Archival Value Research Articles

Archiving the Housing Conjuncture

The past months have continued to exacerbate crises of housing, home, displacement, dispossession, and other state-sanctioned forms of violence and premature death. We witness erasure of histories, lives lived, belongings, and homes, which are intentional strategies to forcibly remove people from place and to make it seem as though they were never there. The authors thus document this conjunctural moment in radical housing struggles and collectively analyze and interpret the current political, economic, and social conditions, not for the sake of the analysis itself, but to inform strategies for action. This documentation encourages us to reflect on the role and value of archives in radical housing organizing. We define radical housing archiving as a collective intervention strategy responsive to the immediate housing crises built upon care for just housing futures. In this editorial, we aim to situate the archive while considering its possibilities for housing movements and radical care.

Community Archives as Agency: Intersectionality as a Framework to Document Chinese American Experiences in the United States

The U.S. has a history of anti-immigrant and anti-Asian. Asian Americans strive for agency in defining their identities. Intertwined with their history of exclusion is the absence and misrepresentation of Asian Americans in archives. In this dissertation, I first explore Chinese Americans’ understanding of their identity and its reflection of social inequality. Then, I investigate what they want to preserve to document their history to counter injustice. Lastly, I examine how Chinese Americans want to use community archives to enhance agency and fight against social injustice. I use interviews, workshops, and ethnographic methods to collect conversations with 17 participants who self-identify as Chinese descendants in the U.S. My dissertation finds that participants’ racial and ethnic identities shape their experiences of discrimination, pressure to assimilate to White society, a lack of belonging, and difficulty fitting into the Asian American Pacific Islander group. Furthermore, gender identity influences their experiences. For example, Chinese American women often face social expectations to prioritize family over themselves. Alongside unjust experiences, community members share lived experiences of resilience, joy, and achievements. My dissertation proposes intersectionality as a framework to understand the representational value of community archives. The intersectionality framework asserts, “it is not enough to simply ‘add race and stir’” (Smooth, 2013). My dissertation finds that participants challenge a thing-oriented approach that prioritizes preservation alone. Instead, they prefer an engagement-oriented approach that uses archives to transform counter-stories into agency, specifically into what Yosso (2005) calls cultural wealth, such as aspirational and social capital.

“Taking Our Own Measure”: Archival Engagement and Storytelling

ABSTRACT As archivists are increasingly called upon to measure and demonstrate our value, it is vital to consider not only what we are measuring and why, but also what is beyond measure (what can't be captured by data and metrics) and how we communicate value beyond what can necessarily be measured. In exploring these questions, the author offers some provisional ideas for reframing the discourse and practice around archival metrics and assessment, and for opening space to “take our own measure” more fully and demonstrate the true value of archives. Looking beyond metrics per se, the author first traces a broader notion of archival engagement as an outcome-oriented and people-centered conceptual frame for contemplating and assessing archival value(s) beyond measure, and then considers the role of storytelling in communicating value and ways for framing our stories in terms of archival engagement to convey meaning and impact.

Arrangements for Archive Depreciation to Improve Regional Government Performance in Perspective Legislation in Indonesia

The aim of this research is to determine and analyze the arrangements for archival depreciation in order to improve the performance of local governments from a legislative perspective in Indonesia. This research uses normative juridical research methods. In this research, two research approaches were used, namely the statutory approach and the conceptual approach. The results of this research are Article 27 of Law Number 43 of 2009 concerning Archives and Article 12 of Government Regulation Number 28 of 2012 concerning Implementation of Law Number 43 of 2009 concerning Archives regulating procedures for depreciation of archives. However, there are differences between the two articles in terms of archive depreciation criteria. Article 27 of the Archives Law regulates that depreciation of archives is carried out based on the archive's use value. The use value of archives is the benefit obtained from archives for organizations or society. Meanwhile, Article 12 PP Archives regulates that archive depreciation is carried out based on the archive's use value and organizational needs. Organizational needs are the organization's need to use archives in carrying out its duties and functions. These differences in archive depreciation criteria can cause confusion and uncertainty for local governments in carrying out archive depreciation. Regional governments do not know which laws and regulations must be complied with in carrying out archive depreciation.

