Dr Sigrid McCausland

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Archival basics an introductory workshop on
archives PARBICA 12 Thursday 4 October 2007

• Dr Sigrid McCausland
• Education Officer
• Australian Society of Archivists

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Introduction

• Aims of the workshop
• What the workshop will cover
• How we will learn

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What are archives?

• What do you think they are?
• How would you describe archives to someone who
  does not know about them?
• Archives tell us about the past, but that is not
  all they do

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Some archives are old
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Some survive only as fragments
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Some belong to a larger story
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Some tell us about change
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Just because its old
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Archives as records (things)

• Those records that are appraised as having
  continuing value.
• records which have value as authentic evidence
  of administrative, corporate, cultural and
  intellectual activity.
• records no longer required for current use
  which have been selected for permanent
  preservation.

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Archives as a place or building

• The place (building/room/storage area) where
  archival material is kept.
• the archives often portrayed as hidden or
  mysterious or difficult to enter
• the building where the staff perform the work of
  managing the archives (records)

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Archives the building

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Archives as an institution

• An organisation (or part of an organisation)
  responsible for appraising, acquiring, preserving
  and making available archival material.
• The National Archives as part of the national
  government administration
• Archives within another organisation such as a
  university, church, bank, local government
  authority, school etc

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Another definition

• Archives hold much of our national memory and
  form an essential bridge between past, present
  and future. Amongst other things, archives record
  the challenges, the aspirations and the
  experiences of todays generation, and of the
  generations that have preceded us.
• from Archives Matter!, ASA, 2007

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Why are archives important?

• To tell us about our history
• and

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What do archivists do? (1)

• Archivists ensure that records which have value
  as authentic evidence of administrative,
  corporate, cultural and intellectual activity are
  made, kept and used. The work of archivists is
  vital for ensuring organisational efficiency and
  accountability and for supporting understandings
  of Australian life through the management and
  retention of its personal, corporate and social
  memory.

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What do archivists do? (2)

• As archivists we are responsible for making
  sure
• people today can reconstruct yesterday
• people tomorrow can reconstruct today
• archives are physically preserved and made
  available.We build bridges for people to move
  between time and place.
• Keeping Archives, first edition, 1987

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What do archivists do? (3)

• Select, preserve and make archives available for
  use
• How is this different from the work of other
  professionals in related fields?

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(No Transcript)
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Some archivists look like this
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Appraisal (1)

• The process of evaluating business activities in
  determining which records need to be captured and
  how long records need to be kept, to meet
  business needs, the requirements of
  organizational accountability and community
  expectations.

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Appraisal (2)

• Principles
• Conforms to law
• Supports accountability and transparency
• Complies with standards and codes
• Responsive to needs of others

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Further information

• See Keeping it for the future (National Archives
  of Australia, 2007) and other resources
• Exchange information and experiences with
  colleagues from other organisations
• Keeping Archives new edition in 2008!