PRESS RELEASE

We’re delighted to announce that the Business Archives Council of Scotland (BACS) has launched a new website with PastView, providing easy access to Scotland’s rich business and industrial history as documented in their journal.

For over 60 years, BACS has been dedicated to the preservation and study of archives related to the history of commercial and industrial enterprises in Scotland. In that time, and with the support of the business, academic and archives community in Scotland, the council has conducted surveys of business records, engaged in rescue work where necessary to prevent the destruction of valuable archives and provided training opportunities for custodians of business archive collections. It has also encouraged the promotion and use of business records, particularly research into business archives collections, publishing much of this research in its journal since 1977.

And the launch of the new website is another significant landmark in BACS’ ongoing commitment to preserving and promoting Scotland’s business and industrial history. PastView has facilitated this milestone by offering increased searchability and ingestion of the two collections: the Scottish Business and Industrial Journal, and the BACS Newsletter, which ran from 1966-1976.

To find out more about this project and hear from Kira King, BACS committee deputy convenor,  watch below:

A huge draw for members, the Scottish Business and Industrial History Journal includes articles written by professional historians and independent scholars, covering a wide range of topics within Scotland’s business and industrial past. Everything from shipbuilding and whisky to boots and mouse-traps. The functionality of the new website means BACS members can now delve into copies of the journal from 1977 to 2023, opening up new opportunities for research and analysis.

BACS have taken advantage of two of PastView’s exciting features. These include:

• BookExplorer - the 3D technology allowing users to smoothly turn the pages of the Scottish Business and Industrial Journal, as if they had the work in their hands.
• Advanced Search - enabling researchers and enthusiasts to quickly and efficiently access desired information, searching via keyword, collection type, issue number, publication and year.

The new website is now ready to be explored by all those interested in Scotland’s business heritage, so delve right in and join us in congratulating the Business Archives Council of Scotland on this exciting venture!

The Business Archives Council of Scotland has been delighted to work with TownsWeb Archiving and their PastView platform to make our journal back catalogue available to all. PastView has transformed how we can search the 100s of articles published across the journals since 1977, allowing users to discover the rich resource of articles about Scottish business and industrial history.

Kiara King

BACS Committee, Deputy Convenor