Fotografias como arquivos e objetos de mediação cultural

The aim is to understand constituent elements of photographs as archival documents of secondary value, based on the analysis of documentary and cultural practices that focus on the production of the archival fond within the scope of the extension program 'Entre Comunidades’ . The methodological procedures adopted correspond to bibliographical, documentary and archival research to meet the objective. It is evident that archival values are constituent elements of photographs as archival documents of secondary value, associating them with documentary practices, memory activation and cultural mediation. It was concluded that photography has cultural values, notably aesthetic or formal value, being the object of cultural mediation.

Analisis Penilaian Makro untuk Arsip di PT. Kereta Api Indonesia Daerah Operasi 7 Madiun

Macro appraisal is one approach in determining the value of archives, which is closely related to the use value and future depreciation of archives. This research was conducted to identify archives using a macro assessment based on analysis of the implementation of organizational functions to identify then the values to produce a list of vital records within the PT. Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) Operation Area 7 Madiun. The method used in this research is a qualitative approach by collecting data through interviews in the archives section and units at PT. Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) Operation Area 7 Madiun. Apart from that, searching documents related to the implementation of main tasks and functions of each archive creation unit is also part of this research method. Data analysis was carried out using the macro archive assessment method, namely analyzing the main tasks and functions of each archive creator's unit and continuing with legal and risk analysis. The results show that from 18 archive creation units produced a total of 195 records, with 112 of them based on the analysis results identified as vital records. These results can be input for relevant agencies to carry out special maintenance and treatment, especially as vital records.

Problems of applying the theory of determining the value ofaudio-visual archives in practice

Determining the value of archival documents is a crucial professional content of archival work. There have been several initial studies on the theory of determining the value of audio-visual archives in Vietnam so far; however, due to the specificity of this type of document, the application still faces many difficulties. This article presents systematic research and analyses how to apply the theory of determining the value of audio-visual archives, a type of archive with specific characteristics in terms of origin, content of the document, and its appearance. The research methods used in this article are research methods of archival science, historical science, and interdisciplinary methods that use the perspectives and approaches of several different scientific disciplines. The result serves as a theoretical basis for further research which specifically considers the value of pictures, films as well as audio and video recordings for in-depth research and for agencies with audio-visual materials to apply appropriately; and as the basis for competent State agencies to promulgate documents regulating and guiding activities in determining the value of audio-visual documents.

Poetic Devices, Thematic Significance, and Social Realities in Poetry: A Critical Literature Review

This study critically synthesized the existing scholarly research on poetic devices, thematic significance, and social realities. The researcher used a critical literature review and content analysis to scrutinize scientific literature. Based on the review, this study bridges the gap between poetic form and societal critique, highlighting poetry's capacity for thematic depth and social analysis. The artful use of metaphors, personification, imagery, etc., empowers poets to address complex socio-political narratives within their work, positioning poetry as a mirror of society’s multifaceted issues. Poets from varied cultures have historically harnessed verse to reflect on universal themes such as mortality, justice, and human experiences, affirming poetry's role as both a narrative force and a societal barometer. Furthermore, poetry's archival value as a historical record is illuminated, capturing the spirit of different ages and contributing to our collective societal understanding. Through this synthesis, poetry is recognized as an enduring vehicle for exploring and challenging social dynamics, immortalizing the collective human psyche in rhythmic form. Through their craft, poets offer critiques and engage in the socio-political commentary that continues to shape the literary canon and our collective understanding. The study's findings underscore poetry’s timeless relevance as a medium for social critique and thematic exploration

Ecological pollution features and health risk exposure to heavy metals via street dust and topsoil from Nkpor and Onitsha in Anambra, Nigeria.

