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Bank holiday information - Easter

Bank holiday information for our services, including opening times and emergency contacts. All recycling collections will take place on the usual days.

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room C, Civic Centre, Neath.

Contact: Gareth Borsden - 01792 636824 

Items
No. Item

12.

Welcome.

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed Councillors Angharad Aubrey and Rhidian Mizen from Neath Port Talbot CBC to their first meeting of the Committee.

13.

Councillor Des Davies.

Minutes:

The Chair referred with great sadness to the recent death of Councillor Des Davies who was a former long standing member of the Committee.

 

All present stood in silence as a mark of respect and sympathy.

14.

Disclosures of Personal and Prejudicial Interests.

Minutes:

In accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by both authorities, no interests were declared.

 

15.

Minutes. pdf icon PDF 149 KB

To approve & sign the Minutes of the previous meeting(s) as a correct record.

 

Minutes:

 

Resolved that the Minutes of the West Glamorgan Archives Committee held on 14 December 2018 were approved as a correct record.

 

16.

2019/20 Revenue Budget. pdf icon PDF 64 KB

Minutes:

Kim Collis presented the report of the Director of Place which gave details of the Joint Archive Service Revenue Budget for 2019/2020 and the reserves held by the Joint Archive Service, which was submitted for information only.

 

He indicated that it was based on a budget assumption of a 2% pay award but was otherwise again a “standstill” budget.

 

The table in the report showed the estimated position of the Archive Reserves as at 31 March 2019.

 

He outlined that the Archive Trainee post would continue to be funded from the Training Reserve. He referred to the importance of the Trainee post within the staffing structure.

 

Resolved that

1)  the report be noted.

 

2)  that the continuing use of the Training Reserve to fund the Trainee Post in 2019/20 be agreed.

 

17.

Report of the County Archivist. pdf icon PDF 180 KB

Minutes:

The County Archivist presented a report which outlined the work of the Joint Archive Service during the period December 2018 – February 2019.

 

Use of the Service

 

He reported on the use of the Service for the quarter and detailed the background and rationale behind the quarterly statistics.

 

He indicated that the annual figures for usage would be available at the next meeting and would enable the Committee to have a better overall picture of usage benchmarked to other archive services across the UK. He outlined the Service’s performance for last year in comparison to that of other local authorities.

 

He referred to a significant increase in use by researchers of the aggregated catalogue known as the Archives Hub.  Use of this resource was thought to be the reason for a decrease of the Service’s own online catalogue.  Figures would be provided at the next meeting.

 

Committee discussed the importance going forward of the use of social media to better promote the service.

 

 

 

 

Service Outreach

 

He detailed the Service’s involvement in the development of an exhibition to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Swansea achieving City status. He indicated that the Service had been successful in bidding for a grant from Welsh Government to create the exhibition which will be aimed at 11-16 year olds and loaned to schools.

 

This new portable exhibition will be ready in time to be displayed at the Wales Air Show in early July. A static version of the exhibition will be displayed at Swansea Museum later this year alongside related artefacts.

 

He referred to an event at Terrace Road School where the Service’s women’s suffrage exhibition had been displayed and which finished with the unveiling of a Blue Plaque to Clara Neal, a former headmistress of the school and a suffragist/women’s rights campaigner.

 

He stated that a copy of the exhibition on Jewish refugees in Wales which had been lent to the National Waterfront Museum and other museums across Wales had been brought back to the Archives so that it could be loaned to schools and community groups in the area.

 

He detailed the success of the exhibitions displayed at Pentrehafod School and also outlined the various exhibitions that had been loaned to other various organisations and bodies. 

 

He outlined that the exhibitions held by the Service continue to be available for schools/colleges etc across both authorities and he asked Committee Members to promote these where possible.

 

Publications

 

He referred to the successful launch in December of Jeff Childs publication “The Paris of Llangyfelach: Landed Estates, Farms and Families” which took place in December.

 

Education Service/Talks to Groups

 

He detailed the various schools and groups that had visited the Archives or received talks and education sessions by the Service since the last meeting.

 

He indicated that due to there being several new Members of the Committee, a visit to the searchroom and strongrooms could be arranged following the next meeting in June which it was hoped could be held in Swansea Civic Centre.

 

Fees and Charges

 

He outlined the proposed fees for 2019-20 and referred to the various fees that were being increased.

 

Resolved that the table of fees and charges for 2019/20 be noted.

 

Renewal of Archive Accreditation

 

He detailed the process for the renewal of the UK Archives Accreditation Scheme which the Service achieved for the Swansea access point in 2016.

 

He indicated that the Service will receive an intermediately review in the coming months as part of the accreditation process and referred to the various actions that would have to be achieved to come through the review successfully.

 

Professional Meetings and Partnership Working

 

He reported on the various meetings attended by staff during the quarter.

 

Archive Collections

 

He reported on the list of archives received by the Service during the quarter.