/ Case Studies Document Management
Liverpool Register Office
Digitising a major city register collection
Liverpool’s register digitisation project brought together 16,000 registers containing 4 million entries. Working with Microform, the Register Office developed a practical way to use historical register images in everyday certificate production, while reducing reliance on the original volumes.
The Liverpool account describes how REG was developed to support certificate production from digitised entries. The selection process accommodates portrait entries, landscape entries and entries with marginal notes, so that staff can capture the relevant content for printing onto a certificate.
A two, four or six click selection method reflects the different layouts: two clicks for portrait entries, four to include the heading and entry on a landscape page, and six when a marginal note must also be included. This attention to the structure of the source material is central to making register images useful in practice.
/ The Challenge
The project needed to accommodate different entry layouts, handwritten annotations and records that change after their original registration. An image archive alone would not be enough: staff also needed a reliable way to select certificate content and keep the digital record current.
Keeping the digital entry current
REG allows authorised staff to replace an image when a marginal note is added, a re-registration is completed or a register is deposited from a religious building. The account describes staff scanning these updates on their normal multifunction device and replacing the corresponding image within REG. The same facility can address an unclear or distorted image.
Certificate output from the original record
The selected entry is displayed as a JPEG image and printed directly onto the certificate, giving customers a copy that includes original signatures. The account states that the temporary JPEG is not retained once that screen is closed. Register entries can be accessed from authorised local authority locations.
Reported results
The account reports that certificate production was undertaken by a team of two staff. Four photocopiers were replaced by one multifunction device and one printer, with reductions in paper use and the office space needed for the production team.
Staff reported that REG was easy to use and that they adapted quickly. Certificate production was streamlined to support turnaround targets, while reducing reliance on handling the original registers. The scanned collection described in the account spans 1 July 1837 to the introduction of RON in March 2007.
Preservation alongside practical access
Digital access gives the service a way to use historical entries without retrieving the original volume for every request. The Liverpool account also identifies the ability to store registers in a compliant repository with access restricted to register office staff. Together, image access and update facilities support continued use of the information while protecting the physical collection.
/ Long-term benefits
Protected archives
Digital access reduces the need to retrieve original registers, helping preserve historical records over time.
Streamlined production
A single digital workflow helps staff produce certificates efficiently and meet turnaround targets.
Updated digital records
Staff can replace images when annotations or registration changes occur, keeping digital records current.
Reduced resource use
Fewer photocopiers, less paper use and reduced office space support more efficient operations.
/ Conclusion
Liverpool demonstrates how large scale digitisation can be combined with software designed around registration work. Across 16,000 registers and 4 million entries, the case brings together preservation, current digital records and practical certificate production in a single service workflow.