I agree with both Mike and Carl - especially Carl's suggestion that the
training courses need to be extended further. They are already very
different to the course I followed (which was contained within an academic
year and fairly intensive as a result), but perhaps need further expansion
as the profession's remit expands in light of recent government
initiatives/Acts.

On the subject of Palaeography, I teach a beginners' class every autumn and
a Secretary Hand class every Spring. Both are usually oversubscribed,
indicating a demand among the researchers for palaeography training as well
as a demand for assistance from Archivists in the searchroom.

As far as Latin goes, I did O'Level and we had Latin lessons incorporated in
our palaeography & diplomatic sessions on the course, and I still don't feel
confident in my abilities where Latin is concerned. So how colleagues who
have no knowledge of Latin and who work in Local Authority Record Offices
feel, I can only imagine. Perhaps it needs to be reintroduced on the
courses?

Jan Hargreaves
Lancashire Record Office

27 Nov 2002

-----Original Message-----
From: Boardman, Carl - Cultural Services
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Sent: Wednesday, November 27, 2002 12:21 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Archive courses


Just a quick endorsement of Mike's comments. Of course the Oxbridge colleges
are a classic instance of the need for Latin and mediaeval palaeography, but
even in this perfectly ordinary record office I think few days go past when
a searcher doesn't require help reading a document; nor is all the mediaeval
material relating to the county already accounted for. Training in new
skills is certainly needed, particularly in the electronic arena, but not at
the expense of the old ones. We may be looking at a choice between
increasing specialization within the profession from the earliest days of
training, and extending the courses for an additional period to cover the
additional knowledge needed; in what is still a very small profession the
latter may be the only sensible course, though it could certainly be done by
intensive continuing development after graduation and even tied in to
registration and grading. Which of course, as Caroline says, is a comment to
make to Resource.

Carl Boardman
Oxfordshire Record Office

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