The IHBC, as a partner in Historic England’s (HE) Heritage Gateway initiative on linking local records, is encouraging member contributions and offers of assistance to the Gateway’s forward planning, including a forthcoming survey, all part of a programme linked to Historic England’s developing Heritage Information Access Strategy (HIAS).
Gillian Grayson at Historic England writes:
The Heritage Information Access Strategy (HIAS) is an Historic England initiative intended to secure an improved and more cost effective approach to the handling of digital historic environment data by Historic England and its partners in Local Authority Historic Environment Records.
The initial vision for the strategy has been developed and this is now being refined with organisations across the sector. The programme has completed its ‘Initiation Phase’ and the second phase, which will scope the work required to complete the programme, has now started.
This phase comprises a number of work packages, one of which is the Heritage Gateway. This will focus on the role of the Heritage Gateway in delivering a virtual national overview, agree functional and design requirements, and identify opportunities for better partnership working in areas such as communication and marketing.
The work package is being led by Gillian Grayson, Head of Heritage Data Management at Historic England, as chair of the Heritage Gateway Partnership Board.
The board is very keen to get your thoughts and feedback on the Heritage Gateway as part of the work package, which is expected to report back at the end of October. An online survey will be available on the Heritage Gateway website, which we would be very grateful if you would respond to.
If you have any further comments and suggestions, we would also encourage you to send these to Gillian Grayson (Gillian.Grayson@HistoricEngland.org.uk) and Lorraine Summerfield, Heritage Gateway and Access to Designated Data Team Leader (Lorraine.Summerfield@HistoricEngland.org.uk) by the 24 August.
Information about the strategy and programme and links can be found on the Historic England website
For the Heritage Gateway site and related HIAS survey see links from the website
