Preservica Congratulates Neil Beagrie, Winner of the 2024 Emmett Leahy Award
Preservica is proud to announce its support for the 2024 Emmett Leahy Award, which was presented to Neil Beagrie for his outstanding contributions to the field of Digital Preservation. Beagrie, a renowned expert in preserving, managing, and sustaining access to our digital heritage and research data, was honored for his decades-long dedication to collaboration and innovation within the records and information management profession.
Neil Beagrie’s career spans over several decades and reflects a deep commitment to safeguarding digital heritage. His early work began with archaeology, which soon evolved into a focus on Digital Preservation. Through his work with institutions like the Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England and the Arts and Humanities Data Service, Neil played a key role in shaping the landscape of Digital Preservation both in the UK and internationally. As the co-founder of Charles Beagrie Ltd, Neil contributed to advancing the understanding of digital curation, preservation, and access to research data, making a lasting impact on both policy and practice.
In his acceptance speech, Neil expressed his gratitude, calling the recognition a “tremendous surprise” and reflecting on how his career has been shaped by collaboration. He emphasized that some of his greatest achievements have come from working alongside talented colleagues across various sectors. His remarks also highlighted the importance of partnerships in Digital Preservation, an ethos that has defined much of his work.
"Digital preservation and information management are highly collaborative. I feel I have done my best work over my career in partnership with others and some of my greatest impacts on the records and information profession come from the longevity of the collaborations I have been involved in,” said Neil. “I strongly believe that there are compelling reasons (such as the ever-increasing scale of digital information, diverse media, and pace of technical innovations) for collaboration to be at the heart of what we do in addressing the digital challenges facing the profession.”
Neil Beagrie, 2024 Emmett Leahy Award Winner, being presented with this year’s award by Adrian Brown, 2016 Emmett Leahy Award Winner (left) and Michael Hope, VP Marketing Strategy at Preservica (right)
The 2016 Emmett Award Winner, Adrian Brown, who had the honor of presenting the award, shared his thoughts on Neil’s groundbreaking career. "Neil’s career has been characterised not only by his expertise and insights, but also by a strong and consistent commitment to collaboration and partnership, and to creating the conditions for the digital preservation community to advance, whether at an organisational level or through initiatives of national and international scope.”
Mike Quinn, CEO of Preservica, echoed Adrian’s sentiments, expressing his pride in supporting the award. "Neil’s contributions to the Digital Preservation community have been nothing short of transformative. At Preservica, we’re incredibly proud to sponsor the Emmett Leahy Award and extend our heartfelt congratulations to Neil for this well-deserved recognition. His tireless work continues to inspire all of us in the Digital Preservation field."
As Neil Beagrie embarks on this new chapter of his life post-retirement, his legacy will continue to shape the future of Digital Preservation. His career is a testament to the power of collaboration, the importance of strategic thinking, and the lasting impact of preserving our shared digital heritage for generations to come.
About the Emmett Leahy Award
The Emmett Leahy Award honors a pioneer in the field of records and information management. The award recognizes an individual whose contributions and outstanding accomplishments have a major impact on the records and information management profession. Established in 1967, this award honors the spirit of innovation, dedication, and excellence in records and information management of Emmett Leahy, an icon in the development of the life cycle approach to managing records and information.
The Award selection is made by the Emmett Leahy Award Committee which consists of the immediate past ten Emmett Leahy Award winners and makes its decisions independently. It is not formally affiliated with any organization or professional association.
(A complete list of past winners can be found at www.emmettleahyaward.org)
