The West Glamorgan Archives Committee met on Friday 13 September 2024. The committee approved the minutes of the previous meeting and elected Councillors R V Smith and C Phillips as Vice Chairs for the Municipal Year 2024-2025.

Report of the County Archivist

The meeting received an update on the activities of the West Glamorgan Archives service, presented by the new County Archivist, Andrew Dulley. Mr. Dulley, who has worked with the service for nearly 30 years, expressed his enthusiasm for leading the service into its next phase, including the move to the new Ostorva building.

Visitor numbers to the archives have seen a significant increase, particularly in Neath, which has been attributed to the archive being open on Thursdays. The report noted a rise in document usage, with one month seeing 1,600 documents consulted. The service has been actively working to re-engage users post-COVID, collaborating with groups such as the Gwent Family History Society and community groups.

The report also detailed the service's engagement with schools and universities. While there was a dip in educational sessions due to a staff vacancy, the service is now rebuilding its offering, with a new member of staff who is a former teacher. The archives have also expanded their outreach to university departments beyond history, including geography and art students. Engagement with community groups from ethnic minority backgrounds, such as the Congolese Development Partnership and Renew Mind group, was highlighted as a positive development.

Councillor Cen Phillips raised a question about proactive outreach to ethnic minority groups in Neath Port Talbot and Swansea. Mr. Dulley acknowledged that current engagement has been reactive due to staffing and preparations for the move to Ostorva, but stated a commitment to planned outreach once settled in the new facility.

The committee discussed the annual report, which was published and distributed. Mr. Dulley also spoke about the unexpected publicity generated by a postcard that was delivered 121 years late, noting that while the story itself was perhaps embellished, it had brought families together and raised the profile of the archive service. An online exhibition based on the Aberafan Charter is planned for the summer, with a new translation of the document to be made available.

A significant portion of the discussion focused on the archive's online catalogue. The previous system had been out of date and expensive to upgrade. The service will be transitioning to a new product called Apexio, which is used by Glamorgan Archives and other record offices in Wales. Apexio offers improved searchability and a bilingual interface. In the interim, catalogues are available via the Archives Hub. Louise Fleet, a member of the committee, inquired about the timescale for the Apexio system, with Mr. Dulley cautiously estimating it would be operational by mid-autumn, with a hope for completion by Christmas.

The digitisation of glass slides was also discussed. A Welsh Government grant has funded the scanning of a large collection of glass slides, many of which are of historical building projects and demolition in Swansea from the 1930s to the post-WWII period. These images are described as atmospheric and offer a unique perspective on Swansea's past. The committee noted similar digitisation efforts by the Garnet's Institute and the sending of deteriorating originals to the National Library of Wales.

The report concluded with an update on staffing. Kim, the former County Archivist, retired after over 30 years of service. Mr. Dulley is currently covering both his previous role and the County Archivist position, with plans to fill the vacancy soon. Laurie Jenkins has joined as a new archivist, and Lily Britton has started as a trainee archivist. The current staffing complement is 6.6 full-time equivalents, and the committee acknowledged the hard work and dedication of the staff.

Joint working initiatives were also highlighted, including a bid led by Swansea Museum for funding to promote records and artefacts relating to the LGBTQIA+ community in Swansea, which is expected to result in an oral history project. Partnerships with the Bridgend History Project and the Neath Antiquarian Society were also mentioned, with a focus on collaborative projects and improving the offering at the Neath Mechanics Institute. Discussions are also underway regarding the feasibility of a museum in Neath.

Finally, the committee noted the latest accessions, including chapel records and photographs from the former British Home Stores. The upcoming move to the Ostorva building was discussed, with Mr. Dulley outlining the extensive preparations underway, including boxing and barcoding documents. He acknowledged that the archive service would likely be closed for a period during the move and that communications would be issued to inform the public.