British Records Association

Contents | Archives: The Journal of the British Records Association 59, 1-2 The archives collections held at Westminster date back more than 500 years. The House of Lords kept its most important records for centuries in the Jewel Tower, a stone tower on the parliamentary estate previously used by the royal family to store ...

The latest issue of 'Archives: The Journal of the British Records Association' (@britrecs.bsky.social) which was published earlier this month contains some captivating research into parliamentary archives.

See the link below for the full issue:

www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/toc/archives...

A background of opaque tree rings in lilac with the Archives journal cover in the foreground and the LUP and BRA logos on the other side. The journal comprises a lilac and mid blue cover with faded tree rings in the background, with 'ARCHIVES ' written in mid blue at the top in white sans serif text and the caption, 'The journal of the British Records Association' written in blue underneath.

Most read | Archives
‘Caring for Parliament’s archive collections’ by Katerina Laina is part of a new special issue guest edited by @satisfactory20.bsky.social & David Prior.
➡️Browse: bit.ly/ARCH-KL
@britrecs.bsky.social @chuarchives.bsky.social @internetarchiveca.bsky.social @araukie.bsky.social

I wrote the history of the Parliamentary Archives! Newly published in Archives, Journal of @britrecs.bsky.social along with articles by @dlprior.bsky.social @adrianbrown.bsky.social - check your library for access! liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/toc/archives...

Maurice Bond Lecture and Harley Prize Presentation Join us for this year's Maurice Bond Lecture "Sustainability and Resilience – the Future of Preventive Conservation"

Book your ticket to our 2026 Maurice Bond lecture, 7th May at the Guildhall Library in London on "Sustainability and Resilience – the Future of Preventive Conservation" 📚
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/maurice-bo...

A background of opaque tree rings in lilac with the Archives journal cover in the foreground and the LUP and BRA logos on the other side. The journal comprises a lilac and mid blue cover with faded tree rings in the background, with 'ARCHIVES ' written in mid blue at the top in white sans serif text and the caption, 'The journal of the British Records Association' written in blue underneath.

Most Read Article | Archives
‘Podcasting the Archive: An Evaluation of Audience Engagement with a Narrative Non-Fiction Podcast Series’ by @hazelhall.bsky.social et al.
@britrecs.bsky.social @internetarchiveca.bsky.social @araukie.bsky.social @humanitiesall.bsky.social

Close-up of a dark blue calendar cover showing several images of iron workers building rails and structures. Golden text at the bottom reads: 'Ballantine Bones Iron Co. Ltd. Ballantine Engineering 2003'.

We’re delighted to announce that The Ballast Trust has been awarded a Records at Risk grant, kindly funded by @britrecs.bsky.social, to safely transport, relocate and preserve the archive of Ballantine Castings.

Read more here: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-sec...

We’re proud to work with a wide range of scholarly societies and communities across our journals, including:

@bibsoc.bsky.social
@bodleianlibraries.bsky.social
@britrecs.bsky.social
@cnrsshs.bsky.social
@frenchstudies.bsky.social
@global19c.bsky.social

Thanks to Aimey, who held our bursary place to this year's conference on 'Records at Risk,' you can read a blog on how the day went. Many thanks to all our speakers!
www.britishrecordsassociation.org.uk/news/records...

The deadline is approaching to apply for a free place to our 2025 conference ‘Safeguarding Future History: Meeting the Challenge of Records at Risk’
More info and how to apply 👇
www.britishrecordsassociation.org.uk/category/news/

Less than a month to go before the British Records Association conference - open to members and non-members 👇🏻 #archives #history #recordsatrisk

Safeguarding Future History: Meeting the Challenge of Records at Risk Join the BRA as we examine past, present and future risk to UK archives and discuss preservation strategies for the 21st century

🎟️ Book your ticket for our conference 'Safeguarding Future History: Meeting the Challenge of Records at Risk' on November 4th in London.
Join us for insights from academics, funders, and representatives from The National Archives and British Council.
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/safeguardi...

Great to have you on board, Paul!

Pleased to be a part of the Editorial Board for the British Records Association's Archives Journal. Looking forward to working with a Great Team at www.britishrecordsassociation.org.uk/.
@britrecs.bsky.social

Safeguarding Future History: Meeting the Challenge of Records at Risk Join the BRA as we examine past, present and future risk to UK archives and discuss preservation strategies for the 21st century

Join us at our annual conference 'Safeguarding Future History: Meeting the Challenge of Records at Risk'.
Tuesday, November 4 10am – 4:30pm GMT at The Gallery, 77 Cowcross Street London EC1M 6EL.
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/safeguardi...

A background of opaque tree rings in lilac with the Archives journal cover in the foreground and the LUP and BRA logos on the other side. The journal comprises a lilac and mid blue cover with faded tree rings in the background, with 'ARCHIVES ' written in mid blue at the top in white sans serif text and the caption, 'The journal of the British Records Association' written in blue underneath.

