| Description | Present at the meeting: Professor N Kurti in the chair; Dr G R C Davis; Mr R H Ellis; Professor A Goodwin; Professor M M Gowing; Lord Hinton; Professor W D M Paton; Sir Robert Somerville; Sir John Summerson; Dame Veronica Wedgwood
Mrs J B Alton, Mr H M G Bailllie, Mr R E W Maddison, Sir David Martin, MR N H Robinson, Mrs H H Weiskittel and Mrs J H Agnew in attendance
1. Apologies for absence from Profesor R V Jones, Mr M W Leonard and Profesor J S Rowlinson
2. Minutes of meeting of 16 January 1974 agreed and signed with two amendments
3. Contemporary Scientific Archives Centre
3.1 Progress Reports. Verbal report from Professor Gowing on the work of the Centre in 1974, supplementing the two progress Reports (Nos 2 and 3) previously circulated. She drew the Committee;s attention to the fact that in addition to performing the tasks of sorting and cataloguing envisaged in the pilot scheme, the staff spend a considerable amount of time - about two fifths of the total - on locating collections and on negotiations. After discussion Professor Gowing was thanked for her report which was approved with satisfaction. The staff of the Centre were congratulated on what they had achieved during the year.
3.2 Future Planning and Finance
(I) It was noted from the paper circulated with the Agenda that existing arrangements to finance the Centre by grants from charitable foundations would terminate at the end of March 1976 and that the Management Committee's estimate of its requirements thereafter was £10,000 pa at current costs. In discussion Professor Gowing explained why this sum is greater than the level of expenditure for the current year. The principal change is in salaries. The original salary levels were not fixed according to job evaluation. Staff had been appointed before there was any certainty about grant income in the three year period and slaries had to be fixed at minimum levels. If the Centre were to continue in a longer term, the salaies should be appropriate to the leverl of work. Advice had been taken about appropriate scales from the Keeper of Western Manuscripts of the Bodleian Library who had seen the work at close quarters. His recommendatins were embodied in the estimates before the Committee. Professor Gowing undertook to circulae the Centre's accounts for the year ended 31 March 1974 to all members of the Committee forthwith.
(ii) The possibility waas discussed that the activities of the Centre could if necessary be conducted at a lower level of expenditure than at present. Dr Davis suggested that substantial economies might be achieved, notably with regard to rent and other overhjeads, if it were assimilated into some larger organisation such as the Bodleian Library. Lord Hinton and Professor Paton considered that the Centre's independence was of paramount importance it it were not to forfeit the enthusiasm and goodwill that it had achieved as a small independent unit. Sir Robert Somerville suggested that a great deal of the work of arranging and listing papers might be left to the staff of the libraries and record offices to which they were being consigned. Profesor Gowing said that the original scheme rested on the knowledge (confirmed at the meeting of archivists and librarians at the Royal Society in 1969) that librarians lacked time and resources to process such colledtions on the scale envisaaged. Some specimen lilsts were placed on the table. Dr Davis suggested that the lists so far prepared might be thought already to have donw much to demonstrate to other bodies the necessary techniques which had perhaps now been shown to be less formidable in practice than had originally been supposed.
After considering a number of extracts from letters of thanks which the Centre had recevied librarians and others, the Committee agreed that it was desirable for the CEntre to retain its present independence and aim to continue its activities at their present levels.
(iii) Sources of funds for the continuation of the CEntre's work after March 1976 were then considered. The Chairman thought it possible that sums of the order of £3,ppp pa might continue to be obtainable from charitable foundations, but this was clearly not enough. In discussion, it was not thought practicable to base the Centre's finances on contributions it might receive for the services it rendered to the owners of papers, libraries and record offices. The Chairman proposed tht a joint approach should be made to the Treasury by the Royal Society and the Commission to secure government provision for the permanent funding of the Centre. Sir David Martin stated that the Royal Society's grant-in-aid came to it from the Department of Education and Science. Since any government provision must be channelled through a single source and the Commissions's funds derived directly from the Treasury, it would seem appropriate that funding of the Centre should be requested on the Commissions's vote. Dr Davis pointed out that if the Centre was to retain its independence the Treasury would require a substantial part of its financial requirements to be met from non-government sources. Lord Hinto restated his view that it was vital the independence of the Centre should be maintained.
After some further discussion it was agreed thqat the following recommendation shoudl be submitted to the Council of the Royal Society and to the Comissioners:
"The Committee recognise the value and the usefulness of the work carried out by the Contemporary Scientific Archives Centre and is strongly in favour of its continuing existence roughly along the present lines. It therefore recommends that the Royal Society and the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts shoudl jointly approach the Treasury for funds for the Centre."
It was agreed tht the Joint Committee should meet as soon as possible after the Commissioners' meeting in July 1975 to discuss the Commissioners' decision on the Resolution.
4. Guide to the Papers of British Scientists 1600-1940
In the unavoidable absence of Mr Craig, Dr Davis reported on progress. This had been most satisfactory, and it was expected that the revised drat would be available for the Committee's consideration by midsummer. A further £1,000 had been drawn from the grant made for the project by the Goldsmith's Company. This left £1,000 still available to be drawn if required. The Committee approved the report, thanked Mr Craig, and agreed to defer discussion of other outstanding points until the revised draft had been presented to it.
5. The date of the next meeting was provisionally fixed for Monday 14 Jyly 1975, at the Royal Society, at 10.30 am. |