The manuscript presents the investigation results on the pollution and risk of metal mines, and it is considered an important report on environmental pollution near mines in Nigeria, with archival value. The research involved soil sampling and heavy metal analysis for about 12 months in three metal mines. Based on these results, the paper provides information on pollution levels and hazards using well-known methods like pollution and ecological risk indexes. The increasing population in urban communities attracted by various industrial, economic and social activities causes contamination of atmospheric environment that can affect human health. We investigated heavy metal distributions, correlation coefficient among elements, ecological indices and probable health risk assessment in street dust and topsoil from Nkpor and Onitsha urban suburb, Nigeria. The mean concentration of heavy metals in car dust from Onitsha and Nkpor suburb follows thus: Fe > Mn > Cu > As > Pb > Ni > Cr. The decreasing trend of heavy metal in rooftop dust from both area: Fe > Mn > Cu > Pb > As > Ni > Cr whereas metal contents in topsoil were: Fe > Mn > Cu > Pb > Ni > Cr > As for both areas. The degree of pollution indices was characterized by contamination factor (CF), geo-accumulation factor (I-geo), pollution load index (PLI), Nemerow (PN), ecological and potential ecological risk index (ER and PERI) which indicated low pollution in the urban street environment. The results of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) showed that the estimated heavy metals displayed sources from atmospheric deposition, natural origin and anthropogenic sources. Risk assessment revealed that ingestion of dust and soil was the significant route for heavy metals exposure to the populace followed by inhalation, then dermal contact. Considering all factors, non-cancer risk was more prominent in children than adults and no significant health hazard could be attributed to both aged groups as of the period of study except for As and Ni that needs constant monitoring to avoid exceeding organ damaging threshold limit of 1 × 10-4.

Breaking out of the box: increasing the representation of disability within archive science

This article explores the value of archives in increasing the representation of disabled people in social policy, and research narratives, as well as building an identity of the Disabled People’s Movement beyond traditional activism, and the inclusion of young people and marginalised groups within archives. To achieve this, it is vital that archival studies and archival science engage with the conceptual understanding of disability and the different needs of disabled people, beyond the traditional focus on the medical model, to an understanding of the Social and Rights Models. This understanding will help to unify approaches to disability within the archive from both an archival science and humanities perspective to make sure that polices and approaches facilitate the participation and recognition of the wide experiences of disability. This will require re-evaluation of approaches to policy issues such as safeguarding and vulnerability, social media use and whose voice is worthy of preservation. Engagement with the broader field of disability studies in theory and practice offers a way for the field of archive science to address these issues.

Unreported variant foramen of the frontal bone: the latero-orbital foramen.

Variant foramina of the skull can lead to misdiagnosis on medical imaging and potentially, intraoperative complications if not appreciated. Here, we report an unusual foramen found superior to the frontozygomatic suture. The foramen was located on the left side at the superolateral rim of the orbit, 2.36cm inferolateral to the supraorbital foramen. It was positioned 2.5mm superior to the frontozygomatic suture. The foramen had a length of 3.1mm and a width of 1.3mm. The internal opening of the foramen was located 1.45cm superolateral to the zygomaticotemporal foramen. We suggest that this foramen is a pathway for either a branch of the zygomatic nerve or lacrimal nerve and/or their vascular bundles. Although the prevalence of such a finding cannot be confirmed, such a case is of archival value as a comparison for future similar cases.

An improved equation of latitude and a global system of graticule distance coordinates

Two innovations are presented for coordinate time-series computation. First, an improved solution is given to a century-old problem, that is the non-iterative computation of conventional geodetic (CG: latitude, longitude, height) coordinates from geocentric Cartesian (GC: x, y, z) coordinates. The accuracy is 1 nm for heights < 500 km and < 10−15 rad for latitude at any point, terrestrial or outer space. This can be 3 orders of magnitude more accurate than published non-iterative methods. Secondly, CG time series are transformed into a practical system of “graticule distance” (GD: easting, northing, height) curvilinear coordinates that, unlike the commonly used system of topocentric Cartesian (TC: east, north, up) coordinates, is global in nature without arbitrary specification of GC reference coordinates for every geodetic station. Since 2011, Nevada Geodetic Laboratory has publicly produced time series for 20,000 GPS stations in GD form that have been cited by hundreds of studies. The GD system facilitates direct comparison of positions for co-located stations. Users of GD time series are able: (1) to resolve different historical station names that have been assigned to the same physical benchmark and (2) to resolve different physical benchmarks that have been assigned the same name. This benefits historical reconstruction of benchmark occupation and local site tie analysis for reference frame integrity. GD coordinates have archival value, in that inversion back to GC coordinates is practically exact. For geodetic stations, GD time series closely emulate TC time series with rates agreeing to 0.01 mm/yr, and so can be used interchangeably.

