Competency F

Apply fundamental management theories and principles to the administration of records and recordkeeping organizations

Introduction

Before applying fundamental theories it is best that we are clear with what they are and the people that overtime. Well then let us start. There are four main tenants we as archivist and record managers strive to uphold. The sanctity of evidenceRespect des fonds, provenance, and original orderThe organic nature of recordsHierarchy in records and their descriptionsWe must keep in mind people are not searching for information they are searching for knowledge. If that information is separated from its context, knowledge will be lost. It is our responsibility to manage and share information in a way that respects the original order. “Quite simply, archivists must transcend mere information, and mere information management, if they wish to search for and lead others to seek "knowledge" and meaning among the records in their care (Cook, 1984).Archives have been around for some time; however, it was not until 1830 when Francois Guizot (French Minister of Public Instruction) issued regulations requiring the application of respect pour les fonds to the records of the departments in the Archives Nationales that the archives and records profession began to emerge with standards on caring for our records.In 1956 T.R. Schellenberg while working as an archivist for the National Archives and Records Administration furthered the profession’s standards when he published Modern Archives: Principles and Techniques that laid out guidelines for the American National Archives. However, much credit must go to Muller, Feith, and Fruin who proposed the idea of respect des fonds and provenance (Van den, 1997).Now the trick is to follow the guidelines set in place while maintaining the archives integrity and accessibility as Jenkinson wrote:The perfect Archive (Archivist) is ex hypothesi an evidence which cannot lie to us: we may through laziness or other imperfection of our own misinterpret its statements or implications, but itself it makes no attempt to convince us of fact or error, to persuade or dissuade: it just tells us. That is, it does so always provided that it has come to us in exactly the state in which its original creators left it. Here then, is the supreme and most difficult task of the Archivist—to hand on the documents as nearly as possible in the state in which he received them, without adding or taking away, physically or morally, anything: to preserve unviolated, without the possibility of a suspicion of violation, every element in them, every quality they possessed when they came to him, while at the same time permitting and facilitating handling and use.—Jenkinson (1944)

Supporting Evidence

I chose three pieces of evidence that shall show my competency with Records management principles and their application. The first two works I’ll share have to do with evaluating two very different organizations. The first evaluation is of Hanna Boy’s Center’s records throughout its various departments. The records found here contained client personal information and photographs. The evaluation I did at the Sonoma Valley Historical Society differed drastically, as most of the materials had yet to be organized culled or accessioned. The third work is about the condition of the Sonoma League for Historic Preservation’s environment and holdings.

Hanna Boy’s Center Archive Assessment

This PowerPoint shows that I have taken into consideration the different needs Hanna must consider when developing an approach to improving their records management system and the long-term impact on their daily functions.

Sonoma Valley Historical Society Preservation Policy

While working with the Sonoma Historical Society, I noticed that there is a vast difference between a commercial organization compared to one reliant on volunteers. Here I experienced how to strategize and think of ways to prevent loss of information as much information was stored on legacy systems and managed by several different people all with their own “better way of doing things. My challenge here was to cull peripheral information and set aside information that needed to be converted to an accessible format.

Archives for the Sonoma League for Historic Preservation

At yet another volunteer organization, I was tasked with how to properly house their special collections, separating original documents from duplicates. I also created instructions for those requesting to do research. Furthermore, I provided a way to keep track of those who had come in to do research, as well as, what they researched.

Conclusion

Though these assignments I was able to gather an understanding that most of the time an archivist spends is on controlling the information, preserving its integrity, preventing loss due to emerging technologies, and mitigating risks to records due to dangers such as pests, natural disasters, and theft. It is our duty as Archivists to remain true to the fundamentals of record keeping while providing the public the best access.

References

Cook, T., (1984). From Information to Knowledge: An Intellectual Paradigm for Archives, Archivaria, 19, 28-49

Jenkinson, H. (1937). A Manual of Archive Administration. London, P. Lund, Humphries and Co.

Van den B., (1997, December). From Brussels to Beijing. Proceedings of the 13th International Congress on Archive. Archivum, International Review on Archives 43.