Dear Colleagues,

As a member of a consortium of archives-not-in-repositories which is in
the second phase of A2A, I'd be happy to talk off list about it, I'd be
very happy to share our experience (very positive about Sarah and her
team, less positive about the supply of archivists to do the work!)

Best wishes to all,

Pat

Pat Reynolds
in A2A with two hats:
Surrey Museums Development Officer / Hon. Archivist, The Tolkien Society

In message <113A2921FB16D511A26C00508BB8456C022359CD@PRO06A>, Stark,
Sarah <[log in to unmask]> writes
>This message is being posted on several lists - apologies for any
>inconvenience caused by cross-posting.  Please get in touch if you would
>like to know more.
>Best wishes
>Sarah
>
>> ~~~~~~
>> 
>> Position Statement and Call for Expressions of Interest
>> A2A after March 2004
>> 
>> Background
>> 
>> The second phase of A2A (Access to Archives) comes to an end in less than
>> a year's time in March 2004.  A2A has already provided a significant
>> contribution to the UK on-line National Archives Network, as its English
>> strand:
>> 
>> * the equivalent of more than 500,000 catalogue pages are now available in
>> the A2A database at www.a2a.pro.gov.uk
>> * nearly 60,000 archive groups / collections are described in A2A
>> * well over 1.5 million searches have been carried out on the A2A
>> database, resulting in over 3.6 million catalogue viewings
>> * more than 300 repositories across England have contributed A2A content,
>> through almost 50 projects
>> * archivists, librarians, curators and archives users have all been
>> involved with A2A
>> 
>> By the end of Phase 2 the equivalent of more than 700,000 paper catalogue
>> pages will be available in the A2A database via retroconversion and new
>> cataloguing, with linked interpretative web pages and a growing number of
>> digital images.  The National Archives and other A2A stakeholders are keen
>> to build on this success and to widen the National Archives Network after
>> March 2004.
>> 
>> Work after March 2004 will have two chief facets: the development of
>> interoperability and linking between A2A and the various other strands of
>> the UK archives network, through two projects entitled Community Access to
>> Archives and Linking Arms; and a further opportunity to contribute A2A
>> content projects, under a 15-month extension of the Phase 2 timetable to
>> July 2005, which will form A2A Phase 3.
>> 
>> 
>> A2A after March 2004
>> 
>> Community Access to Archives
>> 
>> This one-year project is a partnership between the A2A Central Team at the
>> National Archives (the lead partner), Hackney Archives Department, the
>> National Archives of Scotland, the National Council on Archives, the
>> National Library of Wales, the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland
>> and West Yorkshire Archives Service.  Community Access to Archives is
>> seeking £95,000 from HM Treasury's Invest to Save Budget to work with new
>> communities of archives users across the UK.  These may be ethnically and
>> culturally diverse groups, or children and lifelong learners, perhaps
>> affected by social exclusion; or groups in the wider UK community with
>> their own informal local community archives websites.  An outcome of the
>> project will be a Best Practice Model for community involvement in the UK
>> National Archives Network, which may be adopted by other local or national
>> archive organizations, or by organizations from other heritage sectors.
>> Linking Arms
>> 
>> This significant partnership project, to be led by the National Archives,
>> is seeking substantial external funding for the development of on-line
>> National Archives Network interoperability.  Currently, the National
>> Council on Archives is working with colleagues from all the major strands
>> of the National Archives Network on a protocol/concordance to facilitate
>> technical interoperability between archival resources.
>> 
>> Linking Arms will aim to establish an archives internet portal giving
>> cross-searching access to A2A, SCAN, the Archives Hub, AIM25, and other
>> joint or single network strands; after a formal technical options study,
>> with associated assessment of user need - including use of the Best
>> Practice Model from Community Access to Archives - and analysis of the
>> impact of the network in its current state.  Content projects for the
>> National Archives Network are also envisaged as an element of the Linking
>> Arms initiative.
>> 
>> As part of the funding package for Linking Arms, a major bid to the
>> Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) is being prepared for submission in December
>> 2003.  It will be submitted under HLF's major grants programme, which has
>> a two-stage assessment process, with a final decision anticipated in 2005.
>> 
>> 
>> A2A Phase 3
>> 
>> A2A Phase 3 will run in tandem with the other developments, in order to
>> continue to increase A2A content for new and existing users of archives.
>> It will begin in April 2004 and run until July 2005.  The total number of
>> catalogue page equivalents to be covered is not yet set, but it will
>> probably be in the region of 120,000, reflecting the requirements of the
>> timescale.  The National Archives will support the A2A central
>> infrastructure and staff costs, as it has done in Phase 2.  About 10-14
>> content projects are sought, whether regional, sub-regional,
>> single-repository, subject-based or user-led; these may involve
>> retroconversion of existing paper and electronic catalogues, targeted
>> cataloguing of significant archives, interpretation, or digitisation of
>> original documents; or more than one of these elements.  As previously,
>> content projects may be self-funding or seek external support.  To date
>> the HLF has been the funder of choice, though alternative sources of
>> funding are also welcomed.  Although the A2A Central Team is unable to
>> offer cash partnership funding for these projects, their contribution in
>> kind to each project can once again be measured as partnership support for
>> funding applications; more details will be confirmed as soon as possible.
>> 
>> To enable planning and co-ordination to continue, and especially to ensure
>> that any funding applications are prepared and submitted in good time for
>> project startup in April 2004, archivists, librarians, curators and
>> archives users wishing to submit content to A2A in Phase 3 are warmly
>> invited to contact the A2A Central Team at the National Archives as soon
>> as possible.
>> 
>> 
>> Louise Craven
>> A2A Programme Manager
>> National Archives (PRO)
>> 020 8392 5232
>> [log in to unmask]
>> [log in to unmask]
>> www.a2a.pro.gov.uk
>> May 2003
>> 
>> * * * * * *
>> Sarah J A Stark
>> Regional Liaison Co-Ordinator, A2A
>> The National Archives
>> Kew
>> Richmond
>> Surrey TW9 4DU
>> 
>> Tel (direct line): 020 8392 5328
>> Fax: 020 8392 5319
>> Email: [log in to unmask]
>> www: http://www.a2a.pro.gov.uk
>> 
>> * * * * * *
>> 
>> 
>
>
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-- 
Pat Reynolds
[log in to unmask] 

     "I have now got a pesitilent doctorate thesis to explore, 
      when I would rather be doing something less useful ..."

                (JRR Tolkien Letter 176)