<html xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Aptos;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle21
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ligatures:none;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style></head><body lang=EN-GB link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>A brief response to Oliver’s email. I am writing with two hats on – as current archivist at Loughborough, but primarily as an archives professional with a wider perspective on the matter (and author of the original “Standard for Access to Archives” - <a href="https://www.communityarchives.org.uk/content/resource-cahg/a-standard-for-access-for-archives">https://www.communityarchives.org.uk/content/resource-cahg/a-standard-for-access-for-archives</a>).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>There is no automatic right to access to archives in private ownership – nor any obligation on owners to make them available for study. Where archives have been placed in the care of a public repository (such as the London Archives) it is usual for there to be public access to at least parts of the collection alongside an expectation that the rest will become available for use at some future date. The standard arrangement is for the owner and the repository to agree on access terms that protect the former’s interests (and comply with considerations such as GDPR and commercial confidentiality) while also allowing access in line with the repository’s need to justify its public expenditure on the care and management of the archive.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>In that context, the arrangement for the Whitechapel archives at LMA is very much in line with standard policies for such collections – and, in my view, the balance of access and closure is probably about right. Bear in mind that many business archives are lost altogether when business close down or go into receivership etc, so we should be grateful to Alan and Kathryn Hughes and the London Archives for working together to ensure that this particular archive is preserved as it is. It is probably not helpful to enter into public debate on the balance of access when, in fact, such a large part of the archive IS available for public use. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>As it happens, I’m going to London tomorrow for a day’s Whitechapel research! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><b><i><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F3864'>Chris Pickford</span></i></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F3864'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></body></html>