The Archives and Records Association ‘Explore Your Archive’ theme for the month of January is ‘Dust Busters’. They are asking for archives to get involved to help break the myth that archives are dusty and uninviting places, so we thought we would provide some information about the Dorset History Centre and the documents we hold to try and debunk this stereotype!
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Although we hold very old documents here at the Dorset History Centre (our oldest document dating from 965 AD) they most definitely are not dusty! Our strongrooms were purpose built to safely hold archives, and they are environmentally controlled to maintain specific levels of temperature and humidity that will ensure the long-term survival of the archives. They are cleaned regularly and are monitored for pests, and all of our collections are packaged into archival materials before being stored in the strongrooms, which adds an extra layer of protection.
Our strongrooms are clean, secure and environmentally controlled with the latest technology – pretty far from a dusty basement!
Also, not all of the documents we hold are old, we also have a large number of records that are born-digital. Digital archiving is about preserving information stored on any digital object, like floppy discs or CDs, and ensuring that the information will be safe and accessible for years to come. At the Dorset History Centre, we use Preservica, a cloud storage system, to store and manage our digital records.
If you are interested in learning more about modern archives, a few months ago, some of the Dorset History Centre team made a video to explain how some typical stereotypes and myths about archives are incorrect (from 48.45):
Regarding archives being uninviting, we like to think that we are a friendly bunch at the Dorset History Centre and enjoy nothing more than having a search room full of researchers! Our purpose is not only to preserve the documents that we hold, but to make the information held within them available to the general public.
We are currently open for people to view documents on an appointment only basis, offering 2.5 hour sessions on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. However, if you are unable to visit in person, you can always email us at archives@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk and we will try and work out the best way for you to find the information you need.