Basic Archive Skills Training Day Online Course

The Basic Archive Skills Training Day was created by Margaret Crockett and Janet Foster in 1991 and has been delivered to thousands of participants since then. The course has been revised and developed over time to ensure it remains relevant and is responding to the development needs of the museum, library and archives workforce. The course has been consistently fully booked and many organisations have routinely sent new employees as part of their induction and training. In response to the Covid 19 pandemic the course was been adapted for online delivery via Zoom and we continue with this method since it has proved to be more convenient for participants.

The course still combines presentations, facilitated discussion and group exercises aiming to foster a relaxed online learning environment. The Basic Archive Skills Training Day is suitable for people working with archives and records without formal recordkeeping qualifications, and who feel that they would benefit from some basic training in the principles of managing records and archives, including:

• Archives and records assistants
• Managers of archive staff
• Librarians and information managers responsible for archives and records
• IT professionals seeking an overview of the aims of archives and records management
• Anyone else who has responsibility for managing archives and records

The day consists of four core sessions focusing on the main areas of collecting, appraisal, description and preservation differing in length as appropriate. Sessions will include ample time for questions and a high level of participation is encouraged.

A PDF of the course handbook will be provided, which will contain:

• supporting notes for the sessions;
• a select bibliography;
• the BASTD glossary of archive and records management terms;
• useful contacts;
• info-bytes on related topics;
• information about other TASC training opportunities

Participants are encouraged to prepare for the course by formulating questions or issues that have arisen in the course of their work, for consideration by the speakers and the class as a whole.

Anyone registered for the course will need to have the Zoom app. The link to the Zoom session, together with the handbook and workbook for the group exercises, will be sent to participants via email two days before the course.

9.30 Introductions

10.00 What are Archives? Terminology and concepts: facilitated discussion

10.30 Collecting policies and accessions: presentation

11.15 Break

11.30 Accessioning exercise

12.00 Appraising records for archival value: presentation and exercise

12.45 Lunch

13.15 Archival Processing, Arrangement and Description: presentation

14.15 Arrangement exercise

14.45 Break

15.00 Overview of preservation management for archives: presentation

15.45 Preservation exercise

16.15 Final questions

16.30 Close

At the end of this course participants will be able to:

• Articulate the concepts and principles that underpin archives management
• Explain the differences between managing archives and books
• Identify the main elements of an archive acquisition/collecting policy
• Develop archive accessioning documentation
• Understand the main principles of archival appraisal
• Undertake basic archive processing activity
• Understand the factors to consider in promoting the preservation of archives

Host or Publisher the Archive-Skills Consultancy