The National Archives and Research Libraries UK are committed to the leadership and continuing development of the sector; driving innovation and workforce development and exploring new ways to engage people with their collections and services. The National Archives and Research Libraries UK recognise that they have complementary expertise and overlapping interests, especially in relation to The National Archives’ archives sector leadership responsibilities and its status as an Independent Research Organisation (IRO), and RLUK’s role as the leading consortium of the research library community.
This Collaboration Agreement builds on the desire for cooperation and collaborative working between The National Archives and Research Libraries UK. The agreement sets out the role of each organisation and describes how they will work together to achieve their separate and common goals.
The National Archives
The National Archives (TNA) is the official archive and publisher for the UK government, and for England and Wales. In The National Archives’ role as the leadership body for the archives sector in England, it works with over 2,500 archives across the country. Its current strategy, Archives for Everyone, sets out The National Archives’ ambition to become the 21st-Century national archive, one that is inclusive, entrepreneurial, and disruptive. The government’s strategic vision for the sector outlines the leadership priorities under the themes of trust. enrichment and openness, and describes its work to encourage a sustainable and innovative archives sector.
The National Archives also performs the Historical Manuscripts Commission’s functions in relation to independent archives. Its support and advice help archives across the UK to develop and enhance their services, facilities and collections.
The National Archives took on additional leadership responsibilities for archives in England in 2011, in addition to functions across the UK under the Historical Manuscripts Commission and responsibility for the management of Public Records held locally across England and Wales.
Research Libraries UK
Research Libraries UK (RLUK) is a consortium of 39 of the UK and Ireland’s most significant research libraries. Its purpose is to shape the research library agenda and contribute to the wider knowledge economy through innovative projects and services that add value and impact to the process of research. It contributes to the health of society through the preservation and sharing of knowledge: one of the pillars of an open society.
RLUK is here to convene its 39 members around the issues that affect them, to represent their collective voice, to support them as they face shared challenges, and to be an effective advocate on their behalf. It is these four roles that define RLUK’s work and around which its membership offer is shaped. They enable RLUK to promote the research library community as a vibrant and integral element of the scholarly landscape.
RLUK’s strategy, The Library Transforming, 2022-2025, seeks to drive change, enable dialogue, and promote collaboration across the research, information, and cultural sectors. It confidently asserts RLUK’s key strategic priorities for the period 2022-2025 and outlines our vision for their realisation through the creation of tangible programmes of work and cross-sector initiatives.
Aim
This agreement recognises that while both organisations have distinct roles, their scope of activities reflect areas of shared interest. This agreement outlines how both organisations will continue to build on their relationship to date to ensure that there exists strong collaboration and partnership working. This agreement reflects common values, goals and realities.
Shared Interests
Collections
We will support and provide advice on collections and alert each other to relevant issues concerning the care, management, risk and access to these collections. Where and when appropriate, we will issue joint statements, highlighting key strategic, policy or risk management issues. We will continue to support and champion collections development across the sectors.
EDI
We recognise the need for change in the sector and that this is dependent on everyone. The National Archives and the Archives and RLUK can be facilitators but cannot bring change on their own. We will individually and together share and promote each other’s activities, outputs and initiatives where appropriate and will work to coordinate our research and the development of projects and programmes.
Workforce development
We will look to develop a complementary and co-ordinated approach to education and training where practical. The organisations will undertake and promote research as necessary and clarify gaps and training and development needs.
Networks
Relevant teams across the organisations will promote regional development and initiatives such as HEAP and the Special Collections and Heritage Network (SCHN) and coordinate where practical. Both parties will give consideration to the impact on existing structures with regard to any future development work.
Digital
We will work together and with appropriate organisations, across the issues of digital discovery, access and preservation, resilience, and sustainability including in particular Digital Scholarship and Al.
Sustainability and environmental impact
We will share best practice and initiatives around economic and environmental sustainability.
Sharing data
We will share data, partnerships and intelligence to feed into a matrix approach to data gathering, benchmarking and evidencing impact across the sector.
Shared Objectives
Through collaboration, The National Archives and Research Libraries UK will:
- Work together to develop a more sustainable and resilient sector for archives, special collections and research libraries making the most of available advocacy, skills sharing and funding opportunities for organisations and people.
