Ann and Andrew attended the Scottish Council on Archives WHY ARCHIVES MATTER conference at the Engine Shed on the 17th April.
It was a densely packed day of talks which were interesting and stimulating.

FYI the itinerary is below:

Introduction & Welcome
Welcome address: Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Culture etc.

SESSION ONE: HERITAGE (USING ARCHIVES)

"Archives and Me"
Dr David Mitchell, Director of Conservation, Historic Environment Scotland

"Archives and the Future of the Past"
Professor Richard Rodger, Professor Emeritus, University of Edinburgh

"Architecture and Authenticity in Art Deco Glasgow"
Fiona Sinclair, Architect

"John Nicolson and Sir Francis Tress Barry: Two Remarkable People, Two Collections, One Archive" Lesley Ferguson, Head of Archives, Historic Environment Scotland

SESSION TWO: MEMORY (TELLING OUR STORY THROUGH ARCHIVES)

"The Impact of War: New Evidence from WW1 Pension Appeals" Bruno Longmore, Head of Archive Depositor Liaison, National Records of Scotland

"Scottish Poor Law Records"
Dr Irene O’Brien, Archivist, Glasgow City Archives

"Our Place in (Scottish Publishing) History: How the HarperCollins Archive Shapes who we are" Dawn Sinclair, Archivist, Harper Collins

"Voices: Archival Experiences within the Royal Edinburgh Hospital’s Bicentenary Celebrations" Alison Stirling, Artistic Director, Artlink Edinburgh, Annabel Sings and Ruth Honeybone, Archives Manager, LHSA

"Beyond 2022: Retrieving Lost Memories"
Dr Ciarán Wallace, Deputy Director, Beyond 2022, Trinity College Dublin

SESSION THREE: IDENTITY (SEEING OURSELVES IN ARCHIVES)

"South Asian and Muslim Identity in Scotland"
Dr Saqib Razzaq, Project Officer, Colourful Heritage

"Preserving Jewish Heritage in Scotland: The Work of the Scottish Jewish Archives Centre" Harvey L. Kaplan, Director, Scottish Jewish Archives Centre

"Italian Identity in Scotland: Archival Foundations"
Dr Terri Colpi, Honorary Research Fellow, University of St Andrews

"Scotland’s Census: The Past, The Present and The Future"
Amy Wilson, Director of Statistical Services, National Records of Scotland.