We recently welcomed Tasha to our temporary offices to complete a work experience placement with the service. Below she shares the highlights of her week.  

My name is Tasha, I am a first year A Level student. I learnt of the Archives and Heritage Service from my Mom who had previously volunteered on the Asylums Project. I’ve always had a passion for history and work experience was a requirement for my course, so I saw it as a good fit. It’s been a truly positive experience for me. I was initially quite nervous, as I am autistic and I was afraid the environment might not be right for me, but the staff have been lovely and understanding. The flexibility of the work was also a surprise that helped me ease into it. I feel that I’ve learnt a lot during my week here, about working in this field, about Stafford as a whole and about my own boundaries and the things I can achieve. In this blog I shall walk through the things I learnt each day.

Monday

In the morning I was shown around Eastgate House and the archive strong rooms and generally welcomed. I met a large portion of the staff and learnt about the workings of the organisation.

In the afternoon I worked with Lizzie the Learning Officer and was introduced to a workshop for Key Stage One children that she had created. I gained an appreciation for the work that goes into these sorts of tasks and gave suggestions for further items to add to the workshop. I found this very fulfilling as a creative minded person. I finished this off by helping to generate a step-by-step guide to a craft activity by creating the piece and taking photos as I went. I made additional notes as I did so for potential improvements for the craft. Later I was introduced to digital software called Canva which is used by the service to create posters and other resources. I improved my digital design skills by writing up the step-by-step guide and designing additional images to coincide with the photos. I found this a highly rewarding experience. I am considering as a result looking into volunteering in a similar field.

Tuesday

In the morning of my second day I was introduced to service Conservator Lisa. I feel that this was a very informative session as I got to learn about a large variety of things such as; the difference between preservation, conservation and restoration, the various pests that can damage documents, the large selection of tools used to clean and ensure the documents remained functional for use and how conservation linked to the service as a whole. I received hands on experience as I got to handle both a book and cleaning supplies and was comfortably guided through the process of cleaning the pages with a brush. I found I enjoyed this a lot and would not be averse to helping again.

In the afternoon I participated in a research task known as benchmarking. I complied information in an organised and detailed manner, developed my understanding of the learning curriculum (as the task was to research various workshops) and learnt a vital skill in any business. I feel that this, in particular, will aid me in my future.

Wednesday

On Wednesday I was introduced to Staffordshire Pasttrack. I used it to research and find various photos for potential use in reminiscence boxes. In this task I improved my digital knowledge, used my creative skills to think of additional items to add to the boxes and once again ensured the information was organised and detailed. This particular task also made me feel good as I felt that I could help people through it.

In the afternoon, I was introduced to the archive strong rooms once again. This time I worked alongside the History Centre Assistants to track down various documents that had been requested. I worked in a fast-paced environment, as there is currently only one day that they can visit the strong rooms due to the building works. I learnt more about the shelving system and its intricacies and learnt about how the enquires worked. I was impressed by their methods for ensuring documents were returned to their correct place. Following this, I was shown how to scan an item and more of the database systems used. I found this task more stressful and draining due to the high amount of information, general environment of the stores and high speed of the operation. I was able to complete it and the staff were very understanding which I appreciated.

Thursday

During the fourth day, I got to go to the museum stores. I was very excited and nervous to see them as I’d heard a lot about them over the time I’d spent at the service. I began first by again using Past Track to find images and information for a research task, improving my skills in the process. Next, I got to help set up seating for a tour of the stores and to participate in the tour. The tour was highly informational and intriguing. I not only got to learn about how things were stored but the items of the collection which I found deeply interesting. Following the end of the tour I helped in packing and clearing up. I was particularly exhausted this day and was supported by the staff, which I really appreciated and hoped to return in kind.

In the afternoon, through running a check on one of the boxes of the collection, I gained experience in; working as a team, record keeping, ensuring the packaging was done correctly (watched and was shown) and the complexities of the labelling system. This activity intrigued me as it allowed me to obtain greater insight into the work at the stores.

Friday

On my final day, I once again used Past Track for a research task. This time it was posed as a request for images with vague details of what to look for. Ben, the Digital Officer, explained that requests for images could often be vague. I used problem solving and database exploration to choose what I believed to be the best images for the prompt. I learnt more about how the site worked too, learning about the reference numbers for each image and how to track down images with the numbers and the names of the entries. I feel I’ve learnt a lot of digital skills and how to navigate the site through my experience. I learnt new ways to search images such as the location feature, alongside the key word search and theme search options.

In the afternoon, I began work on cutting and laminating materials/resources for future school activities. This was useful as I had never used a laminator before, and I got to learn how to use one and what not to do in the process.

Finally, I began writing this blog piece. I hope I’ve managed to bring across my appreciation for this experience and the staff for supporting me and for being such a lovely first work environment. When I was first preparing for this, I was intensely worried that it would not be right for me or that I would make a fool of myself but instead I’ve had an amazing time and I’m truly thankful for it. So once again thank you for such a fantastic experience!