- Act strategically and practically across the full spectrum of the archives, special collections and research libraries sectors to support services so that our sectors’ collections and activities are sustained, open and accessible to all.
- Actively identify shared challenges and opportunities to work together locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.
- Work together to develop inclusive workforces, collections, schemes and programmes that better reflect the diversity of our society and include diverse perspectives and points of view.
- Explore shared approaches to opening up data and developing digital capacity across the archives, special collections and research libraries sectors.
Ongoing shared activity
RLUK and TNA will continue to deliver the Professional Fellowships Scheme. The National Archives and RLUK Professional Fellowship Scheme enables staff from both organisations to gain experience and insight from one another, strengthen and diversify the relationship between them, and to overcome some of the collective challenges facing research and cultural organisations.
Professional Fellowships are structured around a short-term residency at The National Archives, for Fellows from an RLUK member institution, and to an RLUK member institution, for Fellows from The National Archives, underpinned by a longer period of peer-to-peer mentoring and knowledge sharing. Professional Fellowships address a professional-practice question and facilitate shared learning between The National Archives and individual RLUK members.
Each Fellowship lasts between 12 and 18 months and the selection and recruitment of the fellows is undertaken jointly between The National Archives and RLUK. The scheme is governed by the Professional Fellowship Board, which is usually made up of three representatives from each organisation.
A financial allocation is made to support the work of Professional Fellows. The funds currently held by RLUK to support the Fellowships are:
TNA contributions
April 2016
4,500
6,000
April 2017
4,500
Total
15,000
Remaining fund 6,637*
The transfer of additional funds to support the scheme will be discussed as needed at the Professional Fellowship Scheme Board or other TNA/RLUK meeting and agreed in writing.
* £1,385.73 from this figure is still available in one of the 2023/24 Professional Fellow’s budget. £4,500 from this figure was originally specified for joint activities between RLUK and TNA.
Statement of intent
Research Libraries UK and The National Archives recognise that in order to ensure that the archives, special collections and research libraries sectors continue to develop and grow, a strong and collaborative working relationship is essential.
The two organisations will endeavour to cooperate and work together in so far as their separate interests, legal constraints and corporate aims permit.
Both parties will share knowledge (so far as they are legally permitted to do so), expertise and best practice in relation to matters of mutual interest, and, if there is an overlap or mutual interest in a particular area, they will consult as appropriate.
Both parties are committed to the principle of good communication with each other and promoting one another, including where we are working together on initiatives affording due recognition to one another.
Both The National Archives and Research Libraries UK will seek to alert each other as soon as is practically possible to relevant developments within their respective remits.
This Collaboration Agreement will be published on both organisations’ websites.
Frequency of contact and communications
Senior representatives from Research Libraries UK and The National Archives will meet annually to discuss matters of mutual interest, share intelligence and identify areas where the two organisations might work together. These meetings will be underpinned by regular liaison between their officials at other times as and when required.
The organisations will ensure that it is clear who the appropriate contacts for particular matters are, and that contact details are kept up to date. More frequent contact will be arranged at the appropriate level.
Opportunities to engage in issues with a single voice, where appropriate, should be taken and regular communications will reflect those issues.
Frequency of review
This Collaboration Agreement records a formal agreement between the Parties and the Parties acknowledge that this Collaboration Agreement does not create a legally binding contract.
The Parties agree that they enter into this Collaboration Agreement intending to honour all of their obligations and both agree to act in good faith and work collaboratively to achieve the purposes set out in this Collaboration Agreement.
This Collaboration Agreement will be reviewed in March of 2027, and triennially thereafter, or more frequently if developments in either organisation make it necessary.
Each Party confirms it is acting on its own behalf and not for the benefit of any other person.
TNA and RLUK will independently collect applications for the Professional Fellowship Scheme, which may include personal information such as names, email addresses, and job titles provided directly by the applicants.
Each organisation will maintain custody of the applications they receive directly for a period of one year and no systematic data sharing between TNA and RLUK will take place, other than sharing the names and email addresses of accepted Fellows so the program coordinators can communicate effectively with participants.
Personal data will be handled by each organisation in accordance with their respective privacy policy: TNA Privacy Policy and RLUK Privacy Policy.