‘The Record’: preserving the story of London 2012

The 2012 Olympics, Paralympics and Cultural Olympiad represent a key moment in the UK’s sporting and cultural history.  In partnership with the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, The National Archives is helping the many contributing organisations to work together to build a comprehensive legacy of accessible, searchable information.  The project to secure this legacy is known as ‘The Record’.

The goal is a federation of linked multimedia archives: collections of records that researchers can study to find out about what happened, how and why.  These collections will be hosted by many different collaborating partners but made accessible through a single, user-friendly online portal. 

To achieve this aim, The National Archives is building on established links with government, archival and cultural heritage institutions, while creating new relationships with sporting bodies, arts organisations, and broadcasters.  Managing and preserving information is a complex task in a digital world, but The National Archives is providing all participants with support and advice on best practice in records management to help them

• meet their short-term business needs in managing information
• identify key records that hold long-term significance
• select appropriate archives for storing these records
• decide when it is most appropriate for records to be made publicly accessible

Each of these contributors is helping to map where key pieces of information are created and held, and to build a comprehensive and well-managed official record. 

With their support and collaboration, The National Archives aims to ensure the survival of a legacy that can be used to inform and inspire for generations to come.

For further information on The Record, see the full article (right).