ARA grants £20,000 to projects exploring AI in recordkeeping
The Archives and Records Association (ARA) UK & Ireland has announced the awarding of two grants, each worth £10,000, to innovative projects focused on the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies within the recordkeeping sector. Announced following a call for proposals made in April 2024, the initiative aims to explore the benefits and potential risks of integrating AI in the field.
The first grant has been awarded to a collaborative project, titled FLAME (AI For Libraries, Archives and Museums), involving Dr Lise Jaillant from Loughborough University and Dr Giovanni Colavizza, associated with Odoma LLC and the University of Copenhagen. This project has partnered with The National Library of Wales and received support from The National Archives (TNA).
The second grant goes to researchers Dr Alexandrina Buchanan and Dr Victoria Stobo from the Liverpool University Centre for Archive Studies (LUCAS), who are partnering with the Liverpool University Digital Innovation Facility for their project called AI and ML for Catalogue Conversion.
In comments made to the Archives & Records Association Blog, John Chambers, Chief Executive of ARA, highlighted the growing relevance of AI in the recordkeeping sector. "AI is now real and is a fast-moving issue for the record keeping sector. These grants were deliberately targeted so that ARA can help make advice and guidance available to those who need it as soon as realistically possible," Chambers stated. He emphasised that the results from the funded projects would be openly accessible to foster support within the GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums) community.
The projects aim to address existing challenges and explore automation within the context of digital collections. Historical documents and objects are meant to be accessible; however, the vast quantities of data involved often present significant barriers. Issues such as data preparedness, copyright clarity, and the management of sensitive content complicate access to digital archives.
FLAME aims to create open-access guidelines on AI preparedness targeted specifically at professionals within the GLAM sector, intending to revolutionise how digital records are prepared for AI applications. The initiative seeks not only to enhance the professional practices of digital archivists but also to shift the focus towards better accessibility of archival collections.
The AI and ML for Catalogue Conversion project seeks to transition existing cataloguing systems from the ISAD(G) framework to the newly introduced RiC (Records in Context) standard. This new approach allows for a more nuanced representation of relationships between entities, enhancing the scope for AI technologies such as Named Entity Recognition (NER) which can identify connections within archival data.
A significant focus of this project will include identifying materials related to the history of enslavement, a topic of considerable interest for researchers today. Outputs from the project intend to support the Liverpool Record Office in enhancing access to pertinent resources while bolstering collaboration between various archival institutions.
The projects are set to yield outputs in 2025, which will be disseminated through various channels, including the ARA’s journal, Archives & Records, as well as through publications and bulletins. Funding for these initiatives has been provided through the ARA’s Research, Development and Advocacy Fund, designed to support research and projects aimed at the advancement of archival practice and education.