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Foundation of Archives
Administration
WEEK 1
Introduction to Archives
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Content
Definition
The various theories of archives
What is Archival Institution?
Developing an Archives Policy
Responsibilities under the law
Professional ethics

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Archives Why do we keep them?
Continuing value to an individual or organization as
well as society.

As long term memory, enabling better quality
planning decision making and action.

Providing for continuity access to past experience,
expertise and knowledge and his historical
perspective.
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As a way of accessing the experience of others.

As evidence of continuing rights and obligations.

As instruments of power, legitimacy (rights) and
accountability, facilitating social interaction and
cohesion (unity).

As a source for our understanding and identification of
ourselves, our organization and our society.

As a tools for communicating political, social and
cultural.
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Archival Theories and Principles
Important manual written on archives administration:

1. Manual for the Arrangement and Descriprion of
Archives by S. Muller, J.A. Feith and R. Fruin, (Dutch
archivists) published in 1898.
2. A manual of Archives Administration by Sir Hilary
Jenkinson (British archivist) published in 1922.
3. Archivistica by Eugineo Casanova (Italian archivist)
published in 1928.
4. Archinkunde by Adolf Brenneke (German archivist)
published in 1953.
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What are Archives
The Dutch archivist defined the word
Archief as :

The whole of the written documents, drawings
and printed matter, officially received or
produced by an administrative body or one of its
officials, in so far as these documents were
intended to remain in the custody of that body or
of that official
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The Italian archivist defines archives as:

The orderly accumulation of documents
which were created in the course of its
activity by an institution or an individual and
which are preserved for the accomplishment
of its political, legal or cultural proposes by
such an institution or individual.

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The German archivist defines archives as:

The whole of the papers and documents
growing out of legal or business activities of a
physical or legal body which are intended for
permanent preservation at particular place as
the sources and the evidence of the past.

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Sir Hilary Jenkinson defined archives as:

Documents drawn up or used in the course of an
administrative or executive transaction (whether
public or private) of which (they) formed a part
and subsequently preserved in their own
information by the person or persons responsible
for that transaction and their legitimate
successors.
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Elements in Definition
1. The reason why materials were produced
or accumulated.

To be archives, materials must have been
created or accumulated to accomplish
some purpose.

In government agency, this purpose is the
accomplishment of its official business.


The Dutch archivist stressed the fact the archives
are officially received or produced

Jenkinson stressed their production in the course of
an administrative or executive transaction

Casanova stressed their creation to accomplish
political, legal or cultural purpose

Brenneke stressed that their growth as result of legal
or as business activities


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2. The values for which materials are preserved

Materials must be preserved for reasons other than
those for which they were created or accumulated.
These reasons may be both official and cultural.

In this various definition of archives, Jenkinson has
stressed preservation by the creating persons, for their
own information or for their own reference.

The German archivist stated that archives are
preserved as the sources and evidence of the past,
obviously for research use.

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3. The elements of custody

Jenkinson documents are archives only if the fact of
unbroken custody can be established or at least a
reasonable presumption (believe) of it can be
established.

Schellenberg in dealing with records produced under
modern conditions of government, proof of an
unblemished line of responsible custodians, or of
unbroken custody cannot be made a test of archival
quality.

The reason being modern records are large in volume,
complex in origin and frequently haphazard (messy) in
their development.
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4. Integrity of Records

Jenkinson is anxious to have the integrity of records preserved.
By this he means :
i) That records of a given agency should be kept together as records of
that agency.
ii) That such records should be kept as far as possible under the
arrangement given them in the agency in the course of its official
business.
iii) That such records should be kept in their entirely without, mutilation
(damage), alteration or unauthorized destruction of portion of them.
iv) The evidential value of archival materials rests on the way they were
maintained in the government office and the way they came to the
archival institutions.
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The essential characteristic of archives
1. Reasons why records were created.
2. Why they were preserved.

Schellenberg conclude that:
Public Archives have two types of values:

1. The primary values to the originating agency
2. The secondary values to other agencies and to the
non-government users.
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Definition of Modern Archives
Archivists of various countries have defined the
term archive differently. Each of them has
defined it in such a way that it is applicable to the
materials with which he deals.

