' Strike. Public engagement initiatives include outreach with museums such as the National Maritime Museum and partnerships with media outlets like BBC Radio 4 and publishers such as Oxford University Press.

The Association manages accreditation schemes and codes of conduct aligned with international frameworks endorsed by organisations such as International Council on Archives, European Archives Group and professional institutes like Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development for records professionals. Standards cover conservation practices used in institutions like the British Museum, cataloguing conventions employed by libraries such as the Bodleian Libraries, and digital preservation protocols compatible with models from Digital Preservation Coalition and repositories like Jisc and Digital Archives of Ireland. Accreditation supports career pathways comparable to chartered statuses in bodies such as the Royal Society and recognises qualifications from universities including University of Glasgow, University of Leeds and University of Manchester.

The Association publishes professional journals, guidance notes and training materials widely used across archival communities at institutions such as National Records of Scotland, Public Record Office of Northern Ireland and university special collections at Trinity College Dublin. Its journals feature case studies on collections related to Florence Nightingale, Ada Lovelace, T. S. Eliot and institutional archives from organisations like British Broadcasting Corporation, London School of Economics and Imperial College London. Resource toolkits address legal frameworks including the Data Protection Act 2018, records retention practice informed by statutes such as the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and technical briefs referencing standards like ISO 15489.

The Association engages with international partners including International Council on Archives, European Archives Group, Society of American Archivists and national bodies such as Library of Congress, Bibliothèque nationale de France and National Archives and Records Administration. Collaborative projects have involved digitisation partnerships with institutions linked to collections of Napoleon Bonaparte, Thomas Jefferson, Emily Dickinson and transnational heritage initiatives with organisations like UNESCO and Council of Europe. Exchanges, training programmes and joint conferences foster links with archives in regions represented by bodies such as Archives New Zealand, State Archives of Russia and university archives at Harvard University.