Did you know 9 June is International Archives Day? 9 June was chosen to commemorate the date International Council on Archives (ICA) was created under the auspices of UNESCO in 1948. These days, it has been extended to an entire week, where archivists, researchers and users all around the world celebrate the institutions and people who care for and share stories and memories both of the individual and the society.

At LUA, we thought this was a good time to introduce our Loughborough University community to the Universal Declaration on Archives (UDA), that this archivist abides to and tries to emulate daily when servicing users of the Pilkington Library.

Archives are a unique and irreplaceable heritage passed from one generation to another. Archives are managed from creation to preserve their value and meaning. They are authoritative sources of information underpinning accountable and transparent administrative actions. They play an essential role in the development of societies by safeguarding and contributing to individual and community memory. Open access to archives enriches our knowledge of human society, promotes democracy, protects citizens’ rights and enhances the quality of life.

Without the ICA, there would be no common agreement as to what archives are and what we archivist do. As our role as been dramatically expended over the last century to recognise our role within society and what impact social changes have had on our practice, this year the ICA is launching a series of webinars to celebrate the diversity of archival actors and stories.

Join us for:

• Impact of Social Changes on Archival Work on 5 June
• Special SAHR 20th Anniversary Session on 6 June 

The Section on Archives and Human Rights (SAHR) is a very active working group within the ICA and this archivist is very proud to be one of its 135 members, occasionally helping with translations; and mainly keeping appraised of how archives can be leveraged to further a human rights agenda and how important it is to raise awareness so that archival silences are prevented.

At LUA, we aim to give a voice to all the stories from the Loughborough University community that are yet to be told, by researching and sharing them, but also through including all cultures and origins when we document the University’s memory. All of us can be a part of the story, so join us to learn more about archives and wish a happy 75th birthday to the ICA!