The Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick, has been awarded Archive Service Accreditation – the UK quality standard for archive services.

Accredited Archive Services ensure the long-term collection, preservation and accessibility of our archive heritage – essential for understanding global history. Accreditation recognises good performance in all areas of the archive service. Achieving accredited status demonstrates that the Modern Records Centre has met clearly defined national standards relating to management and resourcing, the care of its collections and the service it offers to users.

The Modern Records Centre’s internationally significant collections contain unique sources on 19^th and 20^th century social, political and economic history. The MRC is the main place of deposit in the UK for national archives of trade unions and employers’ organisations (including the archives of the Trades Union Congress and CBI), and also holds strong collections relating to pressure groups, fringe political parties and transport.

The Archive Service Accreditation Panel

"...welcomed this positive application from a resilient, effective archive service, which showed excellent management of its internationally-significant collections. They noted the MRC's effective links to the University, and welcomed the multiple ways in which the Centre supports and expands what the University can offer. … It was particularly good to see the service recognising and investing in the challenge of capturing, preserving and making accessible records in born-digital format.”

On hearing the news Robin Green, the University Librarian, responded:

“I am delighted that the Modern Records Centre has achieved this important status. It’s a testament to the efforts of its staff and to the continued investment the University of Warwick has made over the years in developing and hosting this nationally and internationally renowned collection.

I am particularly pleased in the Panel’s recognition of the Centre’s role in supporting and promoting the University’s goals, and its forward-looking approach in creating, preserving and making openly accessible our records in digital format.”

Professor Roberta Bivins, who has recently collaborated with the Modern Records Centre to produce a multi-site exhibition on the Windrush generation, welcomed the news and reflected on how the MRC enhances teaching, learning and research:

“One of the great pleasures of being a historian is introducing students, community members and colleagues to archival research in all its variety. This takes more than just pointing would-be researchers towards the catalogue: it requires the input of skilled and intellectually creative archivists with the enthusiasm and specialist knowledge to encourage and structure archival engagement. This is what I have found in generous measure at the Modern Records Centre. With the MRC's support, my colleagues and I have curated exhibitions for the public; hosted debates on contemporary issues, trained our students, and benefitted from carefully tailored and rich digital resources across our teaching and research.”

The MRC will be formally presented with its Accreditation award later in the year.

ACCREDITED ARCHIVE SERVICE

Read more information about Archive Service Accreditation.

Read more information about the Modern Records Centre.