Breaking down barriers and building bridges: Social outreach and engagement in audio-visual heritage at the National Library of Scotland’s Moving Image Archive

Social outreach and engagement in UK-based audio-visual archives are under-researched areas worthy of further investigation, particularly considering the naturally immersive quality of audio-visual content and its potential to draw in, educate and engage audiences. This qualitative study explores three interconnected foci : challenges and opportunities currently faced by the National Library of Scotland’s Moving Image Archive with regards to preserving and making publicly accessible born-digital and analogue audio-visual materials; the impact of these challenges and opportunities upon the Moving Image Archive’s levels of social outreach and engagement; and ways to elevate the Moving Image Archive’s social outreach and engagement. Our findings indicate that, from a National Library of Scotland’s staff perspective, addressing issues related to copyright law and rights clearance processes, as well as supporting engagement in local areas and providing educational programmes on caring for materials, would be beneficial in increasing social outreach and engagement. The research findings informed recommendations, including increased staff resource and dedicated training in rights clearance processes, extending outreach and engagement beyond Scotland’s central belt, addressing the physical limitations of the archive’s public space and promoting the usability and creative re-use of archival material, as well as addressing gaps within the collection. Recommendations based on this study may contribute to further aligning the needs of the Moving Image Archive with the National Library of Scotland’s Reaching People: Library Strategy 2020–2025.