Historic Environment Information Resources Network
HEIRNET
Minutes of the second meeting, held on 26 October 1998 in Edinburgh
Present: Professor Anthony Harding (Chair), Dr M Heyworth (Secretary & BIAB), Mr P Ashmore (Historic Scotland), Mr D Baker (CBA), Mr D Barrett (ALGAO), Mr S Buchanan (SCRAN), Mrs L Ferguson (RCAHMS), Dr G Grayson (RCHME), Dr J Richards (ADS), Mr I Shepherd (ARIA) & Mr J Stevenson (RCAHMS).
Apologies for absence: Mr B Ayers (SCAUM), Dr R Bland (DCMS), Mr S Catney (ALGAO), Mr N Clubb (RCHME), Mr M Coulter (EHS, NI), Mr D Dawson (MGC), Mr T James (RCHAMW), Mrs D Murray (RCAHMS), Ms J Owen (SMA), Mr M Stiff (MDA) & Mr T Williams (English Heritage).
Ms G Chitty was in attendance.
The formal meeting was preceded by a presentation from Mr S Buchanan on the Scottish Cultural Resources Access Network (SCRAN). Further details of the project are available from their web site at http://scran.ac.uk.
1 Introductions and welcome to new members
Professor Harding welcomed everyone to the meeting, especially Dr Grayson who was attending in place of Mr Clubb from RCHME, Mr Stevenson and Mrs Ferguson who were attending in place of Mrs Murray from RCAHMS, and Mr Buchanan from SCRAN.
2 Minutes of the first meeting, held on 6 July 1998
The minutes were AGREED.
3 Title
It was AGREED that the title of the group should be the Historic Environment Information Resources Network (HEIRNET). Professor Harding noted that the acronym should be pronounced as written ("air-net").
4 Membership
Dr Heyworth reported that he had written to the Institute for Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) and the Association of County Archivists (ACA) to invite them to join the Network. The IHBC had responded positively and would be discussing the invitation at their next Executive Committee meeting in December. No reply had yet been received from ACA.
He also reported that he had written to Mr Coulter in the Northern Ireland Environment & Heritage Service to ask his advice on suitable Irish organisations to invite. A reply from Mr Coulter was awaited.
Dr Heyworth noted that he had not yet written to the other organisations discussed at the last meeting, but would do so in the coming weeks now that the name and terms of reference for the Network were agreed.
Dr Heyworth reported that he had received a communication from the Institute of Field Archaeologists (IFA) asking to join the Network. Mr Baker suggested that their role in setting professional standards was important in the context of HEIRNET's terms of reference and it was AGREED to invite them to join – though it was suggested they should nominate an existing attendee as their representative to ensure the meetings did not become too unwieldy.
Mr Baker and Dr Richards raised the issue of their position on the Network if they were to be involved in consultancy work on the Network's behalf. It was AGREED that once their proposal had been accepted they should step down from the Network until the consultancy work was completed. During this period Dr Heyworth would represent the CBA and the ADS would nominate a member of their Management Committee.
5 Terms of reference
The revised terms of reference were AGREED.
6 Web site
The establishment of a web site (http://www.britarch.ac.uk/HEIRNET) to facilitate communication was noted. It was AGREED that all relevant documents, including minutes of meetings, should be made publicly available in this way.
7 Consultancy work
Dr Heyworth reported that the revised brief for the consultancy work had been advertised through the BRITARCH email discussion list. Nine expressions of interest had been received. A short list of four was drawn up by the guidance group of HEIRNET members, and each was asked to submit a costed design brief. One organisation withdrew at this stage due to pressure of work, but three costed briefs were received. Two stood out, for different reasons, and the two groups concerned (the Archaeology Data Service and a partnership of David Baker and Gill Chitty) were asked to merge their bids to capitalise on each others' strengths. The resulting merged costed design brief was tabled.
