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CHURCH RECORDINGNADFAS Church Records are unique documents – compiled with the utmost care and research, they form a record of not just the history of the objects themselves, but also the changes in society that have taken place during the lifetime of the particular church.NADFAS Church Recorders have created 1,845 Records of churches (and other places of worship) since 1973 – and more are under way. Copies of each completed Record are given to the church and its local county archive offi ce and, at national level, to the V&A Art Library, Historic England and the archive library of the denomination/religion concerned Above left Church Records with a digital format could widen accessOpposite page Devastation caused by fi re at All Saints, Fleet, HampshireMAKING HERITAGE ACCESSIBLEExciting plans are under way to create digital Church Records that would help speed up the process and make their very important fi ndings more accessible(for instance, ChurchCare at Westminster in the case of the Church of England). But now NADFAS is embarking on a project that could widen access to these important texts, as well as ease the mechanics of recording for volunteers. We are researching how Church Records could be created in a digital format, with information in an electronic database from which printed copies could be produced for any organisation that requests them. The database would also be designed to link with catalogues at the V&A, Historic England and ChurchCare and so on – but it could also lead to a Church Record research portal on our own website, which would make NADFAS one of the best church 180 groups with members from 215 UK Societies and 1 European Society are involved in Church Recordingresearch sites in the country.Chief Executive Florian Schweizer commented: “The information contained in Church Records is of great value to historians, family researchers and anyone who wants to learn more about heritage in churches, not just in the UK, but also abroad. “By using new technologies we can make the work of our volunteers much more accessible and enable people to fi nd out about the fascinating contents of churches which were made by craftspeople and artists and relate to people in the community in all walks of life, often hundreds of years ago.”But public access would not be the only benefi t of digital Church Records – much of the formatting and compilation of documents involved in recording would be simplifi ed, enabling volunteers to focus their efforts on the recording work in churches and on managing the ongoing quality of fi ndings. “Church Recorders value their time on site, working alongside other volunteers and exploring buildings and archives together,” says Florian. “However, the compilation of the printed copy is technically complicated and can be frustrating.” We are currently working closely with volunteers to learn more about their needs and current challenges in creating Records. In particular, we want to reassure Recorders ‘on the ground’ that very little will change for them, as the work in churches can continue either with hand-written notes or using computers, to ensure that Church Recording continues to be an enjoyable and rewarding experience. ■14 — THE ART OF GIVING