YAC: Yorkshire Archives Council
The Yorkshire Archives Council (YAC) exists specifically to promote and support the archives domain throughout the Yorkshire region. It was set up in 1999 and embraces all the major archival sectors including local authorities, universities, businesses, moving image archives and the private sector. Membership of the Council also benefits greatly from strong representation from user groups. The YAC published the regional strategic framework for archives in Yorkshire, 2001-2005, entitled Yorkshire Archives Forward, in 2001.
An Archives Development Officer, reporting to the YAC, was appointed in July 2001, primarily to act as a network and contact builder, and secretariat to the Archives Council. This role is continuing and developing, through the work of the YMLAC Archives Officer, appointed in November 2002, who continues to act as Secretary to the Council. Links between the YAC and YMLAC are strong, and members of the Council sit on the YMLAC Board and Professional Advisory Committee.
The YAC, in partnership with the West Yorkshire Archives Service, played a lead role in the regional Access to Archives (A2A) Phase I project, entitled 'Yorkshire Signpost', which by end of the project, in March 2003, had submitted a total of 32350 collection descriptions to the central A2A website. The Phase II project, 'Broad Acres, Big Houses, Yorkshire People', which began in April, is also strongly supported by the YAC, and will build upon the work of Yorkshire Signpost by creating electronic access to family and estate archives in Yorkshire and the Humber.
The YAC is currently reviewing the regional strategy for Yorkshire, Yorkshire Archives Forward, in order to identify priority areas, particularly with the purpose of informing the regionally strategic work of YMLAC.
Contacts
Chair
Mrs Louise Hampson, Collections Manager
York Minster Archives
York Minster Library
Dean's Park
York YO1 7JD
Tel: 01904 611118
Email: louise@ogleforth.demon.co.uk
Secretary
Mrs Claire Dyson
C/o Yorkshire Museums
Libraries and Archives Council
Ground Floor
Marshall Court
1 Marshall Street
Leeds LS1 9YP
Tel: 0113 394 4867
E-mail: claire.dyson@ymlac.org.uk
