The National Archives has commissioned Janice Tullock Associates to assess the level of interest in revising the Logjam Methodology. TNA is seeking to find out how the tool is used, whether it should be updated and whether there is a role for a wider Collections Management Data tool. You can help by answering these questions.

How do you manage your backlog of uncatalogued archives?

How much do you know about your backlog?

How could that be made easier and more efficient?

TNA are interested in hearing from all respondents; whether you have used the tool before or not, or even if you have not heard of the tool at all. Please take the time to contribute and potentially help develop a tool that is beneficial to all.

Please fill in this survey to share your thoughts on these questions: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/Logjamrevisited

How was Logjam created?

In 2003, the Logjam Methodology was developed as part of a project to calculate the size of the backlog of uncatalogued archives in North West of England. The project undertook a survey of 30 repositories of all types, calculated how long the cataloguing of each collection would take and helped archive services to prioritise their backlogs. As part of this work the project created both a database tool and a methodology which could be used by others to assess and prioritise their backlogs.

How has Logjam been useful to archive services?

Since 2003, several regions and individual services have used the same methodology to assess and prioritise their cataloguing backlogs. Archive services have used the results of the survey to lobby for and achieve investment in cataloguing. The results have been used by services to make funding bids, confident in their ability to deliver a catalogue within the allocated time and to prioritise their day-to-day work. Despite Logjam being quite elderly now, the methodology is referenced as a useful tool in Archive Service Accreditation.

Further details of the Logjam Methodology can be found in a short film at https://youtu.be/DJga6NI1edY

If you have any questions about Logjam or about the survey, please get in touch with Janice Tullock at https://janicetullock.co.uk/contact/