Dear Colleagues

As you will be aware, the Archives and Records Association is currently delivering an action plan to develop the role, value and impact of volunteering.  In pursuit of this, and as part of ARA’s wider evidence gathering initiative, the Public Services Quality Group Sub-Committee on Volunteering is undertaking a research project to build a comprehensive picture of the types of volunteering and how it is managed in archives, records management and conservation services.

A key element of the evidence-gathering process is a basic fact-finding survey.  This survey is addressed to employers and managers who are involved in the recruitment and management of volunteers in their archives, records management and conservation services.  It seeks information in the following areas:

·         your organisation and service

·         the profile of the volunteers in your service

·         their management and

·         the activities that they undertake

The results of this survey will have an important impact on ARA’s ongoing plans to support good volunteering practice among its members. A report of the findings of this survey will be published in October 2013. The survey comprises 45 questions in four sections, most of which require a simple tick in response.

Please take the time to answer as many of the questions as possible: all your contributions will be important in getting an accurate snapshot of volunteering in our sector.

The survey is available at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ARAVolunteeringSurvey and will remain open until 11 September 2013.

Many thanks for your contribution.

Caroline Williams, Independent Archival Consultant

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Caroline Williams, BA, RMARA

Independent Archival Consultant

Senior Research Fellow, University of Liverpool

Visiting Professor, Liverpool John Moores University

President, Archives and Records Association