#ExploreYourArchive focus week took place across the UK between 21st - 30th November 2024.
For a bit of background info, the masterminds behind this annual national event, the Archives and Records Association UK and Ireland (ARA) @ARAUK_IE, invite all archives far and wide to join their exciting focus week. The goal? To spotlight fascinating histories, hidden treasures, and cultural heritage—and most importantly, to spread the word that archives are for everyone!
Each year, ARA rolls out daily themes for the week, sparking a creative challenge for archive teams. It’s a bit like a treasure hunt, but this year we decided to do a behind-the-scenes series so we could share our exciting collections and routine tasks. But no day is ever the same in archives!
In this round-up blog post, you can watch our video shorts which hit social media on the day of the relevant themed hashtag at your leisure. Enjoy!
Day 1. #Decisions
To Keep or Not to Keep?: DMU Special Collections explains how archives decide what collections and items they will accept.
Day 2. #Heroes
Archive Avengers: DMU Special Collections shares the heroic efforts made by volunteers and interns.
Day 3. #Tiny
How can we all help preserve archives?: DMU Special Collections how tiny steps we can all take make a huge impact.
Day 4. #Huge
Archive Derring-Do: DMU Special Collections explains the huge value found in de-binding.
Day 5. #Fashion
A day in the life of DMU Frontrunners, Grace and Katie cataloguing the collection of fashion legend, Dame Zandra Rhodes.
Day 6. #Mythology
The White-Gloved Archivist: Myth, Mystery or Master of Preservation? DMU Special Collections does some archive myth-busting.
Day 7. Disco
'Boogie Lights': DMU Special Collections explains lux levels and why it's important to keep archives out of the spotlight.
Day 8. Family
The Cataloguing Family Tree: DMU Special Collections explains how to navigate archival catalogues.
Day 9. #Animals
Gnawing Habits: DMU Special Collections explains the importance of pest monitoring in archives.
Day 10. Your Archive
DMU Special Collections welcomes everyone to explore the archive and our amazing collections.
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