Author: Ron Cookson, Janice Tullock, Gary Brannan and many others
The distressing story behind the Hillsborough disaster is now revealed and underlines the importance of properly maintained archives. The Mills Archive echoes the tributes paid by many to the Panel and its disclosure of the 450,000 documents now published online.
The full details are to be found here, where the material can be searched and viewed.
Archivists around the country are saying thank you to Sarah Tyacke, Pete Evans and his team at Sheffield Archives and all the other archivists and records managers involved in the release of documents relating to the Hillsborough Disaster. The full text of two recent statements is given below.
“I hope that you will support me in using this listserv to offer a public, heartfelt thank you to Sarah Tyacke, Pete Evans and his team at Sheffield Archives and all the other archivists and records managers involved in the release of documents relating to the Hillsborough Disaster. Even as I write that statement it seems inadequate to show the level of appreciation of myself and other fans and families have for the incredible, difficult work that has been undertaken to make over 450,000 documents available for the first time. Amongst the deep sorrow of this day there have been no other occasions in my professional life when I have felt such pride in my profession and their role in this country.
The archives released today vindicate the beliefs of families that lost their loved ones and the experiences of those people that survived. 23 years of misinformation, lies and slurs have been dismissed by the opening up of these records, which have been allowed to speak for themselves through the work of the independent panel. There can be few more powerful examples of the value of archives and records currently in the UK. In our daily lives as archives and records managers it can be easy to get tied up in the day to day hassles of archival life and forget that the archives often relate to real people and their lives and that the work we do is so important and can have such an impact. Perhaps today is a moment to remember this.
With heartfelt thanks to all those involved,
Janice Tullock, Liverpool fan and archivist”
“I’d just like to add to the sincere congratulations on the list so far regarding the Hillsborough disclosure and the work on the archive we have seen. It’s been a reminder to me how important what we do can be, and the importance of good, authentic curation of records, no matter what the context. I note in the report there are several ‘archival’ recommendations which, if taken up, could have a considerable effect on the deposit of records, not least from Police force in England and Wales. For those who haven’t seen them, these are:
1) The Panel considers that the implementation of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009[5] should bring about a more consistent approach to the archiving and availability of transferred records and encourages the newly appointed Chief Coroner of England and Wales to issue guidance in consultation with the Keeper of Public Records.
2) The Panel recommends that police force records are brought under legislative control and that police forces are added to Part II of the First Schedule to the Public Records Act 1958, thereby making them subject to the supervision of the Keeper of Public Records.
3) The Panel recommends that central government documents relating to Hillsborough which were disclosed to the Panel be transferred to The National Archives at Kew in due course, with redactions agreed by the Panel retained
4) The Panel proposes a Distributed Permanent Archive of the original material at Sheffield Archives and Liverpool Record Office and for central government records at The National Archives at Kew. Such a Distributed Archive is in keeping with the nature of the records and the services which the three archives can best provide and which they are willing to do.
5) Private owners of documents and other material made available to the Panel, especially where those records have been disclosed on the Hillsborough website, should be encouraged to deposit their records in the archives.
6) An Editor-in-Chief should be appointed to be responsible for the policy and implementation of the digital archive post-disclosure and continuing technical support should be provided to manage existing and new material.
7) A protocol for allowing additional material to be incorporated into the digital archive and for taking down material is recommended
8) The digital archive and the audio-visual material should remain available for the foreseeable future at Liverpool and Sheffield with advisory and support staff as necessary; it should be accessible according to the access protocol agreed by the Panel.
9) The digital archive, including audio-visual material, eventually should be permanently archived at The National Archives.
Gary (Archivist and Leeds United fan)”