In recent years, the Archives has responded to new digital challenges.
In 2000, the Archives embarked on a seven-year electronic cataloguing project which culminated in the launch of an online archival catalogue called Portcullis. The project spanned two phases: an initial five-year phase in 2000-2005, and second one in 2006-2008.
The project enabled the Archives to comply with Freedom of Information legislation by making details of its holdings as accessible as possible while clearing its cataloguing backlog.
Archives on the internet
The availability of a version of Portcullis on the internet has enabled researchers to pinpoint records exactly to request copies, order in advance of a visit, or make further enquiries. This has been particularly useful for disabled or overseas visitors (some 60 per cent of the online visitors) who cannot visit the Archives easily in person to do their research.
Digital Preservation project
In 2008 it began to take measures to safeguard the records of Parliament and maintain their accessibility through its Digital Preservation project. This project aims to ensure that digital resources remain authentic and accessible over time, in spite of rapid hardware and software obsolescence and the inevitable deterioration of storage media.