Posted by: Blog Administrator
on May 17, 2011
Tagged in:
Wiltshire Local History Forum ,
Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre ,
watchdog ,
Volunteer ,
The National Archives ,
Stars ,
Star Chamber ,
Sir Anthony Hungerford ,
Reach ,
public ,
property ,
Principal Archivist ,
preservation ,
plaintiff ,
photographs ,
performing ,
morris dancers ,
May Day ,
market ,
local history ,
local community ,
John Warneford ,
John Boller ,
historic maps ,
Highworth Historical Society ,
government ,
families ,
exhibition ,
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England ,
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Elizabeth I ,
education work ,
documents ,
costume ,
Claire Skinner ,
church ,
celebrations ,
cataloguing ,
awarded ,
assessment ,
Archivist ,
Archives ,
archive service ,
Andrew Crookston
The Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre has recently been officially recognised as providing one of the best archive services in the country. It was awarded a maximum four stars overall in an assessment by The National Archives, which acts as the government watchdog for archives. We are listed as seventh out of a total of 124 services in England and Wales.
See: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/information-management/our-services/self-assessment-results.htm for more details.
Posted by: Blog Administrator
on Dec 28, 2010
Tagged in:
Wiltshire Council ,
Wiltshire ,
WELCOME ,
volunteers ,
visitors ,
Victoria Barlow ,
team ,
story ,
standards ,
staffing ,
staff ,
research ,
recruiting ,
publicising ,
professionalism ,
Museums Advisory Service ,
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Kent ,
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fundraising ,
family activities ,
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education ,
County Conservation and Museums Manager ,
county ,
Conservators ,
community ,
Collections Manager ,
collections ,
Big Society
I’m Victoria Barlow and I’m the County Conservation and Museums Manager. Before moving to Wiltshire three months ago, I worked as Collections Manager for a maritime museum in Kent and have worked in museums for 15 years. During my first few weeks in post I visited all of the 18 museums that we work with and I was struck not only by the welcome I received but by the professionalism and enthusiasm of everyone working in Wiltshire’s museums.
Volunteer Mike Asbury of Pewsey Museum and Photographer Simon Harris collect an award at the recent Voluntary and Community Sector Awards. Copyright Wiltshire Council.
Many of our museums are run by volunteers and even those which do have excellent professional staff, rely on volunteers to some extent to run their services. You will have heard the government talking a lot about volunteers recently and the concept of The Big Society. Here in Wiltshire we have been doing that since the 1970s! Wiltshire Council doesn’t run a museum but instead we have a Museums Advisory Service and a team of Conservators who work with museums small and large across the county, supporting and helping them to look after their collections and meet professional standards.
