Public Record Office: Records Accessions Registers: Datasets

PRO 79

1999-2004

The dataset is derived from a database recording the accessioning actions of Records Management Department (RMD) staff at the Public Record Office (PRO), and the checking steps involved in that process; and the space allocation actions of Repository Staff. In addition, the database was used for recording work targets, logging stages in the processing of a Lord Chancellor's Instrument (LCI), and contained descriptions of the accession itself.

The Records Management Department (RMD) provides advice and guidance to government departments and other public record bodies on the management of records, and their selection and transfer to The National Archives. Members of RMD spend much of their time visiting departments, where they:

• Agree with departments which records should be selected for permanent preservation, and discuss those which should be closed for longer than 30 years and those which can be opened early.
• Provide advice on cataloguing and packing documents prior to their transfer to the National Archives.

The Records Accession Register database was used by RMD to manage records transfers from 3 April 2000 onwards; however, the dataset also contains earlier records transfers from 1999. In addition, the database assisted in the management of other related steps in the accessioning process, including space allocation, DRUID cataloguing 2, management of LCIs, and meeting work-related targets.

The datasets in this series are available to download. Links to individual datasets can be found at piece level.

Hardware: The Records Accession Register dataset was available to staff working in The National Archives on networked PCs.

Operating system: Microsoft Windows 2000.

Application software: Standalone application with Microsoft Access 2000 back end and Microsoft Access and VBA front end.

User interface: Users accessed the database by means of Microsoft Access forms.

Logical structure and schema: The Records Accession Register data comprised a single dataset containing 22 tables, although two of these tables contained no data and have not been preserved in the final accession.

How data was originally captured and validated: The data was validated against supporting documentation submitted by government departments along with the transfer. The data was further validated by manually checking the records on their arrival at TNA.

For Transfer Registers prior to 1999, please see: PRO 40

PRO 40, CRDA/62

Public Record(s)

English

• Public Record Office, 1838-2003
• The National Archives, 2003-2003

2 datasets and documentation

The Public Record Office: Records Accessions Registers datasets are subject to Crown Copyright; copies may be made for private study and research only.

Open unless otherwise stated

In 2010 the United Kingdom National Digital Archive of Datasets

Originally transferred from the Public Record Office (now The National Archives). The United Kingdom National Digital Archive of Datasets (NDAD) then held the datasets until 2010 when they were deposited at The National Archives (TNA).

Further accruals are not anticipated.

The National Archives (and its predecessor the Public Record Office) provides advice and guidance to records managers across central government. This covers the entire life cycle of public records, in whatever format, from creation through to destruction or transfer to The National Archives. This work wasundertaken in The National Archives by the Records Management Department.