ISSN Print: 1680-1865 ISSN Online: 2049-3355
Established in 1948, in the aftermath of a World War immediately followed by the Cold War, the ICA promoted a neutrality that reflected the fears and values of a world exposed to clashes between geopolitical blocs and the terror of nuclear weapons. As the world has evolved, so has the ICA, reflecting the priorities, diversity and ambitions of its members. Increasingly, our members have addressed important social issues that impact on the preservation and use of records and archives. The resolution of support for Ukraine adopted by the ICA Executive Board on 10 March 2022 reflects this development as it is the role of the ICA to act responsibly and decisively in defense of records, archives, our profession and its members.
This article is part of a contribution to honour Professor Justus Wamukoya, one of the leading records and archival practitioners and academics in Africa. The article started as a book chapter that Prof. Wamukoya had contributed to a proposed book meant to be published by professional colleagues at the University of Botswana during the four years that Prof Wamukoya spent with them. Unfortunately, the publication of the book was overtaken by events and interest in completing the work waned over time. However, Prof. Wamukoya’s chapter has been converted into an article that is now being published as a tribute to remember him and his passion for the profession.
The article looks at records management development in Africa and challenges and constraints that hinder development of records management in Africa. It also presents examples of some case studies in African governments aimed at improving records management. Much of the information used in this paper is from general literature and personal experience of the author having witnessed these developments during his years as a practitioner and academic.
Research reveals the dwindling number of people consulting archival sources in East and Southern Africa. This is a serious concern, particularly in South Africa, as there is a danger that archives services could follow the same path as the Seattle office of the US National Archives, which closed in January 2020. Many scholars support the notion of opening the archives and their respective collections more expansively and allowing archives to be spaces for the people. Such scholars advocate for open access and transparency by archival institutions indicating that archival practices should be transformed to reflect the history of a nation and the respective communities. All voices should be heard, recorded, remembered and be made accessible to a broad spectrum of users.
This paper will unpack several South African narratives that should be opened for public viewing and discussion as well as endeavours to ensure that youth develop an interest and appreciation for archival sources and aspects relating to heritage. This paper is based on a model based on the experience shared by a scholar from India, whose experiences involved a project of re-writing school history textbooks which had been dominated by communal and colonial stereotypes. Several examples have been sourced from different archival institutions in the United States in efforts to bring archives closer to the people and for the inclusion of archival artefacts and resources to be incorporated into teaching and learning activities.
It is contended that similar models need to be developed to bring archives closer to the people, allow archives institutions to share their collections and ensure the sustainability of archival institutions and the role historians can play in the achievement of this objective.
Les archives, comme phénomène social et expression sociétale, sont de plus en plus prises en charge par leurs professionnels et leurs scientifiques, surtout les Africains qui essayent de socialiser davantage cette réalité avec l’aide de la communauté internationale dans leur continent. Certes, l’entreprise des archivistes et archivologues africains souffre, notamment de certaines réticences managériales observées dans le chef de plusieurs leaders du continent dans le cadre précis de revalorisation des archives.
Heureusement, le Conseil International des Archives (ICA) ne cesse de concevoir les stratégies pour accompagner l’Afrique dans la valorisation de ses archives, gage de la bonne gouvernance et de la gestion orthodoxe de sa mémoire.
Les archives sont également considérées comme un patrimoine essentiel de l’humanité aussi bien pour les contemporains que pour la postérité.
C’est pour autant dire que les assises de novembre 2018 à Yaoundé au Cameroun constituent une des preuves de la contribution du Conseil International des Archives pour les archivistes et les archivologues africains en terre africaine.
As a developing subdiscipline within the context of archives and records management, data curatorship and management focuses on maintaining, preserving and adding value to digital research data throughout its lifecycle. Though data curatorship and management have been implemented within archives and records management programs in industrialized countries, the training of archivists and records managers in the principles and application of data curation in Africa has not received the same attention. To rectify this, the International Council on Archives (ICA) proposed a generic curriculum for modules with the focus on data curatorship. Linked to these guidelines, this article addresses the development of a data curatorship and management module within a Comprehensive Open Distance eLearning (CODeL) University.
The research relied on the views and experiences that the authors obtained during the design phase, contextualized within an interpretivism paradigm. Policies, existing literature and guidelines proposed by the ICA informed the scope and context of the information included within the module. Aligned to the principles of the bricolage design, the ADDIE model and responsive curriculum theory was applied to provide a framework for the development of the data curatorship and management module at the CODeL institution. Findings revealed that developing a data curatorship and management module for the African context entails the consideration of many factors to ensure that students are prepared for applying new knowledge within changing workplace environments.