What are Archives
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Archives are records usually but not necessarily non-
current records of continuing value selected for
permanent preservation.
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What are Records?
Records are documents regardless of form or medium,
created, received, maintained and use by an institution
(public or private) or an individual in carrying it out of legal
obligations or in the transaction of business of which the
records form a part or provide evidence.
(Michale Cook)

Source: National Archives of Malaysia
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Schellenberg defines records as:
All books, papers, maps, photographs or other
documentary materials, regardless of physical form or
characteristic, made or received by any public or private
institution in pursuance of its legal obligations or in
connection with the transaction of it proper business and
preserved or appropriate for preservation by that institution
or its legitimate, successor as evidence of its function,
decisions, procedures, operations or other activities.
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Archives are those records that have been appraised and
selected from the general body of records as being worthy of
permanent retention. Those records are judged to have long-
term value for reference of research.

Archives are preserved in and managed by specialist archival
institution, the responsibility of which is preservation and the
preservation of user services. These institutions are also called
Archives.
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From the definition of records, Schellenberg defined the
term Archives as:

Those records of any public or private institution which are
adjudged worthy of permanent preservation for reference
and research purposes and which have been deposited or
have been selected for deposit in an archival institution.
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Since the major problem of the modern archivist is to
select archives for permanent preservation from among
the mass of official records created by public or private
institutions of all kinds, the element of selection should be
implicit (understood) in the definition of archives.
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What is the Archival Institution?
Is one of the essential institutions of a modern society. It is
part of the overall system for managing records and
information in the general administration of a government or
corporation and it provides a service to its sponsor agency
based upon the information resources the records contain.

The Archives is also one of the central cultural institutions of
its society; serving as a center of research an underpinning
of the rights of citizens, a place for public research and a
guardian of cultural.
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Developing an Archives Policy
Legislation
The archives law should include the following requirements:
1.Establishment of the Archives as a public institution.
2.A public right of access to the holdings of the Archives.
3.Protection for the rights of individuals and organizations.
4.Provision for public scrutiny of the Archives and its success
in archiving its target.
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Archival Legislation
1.0 Jurisdiction
1.1 Definition of records and archives in general
1.2 Definition of public records and archives
1.3 Inalienability
1.4 Legislation/regulation for non-public archives
1.5 Function and organization of the public archives services
1.6 National Archives System
1.7 Ministerial responsibility
1.8 Advisory body
1.9 National Register
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2.0 Records Management Functions
2.1 The control exercised by the Archives over records
management functions varies widely between
countries
2.2 Inspection (assessment/examination)
2.3 Records Centers
2.4 Appraisal and disposal
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3.0 Archival Functions and Activities
3.1 Acquisition
3.2 Transfer
3.3 Preservation
3.4 Access
3.5 Copying of records/archives
4.0 Miscellaneous

**(For more details, please refer to National Archive Act, 2003)
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Mission Statement
Agreed and approved by government.
Endorsed by the governing body and published widely.
Reviewed regularly
Set out clearly the role of the Archives and records creator
Clear archival functions of preserving records of values
passed by appraisal tests
Accommodate the nations overall archival goals
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MISION

To acquire, conserve and preserve the national
heritage

To popularize the Archives and national heritage

To make the National Archives a National Resource
and Research Centre

Source: National Archive of Malaysia
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Links with other institutions
National Library
National Museum
Universities
Records Management Consultants
Local Records management Professional Organizations
International Records Management Professional bodies

Professional Ethics
- Archivists/records manager belongs to a professional group
- International identity
- Recognized code of ethics
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Codes of ethics adopted by records and archives
professional:

1. Professional responsibilities
2. Perform tasks without discrimination
3. Encourage and promote the use of archival materials in
custody
4. Duties carried out according to the highest standard of
conduct

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5. Facilitate the retrieval and exchange of information
about archival materials.
6. Enable the sharing of authority data.
7. Make possible the integration of description from different
archival institutions into unifies information system.
8. Contribute to the advancement of records and archives
knowledge and skills for the benefit of society.


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Types of Archive
1. Public archives
(Example : National Archives of Malaysia, National
Archives of Australia)

2. Private archives
(Example : Archives of RTM, ASTRO, TV3, NTV7,
Maybank ,etc)
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Characteristics and types of archives
manuscripts
Explanation on characteristics and types of archives
manuscripts can be divided into 3 approaches:

1. Forms
2. Different types and level of establishment
3. Nature of information
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1. Forms
- Parchment
- Vellum
- Paper manuscript/printed
- Machine-readable records
- Slide
- Photograph
- Microfilm
- Tape, etc.
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2. Different types and level of establishment
- Government
- Business
- Private/individual
- Religious
- Organization
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3. Nature of information
- Transaction
- Spatial representation
- Biographical
- Images
- Reports
- Minutes
- Agreement