Agenda and draft minutes

Consideration was given to the minutes of the previous meeting of the Cabinet Member for Culture, Lifestyle, Sport and Tourism held on 7^th September, 2010.

Resolved:-  That the minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet Member held on 7^th September, 2010, be signed as a true record.

Consideration was given to a report presented by Christine Evans, Local Studies Librarian - Archives and Local Studies, which requested permission for the Archives and Local Studies Service to close to the public for five days at the beginning of December, to carry out essential work on its collections.

The Archives and Local Studies Service annual closure allows for staff to undertake work on the historic collections it holds which could not be completed at any other time as it required all staff to be available and the use of the space in the public search room. This was normal practice within Archive Services nationally to allow necessary collections work to be undertaken.

This year the service would like to close to the public for the week Monday, 6th December through to Saturday, 11th December inclusively.  The search room was normally open from Tuesday to Saturday.  December historically was one of the quietest months, which was why in past years the closure week had been scheduled for this time. If this closure was approved, this would be publicised well in advance to users, including on webpages, in the search room and through a press release.

This closure was important in ensuring that the work required would keep the Council’s historic collections and documents in excellent order. This year staff would build upon the work of last year, which focused upon the Service’s earlier ordnance survey map collection. It was now necessary to concentrate on the later ordnance survey map collection including the national grid series. It would also allow the Service to finalise the audit of the 220 boxes received from Sheffield Archives in September, which had originally formed part of the South Yorkshire collections.

The impending relocation of the service also meant that a clear and careful catalogue of collections needed to be undertaken to ensure the transfer could take place with minimum risk to the integrity of the service and its collections.

Resolved:-   That the closure to the public of the Archives and Local Studies Service for five days to carry out essential work on its collections be approved.