Creating a community archive

How did PRONI become involved in community archives?

As part of the Department of Culture Arts and Leisure (DCAL)’s Draft Learning Strategy, in 2002 the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) set out to make contacts with community groups, friendship clubs and Age Concern Day Centres.  The objective was simple – to explain, in simple terms, what PRONI had to offer.  Before long, PRONI staff were being invited to give talks based on topics such as Victorian times, the Second World War, the Workhouse, railways in Northern Ireland and much more.

However, this turned out to be a two-way process - the audiences had a wealth of experiences of their own and remarkable stories to tell us.  Topics discussed included the 1930s street riots, working conditions in Harland & Wolff shipyard and Belfast mills seventy years ago, what it was like living through the Belfast Blitz and being evacuated to the countryside during the war.  Realising the historical value of these memories, the next step was to record them.

The natural outcome of this new direction PRONI took has led to our assisting community groups in building a community archive.  The first of these has just been launched on the Community Archiving Network Northern Ireland (CANNI) website.

How do I create my own community archive?

Information collected can range from photographs and memorabilia to tape recordings and reminiscences of people from your area.

If you are interested in creating your own community archive you can contact PRONI, where staff from the Education, Learning and Outreach (ELO) section will advise you on getting started.