Archival research is effective in helping to confirm that the results and theories derived from experiments reflect the real world and do not just exist in artificial or simplistic laboratory settings. If the cultural record contained in an archive is to be accessible, the archivist must examine, organize, and describe each collection. Feb 28, 2008 a 3day training program developed for the seminarworkshop on archival management, sponsored by south manila interinstitutional consortium committee of librarians, held on march 2628, 2008. This may take the form of an educational effort and the establishment of machinery to. Oct 21, 2018 challenging archival principles owens defines original order as the sequence and structure of records as they were used in their original context. To this end, archival science seeks to improve methods for appraising, storing, preserving, and. An important tool to safeguard archival collections is a disaster management plan and guidance on this is given at 2. Click download or read online button to get archives principles practices book now. Some of the few studies that have been identified are those of chida 1994, kemoni 1996. Fire departments keep records of fires, chemical spills, accidents and so forth, all of which constitute archived data.
On the wikibon peer incite call february 16, 2010, the primary organizational message was get back to the basics of principles of records management and use these principals as the basis for sound information governance. Other examples include saas principles of institutional evaluation, first published in 1982 and now incorporated in its archives assessment and planning workbook 1989, which define all of the basic elements of a sound archival program, including arrangement and description activities. A spanish translation of this article, by gunnar mendoza l. A working knowledge of protection methods used for historical documents. Collecting policy a policy established by an archival institution concerning subject areas, time periods, and formats of materials to seek for donation or purchase. Areas where archives are stored should be solidly built and must avoid the risk of fire. Records classification, particularly in malaysia, has not been well practiced resulting in the informationrelated professionals being dominated by the technical team. Statement of principles purposes of archival description archival description serves to identify and explain the context and content of archival material in order to promote its accessibility. Introduction to archival practice archives association of. Archival studies school of information studies mcgill. This makes it easier and often less costly than alternative research methods. This is an introductory study of archival theory and practice.
Principles and techniques chicago, 1956, is well known to our readers. Leplattenier for as long as i have been a historian of composition and rhetoric, i have heard stories about archival work floating around conferences. Archival science, or archival studies, is the study and theory of building and curating archives, which are collections of documents, recordings and data storage devices. University archives collections university archives. Concepts, principles, and methods for the management of. An archival collection is a unique body of information, created at a particular time by a particular organization or individual as a result of a particular activity. Preservation and conservation of archival materials. It defines the concepts of record reliability, authenticity, and authentication. The code is dependent upon the willingness of archival institutions and professional associations to implement it. To this end, archival science seeks to improve methods for. Telephone bills that are in the computers of the telephone company are another example. Overview archives usually consist of unique materials, and unlike libraries, cannot take advantage of standardized organization. Applying theoretical archival principles and policies to. The intellectual and physical organization of archival records and papers in all forms, according to archival principles and institutional considerations, and the development of descriptive tools and systems that provide both control of and access to collections.
Schellenberg, a fellow of the society of american archivists, is assistant archivist of the united states for the national archives. The theme of this course is that the effective archivist takes a proactive rather than. Principles of archival description these principles guide the development of a descriptive practice that employs the system of rules contained in this standard. Archival research methods include a broad range of activities applied to facilitate the investigation of documents and textual materials produced by and about organizations. Records may be consciously retained by the organization which creates them because the law requires it, or because the organization needs the information they contain for ongoing operation, but when these tests are not met, and the organization chooses to keep records, they are applying archival criteria.
The course blog for digital history methods a graduate seminar at american university. The importance of crossprofessional collaboration is also made by cassie findlay. When it occurs prior to acquisition, the appraisal process involves assessing records for inclusion. The following principles form a foundation for this standard, and assist institutions to achieve the purposes of archival description. In both cases of oral history and records, what is regarded as truth entirely depends on the trust of the source. One of the explicit goals of this course is for us to develop as communicators on the public web. As industry experts with decades of experience selling document and photo preservation supplies, we can direct you towards products that will adequately preserve your items.
Several different machines and operating systems were used during the media migration. Principles of preservation an introduction to the international charters for conservation and restoration 40 years after the venice charter satisfied. Archival science, or archival studies, is the study and theory of building and curating archives, which are collections of documents, recordings and data storage devices to build and curate an archive, one must acquire and evaluate recorded materials, and be able to access them later. It will discuss those principles as they apply to the arrangement of record groups, subgroups, series, and individual items. Several different machines and operating systems were. The quest for knowledge rather than mere information is the crux of the study of archives and of the daily work of the archivist. But above ali, it is to be recognized that the most important positive result by far of this assembly has been the formulation of the international code for restoration. Original order maintains context and saves time and effort from being spent reorganizing and arranging content, leading to faster access. Santamaria acknowledges using an approach similar to that of agile software development, conducting work in productive bursts.
