By Imogen Delaney, Archivist

There has not been a staff member on maternity leave at the RBA since around 2009, so after being back at work for a month, I thought I'd share a little about my experience of returning to work as a new mum. 

Coincidently, the last time an RBA staff member had a baby, there were three babies born that year—and last year there were also three new arrivals! 

A former colleague recently said: 

 "Babies at the RBA are like buses—none for ages, then three turn up all at once!" 

Returning to work after maternity leave is a very strange experience. I have been away from the archive for around 13 months. A long time you think? But as clichéd as it sounds, it goes by incredibly fast! Before I knew it, I was back in the fold. 

The reality is that you are not the same person who walked out of the office the year before. For the past year, a little person has become my entire world and the idea of leaving them in the care of others feels very daunting.   

Since being away, the team at the RBA has evolved. There are new faces doing exciting things with the collections, social media especially! 

*cough* Check out our latest reels *cough* 

Whilst has been amazing to see what has been achieved over the last year, it left me wondering where I fit back in? 

My first few days back in the office, I felt very displaced. Part of me was still elsewhere. I found myself wanting to keep as busy as possible to stop checking the nursery app every 5 minutes for updates and my mind wandering to her.

Despite the conception of archives being stuck in time, there were also lots of changes to procedures that I had to contend with.  

There was the initial challenge of remembering all the different hats we wear as Archivists. I felt as though I needed a refresher on everything I used to do!  

At the RBA, archivists are document wardens, searchroom managers, web developers, conservators, cataloguers, social media managers, fountains of knowledge, blog writers, photocopiers, tour guides, administrators, key holders...did I forget something? 

Another challenge has been the feeling of being absent.  I have been away for some time and dropping to working part-time, and I have already had to miss a few working days due to illness affecting both myself and my baby (technically now a toddler, although I still can't quite get my head around that!). You can’t help but feel like you are letting the team down and worry about the searchroom cover.  

Despite the challenges returning to work has brought; it’s been nice to rediscover an important part of me. I have enjoyed getting properly dressed (with makeup), reconnecting with my colleagues and helping customers again.   

Over the past month I returned to cataloguing the records of the Ravenswood Foundation, a Jewish charity which provided for children with learning disabilities (D/EX2806).  

I have resumed searchroom duty and issued records from collections such as the papers of Margaret Kaines Thomas nee Wood (D/EKT); and records of Miles Aircraft (D/EX3048) which meant a lot of counting out!  

My first phone call on reception was a tricky adoption enquiry (typical!) but since then I have answered enquiries about resident cook of the House of Mercy, vintage Land Rover registered in Berkshire, former student of Maiden Erlegh school, past employee of the Slough Trading Estate, family history puzzles and many more! 

I am not in a rhythm yet or by any means cracked the answer of how to do it all, but I can say I am happy to be back!