East Riding Archives service launches new digital archive site packed with historic records

East Riding Archives – responsible for safeguarding and making available the documentary heritage of the East Riding of Yorkshire – has just selected an automated digital archiving solution called Preservica, and launched a new site, offering access to a new public digital archive.

The archives service oversees a vast collection of records dating from 1185 right up to the present day.

With over 400,000 historic items, most of the archive is based on paper, parchment, and other traditional methods of manuscript recording, but over the past 25 years or so, the way that society records information has changed dramatically.

Preservica can actively curate incoming digital items by converting them into the most suitable file formats for preservation.

It also comes with online access that links to the archive catalogue which allows local history researchers to access this information easily from their homes, for free.

Sam Bartle, East Riding archivist, said: “Preservica is the leading solution in digital archive preservation and has been adopted worldwide by prestigious organisations such as Yale University, HSBC, The National Archives, BT, and Transport For London.

“Now, East Riding Archives is proud to announce itself as the first local authority archives in Yorkshire to launch its public interface through Preservica.”

Councillor Mike Medini, portfolio holder for cultural and leisure assets, added: “The database will transform the archive service’s ability to preserve digital archives to international standards, giving users access to a limited range of so-called ‘born’ digital material online for the first time. Without systems like Preservica, there’s a real danger that the data we store away in our vaults for posterity will become obsolete and unreadable over very long periods of time, resulting in a digital ‘Black Hole’ in the story of our society.”