Information for Contributors
Getting Started: Basics
What is AAC?
Following the success of Archive Awareness Month in September 2003 AAC is now an ongoing campaign, supported by The National Council on Archives, The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council and The National Archives. Through a series of events throughout the year it aims to celebrate and uncover the amazing wealth of material contained within archives to a wider audience.
Why are we doing this?
The potential of archives to illuminate people's lives is being severely inhibited by their low profile and the lack of awareness of their value amongst the general public, politicians, decision makers and funding bodies. With the increasing popularization of history, the power of ICT, the growth of new partnership working and more attention at government level, there's been no better time to start raising our profile.
What is AAC aiming to do?
- To raise the profile of the archives domain amongst the general public, potential partners, politicians, decision makers and funding bodies.
- To encourage new users and a wider user base.
Who is it for?
Everyone! But we are especially interested in:
- Our existing user base (be they internal or external users).
- Those currently poorly represented as users:
- Under 24s,
- Black and ethnic minority communities,
- Higher education students.
How is AAC being organized?
At the national level: As the leading advocate for archives, and an independent forum for the whole archive community, the NCA is leading the development of Archive Awareness Campaign at the national level. The NCA is being supported by The National Archives and MLA.
At the regional or devolved level: The MLA Partnership are coordinating and promoting activity within their regions. They are acting as a vital communications link between national and local planning. In the home countries, these functions are being performed by the Scottish Council on Archives, Archives and Records Council Wales and by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. For your country or regional contact please see the where to get help section.
At the local level: Individual institutions, their users and supporters will create and promote the AAC events. Locally based events will form the backbone of Archives Awareness Campaign and we need your efforts to make this a real success.
