Association Of Archivists Research Articles

Records Managers – Obligation to Pass the Professional Exam

Records managers at the creators of archives are defined by the archival legislation of the Republic of Srpska, The Law on Archives and the Regulations on record management for administrative bodies. Records managers are officials of different degrees and fields of education. Given that there are no high schools in Bosnia and Herzegovina that deal with the training of archival technicians, the education of officials is carried out through the preparation for passing professional exams in the Archives of the Republic of Srpska according to the planned program, and constant professional development through seminars/trainings provided for records managers. It is very important to employ an expert person, qualified to manage records and monitor information and technological development. Professional training and improvement are of the greatest importance for the protection of public records, especially at a time when it is necessary to follow technological and informational development. Since 2002, the Archives of the Republic of Srpska and the Association of Archivists of the Republic of Srpska have launched a program of taking professional exams for records managers. In the period from March 2002 to January 2024, a total of 300 candidates passed the professional exam for working on the protection of public records and archival materials. The plan and program of taking professional exams for records managers is regulated by the "Regulations on conditions, deadlines and methods of taking professional archival exams, recognition of professional archival titles and conditions for acquiring professional archival titles".

Swiss Competency Model for the Archivist of the 21st Century

The paper discusses the competency model for archivists that the Swiss Association of Archivists (AAS) has written and published in 2012 to create a common model for all the parts of Switzerland including its different German, Italian and French traditions. The goal was to define the profession at the Swiss level, including its new aspects, and also communicate a positive picture of the profession, which remains mainly unknown outside specialized circles. Challenges between different linguistic traditions, new requirements of the professions, and a threefold set of competencies are explained through examples given in French and German, and translated into English, in the AAS documents Les métiers des archives: Le profil professionnel des archivistes (Profession in Archives : Competency Model of the Archivist) and Archiviste: un métier (Archivist : A Profession). Archival activities require specialized knowledge, professional competencies and social competencies, a new area for the first time taken into account and officially recognized.

Análisis del proyecto de Ley Orgánica del Colegio de profesionales en Archivística

El objetivo de este ensayo es analizar algunos aspectos del proyecto Ley Orgánica del Colegio de profesionales en Archivística, a través del estudio del expediente legislativo número 19389 con el fin de evidenciar varias disconformidades presentes. Se exponen las omisiones en el trámite legislativo de consultas, caracterización de los diversos profesionales, situación de los archivistas incorporados en otro colegio profesional, conflictos con la Ley del Sistema Nacional de Archivos y otra legislación. Asimismo, se expone la formación de dos organizaciones que presentan ciertas incongruencias sobre éste: la Asociación Costarricense de Archivistas (ACA) y la Comisión Interinstitucional de Jefes o Encargados de Archivos del Sector Público (CIAP); y en base a la cantidad de miembros de ambas organizaciones y la administración y extinción de la segunda, se infiere la dificultad para la consolidación de un colegio exclusivo. Además, se considera la comisión para la creación del Colegio de profesionales en Archivística (CO-COLPROA), dado que fue el grupo que elaboró el proyecto. En conclusión, se indican tres posibles opciones: a) aceptación, b) solicitar revisión, o c) plantear un nuevo texto sustitutivo.

From Archival Management to Archival Enterprise to the Information Domain: David Gracy and the Development of Archival Education at the University of Texas

David B. Gracy II is very well known for his advocacy for archives and the study of archives, an enthusiasm that he has been communicating to students from the 1970s through the first decade of the twenty-first century. He has been involved during his career with most initiatives having to do with furthering archival education through both continuing education for working archivists and, at the University of Texas at Austin (UT), crafting a full program of postgraduate archival and preservation education. In this article I discuss the development of a discourse about and cadre for archival education in the United States, counterpointed by developments at UT from the perspective of Gracy's career as it intersected with the social worlds of state, local, and national archives and archivists; national postsecondary education for archivists; and the national professional association of archivists.

Certification of archivists in The Netherlands

This article focuses on the certification of Dutch archival professionals as initiated by the Royal Dutch Association of Archivists, KVAN. This certification covers the full breadth of the records continuum and is meant for both records managers and archivists. Important points of reference are the sets of competencies for records managers and for archivists as formulated by the advisory committee of the Dutch Archives School. In this certification model the concept of life-long learning is incorporated. It is expected that in an indirect way, by certifying professionals, the quality of the education can be influenced. In order to consolidate certification, the KVAN plans to establish an independent register of archival and records management professionals.