Section 2 is for beginners and has simple steps to improve what you are doing or not doing to better care for and provide access to your archival collections. The basic unit used in all discussions of records management and all records retention and disposition schedules is the record series. Challenging traditional archival principles digital. According to rosenberg 1995 and mazikana 1992 very few studies have focused on preservation in africa. A person engaging in this activity is known as an archival processor, archival technician, or archivist. The principles are all accompanied by a commentary. Archives principles practices download ebook pdf, epub. Upon completion of this assignment, students should be able to 1 appreciate the size and complexity of unprocessed collections of archival and manuscript material 2 diagnose and document a range of common and uncommon preservation problems 3 gather systematically and present in relatively standardized form the information required for. Whereas provenance may refer to a history of ownership in the art world or a place of originbeginning of existence in more general usage, the term has a. In its most classic sense, archival methods are those that involve the study of historical documents. Archival methods metal edge short top box 5 x 8 cardsstereos 10. Appraisal, in the context of archival science and archive administration, is a process usually conducted by a member of the recordholding institution in which a body of records is examined to determine its value for that institution. The master images in a historical archive are intended to be.
The archival process of organizing documentary materials in accordance with archival principles. This staff information paper deals with the principles of arrangement of records followed in the national archives. Provenance and original order when processing collections, the fundamental archival principles of provenance and original order should be adhered to when at all possible. Archives and records management resources national archives. Instead, we should look to a shared set of principles, fundamental ideas which can be a foundation for diverse complementary methods. University archives collections university archives guidelines. Introduction to archival organization and description. The professional management of an archival institution through application of archival principles and techniques. A historical photograph archive intended to be accessible for at least 50 years will be handled differently than a personal photograph collection. The focus is on the management of records in paper and electronic formats through the use of recordkeeping systems for facilitating institutional recordkeeping, legal compliance, and decision making.
To build and curate an archive, one must acquire and evaluate recorded materials, and be able to access them later. The as area includes the management of historical records in archives through the. Archival storage boxes, object and artifact, documents, flat storage. Archival methods onyx 11x17x2 portfolio box, 18x1738, black buckram black lining. Archival research is the investigation of hard data from files that organizations or companies have. Challenging traditional archival principles digital history. Customers come to us looking for storage solutions and archival supplies for their photographs, paintings, textile, artworks and more. All the key words applied to archival recordsprovenance, respect des fonds, context, evolution, interrelationships, orderimply a sense of understanding, of knowledge, rather than the merely efficient retrieval of names, dates, subjects, or whatever, all.
Archival and photo preservation supplies archival methods. The as area includes the management of historical records. Archival studies as is increasingly connected to library education and knowledge management km initiatives. The discussion in this chapter includes the theory underpinning records classification such as principles of provenance and respect des fonds, archival theory, and archival science. Knowledge of general archival principles and procedures. Archival processing is the act of surveying, arranging, describing, and performing basic preservation activities on the recorded material of an individual, family, or organization after they are permanently transferred to an archive. Duranti 2017 suggests that whose truth we are dealing with requires the use of traditional archival principles, concepts and methods, collaborate with technology experts especially when dealing with digital records. The graduate of an archival studies program should have a thorough knowledge and understanding of archival principles and methods and should be prepared to work independently in the performance of all basic archival functions. Statement of principles canadian council of archives.
April 20 june 29, 2020 using laura millars awardwinning publication archives. Digital archives can greatly enhance the preservation and sharing of historical information. A 3day training program developed for the seminarworkshop on archival management, sponsored by south manila interinstitutional consortium committee of librarians, held on march 2628, 2008. The activity is one of the central tasks of an archivist to determine archival value of specific records. Knowledge of methods, procedures and techniques used to assist researchers and staff members in locating and retrieving documents, microfilm, audio tapes, and other archival materials. It also involves determining how long this value will last. A person engaging in this activity is known as an archival processor, archival technician, or archivist ideally, when an archives receives a.
However, little has been written about the principles governing an archival exhibitions inspiration and development, principles that need to be identified before addressing the methods and practice of mounting an exhibition. The second and third theories from information science contribute to search and retrieval techniques, as these two functions are widely used in the discipline. A record series is a group of records or documents which may be filed and maintained together as a unit throughout the life cycle. Schellenberg staff information paper number 18 1951 note on web version introduction this staff information paper deals with the principles of arrangement of records followed in the national archives.
Maria guercio, principles, methods, and instruments for the creation, preservation, and use of archival records in the digital environment, american archivist 64, no. Whose truth is true the use of archival principles to. Modern archival principles, practices, and management techniques 9780838906026. In addition to learning principles from the archival profession, we will observe and implement effective and efficient ways of storing, accessing, and selectively preserving data. Archival principles of arrangement in his essay ude archivis. He wrote that so great is the respect for archives that credence is obviously to be given to instruments produced from a public archives, and they make, as the jurisconsults say, full faith in england, the english archivist sir hilary jenkinson refers to. The first theory from archival science is at the heart of the development of a records classification because it provides the value from the aspects of authenticity, validity, and reliability. Archival data is very plentiful and has already been collected. You are also invited to watch choosing the right portfolio or box video to help with your decision. So please do join our conversation, but please do so respectfully.
527 116 1315 96 1097 120 1226 888 1405 1338 151 671 387 305 746 1367 150 298 613 1357 1355 1079 909 1374 732 1191 659 1023 743 649 1283 386 427 738 555 1295 854 867