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** Apologies for Cross Posting ** PRESS RELEASE LONDON'S FUTURE FOR MUSEUMS, ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES A common agenda and closer co-operation among museums, archives and libraries in Greater London were agreed at a seminar held at St Bartholomew's Hospital on 13th June and organised by LASER, the London Museums Agency (LMA) and the London Archive Regional Council (LARC). The seminar broke new ground and next steps for further collaboration will be taken forward by a larger seminar to be held in the autumn, drawing upon ideas put forward on 13 June, and via other meetings and programmes to be announced. Co-operation and partnership are increasingly necessary if museums, archives and libraries are to meet the challenges of change, especially in the capital city. Dynamics of change include the convergence of information technology across the three sectors or domains, partnership and working together as an approach favoured by funding agencies, government's modernising agenda and emphasis on regional needs and responsibilities. Already museums, archives and libraries are joined together by many common purposes but a shared vision can achieve even more. This will be especially important if needs and opportunities are to be fulfilled in programmes relating to, for example: lifelong learning, social inclusion, the 'people's network' electronically linking public libraries, 'Access to Archives' and digitisation of collections and catalogues. The new Greater London Authority (GLA) will also expect museums, archives and libraries to play a full and early part in the cultural strategies which it will be proposing. Speakers included Neville Mackay, the Chief Executive of the new cross-domain body Resource: The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries and Graham Hitchen, Cultural Adviser to the GLA. Both stressed the further contribution that archives, museums and libraries can make together and how Resource and the GLA can help further collaborative initiatives. The GLA will be inviting views on future roles and needs in London from the seminar's organisers and sponsors and from other meetings following on from this seminar. The Chair of the National Archives Council and Resource Board member, Vic Gray, opened the seminar and Frances Hendrix, Fiona Talbott and David Mander -representing LASER, LMA and LARC - discussed the work that each sector was undertaking now and could do in the future with greater collaboration About 60 archivists, librarians and museum curators attended the seminar. A brief summary of its discussion and ways forward will be issued soon.. As part of the early action from the seminar a website will be set up to help future information and discussion of cross-sector co-operation and joint proposals. Notes for Editors 1. LASER is the preferred name for London and South Eastern Library Region, the Development and networking agency. Building on a history of regional and inter-regional resource sharing activity since 1926, LASER is now developing new approaches to cultural services development and promoting access to learning resources, based on a wide range of partnerships. 2. Further information may be obtained from Frances Hendrix, Director, LASER, London & South Eastern Library Region, Gun Court, 70 Wapping Lane, London E1W 2RS; Tel: +44 020 7702 2020; fax: +44 020 7702 2019; Email: [log in to unmask] -- ----------- Frances Hendrix Director LASER 4th Floor, Gun Court 70 Wapping Lane London E1W 2RS Tel: 0207 702 2020 fax: 0207 702 2019 e-mail: [log in to unmask] http://www.viscount.org.uk/laser Company No. 1991362, VAT No. 233106019 A Company Limited by Guarantee, Registered Charity No. 293864 'Serving the London, South East and Eastern Regions' %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%