I have been watching the job application discussion with some interest and
wonder if we need to look at the problem from a different angle. Many
archive services are unable to obtain the core funding they require to
catalogue their collections. They are however, able to obtain short term
project funding for cataloguing and retrospective conversion such as
A2A.However we are unable to fill such short term posts with suitable staff.
I would suggest that this is a matter which could be tackled in the future
by the Regional Archive Councils/future joint bodies. Regional cataloguing
units could be set up, with the aim that they could carry out project work,
primarily funded by project grants, for a number of archive services. Staff
could be employed by the RACs on semi permanent contracts and seconded to
the projects, which would certainly be more attractive to job applicants.
Of course this does not solve the long term problem of a lack of core
funding for archive services, but perhpas it would allow services to take
advantage of the opportunities of project funding ? Is this a viable idea?
Janice Taylor
Wirral Archives
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