The Syrian Archive Digital Memory Project: Archiving as Testimony, as Evidence, as Creative Practice

Founded in 2014, the Syrian Archive is a collective of human rights activists dedicated to curating visual documentation of human rights violations and other crimes committed during the conflict in Syria. Working within the context of the Syrian Archive Digital Memory Project and building on a series of interviews which took place between 2018 and 2022 with 40 photographers and videographers based in Syria or in the diaspora, this article explores the main motivations behind Syrians’ documentation of the uprising/war since 2011. It articulates the potential of this crowd-sourced archive of the uprising-war across three main spaces: its testimonial and historical, its evidentiary, and its creative value. Across all three spaces, the Digital Memory Project, and by extension this article, advocate for the creation of a space where reflections on the value of crowd-sourced archives can happen in their authors’ own voices, rather than on their behalf.

Standardization Research on Scientific and Technological Archives Management in the Information Environment

With the advent of the information age, characterized by the rapid development of technology and the explosive growth of information, the management of scientific and technological archives faces unprecedented challenges. As a vital carrier of scientific innovation, technological research and development, and knowledge dissemination, the quality of management of scientific and technological archives directly impacts the effective utilization of scientific resources and the advancement of innovation processes. Therefore, in the information environment, how to standardize the management of scientific and technological archives, improve management efficiency, and ensure the integrity and security of archives, has become an urgent issue. Standardization, as an important means of modern management, plays an irreplaceable role in the management of scientific and technological archives. It helps make the management of scientific and technological archives more standardized and scientific, contributes to improving work efficiency in archive management, and facilitates the sharing and dissemination of scientific and technological archives, driving scientific progress and innovation. Hence, standardization of scientific and technological archives management in the information environment is a complex and arduous task, requiring efforts from multiple aspects, including strengthening collaboration, focusing on talent cultivation, and continuously updating and perfecting the standard system. Only in this way can the full value of scientific and technological archives be realized, driving scientific progress and innovation, and contributing to the sustainable development of human society.

Validation of the Survey Simulator Tool for the NEO Surveyor Mission Using NEOWISE Data

The Near-Earth Object Surveyor (NEO Surveyor) mission has a requirement to find two-thirds of the potentially hazardous asteroids larger than 140 m in size. In order to determine the mission’s expected progress toward this goal during design and testing, as well as the actual progress during the survey, a simulation tool has been developed to act as a consistent and quantifiable yardstick. We test that the survey simulation software is correctly predicting on-sky positions and thermal infrared fluxes by using it to reproduce the published measurements of asteroids from the NEOWISE mission. We then extended this work to find previously unreported detections of known near-Earth asteroids in the NEOWISE data archive, a search that resulted in 21,661 recovery detections, including 1166 objects that had no previously reported NEOWISE observations. These efforts demonstrate the reliability of the NEO Surveyor Survey Simulator tool and the perennial value of searchable image and source catalog archives for extending our knowledge of the small bodies of the solar system.

Management of inactive records by cooperatives in Lake Zone, Tanzania

Cooperatives in Tanzania’s Lake Zone generate many records that have archival value, but they face challenges in managing them when they become inactive. This study aimed to assess the status and experiences of managing inactive records by cooperatives in Lake Zone and the prospects for improving their management. A mixed methods approach with cross-sectional research design were employed in which data were collected from board members of eight cooperatives through focus group discussions, face-to-face interviews, observation, and document review. Thematic content analysis was used to analyse the data. The study revealed that Tanzania has a rich collection of inactive cooperative records, but they are scattered in various cooperative societies across the country without proper management. Consequently, most of inactive records were dumped in rooms and wet places with insects that were inaccessible to users. The board members did not recognise the importance of the generated records in the cooperative movement. In addition, they were unaware of the availability of Records and Archives Management Policy as a guiding tool to ensure proper management of the generated cooperative records. This study established that the Records and Archives Management Policy was silent about managing cooperative records. The study concluded that cooperatives need to develop legal frameworks for cooperative records keeping, provide resources and training for records management, and create awareness of the value of archival records among cooperative members.