Most read in Archives this week 🗃️
‘Preserving South African Community Archives in a Context of Ubuntu’ by Mathodi Freddie Motsamayi
Read it online: bit.ly/ARCHIVES-Motsamayi
@britrecs.bsky.social @internetarchiveca.bsky.social @araukie.bsky.social @humanitiesall.bsky.social

It has been great to have the opportunity to share the story of @britrecs.bsky.social with colleagues from the GLAM sector over the past couple of days. Looking forward to Day 3 of #dcdc25 - and a gentle snooze on the train home later! #archives #trustee

Best of luck Victoria - you will smash it!

All set for my poster session at #dcdc25 today. I'll be wearing my #trustee hat and talking about the journey @britrecs.bsky.social has taken over the past 10 years to reframe its charitable objects and become financially sustainable. #archives

Drop by the British Records Association stand at #DCDC25 today and say hello!

The British Records Association is pleased to announce that entry to the 2025 Janette Harley Prize is now open. The prize, awarded in memory of Janette Harley (1951-2015), is intended to generate interest in archives, and raise awareness of research and achievements in the world of archives. Applications should be received by the BRA Secretary secretary(at)britishrecordsassociation.org.uk not later than 31 July 2025. The winning entry will be announced in November. We hope to be able to hold the Harley Prizegiving on the same evening as the BRA’s annual Maurice Bond Memorial Lecture, early in 2026. 1. A prize of £500 will be awarded to individuals or organisations for the best/most original piece of work published in a monograph, journal or magazine, or otherwise made publicly available (such as a website or blog series), which has promoted “the preservation, understanding, accessibility or study of archives”, the aims of the BRA. 2. Applications are welcomed from individuals, on their own behalf or on behalf of others, and from representatives of organisations. The prize will be available to anyone, including archivists, local historians, academics, genealogists and conservators. The judges are keen to receive more applications from conservators and local historians. 3. Applicants must submit for consideration a specific piece of work which has been published or is available in the public domain (such as a website or blog series), during the past three years (i.e. from 2022 onwards). Entries should focus on specific archive sources, and aim to reveal new information about what those sources have to offer; entries on historical subjects which merely cite references to archive sources are unlikely to be successful. 4. There is no application form, but applicants should explain in not more than 750 words why the piece of work being nominated is important, and worthy of the prize. Such supporting material should be submitted electronically. To aid future planning an…

Your reminder that the deadline for this year's Janette Harley Prize is approaching (31st July). The prize is intended to generate interest in archives, and raise awareness of research and achievements in the world of archives.
For how to apply and Terms and Conditions, please see attached image.

History Day The annual History Day event allows students, researchers and anyone with an interest in history to learn more about history collections.

Our Chair Matti Watton and Vice Chair Victoria Northwood are looking forward to meeting sector colleagues at History Day North in Durham next week - do come and say hello!
www.history.ac.uk/library-digi...
@ihr.bsky.social

Don't forget to get your entries in for the Janette Harley prize!

Archive Skills Training (from the BRA) The British Records Association (BRA) is a charity which aims to promote the preservation, understanding, accessibility and study of our recorded heritage for the public benefit. In early 2025, to fur...

Further dates are available for Basic Archive Skills Training Days. Details of those events, and further Training Days as they are announced, may be found on our Eventbrite page www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/archive-sk...

British Records Association BRITISH RECORDS ASSOCIATION: JANETTE HARLEY PRIZE The British Records Association is pleased to announce that entry to the 2025 Janette Harley Prize is now open. The prize, awarded in memory of Janet...

Entry to the 2025 @britrecs.bsky.social Janette Harley Prize is now open. £500 prize for the best/most original piece of work published or made publicly available which has promoted the preservation, understanding, accessibility or study of archives
Deadline: 31 July 2025. More details 👇
#ArchivesWM

A row of old documents stored vertically on shelves behind a metal grid. Each file has a white tag with handwritten text reading '1955' and '333a342'.

Still time to sign up to join @carlyannrichardson.bsky.social
& team TOMORROW (11 June, 11am) to learn all about
@jisc.bsky.social Archives Hub

👉 tinyurl.com/5n7rh2ky

@exploreyourarchive.bsky.social @britrecs.bsky.social

Photo by Anna Auza on Unsplash

Please do contact us if you are thinking about volunteering or would like to be on our journal's Editorial Board.

We are also open to submissions! If you are prevaricating on a journal article, consider this a sign to get it submitted! 😀

The first Pope Leo, known as Leo the Great, who reigned 440-461 & was the first #Pope to be buried in St Peter's Basilica. This copy of his sermons (printed at #Venice in 1482) carries this portrait by the Pico Master, appropriately within an initial L for Laudem. CUL Inc.3.B.3.43[1499]. #popeleo

We are looking for a new editorial board for our Journal 'ARCHIVES'. We welcome anyone in any stage of their career working with archives and records. More information and how to apply 👇
www.britishrecordsassociation.org.uk/news/new-edi...
@livunipress.bsky.social

Congratulations! 🥳

This evening was the @britrecs.bsky.social annual lecture and prize giving, kindly hosted by @warburginstitute.bsky.social. As usual, a lovely event, full of properly interesting people, and plenty of wine to help the conversations along. 🤗