Scope of the policy
The Highland Archive Service (HAS) recognises the importance of enabling and encouraging a wide range of people to engage with archive material and notes the positive and life-affirming impact that this can have. The aim of this policy is to set out an inclusive and forward-thinking approach to engagement; actively reaching out to a diverse range of individuals and communities while retaining an awareness of the particular challenges and opportunities relevant to working across a large geographical area. Central to this, is a belief in the power of archival material to positively impact the lives of those who engage with it, and a recognition of the importance of co-developing engagement activities with our communities.
This policy should be read in conjunction with the Collections Management Policy, Access Policy, and other policy documents.
Mission Statement
Highland Archive Service, as part of High Life Highland, enables The Highland Council to fulfil its legal responsibility to preserve and provide access to its public records. Alongside this core function, we are dedicated to collecting, conserving, and making accessible, records that reflect the history and diversity of the Scottish Highlands and its inhabitants. We strive to make these collections as widely accessible as possible in our Archive Centres, through a variety of digital channels, and via an active community engagement programme.
Our mission is to benefit present and future generations, promoting the use of these records in:
• informing local decision-making
• strengthening community and cultural identity
• engaging with communities in ways that enhance learning, representation, inclusion, and equity
• improving health and wellbeing through the study and enjoyment of history
• Making Life Better for everyone, across Highland communities and beyond
Our aims
• To raise awareness of, and promote broader access to, the significant collections, and services of HAS locally, nationally, and internationally through our public searchrooms, and through talks, events, exhibitions and activities in person and online
• To promote HAS as a trusted place of deposit for the archives of individuals, families, businesses, and organisations across the Highlands, thereby increasing the breadth of communities represented within our collections
• To maintain public awareness of HAS not only the in the communities which have Archive Centres, but across the wider Highland area and beyond
• To identify and engage with new and diverse communities (identified and approached through partnerships, non-user surveys, and other means), whilst also maintaining our established user groups
• To provide a safe, welcoming, and inspiring environment for learning opportunities, both formal and informal for individuals and groups of all ages
• To continue to foster links with educational institutions across the Highlands, providing pupils and students with exciting, creative, meaningful, and innovative ways to engage with archival material. We aim to use archives to contribute not only to their understanding of the Highlands’ past but also the role of archives in preserving and telling those stories
• To encourage ancestral tourism through the promotion at all Centres with a more tailored and bespoke service available at the Family History Centre at the Highland Archive Centre, as well as through online classes, and our remote enquiry and consultation service
• To maintain a relationship with local, national and international communities through the effective use of social media, digital newsletters, online activities and offerings, and our websites – Highland Archive Service and Am Baile.
• To continually seek opportunities in revenue generation and increases in donations towards the work of HAS
• To actively gather quantitative and qualitative feedback to evaluate the impact of our work, ensure that our offering meets the needs of our communities, and enabling us to plan for future audience and collections development
Our objectives
1. Supporting access
• To maintain and promote regular opening hours across all HAS centres, enabling both locals and visitors to engage with our collections as researchers
• To ensure that community engagement is an integral part of staff training and service delivery
• To use our social media channels in innovative ways to share content and stories from archive collections relating to the whole of the Highland area
• To promote our collections and activities through both local and national media via regular newspaper articles and press releases, as well as by responding to requests for television, radio and podcast content or appearances as they arise
• To create user-friendly catalogues, indexes, collection guides, and interpretive storyboards with the aim of ensuring that our archive material is as accessible as possible
• To create and participate in surveys (both local and national), actively requesting feedback from users and non-users and collating and analysing the responses to inform future decision-making
2. Supporting communities
• To attend external events and mark anniversaries of local and national significance, recognising the importance of our archives in the collective memory of the Highlands, Scotland and the UK
• To maintain and develop a continuous programme of events, talks, exhibitions, displays and classes both in-person in our Archive Centres and online through blogs, exhibitions, and talks, responding to communities’ needs and creating a range of opportunities for both locals, visitors and online audiences to experience our collections
• To support the work of the Highland Community Planning Partnership in its aims to tackle inequalities in the Highlands, through engaging with communities and individuals who may not otherwise come into contact with archives
• To recognise and support the work of community archives across the Highlands, tailoring events to their needs and providing advice and guidance as required
• To actively promote and encourage visits to and from schools and youth organisations, creating activities and resources (both in hard copy and via our digital classroom) which tie in to the Curriculum for Excellence and the Rights Respecting Schools Awards and which allow both children and teachers/leaders to have a meaningful and lasting experience of archives
• To promote our family history services, encouraging use of the service by individuals and groups both in-person or online, and inspiring users to make use of the wider archive collections
3. Supporting health and wellbeing
• To discuss with, and learn from, communities and individuals with disabilities or specific learning requirements to ensure that we find meaningful ways to share our collections with them
• To actively reach out to groups and individuals who may be unfamiliar with, or lack confidence in using, archives. This will be done directly by archive staff as well as in partnership with wider High Life Highland (HLH) services and with external organisations who have specific expertise in these areas
• To provide enriching and worthwhile opportunities for volunteers and work placements, both through national organisations as well as through HLH and THC initiatives
• To create, participate in, and promote opportunities to enhance health and wellbeing through engaging with, and contributing to, archive collections
Policy Review Schedule
This policy is issued in March 2025 and will be reviewed and updated as necessary every three years or earlier if a response is needed to any changes in legislation.
