Archivist and records manager

About the role

This occupation is found in local authorities, businesses, charities both small and large international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), religious organisations, courts of law, government departments and public sector services, universities, schools, national bodies archives, museums, libraries or they may be privately owned.

The profession is governed by a code of ethics and an aspiration to promote equality, diversity and inclusion through records so that they reflect the widest cross section of audiences and communities. Archivists and records managers often need to innovate and reformulate professional practice in response to technological change and the evolving needs of stakeholders and wider society.

The broad purpose of the occupation is to use professional judgement and advocacy to ensure or support the acquisition, preservation, security and accessibility of records and other materials which give evidence of the activities of their creators, for example organisations, communities and individuals. Records may be destroyed after a specific retention period; records may also be archived for their cultural and historical significance for example Domesday Book, Magna Carta, or Second World War records.

Records are materials which may be analogue or digital and are created or received by a person, family or organisation, public or private, in the conduct of their affairs and might typically consist of letters, maps, documents, emails etc. which can be formal or informal.

Records management is about controlling the lifecycle of information and allowing it to be available for as long as there is a business and legal need for it. Archives are records selected and preserved for their enduring value for historical and other research.

In managing records, archivists and records managers research how they have been maintained by organisations, communities, and individuals to ensure they have integrity, are reliable and have been retained appropriately. Archivists and records managers may be involved with or advise on making decisions about transferring records and other material from current business use to archives and negotiate transfer of custody with the owners. This may be a complex, unpredictable and a lengthy process.

They ensure that the archives and records can be located, managed and accessed by using techniques such as inventorying, cataloguing to industry standards, metadata enhancements and developing file plans. They also identify and manage records' preservation requirements along with ensuring they remain safe and secure.

Archivists and records managers promote engagement with internal/external stakeholders to support the relevance of records and archives. The diversity of records that are being created will depend on the requirements of the organisation i.e., the business output of the creators and society, for example the general public and researchers. They must ensure that all stakeholders receive an efficient, effective service and that their contact is a positive experience whilst making sure that the archives and records are used appropriately.

The role requires work to be undertaken sometimes alone and in physically challenging environments for example lifting heavy objects, working in low temperatures, working in dirty environments requiring protective clothing for example when salvaging records. In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with members of their own team, members of the public, external depositors, internal departments seeking assistance with the management and transfer of their records to archive. They may also come in to contact with curators, academics, students, conservators, digital records experts, creators of records from a variety of institutions, funding bodies, research agencies, accreditation bodies, government and legal bodies, volunteers, donor organisations and the police. 

Archivist and records managers typically report to the head of a department, senior archivist, chief executive, library manager, digital director, chief information officer or private owner. An employee in this occupation will be responsible for

• negotiating with external depositors and internal transferrers, arranging for physical change of custody of records, securing rights to collections where appropriate, undertaking appraisal, selection and secure disposal, working across both analogue and digital media.
• gaining intellectual control of records through documenting provenance and acquisition, contextualizing, cataloguing records and enhancing metadata.
• ensuring the preservation and security of records in all media through risk management of storage environments, business continuity planning and setting preservation policies for analogue and digital records, working with industry standards and with conservators/other specialists to establish priorities for intervention and action.
•  ensuring appropriate access to records, compliant with statutory provisions and addressing the needs of the organisation’s stakeholders, contributing to learning and outreach, researching and developing new means of access through emerging technologies and innovation.
• developing/maintaining and implementing archival and records management policies and procedures.
• ensuring the organisation is aware of and complies with legal aspects of record keeping ensuring compliance with relevant legislation and regulations
• planning for improvement and managing resources across a range of diverse responsibilities which may include managing a budget, fundraising and internal advocacy
• liaising with other key parties across the organisation, often including IT and facilities colleagues to support collections management across both analogue and digital records.
• managing staff and/or volunteers as appropriate in accordance with their organisation’s policies and processes.