A history of the Shetland Archives.

Exploring the history of how a local archive comes to exist, and indeed its pre-history, is important for understanding its ethos and direction. The primary function of any local authority archive is managing council records but many such record offices also house significant collections of local historical and antiquarian interest. The primary aim of this research is to show how the people and events which precede the establishment of an official archive service can not only structure the collections but also influence decision makers and shape the very principles of that service. In the century before there was a Shetland Archives a handful of forward-looking, public- spirited Shetlanders took the matter of collecting, and storing records of local interest into their own hands. The attitudes, foresight and dedication of these men allowed the Shetland Archives, when it opened in the 1970s, to provide access to rich local historical collections in addition to its role as keeper of council records. It is the strong antiquarian interest in Shetland and the contribution a handful of prudent Shetlanders made, to what now constitutes the collections of the Shetland Archives, which will be the focus of this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]