The National Archives recognises that all development options should be considered for improving the accommodation of archive services. BS EN16893:2018 ‘Conservation of Cultural Heritage: Specifications for location, construction and modification of buildings or rooms intended for the storage or use of heritage collections’, requires buildings to be designed with future storage requirements in mind (section 5.2.1).
The Archive Service Accreditation standard requires arrangements sufficient to keep the collections physically secure and accessible. Assessment asks how the service is planning to manage space where there is less than five years expansion capacity, and how future storage space will be guaranteed (sections 1.4 and 2.4).
However, we do not see a split-site solution as ideal. We believe a single site offers greater benefits and we recommend that all options are fully tested before a split-site option is adopted. When you are considering options for archival storage consider risks to archive collections resulting from:
- a move to split-site service
- the increased pressure on resources due to the management of these risks
There are implications for organisations holding controlled classes of records – deposited Public Records and Manorial Documents. Such organisations should always consult The National Archives if considering a split-site solution.
Purpose
This guidance is designed to assist archive services to assess and manage the risks of a split-site archive service, but it will be useful to services considering other solutions. It will assist services which are:
- considering moving to a split-site archive service assessing a variety of options for new archive storage
- considering moving away from a split-site arrangement and wishing to assess the benefits and implications
This guidance outlines some of the implications and challenges of a split-site service. It uses a risk management approach to assessing and managing split-site services and describes systematic methods of assessing options and minimising the archive service’s exposure to risk. By providing a framework in which to assess the options for split-site archive services, this guidance looks in detail at assessing the risks to collections and how to manage these risks.
Definitions
A split-site archive service is one in which a large proportion of the holdings are stored on a site separate to the main staff office and access point. Traditionally archive services have used out-stores to hold collection overspills or for a temporary period. A split-site archive service is different from an out-store, as it is the result of a conscious decision to manage a long-term service across separate sites for providing access and for storing the majority of collections.
As defined by the ‘HM Treasury Orange Book: Management of risk – Principles and Concepts’, risk is uncertainty of outcome, and good risk management allows an organisation to:
- have increased confidence in achieving its desired outcomes effectively
- constrain threats to acceptable levels
- take informed decisions about exploiting opportunities
Important considerations
A split-site archive service brings greater risk to the collections, additional building management tasks for staff and more restrictions on access than a single site service.
By considering the impact of a split-site service through an in depth options appraisal, archive services will:
- be aware of the risks
- be able to mitigate the risks
- be able to see clearly the relative merits and problems of each site
- understand the ongoing costs associated with different site options
If a split-site service is assessed as the best option, rigorous plans and procedures are essential to reduce the risk and impact of the split-site provision.