The Lancashire Printed Collection Policy
Reviewed and updated August 2023
Approved by Steve Lloyd, Head of Cultural Services, 24 October 2023
This document will be reviewed and updated in 2026 in line with the Archives Service Accreditation programme.
Lancashire Archives
Inspiring people and communities to explore their heritage; promoting and continuing to collect Lancashire's archives while preserving them for everyone to use and enjoy, now and in the future.
The Lancashire Printed Collection Policy
1. Purpose of Policy
1.1 This policy forms part of the suite of policies relating specifically to the collections held by Lancashire Archives. It explains in more detail the approach taken by Lancashire Archives in respect of the collection of printed material in its care.
1.2 This policy will be reviewed every 5 years
2. The Collection
2.1 The Lancashire Printed Collection held by Lancashire Archives contains material from Lancashire Libraries as well as the archive service. It is now managed by Lancashire Archives. It is a unique and irreplaceable special reference collection. Its original aim was to represent the whole spectrum of Lancashire life – people and places in fiction and non-fiction. The Collection uses the Local Studies Classification Scheme originally devised for the Local Studies collections in Lancashire Library Service in 1974.
2.2 The Collection has been reduced in size and scope and now includes fewer books relating to people and places in the area of 'old Lancashire', and very little fiction, poetry or dialect.
3. Scope of the Collection
3.1 The geographic focus of the Lancashire Printed Collection is the current administrative areas of Lancashire County Council, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council and Blackpool Council. It also includes other material relating to people and places in the historic County Palatine, particularly where this complements archive collections relating to this area.
3.2 The Collection includes printed books, pamphlets, periodicals, maps and ephemera.
3.3 The primary focus of the Collection is the history of Lancashire, including works on contemporary issues, politics, industry, transport etc
and biographical works relating to eminent local people. Some material on the county's geology, geography, topography, archaeology and natural history is also included, along with historical works of a more general nature and reference material to support researchers using the archive collections.
3.4 The Collection cannot include every relevant printed work and therefore concentrates on the most significant.
4. Developing the Collection
4.1 We acquire new material by:
- purchasing new printed works
- subscribing to selected periodicals and serial publications
- donations from individuals and organisations
- the transfer of items from Lancashire Library Service
4.2 Professional advice and support in developing the Collection is provided by qualified librarians who are members of CILIP (The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals).
5. Preserving and storing the Collection
5.1 The majority of the Collection is held in the Lancashire Archives searchroom where browsing is allowed in a supervised area.
5.2 The remainder of the Collection is housed in other, less accessible, parts of the Record Office building. This includes those books published before 1850, considered rare, which have to be requested by researchers.
5.3 Lancashire Archives conservation staff provide professional advice on collection care, appropriate handling and the conservation of damaged or fragile items. They may carry out remedial work on the Collection or may recommend an external source for conservation or binding.
5.4 Copies from bound volumes are made only on the book scanner. Flatbed copiers or scanners are not used in order to prevent damage to bindings.
6 Access to the Collection
6.1 The Collection is described and arranged according to Lancashire County Council's Local Studies Classification Scheme and is included in the Lancashire Library Service catalogue which is available online.
6.2 Professional advice and support in classifying and cataloguing the Collection is provided by qualified librarians who are members of CILIP (The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals).
6.3 Items from the Collection are made available to customers in the Lancashire Archives searchroom, during its opening hours and subject to the Searchroom Rules.
6.4 Items from the Collection are not available for loan either by transfer to branches of Lancashire Library Service or through the Inter library loan scheme.
6.5 Copies from items in the Collection may be supplied to customers for a fee, subject to current copyright legislation.
7 Disposal of material from the Collection
7.1 Disposal of items from the Collection will conform to the relevant Lancashire Library Service policy and will be carried out with reference to the relevant guidelines of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, particularly the Disposals Policy for Rare Books and Manuscripts.
7.2 Professional advice and support on disposing of material from the Collection is provided by qualified librarians who are members of CILIP (The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals).
January 2014
Approved by Cultural Services Leadership Team 5 February 2014
Reviewed January 2019