Mr Baker, Ms Chitty and Dr Richards presented their approach, suggesting that the work would form a `terrain mapping' exercise. They hoped to complete the work within six months, starting in early November 1998, devoting some 60 person days to the consultancy. They stressed that the success of the consultancy would depend on positive contributions from all members of HEIRNET.
In following discussion it was agreed that the work should cover the historic environment, not just archaeology, and its links to the natural environment, perhaps through contact with the National Biodiversity Network. It was also agreed that the work should cover the British Isles, and Dr Heyworth undertook to approach the relevant organisations in the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands and the Republic of Ireland to ensure this was acceptable.
Professor Harding asked the HEIRNET members who were not involved in the consultancy proposal for their views. They AGREED that the costed design brief should be accepted and that work should commence in early November. Dr Heyworth reported that he had approached several HEIRNET members for financial support for the project and that RCHME had offered a contribution of £2,000, RCAHMS had offered £1,000 and RCAHMW had offered £500. Neither the MDA or the MGC were able to contribute. He would be approaching other Network members to bring in further funding if at all possible, but it was hoped that English Heritage would contribute the rest of the funding needed so there would be no shortfall. It was suggested that financial contributions from the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands and the Republic of Ireland might be needed if they were to be visited.
Dr Heyworth acknowledged that the scope of the project was very wide, but suggested that it should be seen as the first stage of a process, perhaps with further projects to follow. He suggested that the project should be approached from the perspective of public benefit and access, though it was hard to isolate different constituencies and there would be a number of issues relating to professional matters which would be raised during the project.
Mr Baker suggested that the core area to be covered by the project should be relatively easy to define, but he proposed that the `frontier posts' should only be defined as the consultancy developed. The project would involve frequent contact with all HEIRNET members which would allow everyone to contribute to the project as it developed.
Professor Harding thanked Mr Baker, Ms Chitty & Dr Richards for their presentation and on behalf of the Network offered the full support of its members in their work over the coming six months.
9 Portable Antiquities program
Dr Heyworth tabled a paper from Dr Bland of DCMS on the developing portable antiquities program. He suggested that it might be useful to invite Dr Bland to give a presentation to HEIRNET in advance of the next meeting in 1999. This was AGREED.
10 Forum on Information Standards in Heritage (England) – FISHEN
Dr Grayson reported that FISHEN had been discussing whether it would be useful to extend its remit beyond England. The Forum was currently exploring the issues that this raised, and one suggestion that had been put forward was a link to other similar fora through HEIRNET.
She tabled a discussion paper which FISHEN had prepared and Dr Heyworth undertook to circulate it to all HEIRNET members for their comments.
11 Subject-based gateways
Dr Heyworth reported that the HE-sector Joint Information Systems Committee had put out a call for proposals to set up subject-based information gateways for all academic subjects (see http://www.jisc.ac.uk/pub98/c10_98.html). He reported that the CBA was in discussion with the Archaeology Data Service and the CTI Centre for History, Archaeology & Art History based at Glasgow about submitting an expression of interest.
12 Bids to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF)
Mr Barrett reported that RCHME and ALGAO had commissioned Mr Baker to produce a strategic framework document which would guide the HLF on applications from English Sites & Monuments Records (SMRs). It was hoped to submit this to the HLF in late November. Mr Baker was also preparing an assessment of English SMRs.
Mr Stevenson reported that RCAHMS and ARIA were preparing a two-stage bid to the HLF, the first stage to be submitted in the first quarter of 1999, with the second stage to follow later in the year. Mr Baker had also been commissioned to prepare an assessment of Scottish SMRs.
Mr Ashmore queried the focus of the proposed bids. Mr Barrett suggested that the emphasis would be on improving access and interpretation, facilitated by limited enhancement.
In the absence of Mr James there was no news of a possible HLF bid from Wales.
13 Date of next meeting
It was AGREED that the next meeting would take place on 1 March 1999 in York, hosted by the Archaeology Data Service. Dr Bland (DCMS) would be invited to give a presentation of the portable antiquities program and associated issues in advance of the formal meeting.
Document last revised: 30 October 1998 by Mike Heyworth