The conceptualization of digital records curatorship in the archives curriculum in Africa is gaining momentum as scholars engage on the subject. This was accelerated by the development of the workshop on digital curatorship by the International Council on Archives as part of the implementation of the education leg of the African strategy. This paper reports on the journey towards the customization of digital curatorship module in the information science curriculum at the University of Eswatini. The reporting in the paper was mostly informed by the experience from the involvement of the authors in the project.
The paper provides a rationale for integrating the workshop in the curriculum of information science at the University of Eswatini. To conceptualize the digital curatorship module in the curriculum, the authors used a conceptual framework scheme by Jacobs which is linked to the theories of Bernstein in terms of vertical and horizontal knowledge. It is concluded that the University of Eswatini still has a long way to go in the development and implementation of a fully-fledged programme in archives and records management. However, the hardest first step taken by the University of Eswatini is acknowledged as a step in the right direction for development of archival curriculum.
The importance of and need for digital curation has increased significantly in recent years owing to the myriad of risks facing digital assets. These risks include problems of hardware and software obsolescence, media fragility, rapid technological developments and the frequent absence of sufficient metadata. Additionally, digital records face risks of improper handling, corruption and alteration, unauthorized access and accidental erasure. These issues necessitate continuous discussions amongst information professionals, including records managers and archivists, on how best they can be circumvented in the face of changing technologies. Hence, digital curation has gained world-wide acceptance and recognition today as a sound strategy for ensuring the continued accessibility of digital assets.
This article discusses the International Council on Archives (ICA) Programme Commission (PCOM) initiative which focuses on capacity building for records and archives management in the African region. In particular, the paper discusses the 2019 Digital Records Curation Programme (DRCP) Study School held in Gaborone, Botswana, which brought together archival educators from various countries across the African continent. The study school provided a forum for the trainers and participants to share knowledge and shape the digital curation agenda for the future, including roll-out of a newly developed digital records curation curriculum for international adoption.
This paper recommends the adoption of the DRCP by archival educators in African Universities. It is also recommended that the ICA make provision for continuous professional development training for the trained archival educators.
Les contentieux archivistiques sont aussi anciens que les archives constituées elles-mêmes et le Conseil International des Archives, et son secrétaire général en particulier, Charles Kecskeméti, s’y sont beaucoup intéressé. Entre 1963 et 2003, des enquêtes ont été menées, des rapports ont été rendus, des débats ont été tenus, des pistes ont été proposées. Retenons en particulier les travaux menés à l’occasion de deux Conférences internationales de la Table ronde des archives (CITRA), celle de Varsovie en 1961 et celle de Caligari en 1977. Les conclusions des débats menés dans le cadre de la commission de droit international de l’ONU et rendues publiques en avril 1983 par la « Convention de Vienne sur la succession d’Etats en matière de biens, archives et dettes de l’Etat » n’ont pas mené à la ratification de cette convention par un nombre suffisant d’États. Depuis les discussions se poursuivent.
Le texte vise, dans une sorte de remémoration, avec ses limites et même sa subjectivité, à insister sur trois points :
•les CITRA et tout particulièrement celle de Marseille en 2002 ;
•ma présidence d’EURBICA et notamment le travail de révision des statuts ;
•le bicentenaire en 2008 de l’installation des Archives Nationales au Palais Soubise et les différentes manifestations organisées en vue de cette commémoration, y compris le colloque international tenu à l’UNESCO en novembre 2008.
Alors, Charles Kecskeméti n’était plus le secrétaire général du Conseil International des Archives. Lui avait succédé Joan Van Albada qui est resté à ce poste jusqu’en 2008.
The 2003 CITRA conference on “Archives and Human Rights” held in Cape Town, South Africa was a watershed for the ICA. For the first time the issue of archives and human rights moved firmly on to the international body’s agenda. It must not be forgotten that Charles Kecskeméti was one of the pioneers promoting the recognition of this issue. This article is a personal reminiscence of the trials and triumphs in organizing the conference. From the South African perspective, two factors contributed to the success of the conference. The first was the important keynote address by Nobel Peace Laureate Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, and the second was the meeting of ministers responsible for archives in southern and eastern Africa and the declaration on archives that they adopted. The article also mentions some of the more amusing and challenging moments around the conference.
