Blurring the lines: a holistic approach to university records and archives

This paper explores the shift in focus at the University of Westminster, UK, from historic archive to institutional records and archives management. The University of Westminster has one of the few joint archives and records management services within the UK Higher Education sector and the author will discuss how this joined-up approach enables the University to think and work holistically to preserve the archival record. The approach underpins a major shift that has taken place at the University: the transformation of the archive from being perceived simply as the keeper of the institution’s history, to being regarded as a professional records and archives service that has enabled the University to work more efficiently and effectively through its successful records management programme for paper records; and which is now leading on electronic documents management through the implementation of Microsoft SharePoint and the introduction of an active digital preservation programme for born-digital records (based on an Arkivum and Archivematica/Perpetua/AToM solution). At the same time, the archives and records team are more embedded than ever in the curriculum, evolving from delivering generic research methods skills sessions for undergraduate history students to developing tailored archival theory subject-specific classes and co-designing an elective module for post-graduate students in social sciences and humanities. The paper will discuss the importance of different contextual factors, including senior management buy-in, profile-building through key anniversary events, and information compliance incentives. The author will argue that the successful development of the University of Westminster’s records and archives service to date has been achieved by blurring the lines: between traditional distinctions of archives and records; between definitions of strictly university holdings and incorporated holdings and collections; and between notions of theory and practice.