DSA 2026 Kevin Wilbraham - Distinguished Service in Archives and Records Management
Distinguished Service in Archives and Records Management
Nomination Information:
In his own words, Kevin Wilbraham is: “An archivist by trade; historian by inclination; and information governance manager by necessity.” Kevin has led Archives Services for over thirty years. As the first Principal Archivist for Ayrshire Archives (1996-2005), he was responsible for establishing the first (and one of its kind in Scotland) joint archives and records management service for East, North and South Ayrshire Councils following the re-organisation of local government in 1996. This involved establishing a pan-Ayrshire and collaborative approach for archives and records management as a concept and a working arrangement. Kevin led the service at an operational and strategic level which required embedding policies and procedures, budget management, recruiting staff, generating income, operational delivery across multiple sites, service promotion and outreach, and management of capital projects, including the creation and building of a new archives centre. The creation of Ayrshire Archives was a success and continues to thrive to this day.
Following a year as Council Archivist for Stirling Council (2005-2006), in which he introduced innovative approaches to advocacy, outreach and community engagement – teaching classes through the Scottish Prison Service and establishing a Local History Society in Stirling, Kevin joined the City of Edinburgh Council where he has spearheaded records and archives services for 20 years.
Kevin has succeeded in a number of roles supporting the management of Edinburgh’s archives and records. As the Council’s first dedicated records manager, he was responsible for developing records management policies, procedures, and tools as well as creating awareness around the importance of good records management. This involved establishing a Council records centre, and management of a contract with an external provider who runs the centre on the Council’s behalf. At this time, Kevin also took responsibility for writing and implementing a five-year business recovery plan for the archives service which had been found to be largely deficient following a regulatory audit. This covered all aspects of archives administration and management and led to significant service improvements, including a revised operating and customer focused delivery framework for the service, additional staffing and resources, collaborative engagement and working with organisations throughout the city, as well as new storage accommodation that conformed to professional standards.
Under Kevin’s leadership, the Council’s records and archives service has grown from a team of two to 13 professionals dedicated to facilitating access and promoting awareness of Edinburgh’s rich history. Under his guidance, numerous professionals have learned and developed their skills, graduating from distance learning courses and going on to leading information governance roles across the public and private sector. Throughout his career, Kevin has also recognised the essential value volunteers bring to the sector, introducing them to Edinburgh City Archives and thereby creating a new route into the profession for budding archivists. He has committed personal time and effort to ensuring that this group of tireless supporters know they are appreciated: his annual Volunteers Christmas Quiz is the stuff of legend to all who have experienced it!
In recent times, Kevin led the proposal, preparation, and implementation of Edinburgh 900 celebrations which delivered a full programme of events showcasing Edinburgh’s journey through the centuries ‘from the 12th century City of David right up to the 21st century, the City of Diversity.’ From its inception to delivery, this work required sustained stakeholder engagement of internal colleagues, elected officials, community groups, and external organisations. It required planning, budget management, diplomacy and pizazz – all of which Kevin was able to bring in abundance, succeeding in delivering the original vision of the project as a heritage focused, community driven celebration of Edinburgh’s past, present, and future.
As the only constant in the modern record keeper’s world is change, Kevin has also delivered innovative digital preservation capacity to support collecting the City’s current records for the future. Off the back of this investment, Edinburgh City Archives was successful in receiving national funding for the appraisal and cataloguing of a ‘born digital’ collection. Against the head winds of reduced capital funding, Kevin is also overseeing the move of Edinburgh City Archives from its current location in a depot to a new and improved storage location. It remains to be seen whether this will deliver prior to Kevin’s talked about, but still to be realised, retirement however it will undoubtedly form part of his legacy.
Albeit that Kevin is an Information Governance Manager “by necessity”, the Council’s management of information requests and complaint handling have also benefitted from his strategic vision. Following an audit by the Scottish Information Commissioner, the Council centralised its departmental records management and freedom of information functions to ensure a more robust approach to compliance. Kevin established a new team, again creating new policies and procedures, and procured and rolled out a new scalable case management system and performance reporting structure. This has stood the test of time and now supports the management of over 1000 Subject Access Requests, 3400 FOI requests, and nearly 2000 Law Enforcement requests which the Council receives on an annual basis. This is in addition to the 1500 RM and Archives enquiries the wider team also receives.
