Archives for London is the independent voice for archives in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

's capital city.

A membership organisation, AfL brings together archive users and practitioners who are passionate about archives in and about London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

. It runs events and networks that bring people together to share knowledge and experiences, keep up to date on what’s happening in the archive scene and exchange the latest news on archives, local studies

Local history

Local history is the study of history in a geographically local context and it often concentrates on the local community. It incorporates cultural and social aspects of history...

, records management

Records management

Records management, or RM, is the practice of maintaining the records of an organization from the time they are created up to their eventual disposal...

 and conservation

Historic preservation

Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...

 in London.

The seminar

Seminar

Seminar is, generally, a form of academic instruction, either at an academic institution or offered by a commercial or professional organization. It has the function of bringing together small groups for recurring meetings, focusing each time on some particular subject, in which everyone present is...

 programme takes place on the first Thursday evening of each month, with guest speakers including archivists, heritage

Cultural heritage

Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...

 outreach officers, historical researchers

Historian

A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...

 and academics.

The regular 'Behind the Scenes' programme provides exclusive opportunities for unique guided tours of London's archive repositories.

The newsletter is published 4-5 times a year, written and produced exclusively by members for members.

The annual conference

Meeting

In a meeting, two or more people come together to discuss one or more topics, often in a formal setting.- Definitions :An act or process of coming together as an assembly for a common purpose....

is held in October of each year.

History

AfL was launched in July 2005, growing out of the Greater London Archives Network, the London Archives Users Forum and the London Archives Regional Council.