British Museum collaborates with National Archives to improve record keeping

The British Museum is working with The National Archives to improve how it adminsters its records. The move follows an internal audit which found it was "not compliant" with the Public Records Act.

The act governs the Place of Deposit system, through which archive services are appointed to preserve and provide access to public records. This is carried out on behalf of the Public Record Office, part of The National Archives.

According to The National Archives, a Place of Deposit “needs to meet basic standards of preservation, access and professional care for the type of public record held, the size of the collection and its use”. The British Museum is recognised as a Place of Deposit for its archives and written records.

The museum said in its annual report for 2023/24 that an internal audit had found that it was not compliant with the Public Records Act.

Furthermore, a report in The Sunday Times said the museum had committed an offence or breached the legislation, an allegation the museum has roundly rebutted.

A British Museum spokesman said: “The British Museum holds a historic archive of national significance, with a dedicated team overseeing its day to day management.

“The museum’s archive was awarded provisional accreditation by The National Archives (TNA) under the Archive Service Accreditation Standard and is working closely with TNA to reach full accreditation.”