Gwynedd Archives Service Appraisal Policy

Mission Statement

The aim of Gwynedd Archives Service is to protect the archival heritage of the county by collecting, preserving, giving access to and promoting the use of archives so that everyone can discover, learn and understand more about themselves and their community.

 

Policy Aims

The purpose of this policy is to

  • Ensure that the Service selects records of meaningful evidential, administrative or historical importance, in accordance with our Collections Development Policy.
  • Clarify the range of appraisal procedures undertaken by the Service.
  • Ensure that procedures comply with current legislation and archival practice.
  • Explain how our procedures comply with our Collections Development Policy and Conditions of Deposit.

 

Scope of policy

This policy applies to all records deposited and should be used to support the judgement of professional staff and to endorse the aims of the Collections Development Policy and Conditions of Deposit.

 

Procedures for Appraisal

Appraisal is the process of identifying material of long-term value for the purpose of permanent retention.  The process is conducted by following the procedures noted below.

  • Appraisal is undertaken by qualified archival staff only.
  • Appraisal will be conducted at the point of deposit or during the accessioning process.
  • Qualified archival staff will appraise by assessing each item individually removing duplicate items or items that do not conform to the Service’s Collections Development Policy.
  • Should it be appropriate to sample a collection an appropriate method will be applied.
  • Uncatalogued collections will be re-appraised prior to cataloguing.
  • Any decisions relating to the appraisal will be documented.

 

Principles of appraisal

The following principles are considered when undertaking appraisal:

  • Archival Statutory obligations
  • Freedom of Information Act
  • Data Protection Act

Archives in all formats will be selected where they conform to the Collections Development Policy and the following criteria, and therefore:

  • They are deemed to be unique and of long-term historical value.
  • They impart meaningful information relating to the county’s social, cultural, economic and political history.
  • They impart meaningful information about local events and individuals.
  • They impart meaningful information relating to local communities.
  • They are of administrative importance to the creating body or its successors.

 

Disposal of records

Disposal of any records appraised and not selected for permanent preservation will:

  • Abide with accessioning agreement and conditions of deposit by disposing or returning the items to the depositor.
  • If appropriate, offer material to another relevant repository.
  • Ensure that otherwise material is disposed of confidentially.

Uncatalogued collections will be reappraised prior to cataloguing following a reappraisal flowchart.  Decisions relating to the chart will be conveyed to the depositor in a letter explaining the reappraisal and listing the items / collection to be returned along with a return form asking the depositor to agree for the Service to return the material or for it to be collected or disposed.

 

Review

This policy was approved by the Head of Economy and Community in 2025.  It will be reviewed within 5 years or sooner if circumstances dictate