Analysis of the Current Situation of Red Archives Information Dissemination in the Context of Party History Education

Party history education provides an opportunity for the dissemination of red archives information, and the realization of the value of red archives enhances the effect of party history education. The author starts with the form and content of dissemination, sorts out and summarizes the current situation and shortcomings of red archives information dissemination under the party history education, and puts forward optimization suggestions to promote the sustainable development of dissemination, with a view to achieving greater achievements in red archives information dissemination in the future.

Selection and Disposal of Records

All custodians and creators have a legal obligation to organize and arrange public records/archival material. This obligation for “arrangement” of records refers to the records created by the work of the creator of public records, as well as to the records created by the work of another creator that is in his possession on any legal basis. The work of organizing and arranging public records consists of four phases: classification and selection records into fonds, arrangement of records within one fonds, selection and disposal of records and creating basic description about records. The author will present the third phase of records arrangement, selection and disposal of records, and the most common mistakes that occur in the realization of that process. Retention periods of records are determined in accordance with regulations. For records that are not stored permanently and that do not have archival value, the disposal dates are determined depending on the business needs of the creator and in accordance with special regulations, taking into account the time in which the records needed for business was created. The author will present the experiences of the Archives of the Republic of Srpska with different creators of records and look back on their approach to selecting and disposal of records. Also, the challenges when selecting records from some non-specific creators, as well as the conditions in which those records are found, will be shown.

“Archival Mentalities,” Multiculturalism, and the Canadian Context: Identifying the Value and Impact of the Ontario Jewish Archives

ABSTRACT Within the last decade, interest in community archives has increased in the field of archival studies. Calls to evaluate programs and services have caused scholars and archival professionals to seek new ways to understand how effectively a program or organization performs, to gather input for evidence-based decision-making, and to demonstrate an organization's impact on its community or stakeholders beyond traditional evaluative measures. This article is based on a two-year partnership study with the Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre (OJA) in Toronto, Ontario. In conjunction with OJA staff, the researchers sought to identify effective methodologies that shed light on OJA's impact. Informed by recent archival theories on impact and a critical understanding of OJA's organizational culture as well as the Ontario Jewish community's history, the authors argue that OJA's impact and value as articulated by members of the community must be contextualized within what Amir Lavie calls an “archival mentality”—in this case, one grounded in Canada's history of multiculturalism as a policy and as a national identity.

On the Possibilities and Constraints of Studying the Ethnic Makeup of the Population Using Census Data from the Principality and Kingdom of Serbia: the Case of Eastern Serbia

Since the first half of the nineteenth century, various census data have been collected regarding the ethnic characteristics of the Serbian population, although the data are incomplete and collected irregularly. The ten censuses conducted in the Principality of Serbia between 1833 and 1874 have immense archival value, but their usefulness for ethno-demographic studies is limited. Similarly, while the statistics collected in the censuses of the Kingdom of Serbia from 1874 to 1910 are somewhat more reliable than the previous ones, they suffer from the absence of a direct question on ethnicity.&#x0D; To determine the ethnic structure of the population during this time period, a researcher had to rely on an indirect approach through the identification of ethnic groups based on their linguistic affiliation. However, it is important to note that this method only provides an approximate estimation of ethnic composition. Despite this limitation, available census data can still provide valuable insights into the ethnic composition of the population of the Principality and Kingdom of Serbia, with the number and share of the Vlach population as the most numerous ethnic minority taking centre stage. This means that any data analyses must begin with the understanding that the indicators can only be presented for the Romanian-speaking population.&#x0D; If we accept the indirect approach to determining population ethnicity, we can deduce from the data that the number of Vlachs in Eastern Serbia increased up to 1895, and their percentage share increased up to 1884. It is noteworthy that the dynamics of the number of Vlachs until 1895 were relatively stable, implying that the increase was practically linear and consistent with the growth tendency of Serbia’s overall population at the time.&#x0D; Within the framework of demographic analysis, data on declared Vlachs in almost all censuses since the post-war census cannot be used to derive explainable demographic indicators. Therefore, it is reasonable to suspect that such data would also be of limited use in other academic fields, particularly in law, politics, and public life in general. This highlights the importance of paying closer attention to earlier ethno-statistic records, especially the first statistical aberration reported in the last decade of the nineteenth century.