AfL Healthcheck

The AfL archives healthcheck has been designed to help archive services identify key information and opportunities in light of current economic and political environment. It will also inform AfL’s advocacy activities.

Please complete the healthcheck form and return it to AfL. There are two ways to do this:

• Online; Click here to take survey
• On paper using our healthcheck form

The archives health check is part of AfL’s advocacy work for archives and archive users in London.

Our activities will:
* Seek to act as a coordination point on the impact of cuts, through direct contact with lead professionals and a checklist survey for services to complete and return to us
* Work closely with The National Archives Advisory team and the Archives & Records Association (ARA)
* Liaise and work with the British Records Association
* Ensure that the AfL team includes sector champions for local government and higher education in the first instance with the potential to expand to other areas.

In continuing to make direct representations where services are placed under real threat, we have taken a different stance from ARA. Our role of advocacy is helped in that we are not a professional body and we take a view on the long term viability and strength of an archive service, not the position of any individual staff member, however highly they may be esteemed in their local community. Where appropriate we also advocate partnership working – the kind of creative thinking The National Archive Strategy put forward as one possible route to create stronger and more sustainable services.

London local authority and higher education services face considerable challenges in the coming months. Advocacy, good news stories and demonstrating the value of what archives do for their specialist and geographic communities will become an increasingly important part of what AfL does. However doing our best to support services under threat may take precedence in coming months.

Read more about AfL’s advocacy activities.