The West Glamorgan Archives Committee met on Friday 15 March 2024, approving the minutes of the previous meeting and the report of the County Archivist. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to discussions surrounding the upcoming relocation of the archives to the new Y Storfa facility, the budget for the upcoming year, and the crucial area of digital preservation. The meeting also marked the impending retirement of the County Archivist, Kim Collis, after twenty years of service.

Y Storfa Relocation Update

An update was provided on the progress of the new Y Storfa facility in Swansea City Centre. Construction is ongoing, with the demolition phase currently underway. The projected completion date for the facility remains May 2025. Staff are undertaking conservation training, including a course on How to move an archive, which will be beneficial for the relocation. The committee was informed that a site visit would be arranged in due course, once the demolition phase is complete and it is safe to do so.

Budget and Financial Matters

The committee received a verbal update on the Joint Archive Service Revenue Budget for 2024/2025. The total budget is expected to be £332,250, a slight increase from the previous year. This increase is partly due to drawing down more from reserves. The budget includes provisions for digital preservation and the Archive Trainee position. The estimated balance for the archives document fund is just under £21,000, and the training reserve stands at £261,215.

The committee also approved the fees and charges for the service for 2024/25. The majority of charges have been held at the previous year's rates, with the exception of printouts from PCs, which will increase from 25p to 30p, mirroring changes made by Swansea Libraries.

Digital Preservation and the Archives Hub

A significant discussion took place regarding digital preservation, with the Archive Service entering into a consortium with other Welsh archives and universities to create a trusted digital repository. This initiative aims to ensure the long-term accessibility of born-digital and digitised records. The consortium includes West Glamorgan, Glamorgan, Gwent, Conwy, and North East Wales Archives, along with Cardiff and Swansea Universities and the University of Wales Trinity St David (UWTSD). The budget includes provision for the annual subscription to the commercial provider for these services.

The committee agreed that the training reserve could potentially be used to support a joint application for external funding to assist with setting up the digital repository, with an anticipated match-funding requirement of approximately £5,000 to £10,000. This is considered a crucial step, as a growing number of records are now produced solely in electronic format.

Technical issues with the archives' online catalogue, which began in October 2023 due to a software upgrade problem, are ongoing. While Swansea Council IT staff and the external provider continue to work on a solution, users can access the catalogues via the Archives Hub, a collaborative catalogue for various record offices. The committee noted that the website has been updated to direct users to this interim solution.

Use of the Service and Outreach

The report detailed the usage statistics for the archive service. On-site visits to Swansea and Neath saw an increase compared to the previous year, with 643 visitors. The total number of people reached by the service, both on and off-site, was 780. The service delivered educational sessions to two schools and provided talks to a local historical group. A monthly session for the Glamorgan Family History Society, Swansea Branch, continues.

The Wales Broadcast Archive Clip Corner was launched at Swansea Civic Centre on 15 January. While it will remain at the Civic Centre only temporarily, a new Clip Corner will be incorporated into the Y Storfa facility.

Staffing and Retirement of County Archivist

The committee noted the departure of Archivist Katie Millien in January, who moved to Carmarthenshire Archive Service to establish a school service there. Ms. Millien had been with the service for over sixteen years, and her contribution, particularly in developing the school service, was highly valued. Her post has been advertised, and efforts are underway to fill it.

The meeting also marked the final report from County Archivist Kim Collis, who is retiring in June after twenty years in the role. Mr. Collis reflected on his time with the service, highlighting achievements such as the acquisition of the Neath Abbey Ironworks collection and its UNESCO recognition, the development of the UK-wide Archives Card reader's ticket, and the Tithe Maps of Wales project. He expressed his enjoyment of his work and wished the staff and his successor well, particularly with the move to Y Storfa. The Chair and committee members paid tribute to Mr. Collis, thanking him for his dedication, passion, and significant contributions to the archive service.

The committee agreed to approve the use of the training reserve to fund an Archive Trainee for 2024/25.

Accessions

A list of archives received by the service between December 2023 and February 2024 was detailed in Appendix 2 of the County Archivist's report.