Statue rumpus prompts review of archives' work
Shropshire's records and research centre is reviewing its work and collections in the light of the Black Lives Matter movement and the row over Shrewsbury's statue to Clive of India.
Writing in the latest issue of Salopian Recorder, the newsletter of the Friends of Shropshire Archives, archives manager Mary McKenzie says: "The Black Lives Matter movement, and especially the controversy over the statue of Robert Clive in Shrewsbury, has meant we have been reflecting on the collections and services at Shropshire Archives, and whether these truly reflect the communities of Shropshire and Telford as they are now.
"This is a trend reflected across cultural services and the archivist and librarian professions nationally.
"We want to explore the widest possible definition of diversity, so as well as race and ethnicity, we are investigating issues around gender, sexuality, and disability.
"We are currently looking into the following areas – clarity and accuracy in our catalogue records to ensure they support research in these areas; researching our existing collections to bring out the history of these and other marginalised groups; and ensuring our collections are more representative of our varied communities.
"These are big issues, but we believe we need to make a start. Setting these priorities will help us develop future projects and activities."