Kevin’s consistent delivery of improved services has led the Council to also entrust strategic complaint handling and the management of the Council’s response to the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI) to his leadership. Kevin is also the City of Edinburgh Council’s Data Protection Officer with responsibility for monitoring compliance with data protection legislation. In doing so, and recognising learning from SCAI enquiries, Kevin has been central in developing an innovative person-centred and trauma informed approach to managing subject access requests for care experienced people. This ensures that, as far as possible, individuals get the information they need about their own lives and have access to appropriate levels of support to assist them in understanding the records about their past. Kevin’s vision, bringing together these otherwise disparate information governance responsibilities, has placed the Edinburgh City Archives at the centre of these operations as the corporate memory of the Council. This has brought in senior management awareness and investment in digital preservation.
In addition to his ‘day job’, Kevin has done much to contribute to the archives and records management sector in various ways (and not just through regular attendance at ARA conferences!). He has consistently been an advocate for the profession serving as the Publicity Officer for the Society of Archivists Scottish Region in the late 1990s/early 2000s; Kevin was active in lobbying members of Parliament on changes to the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Bill prior to its enactment. Kevin has also been a Trustee of the Scottish Council of Archives, a Member of the Scottish Records Advisory Council, Chair of the Archivists of Scottish Local Authorities Working Group (ASLAWG), and Chair of the Stirling Local History Society. He is currently Chair of the Local Authorities Complaints Handlers Network and is about to commence the role of Deputy Convenor of the Business Archives Council of Scotland (returning to the roots which started his archives career as a Surveying Officer for the Scottish Business Archives Council).
Kevin’s passion for the past is a vocation. He has enthusiastically curated a social media following of over 20K enjoying a daily dose of history which has been faithfully posted every morning for many years. He has, in the past, also written articles showcasing Ayrshire’s past in the Scottish Records Association’s Scottish Archives Volumes 6 and 8.
There are times and places when the giving and receiving of ARA awards can have more meaning and greater impact both for the recipient personally and the peers who honour them. As Kevin begins to contemplate a version of retirement which will no doubt involve more historical research, volunteering, archaeology and advocacy for the subject he adores, ARA is, by coincidence, conferencing in Glasgow. This presents the opportunity to recognise Kevin in his university city – the place where he took his first steps on the career path that has given him, and his colleagues, so much. It will mean more to him, and more to his Scottish colleagues (who are not all able to travel to UK located ARA conferences with the same consistency and dedication he shows himself) to award this honour now. 2026 is the year to give this most deserving member of our profession the recognition he has earned. As ARA celebrates the theme of Authenticity, there is no more authentic Archivist and Record Manager to endorse! Now is the time, now is the hour, to acknowledge Kevin Wilbraham’s Distinguished Service to Archives and Records Management.
Kevin Wilbraham – Career & Contributions Summary
Graduated in History, University of Glasgow, 1989
1990s
University of Glasgow – Historical Research Assistant
Based within the Department of Scottish History and Archives, Kevin worked on an ESRC funded project that looked at the dynamics of Victorian wealth creation. This involved identifying and researching relevant source material from across the UK, presenting results and findings, and creating a final project report.
High School of Glasgow - Administrative Assistant
As an administrative assistant, Kevin supported the School Bursar in raising funds to finance new school buildings. This included a wide range of administrative functions, such as minute taking, liaison with potential donors, and co-ordinating appeal efforts.
Scottish Business Archives Council - Surveying Officer
As Surveying Officer, Kevin actively located and surveyed business records (throughout Scotland) while promoting their use for marketing and research purposes. This involved offering a wide range of consultancy services to businesses in relation to archives, records and information management more generally, as well as presenting findings at conferences and workshops, and through various publications.
Awarded Society of Archivists Diploma around this time.
City of Edinburgh District Council - Archivist
As part of a small professional team, Kevin was responsible for preserving, promoting and making accessible the written heritage of the Council from the 12th century to the present day. He also provided advice to services and developed records management tools and procedures to improve the management of information across the organisation.
