Richard Taylor's piece stirred up the waters around the Newsletter and
before they settle down again, could I chuck another rock into the pool by
asking whether the Newsletter isn't ripe for more radical change?
This is not to criticise the editors who, as everybody knows, have a tough
time of it, what with persuading contributors, manhandling text and chasing
deadlines. But every time a copy of the Museums Journal arrives in the
office - full colour, controversial articles and contributors, advertising -
I wonder what it would take to get us to arrive at something similarly
attention-grabbing and to-be-proud of.
Money is, of course, the answer, but a lot of what the Museums Journal costs
must be recovered by subscriptions. I bet every museum in the country
subscribes and a lot of heritage organisations as well - and libraries...
With that kind of listing comes the advertising potential. Furthermore, with
that kind of circulation, people will want to contribute and be seen as
contributing; it becomes "the place to be".
And then of course you need a professional manager/editor - but why not?
With the Society's annual income of just under £400,000 surely it's at least
worth stopping and thinking about redirecting some resources into something
that - for a change - publicises issues about archives beyond our own little
ivory tower. Couldn't we have the courage to accept that some of these
things - freedom of information, new discoveries, new releases, educational
uses, conservation crises - are really, truly, honestly of interest and
relevance outside the archive office tearoom? And wouldn't that move us on
from the kind of introverted debate into which we seem to fall all too
readily and all too often? Isn't it worth a gamble?
Or is the Society really - and only - there to talk to itself? If it is, no
wonder nobody out there hears a word we say.
Rich 'about-to-fight-his-way-home-to-Devon' Schofield
******************
Richard Schofield
The Rothschild Archive
New Court
St Swithin's Lane
LONDON
EC4P 4DU
tel. (020) 7280 5808
fax (020) 7280 5657
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