Local History Month - Spotlight initiative launched by Explore Your Archive
The Explore Your Archive (EYA) team has been working behind the scenes to launch a new initiative designed to provide dedicated promotion for record keeping services that have a story to tell, but limited access to promotional digital platforms. Spotlight is an online exhibition place, hosted on the Explore Your Archive website, where archives, records managers or conservators can use the Explore Your Archive platforms to promote and focus on any aspect of their work or collections they’d like. Any service can provide content which will then be published on the exhibition pages for four months. During this time, a dedicated blog will also be posted about the service and numerous posts on all the EYA social media channels will also promote the content. The service will also be mentioned in ARA Today mailings promoting upcoming content.
The first Spotlight Service is Pembrokeshire Archive, who talk below about why they got involved:
“Spotlight was brought to our attention by Elliot, one of our new Archives and Local Studies assistants, who is also undertaking volunteer work for Explore Your Archive. One of our key aims when we reopened in September, after being closed for eighteen months, was to expand our online and digital reach. We felt that Spotlight was a great opportunity to help us achieve this, as it would provide a chance not just to show some of the collections we hold, but also explain how people can use our service to research their family history. We have found that not as many people as you would think know what an archive is or does. Explore Your Archive, and specifically, Spotlight, help to remedy this by highlighting the important work archives contribute to society, and we are very excited to be part of it.
The content was written by Elliot, who chose a family history and a house history research example that he had previously completed, as well as a third based on a colleague’s time tracing their own family history. Although specific examples, they are intended to act as easy-to-follow guides that show the usefulness of different source types in general. It is hoped that readers will gain a better understanding of how to conduct family history research and be inspired to start, or to continue, their own research journeys.”
Karyn Williamson from the EYA Team says:
“Getting involved in spotlight is easy. Any service that wants to be featured can send an email to eya@archives.org.uk and we will send you a template to be completed and a link to a private onedrive folder to upload any images and other content you would like to use. We will also provide you with a deadline for the content to be sent to us and a launch date for your Spotlight. The EYA Team will work with you to make sure you’re happy with the content and promotional plans over the four months. Any questions about Spotlight can be sent to eya@archives.org.uk . We can’t wait to tell your story.”
If you’d like to find out more about the Explore Your Archive Campaign and/or the new Spotlight initiative email eya@archives.org.uk or visit http://www.exploreyourarchive.org/
Thumbnail image photo credit Pembrokeshire Records Office