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Principles on access in the crosshairs of ICA
Date Added:16 February 2011
What is the line between access and reference service? What are the differences in access to records of public bodies and records of private institutions? How does access for purposes of defending human rights differ from access for other research purposes?
These and many other questions were debated intensely by the group developing an ICA statement of Standard Principles of Access to Archives.
The group, which included representatives of six regions and seven sections, met 7 and 8 February in meeting rooms of the Archives nationales. The members worked from a draft prepared by a small drafting party; the draft included an introduction, draft principles, a technical report, and a glossary. The drafting party is now preparing a revision based on the discussions, and the revised principles will be given to the ICA's Executive Board for information at their upcoming meeting. A draft for public review and debate will be available in the summer.
The work is a project of the ICA Committee on Best Practices and Standards.