The ARA Excellence Awards are back
After a two-year gap due to the COVID-19 pandemic the ARA Excellence Awards are back.
Given what has happened in those two years and the changed – somewhat rockier – landscape we now face, it is even more important to let the outside world know what an amazing job the sector is doing and to celebrate organisations and individuals who have gone the extra mile. The awards are a great opportunity to spread the word about the value of the recordkeeping sector – archives, records management and conservation – to the publics of the UK and Ireland.
When the winners are announced we will publicise the results not just to the sector but to the wider press (particularly focussing on press in the locations where the winners work) as well as to key government influencers – such as DCMS, the Cabinet Office and local MPs.
If we are to improve government funding and resources to the sector then we must take every opportunity to let them know what we do and why it is important both to them and to the general public. The ARA Excellence Awards is one such opportunity.
ARA Excellence Award Categories
There are four award categories:
Distinguished Service Award: This award recognises individual conservators, archivists or records managers for career-long achievement and/or outstanding work, e.g. successful management/implementation of a project; external fundraising that has transformed a resource or service; significant improvements to service delivery, etc
Record Keeper of the Year: This award acknowledges achievement by an individual archivist, conservator or records manager within the last eighteen months at any career stage.
Record Keeping Service of the Year: This award recognises achievements by an archive, conservation or records management service or operation within the last eighteen months. A service must employ staff with appropriate qualifications in order to be eligible, but can be nominated from any one of the three professional sectors.
New Professional of the Year Award: This award recognises the achievements by an individual member of the ARA’s section for new professionals within the last eighteen months.
You can find out more about these categories, the criteria for nomination and details of past winners on the ARA Awards page on the website.
How to take part
A call for nominations has gone out today (19th April 2022) to all members, but anyone can make a nomination for the four categories (you do not have to be an ARA Member). Each nominee requires a nominator and a referee, you can self-nominate for the DSA, Record Keeping Service of the Year and Record Keeper of the Year Awards but not the New Professional of the Year Award.
The Distinguished Service Award is decided by the ARA Board, the other three awards are decided by a public vote.
Information on criteria for each of the awards as well as nomination forms can be found on the ARA website here.
Nominations deadline is 1st June
Voting opens 8th June (online at the ARA website here)
Voting closes 8th July
Winners will be announced at the ARA Conference which takes place in Chester from 31st August to 2nd September 2022. Information on the conference can be found here.
If you have any questions about the awards please contact Deborah at Deborah.mason@archives.org.uk