Fife Council’s Cabinet Committee has approved a new Archives and Local Studies Collections Development Policy, setting out how the region’s documented heritage will be collected, preserved and shared.

The policy covers material managed on the council’s behalf by Fife Cultural Trust and ensures collections continue to grow ethically and sustainably, while remaining accessible to communities across Fife.

Fife’s archives include thousands of items reflecting its rich cultural and social history, including the Erskine Beveridge Collection, HM Dockyard Rosyth archives, Cupar’s Black Watch Territorial Recruitment registers, Kirkcaldy’s 4,000‑plus digitised photographs, and rare materials like the George Reid illuminated manuscripts and the Murison Burns Collection.

The policy sets out priorities, between now and 2030, for broadening representation within the collections, supporting born‑digital archiving, and managing resources responsibly to ensure long‑term preservation.

Cllr Linda Erskine, Communities and Leisure Spokesperson said: “These collections are a hugely valuable community asset. This new policy ensures we preserve Fife’s stories responsibly and it is an important step in protecting our heritage for everyone.

"Approving the policy affirms our commitment to safeguarding Fife’s documented heritage and ensuring that future generations can continue to learn from, and be inspired by, these collections."

Andrew Dowsey, Archives & Local Studies Manager, said: "The archives and local studies collection ranges from mediaeval prayer books to Fife Council minute books and one of the most interesting parts of my job is when someone gets in touch to donate something. It might be their great-grandad's diaries or a school librarian offering logbooks and photographs from their school, all of which have the potential to enrich the collection.

"This policy sets out how we will decide what to collect and preserve."

As well as Local Studies at Cupar Library, Dunfermline Carnegie Library & Galleries and Kirkcaldy Galleries, the main archives are at the Collections Centre, Bankhead, Glenrothes, which is open to the public by appointment and there are also monthly guided tours - visit www.onfife.com for more information.