The Swedish Mentor Scheme - a case study of trial and error and success

Many skills of the archival profession require practice and experience. Mentoring is one way to transfer those skills from an experienced professional (the mentor) to someone who in some way is a new professional (the mentee). Mentoring can be a successful tool to support career development and professional growth as well. The Swedish Association of Archivists has had mentoring formally on its agenda since 2004, when a project was constituted to investigate mentoring possibilities. Since 2006, the Mentor Scheme has become a regular field of activities within the Association. The article provides a case study on how a small scale mentoring scheme can be built and operated. It also contains experiences of benefits and pitfalls from all parties involved: mentors, mentees, the Association's board and the administrating sub-committee. The article finally suggests some advice for others who are interested in building a mentoring scheme.

The Dutch Association of Archivists Marks Its Centennial

The founding of the Dutch Association of Archivists (VAN) in June 1891 was related to developments in the organization of public records in the Netherlands at the end of the nineteenth century. That organization, which continues today, is described by the author. The role of the Dutch association, especially in the commissioning of a manual to provide practical interpretation of archival principles, and in the drafting of the first and subsequent Dutch national archives laws, is also discussed.

The value of business archives with special reference to Barlow Rand's archives

In May 1980 the Association of Archivists and Manuscript Librarians organised a Seminar on Business Archives at the University of Cape Town. key papers were delivered by this author, who spoke on How to Organise Business Archives. Practical Approach and Professor Basil le Cordeur, who spoke on The Importance of Business Records for the Historian.

The Blessings of Providence on an Association of Archivists

This history of the Society of American Archivists from its founding (1935-1937) to the appointment of a paid executive director (1974) is organized into three periods: "I. Growing Up in Depression and War, 1935-1945," in which are outlined the founding of the society and its relationships with other organizations, especially the American Historical Association; the role of the National Archives in the affairs of the society; the development of the American Archivist; and the impact of hard economic times and war. "II. Coming of Age, 1946-1957," in which are discussed the society through its twenty-first year; international archival relations; the committee structure; SAA as a national voice for the profession; the tensions between state archivists and the National Archives; the establishment of Fellows; and the growing complexity, and resulting problems, of the maturing association. "III. The Professionalization of the Association, 1958-1974," in which is reviewed the development of the society into a truly professional association designed to meet the many and conflicting demands of a varied membership. The issues examined include the threat of fragmentation and the rise of regional archival groups; the decline in interest in international archival matters; independence for the National Archives and Records Service; the Loewenheim case at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library; tensions within the SAA leadership; internal operations and problems with committees; growth patterns of membership and budget within SAA; the increasing role of state archivists in the affairs of the society; attitudes of state archivists toward NARS; the rise of the institutional archivists; education and training programs; and the search for funding for the executive director position as the culmination of the work of the Committee of the 1970s to democratize SAA and make it more responsive to the needs of the membership.

The International Scene: Report on the Second Caribbean Archives Conference October 27-31, 1975

Ten years ago, in September 1965, the First Caribbean Archives Conference was held at the University of the West Indies in Mona, a suburb of Kingston, Jamaica.1 On October 27-31, 1975, after much planning, a Second Caribbean Archives Conference was held, this time in the French islands of Guadaloupe and Martinique. Most of the support for this second conference came from French sources, including funds made available by two of the French ministries in Paris, and also by the departments of Guadaloupe and Martinique, which are considered a part of France. There were sixty or more registered attendants at the conference, and at the formal sessions place assignments were by country. Barbados, Curacao, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico had from two to five representatives present. The United States had four representatives in attendance. Unfortunately the United States was not the only major country greatly involved in Caribbean history that had a small representation at the conference. There was no one present from Great Britain, which played such a large role in Caribbean history, nor from the mainland of Spain, Britain's chief rival. The Central American countries were another area totally unrepresented. Colombia and Venezuela, the two main Caribbean countries of South America proper, were represented only by Fr. Alberto Lee Lopez, director of the National Archives of Colombia and president of the In terAmerican Association of Archivists established at Lima in 1974. This may mean that Spanish-speaking countries bordering on the Caribbean feel they should belong to the InterAmerican Association of Archivists rather than to the Caribbean Association of Archivists. It would seem they should belong to both. Certainly the two associations must cooperate closely, and we may hope Father Lee's presence symbolized recognition of this fact. Two of the Spanish-speaking islands, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, were well represented, but Cuba remained completely unheard from. Possibly these absences may be due to shortcomings in the invitation system. But also there was little publicity in archival journals. It was especially unfortunate that the United States was not better represented since we are planning to have the International Congress in Washington, D.C., next September. There should have been

Manual for the Arrangement and Description of Archives: Drawn up by Direction of the Netherlands Association of Archivists. S. Muller , J. A. Feith , R. Fruin , Arthur H. Leavitt

<i>Manual for the Arrangement and Description of Archives: Drawn up by Direction of the Netherlands Association of Archivists</i>. S. Muller , J. A. Feith , R. Fruin , Arthur H. Leavitt