1. Kent Archives and Local History Service `Understanding Our Past, Changing Our Future’

2. The Vision ... • `Giving everyone more access to • Kent’s rich heritage and culture …’ • Stronger and Safer Communities • Learning for Everyone • Improved Health and Wellbeing • Enjoying Life

3. Feedback we received ... • History is important: • to bring families & communities together 76% • to inspire learning 75% • to add to the enjoyment of life 67% • to keep our minds active 67%

4. Would you like to find out more • about history: • at a community centre? 17% • at your local library? 81% • at a history or archive centre? 58% • using the internet? 66%

5. History is the glue which holds communities together ….. (Sittingbourne Heritage Research Trust) `Get someone you’re learning about and get someone to come dressed as a famous person from the past and get everyone to ask him questions so they learn more ..’ Child aged 10 The current development of technology makes it possible for documents to be held at other locations with microfilm and electronic images being made available at the history centre and vice versa’ (comment card)

6. `This is actually very exciting – all of us teaming up to look after Kent’s history and supporting each other. I really hope we can do this because it’s what we’ve been crying out for .… a bit of co-operation and communication between all the groups involved’ (Kent Museums Group meeting) `we would also like copies of material relevant to the village and the local area and also perhaps to have some of our archives back, for example, the parish council records. Who should we approach about that?’ (Great Chart Society)

7. `As a society we all learn together about the local area and its history – there’s a real community spirit within this society’ (The Sandgate Society) ``We are very interested in plans to set up a community history network for Kent as it’s aims sound exactly the same as ours – to get as much history as possible to local people in partnership with other individuals and organisations’ (Godmersham Park Heritage Centre)

8. Making the Vision Happen …

9. Kent History and Library Centre • A place to promote and celebrate Kent’s history together • State of the art facilities for storing and accessing archive material • Built to national standards for archive repositories and in consultation with the National Archives • Opening in 2012

10. Making the Vision Happen ... • Updating our IT infrastructure • - digitisation, online access, born digital material • Kent Community History Network • - virtual and real • Collections • collecting • deposited collections • Intergrated working • New staff roles and structure • East Kent Archives Centre • Canterbury Cathedral Archives

11. Making the Vision Happen ... • More consultation with: • history and heritage groups • current depositors • Maidstone Museum • partners at Canterbury Cathedral Archives • users and depositors at East Kent Archives Centre • national organisations • Piloting: • new collecting matrix to help us decide more objectively what to collect • a range of options for digitisation • a new updated online catalogue – including some images • online access to KCC’s historic records

12. Kent Community History Network - promoting the history of the county together - an information and support network for all groups involved in history in Kent How can you and the Federation get involved?

13. Any questions, comments? Contact Kent Archives Or Discuss on our Forum