FFHS-NEWS FW: The National Archives, ARCHIVE AWARENESS CAMPAIGN 2008: TAKE YOUR PLACE IN HISTORY

Wed Nov 5 13:37:13 CET 2008

ARCHIVE AWARENESS CAMPAIGN 2008: TAKE YOUR PLACE IN HISTORY
 The Archive Awareness Campaign ( <http://www.archiveawareness.com/>
www.archiveawareness.com) launches today its fifth annual campaign to
celebrate community archives and the roles individuals have played in
shaping local history. The campaign will show how different groups and
individuals have worked to bring about change and raise awareness of social
issues among decision makers and opinion informers.

This year’s ‘Take Your Place in History’ theme focuses on the importance of
communities and their role in the making of this country’s history. Archives
have teamed up with community groups, organisations and artists to help them
bring to life their history. 

Throughout the Autumn archives across the country will be hosting special
events to celebrate the fantastic wealth of their collections and to
highlight the importance of archives as guardians of history. 
 Take Your Place In History archive events offer a fantastic chance for
people to connect with their local history and learn more about their
community. For example Slavery and Banana Cake, Northampton Archive, will
highlight the issue of slavery and its impact locally. Also Cumbria Archive
Service will be marking the 90th anniversary of the 1918 Armistice through
talks, open days and an exhibition, displayed in a number of libraries
throughout Cumbria.  

*	Archive Awareness is spearheaded by the National Council on Archives
( <http://www.ncaonline.org.uk/> www.ncaonline.org.uk) and funded by The
National Archives ( <http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/>
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk) and the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council
( <http://www.mla.gov.uk/> www.mla.gov.uk). 

·        Archive Awareness Campaign was originally designed to address the
issues of under representation of UK archives, especially in comparison with
the museum, gallery and library sectors. The campaign began with 'Archive
Awareness Month' in September 2003 and since then has taken place over a
longer period in the autumn. Visit www.archiveawareness.com
<http://www.archiveawareness.com/>  for more details.

·        Archive Facts:

*	There are over 2000 archives in the UK 

o       Local archives in England and Wales had around 907,000 reader visits
in total and 11.7m websites visits (2006 - 07).

*	According to the MLA report Taking Part
(http://www.mla.gov.uk/resources/assets//T/Taking_Part_11721.pdf), 6% of the
population have visited an archive in a given year (2005/6, the most recent
report). 13% have accessed an archive online or in person. 

*	Use of archive has doubled in the last 10 years 

*	Archives have received over £150m in Heritage Lottery Fund Grants
since 1994 

*	There are about 69,500 cubic metres of archival holdings (not
including record management holdings) in local authority archives in England
and Wales (CIPFA stats 2006 - 07). 

 Examples of Archive Awareness Campaign 2008 Take Your Place in History
events 

Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI)
7 October to 31 December 2008. The Museum’s archive collections will help to
tell the stories of people who have left their own country to live and work
in Manchester.  Its Autumn archive display brings together items from the
archive collections which show the trading links Manchester had with other
countries  <http://www.mosi.org.uk/> www.mosi.org.uk

Slavery & Banana Cake
14 November 2008. Northampton Archives will highlight the issue of slavery
and its impact locally www.northamptonshire.gov.uk
<http://www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/> 

Safety in Numbers
28 November 2008. Bury Archives in Association with Greater Manchester
County Record Office. Project to develop educational resource for schools
using the records of Prestwich Lunatic Asylum, including artefacts from the
museum www.bury.gov.uk <http://www.bury.gov.uk/> 

Carmarthen roadshow
29 November 2008. Women Archives of Wales.
<http://www.womensarchivewales.org/> www.womensarchivewales.org

To find out about these and other archive events taking place near you visit
www.archiveawareness.com <http://www.archiveawareness.com/> 

To celebrate the start of this year’s Archives Awareness campaign we take a
look at people and events that have taken their place in history:

·        Matron Majorie Bell awarded an MBE for her services in the Hither
Green Rail Disaster on November 5, 1967. Britain’s sixth worst rail disaster
in terms of death toll. The survivors include Bee Gee Robin Gibb.

·        The Second Battle of El Alamein, Egypt marked a significant turning
point in the Western Desert Campaign of World War Two. The heroic actions of
Lt Col Lorne Campbell and the men of the 51st Highland Division paved the
way for a famous victory in North Africa on November 5, 1942.

·        In 2000 Emperor Haile Selassie I is given an imperial funeral by
the Ethopian Orthodox church. 

 To find out more about the record number of events taking place in archives
across the UK over the next few months log onto
<http://www.archiveawareness.com/events> www.archiveawareness.com/events
 For further details on Archive Awareness Campaign, please contact Angela
Owusu on 0208 392 5237 or email Angela.Owusu at nationalarchives.gov.uk

Maggie Loughran 
Joint Administrator, Federation of Family History Societies 
*   <mailto:admin at ffhs.org.uk> admin at ffhs.org.uk 
 <http://www.ffhs.org.uk/> www.ffhs.org.uk 

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