About Archives for London
London’s new membership organisation offers a single focal point for archive practitioners and users across the capital
“AfL will ensure that the views of those who look after and use London’s rich heritage of unique archive resources are represented at a regional level and will promote their development and accessibility for all.”
David Mander, AfL Chair
What is AfL?
Launched in July 2005, Archives for London (AfL) aims to provide a single focal point for both practitioners and users of archives in London. Building on the good practice, information sharing and archive campaigns established by various networking bodies in the Greater London area until now, AfL will provide greater coherence in presenting and promoting the archives agenda to the outside world.
AfL is fully inclusive and welcomes any institutional and individual members from all areas associated with the care and use of archives and records across the metropolis. Members include those working in records and information management, collection care and conservation, local studies, community archives, as well as archive users and practitioners from diverse backgrounds who share a common interest in the Capital’s wider archives agenda.
How does AfL contribute to the regional and national archives scene?
As an independent voice for London’s archive users and practitioners, AfL provides information, training and support to its members and engages with MLA London, the governments’ strategic development agency for London’s archives, libraries and museums. By nominating board members to this new regional development agency, AfL feeds into MLA London’s business plans and supports its work within the archives sector and cross-domain initiatives. Now users and practitioners have an opportunity to influence regional and national policy on archives.
AfL Predecessor bodies
Greater London Archives Network, London Archives Users Forum and the London Archives Regional Council.
Greater London Archives Network (GLAN)
The Greater London Archives Network, founded in 1982, was originally founded as a forum for all those working in London local authority archives. GLAN later expanded its remit to all those working in the care of archives and local studies in the Greater London area.
GLAN’s activities included meetings, training, promotion of improved standards, a regular newsletter and publications.
Two publications have been taken on by Archives for London Ltd.
• London Local archives: a directory of local authority and other record offices and libraries in London
Four editions of this useful guide were published from 1985 as booklets. The 5th, published in 2005, takes the form of a folder with sheet inserts to allow easy updating.
For details of how to subscribe please contact the editor Carolynne Cotton : CCotton@hillingdongrid.org
• Greater London History Sources
A guide to printed and visual materials and archives held in publicly funded record offices and local studies libraries in the London area and published jointly by GLAN and the City of London’s Guildhall Library Publications.
Volume 1: City of London (2000). Covers the holdings of the Corporation of London record office, Guildhall Library and St Bartholomew’s Hospital Archives and Museum
Volume 2: Middlesex Part 1. (2005). Covers the holdings of the London boroughs of Barnet, Camden, Ealing, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hillingdon and Hounslow
Copies of these publications can be obtained from Richard Knight at Camden Local History and Archives Centre.
A third volume was planned when GLAN was dissolved. AfL Ltd has now taken on oversight of work on this volume, which is in the early planning stages.
GLAN was wound up in 2005. Its records have been deposited at Hackney Archives Department (not yet available for consultation).
London Archive Users Forum (LAUF)
The London Archive Users Forum was founded in 1988 for all users of archives in London, with the aim of
- Promoting, supporting and assisting the collection, preservation and conservation of archives
- Promoting public access to archives
- Publishing material and holding meetings, lectures exhibitions and visits relating to archives
- Facilitating communication between users and potential users of archives and those who have archives in their care or possession.
LAUF was a registered charity. It published a regular newsletter, arranged meetings, visits to record offices and held an annual conference. It published a regular newsletter and two useful source guides, one on sources for local authority housing and the other on house history in London
• Researching London’s houses. Colin Thom. Historical Publications, 2005. ISBN: 1 905286 00 7 £13.95.
LAUF received funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund for an A2A project. The Place in the Sun project saw the indexing of the Sun Fire Office policy registers 1811-1835 deposited at the Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section. (2003-2005). The index and full details of how to use it can be found at http://www.history.ac.uk/gh/sun.htm
LAUF was wound up in 2006. Its records have been deposited at London Metropolitan Archives.
London Archives Regional Council
The London Archives Regional Council was established in 1999, as one of the nine new English regional archives councils under the auspices of the National Council on Archives. LARC was one of the progenitor bodies for the LMAL partnership, the forerunner of MLA London, the regional council for museums, libraries and archives. LARC had the right to nominate the three archive domain board members of ALM London, now MLA London, a right which has passed to Archives for London Ltd.
LARC managed and produced the initial London regional archives strategy Out of the Past into the Future (2001), and managed the post of regional archives development officer until the formation of ALM London (now MLA London).
Funding for regional archive councils came from Re:source, later MLA. It ceased at the end of March 2004. LARC oversaw discussions which led to the formation of AfL Ltd as a successor body in 2005
LARC was wound up in 2006.
How is AfL constituted and how is it run?
Please visit our governance page for more information.
What services does AfL offer to its members?
Members are kept up to date on what’s happening in the archive scene and have an opportunity to exchange the latest news on archives, local studies, records management and conservation in the capital via newsletters and a proposed electronic forum in the future.
Members can also choose from a regular programme of seminars, training events and visits to local record offices and related institutions. There are many opportunities to develop and enhance professional and life-long learning skills by participating in the work of AfL’s Practitioner and User Sections and its ad hoc committees.
Please see our events and publications pages for more information.
How do I join AfL?
Please visit our membership page for more information.
How do I contact AfL?
Please visit our contact page for more information.