Venue: Multi-Location Meeting - Gloucester Room, Guildhall / MS Teams. View directions
Contact: Gareth Borsden - 01972 636824
No. | Item |
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Disclosures of Personal and Prejudicial Interests. Decision: None Minutes: In accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by both Authorities,
no interests were declared. |
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To approve & sign the Minutes of the previous meeting(s) as a correct record. Decision: Approved Minutes: Resolved that the Minutes of the West Glamorgan
Archives Committee meeting held on 15 September 2023 be approved as a correct
record. |
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Archive Relocation - Update of Design Team. Decision: For Information Minutes: Andrew Gardner and Tracey McNulty verbally updated Committee
on the current position relating to the new Y Storfa facility which is being
developed in Swansea City Centre. The aim is that the new facility will open in spring 2025
and the contractors are currently on site and involved in the strip
out/demolition phase of the project. They outlined that Chris Woods of the National Conservation
Service has been involved at each stage of the development and design of the
archive aspects of the building and has given expert advice on a wide range of
topics including physical and electronic security, fire and environmental
conditions. The issues and timescales around the aim of achieving the
BSI standards and the aim of getting the service reaccredited were detailed.
Staff would be given the appropriate training to oversee the efficient
operation of the strongroom. The amendments and revised layout of the searchroom and
proposed management arrangements relating to the issues around the monitoring
of the strongroom were explained and outlined in detail. Members of the Committee asked various questions of the
officers regarding the update and the proposals for the building who responded
accordingly. A site visit to the facility would be arranged for all
members of the Committee in due course. The Chair thanked the officers for their updates and
outlined that a site visit would be welcomed. |
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Report of the County Archivist. PDF 310 KB Decision: For Information Minutes: The County Archivist presented a
report which outlined the work of the Joint Archive Service during the period
September – November 2023. Relocation of the Archives to
the Y Storfa - City Centre Hub and Other Project Work Further to the verbal update provided earlier in the
meeting, the County Archivist provided an update on the revised plans for the
searchroom following agreement to remove the document lift. The revised plans were displayed to the Committee. He outlined that he believed the new revised layout was a
great improvement on the previous version as it is now larger in size and
incorporates increased numbers of PCs, a coat/bag storage area and room for a
small sales outlet. He detailed the amendments made regarding the redesigning of
the searchroom and relating to the use of the staff lift between searchroom and
strongroom. He indicated that management arrangements agreed so that only
archives staff would be in the lift when transporting documents to and from the
strongroom. Tracey McNulty concurred that the new design is an
improvement and should add value to Y Storfa. The new searchroom, in
association with the other facilities in the building like the new library,
citizens advice, meeting rooms etc should hopefully increase both footfall and
‘dwell’ time. The County Archivist also outlined that the National
Conservation Service had provided training to staff relating to the
photographic collections held by the Service. Use of the Service He reported on the figures
relating the use of the service via its various platforms both in person and
online. Outreach and Educational Activity He reported that two schools have
received sessions during the quarter and sessions have also been run for
students of both Swansea University and University of Wales Trinity St David. Staff have also provided talks to
three groups and organisations during the quarter. He had attended various different
events during the quarter and outlined that the service continues to run a
monthly session for the Glamorgan Family History Society, Swansea Branch. Staff He reported that the new Archives
Trainee Ffion Kidwell had started on 5th December. The filling of
the post has allowed the service to resume its two day opening at the Mechanics
Institute in Neath alongside volunteers from the Neath Antiquarian Society. Professional Meetings and
Training He listed the various
professional groups and meetings that he had attended during the quarter. Accessions of Archive
Collections The County Archivist detailed the various archives received
by the Service during the quarter. |