DAM and Collections Management for Cultural Heritage 2026
Making History Accessible: The Postal Museum's Journey to Public Access for Born-Digital Collections
This presentation will explore how The Postal Museum developed its capacity to preserve and make born digital records accessible. As one of the UK's most significant business archives, holding records designated as being of outstanding national importance, The Postal Museum faced unique challenges in capturing, preserving, and making accessible the digital records of Royal Mail Group plc and Post Office Ltd.
In this presentation, Chris and Helen will explore the practical realities of implementing digital preservation and dealing with multiple stakeholders, how to build the business case for born-digital archives with senior leadership, and the strategies employed to balance public access with commercial confidentiality concerns. Discover how the Museum developed their digital collections portal, the technical decisions around storage infrastructure, and the lessons learned about managing user expectations while building a sustainable digital archive programme.
Whether you're just beginning your digital preservation journey or looking to expand public access to your born-digital collections, this session offers real-world insights from an institution that has successfully bridged the gap between preserving 400 years of postal heritage and capturing tomorrow's born-digital records today.
Key takeaways:
- Balancing the needs of multiple stakeholders, and different types of collection (museum and archive)
- Strategies for articulating the business value of born-digital archives to stakeholders
- Balancing public access goals with confidentiality and security requirements
- Technical considerations for storage, migration, and discovery of born-digital materials
Chris Taft, Head of Collections, The Postal Museum
Helen Dafter, Archivist, The Postal Museum