Nearly off the Record - The Archives of an Archivist

When the author, a retired part-time schoolmaster, was offered the job of School Archivist, he thought it might be a good idea; he had just been told that his teaching services were no longer required. However, he had no experience of archiving, and no formal qualifications for it. He had an office with two lockless filing cabinets, a desk, a chair, and a tiny bookcase. No cupboards, no phone, no computer, no printer, no scanner, and no budget. He likes to think that, after eighteen years in the job, he has learned a thing or two. This book represents a taste of what he has discovered and done along the way. And if you think school archiving is a mite obscure, he would like to point out that it is a growth industry. The School Archivists Group has grown from its original five members to more than 250. Berwick Coates was educated at Kingston Grammar School, and read History at Christ`s College, Cambridge. Since then he has been, at various times, an army officer, author, artist, lecturer, careers adviser, games coach, and teacher of History, English, Latin, General Studies, and Swahili. He has published twelve books, including two historical novels with Simon and Schuster. He lives in Devon, where he is the Archivist of West Buckland School.