Useful training days

To keep up to date with the latest developments in archives, we make sure that we undertake training, taking away new skills that can develop LHSA, and meeting colleagues across the sector to share ideas. Some of these training events are theoretical, and some are a little more hands on...

This year all LHSA staff were given the opportunity to develop basic skills in salvaging collection items in the event of a disaster. This training was offered in the Centre for Research Collections as part of our disaster response and recovery plan, which we have in place to make sure that we are always in the best position to help protect the collections.

The scenario that we were given as part of the training was that archive material had been flood damaged, removed and packed into crates and that we needed to unpack them so they could dry. We were shown how to lay out wet documents interleaved with absorbent paper onto tables so that they would dry rapidly and to set up a room with a wind tunnel where dry air is blown across the records and the moisture is carried away.

The image below shows our Project Archivist Louise (second from the right) and other Centre for Research Collections staff setting out pretend collection items, which included paper records, photographs, fabric, audiovisual records and wooden objects.

LHSA staff have all agreed to be on the call-out list in the event of a disaster affecting archive collections. However, because these events are thankfully very rare, few of us had practical experience so this was a great opportunity to learn what was involved, without any of the records being put at risk!