A REMINDER THAT THE CALL FOR PAPERS CLOSES THIS FRIDAY, 6 MAY.

WE’VE HAD SOME EXCELLENT SUGGESTIONS FOR C20 PAPERS;  FURTHER CONTRIBUTIONS ON C19 (OR EARLIER) WOULD BE MOST WELCOME!

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Building on the success of the International Conference on the History of Archives and Recordkeeping (ICHORA5) held in London in July 2010, and organised by  Liverpool, UCL and TNA, we are pleased to announce the forthcoming national conference, to be held in Liverpool in July 2011. 

We are now inviting paper or presentation proposals  (deadline 6 May) and accepting preliminary delegate registrations.   

For additional information, please contact Margaret Procter.

UK Conference on the History of Records and Archives (UK-CHORA)

The local record office ––  past, present, future

Call for papers and preliminary registration details

Liverpool, Tuesday-Wednesday 5-6 July 2011

Although after the mid nineteenth century many civic libraries were actively collecting local material and making it available for public research, the UK’s first county record office, Bedfordshire,  was established only in 1913 by G. H. Fowler.  Despite his own initial ‘hopeless bewilderment’ at the task in hand, this example was soon followed by an steady stream of county offices providing (at least in England) practically full coverage by the 1960s. The two mid-century decades of the 1950s and 60s have been characterised as, if not a golden age, at least a  heroic age  for archives, with archivists and librarians playing leading roles within their local authorities and, in some cases, within county society too.    

Half a century on – and specifically in 2011 – the situation looks very different:  successive local government reorganisations have shifted geographical boundaries, cultural shifts have changed perceptions of record offices from quasi-legal, corporate departments to leisure facilities;   local and central government priorities and policy have shifted funding to concentrate  on statutory functions. 

This two-day conference offers an opportunity to reassess and review the achievements of the local record office over time, placing its achievements in historical perspective.  In doing so it hopes both provide an opportunity to celebrate these achievements and to consider how the lessons learned from them might help  address current and future challenges. 

We welcome suggestions for papers which will begin to contribute to a history of local provision of records services, not just formally constituted offices, in the following, and related, areas: 

Ø   nineteenth century provision

Ø   pioneer record offices and their staff

Ø   cultural/social/technological  developments and their impact on local record offices

Ø   structures and support for the local RO

Ø   the future of local ROs

We welcome the submission of:

Ø  250-word abstracts for proposed 20-minute conference presentations

Ø  Panel presentation suggestions (3 presenters and chairperson) are welcome: please submit 3 x 250-word abstract and a short rationale for the panel theme)

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS:   FRIDAY 6 May 2011

Abstracts by e-mail, please to Margaret Procter, [log in to unmask]

Preliminary registration details

Registration will open mid May 2011 but potential delegates are welcome to reserve places now by contacting Margaret Procter at [log in to unmask]

Speakers will be provided with UK travel and one night’s accommodation expenses as required.

Delegate registration at cost – c £65 maximum    

Location: The Chapel, Foresight Centre, Liverpool (University of Liverpool conference centre) www.foresightcentre.co.uk

This conference is supported by the organisers of ICHORA5, 1-3 July 2010; www.liv.ac.uk/ichora5

Ø  University of Liverpool, Centre for Archive Studies

Ø  University College London

Ø  The National Archives

Margaret Procter

LUCAS, School of History

Liverpool L69 7WZ

www.liv.ac.uk/lucas

00 44 151 794 2411

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