International Council of Archives

For a long period of time, archives have generally been seen as institutions of higher knowledge, available to only a limited number of people, rather than as information centers open to everyone

In the archive world we speak more and more about the necessity to open up ourselves and our interesting holdings to the wider society, with its new demands and ways of using as well as of regarding our information. It is clear, that we can´t passively just sit there and wait for people to visit us, but that we have do more to capture their interest. We have to devote more time and efforts in competing with other cultural institutions to attract visitors and to show them that we are worth a visit. In a world where the number of information resources steadily grows, we have to make people aware of our existence. The framework around this can depend on the specific legislation in each country. However, there seems to be a general trend with politicians and other decision makers starting to show a greater interest in what we are doing in archives. This can mean new opportunities but it is also combined with a higher responsibility for the archives, in terms of making clear how tax money is actually being spent. 

All this concerning opening ourselves and making it easier for our visitors to search for information is very appealing. The Brisbane congress will hopefully deal with this topic and put new perspectives into light, so that we can learn from each other how to improve this area. It is important that we learn from each other´s successes as well as mistakes. Many of the presentations in all three areas (trust, identity and sustainability) will likely touch this subject, either directly or indirectly. In one way or another, they will all deal with the question how we can better meet the demands of our users, the people we are there to serve.

Martin Ståhl

See the Flying Reporters'Blog

Here is a proposal of some of the presentations which could be inspiring for Martin:
“The impact of digital natives and social media on the management of information and the future of global society”
“People, records and power: What archives can learn from WikiLeaks”
“Welcoming the World: An exploration of Participatory Archives”

Find them in the programme and include them in your agenda!
Programme matrix available at: http://www.ica2012.com/files/data/program/Program-matrix_current_120622.pdf