City of Edinburgh District Council - Deputy City Archivist
As Deputy City Archivist, Kevin provided support to the City Archivist and took on additional responsibilities (over and above operational responsibilities) for managing staff and budgets, as well as providing input into operational decisions and the strategic direction of the service, including the development of service plans and service level agreements.
Ayrshire Archives - Principal Archivist (1996-2005)
Ayrshire Archives was established as a joint archives and records management service for East, North and South Ayrshire Councils following the re-organisation of local government in 1996. As its first Principal Archivist, Kevin was responsible for establishing a pan-Ayrshire and collaborative approach for archives and records management, as a concept and working arrangement. This was achieved by leading and managing the service, at an operational and strategic level, and involved embedding policies and procedures, budget management, recruiting staff, generating income, operational delivery across multiple sites, service promotion and outreach, and management of capital projects, including the creation and building of a new archives centre. With the introduction of freedom of information legislation in 2005, Kevin was appointed project manager and led the successful introduction of the legislation across the organisation by creating and embedding procedures, and creating appropriate awareness at all levels within the organisation.
2000s
Stirling Council – Council Archivist (2005-2006)
Following a structural re-alignment, Kevin implemented a more strategic approach that focused on the cultural and inclusive benefits of archives, as well as ensuring operational delivery of the service. This resulted in new and innovative approaches to advocacy, outreach and community engagement, including the use of volunteers, teaching classes through the Scottish Prison Service, and establishing a Local History Society for Stirling.
City of Edinburgh Council - Records Manager (from Sept/Oct 2006)
Kevin was responsible for developing records management policies, procedures, and tools, and creating awareness around the importance of good records management. This also involved establishing a Council records centre, and management of a contract with an external provider who run the centre on the Council’s behalf. He wrote and implemented a five-year business recovery plan for the archives service which had been found to be largely deficient following a regulatory audit. This covered all aspects of archival administration and management and led to significant service improvements, including a revised operating and customer focused delivery framework for the service, additional staffing and resources, collaborative engagement and working with organisations throughout the city, and new storage accommodation that conformed to professional standards.
City of Edinburgh Council - Records and Information Compliance Manager
Following an audit by the Scottish Information Commissioner, it was agreed that the records management and freedom of information functions should merge to ensure a more robust approach to compliance which reduced associated risks. This involved leading and establishing a new team, creating new policies and procedures, procuring and introducing a new case management system and performance reporting structure, and rolling out a new centralised approach across the organisation to deal with information requests.
2010s
City of Edinburgh Council - Information Governance Manager
Following the success of the Records and Information Compliance Unit, the Council’s service-led data protection function was centralised through the creation of an Information Governance Unit within the Council’s Governance function. Kevin was responsible for leading and managing the new team and providing assurance to elected members and the Council’s Leadership Team that statutory requirements were being met. Kevin also developed a new information governance framework consisting of policies, standards, procedures, guidance and training. He offered support at all levels within the organisation and led various Council groups to ensure that the importance of information governance was understood and embedded within Council services.
2020s
City of Edinburgh Council – Information Governance and Strategic Complaints Manager and Data Protection Officer
Leading what is now one of the largest information governance teams in local government, Kevin is responsible for the Archives and Records Management functions, Data Protection, Freedom of Information, Strategic Complains Management, and responding to information requests associated with the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry. He has orchestrated the City’s celebration of Edinburgh 900, and is currently overseeing the creation and move of a new Records store.
Voluntary Positions
Publicity Officer for Society of Archivists Scottish Region
Trustee of the Scottish Council on Archives
Member of the Scottish Records Advisory Council
Chair of the Archivists of Scottish Local Authorities Working Group (ASLAWG)
Chair of the Stirling Local History Society
Chair of the Local Authorities Complaint Handlers Network (Still current)
Deputy Convenor of the Business Archives Council of Scotland (About to start this role)
Articles
K Wilbraham, Ayrshire Archives, Scottish Archives Volume 6 (2000)
K Wilbraham and C Lodge, Responses to Poverty in Ayrshire, 1574-1845, Scottish Archives Volume 8 (2002)
Social Media
X (previously Twitter), BlueSky, Mastodon: @KPW1453