The role that SMRs can play in education and in widening access to
information about the historic environment has been widely recognised.
Many SMRs have tried to make their information more widely available,
although limited resources have all too often held back development in
this area. To help rectify this situation, the Heritage Lottery Fund's
framework document to guide SMR bids to that fund is likely to lead to
an increased emphasis on education and access projects. Some SMRs have
also been able to take advantage of other government initiatives, such
as the New Opportunities Fund and the New Libraries Network. All these
should enable greater public access to SMR collections directly
through provision of office space and computer access and remotely via
libraries, Record Offices and the Internet. The exciting and
innovative projects that are now being developed should result in a
broader awareness of SMRs and their importance. Public interest and
enthusiasm for the historic environment and conservation, partially
developed through popular television programmes, is also being
harnessed to develop a two-way flow of information between SMRs and
local people with an interest in learning more about, and recording,
their local historic environment.
© Internet Archaeology
URL: http://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue15/3/pg8.html
Last updated: Wed Jan 28 2004