As any other NGO the ICA offers several benefits to its members. When one goes on the publicity literature of the organization, emphasis is made on the provision of a network of colleagues, specialized advice, and a tool kit of products and publications that come out of the organization. These are all noble benefits. But there are other political, psychological, and intangible benefits that such a network offers. This article celebrates the contribution of Charles Kecskemeti to the international archival domain through some personal reflections of what ICA membership has meant for Malta, for our National Archives and for me personally as an archivist.
For anyone working within the field of archives or records management, the ICA has a special value. As the peak international organization for archives, the ICA offers its collective membership a powerful platform upon which to influence legislatures, governments and policy-makers. Within the professional community, it offers our members a pathway that elevates each of us from a skilled practitioner to a true professional. The significance of this should not be underestimated. A skilled practitioner would aspire to be highly competent and technically literate in the field of archives, however, a professional aspires for much more, taking on a commitment to a code of ethics, the development of a professional community, and the virtuous pursuit of public good through the work we do. By drawing on just a few examples from a long list of its achievements, this article demonstrates the reach and influence of the ICA affecting the issues that genuinely matter to most to people in the world, such as inequality, access to justice, freedom of speech, open government, climate change and decolonization.
Le Conseil International des Archives (ICA) a vu le jour en 1948. A l’aube de son 75e anniversaire, il n’existe toujours aucun ouvrage consacré à son histoire. Il serait temps de combler cette lacune. Les sources existent : les archives de l’ICA sont déposées aux Archives nationales françaises, à Paris, et elles sont décrites dans deux instruments qui couvrent la période qui va des débuts de l’ICA aux années 2000. L’étude de ces archives pourrait être complétée par celle d’autres sources ainsi que par le dépouillement des publications de l’organisation. En plus d’une histoire, il serait souhaitable que l’ICA regroupe sur son site web, sous un onglet spécifiquement dédié au passé de l’organisation, des éléments historiques (chronologie, documents numérisés, exposition virtuelle, etc.). Quel plus bel hommage pourrait rendre la communauté internationale à Charles Kecskeméti que de lancer un projet qui réunit archivistique et histoire ?
L’article évoque brièvement les circonstances de la vie et de la carrière de Charles Kecskeméti en Hongrie, ainsi que sa participation à la révolution de 1956. Quelques années après son arrivée à Paris, il prenait la direction du Conseil International des Archives et le transformait en une organisation véritablement mondiale, conformément aux défis de l’époque. L’article rappelle les principales étapes de ce processus (la cause d’archives du tiers-monde, records management). Dans les années 1990, l’ICA a été confronté à de nouveaux défis (intégration des archives de l’Europe de l’Est, informatique, nouveau modèle financier), qu’il a relevés avec succès. Enfin, l’auteur évoque sa relation personnelle avec Charles Kecskeméti.
Une tradition biséculaire d’acquisition, de conservation et de valorisation et un engagement de longue date dans les relations européennes et internationales donnent aux Archives de France une pratique à la fois ancienne et constamment mise à jour dans le traitement des archives, qu’elles soient traditionnelles ou numériques. Le rayonnement de l’archivistique francophone est un objectif constamment poursuivi, par le biais de réunions officielles, d’accords de coopération et de moments d’échanges conviviaux, indispensables à la bonne qualité des rencontres. Les Archives de France chérissent les liens noués dès l’origine avec le Conseil International des Archives, partenaire indispensable de la vie internationale des archives.
En hommage de Charles Kecskeméti, ancien Secrétaire général du Conseil International des Archives (ICA), Mme. Vu Thi Minh Huong, ancienne Directrice générale des Archives d’Etat du Vietnam a rappellé dans son article des souvenirs entre son père, ancien Directeur général des Archives d’Etat du Vietnam et Charles Kecskeméti. Elle aborde chronologiquement des activités de coopération bilatérale et multilatérale en matière d’archives, précisement sa participation au sein du Conseil International des Archives à travers plusieurs activités tant au Vietnam qu’à l’étranger depuis plus de 30 ans jusqu’à aujourd’hui.
Si son père a eu une influence sur sa carrière d’archiviste, alors Charles Kecskeméti a eu un impact sur ses activités de coopération archivistique internationale.
In May 2004, the Government of Canada amalgamated the National Library (established 1953) and the National Archives (established 1872) to form Library and Archives Canada. The unusual Preamble to the legislation provided the new institution with an ambitious mandate, summoning the values and commitment of librarians, archivists and the many professions required in a modern knowledge institution. This article reflects on the origins of the Canadian approach to archival service and the historical context of the new institution. This combined approach is not meant as a model for other nations as it was shaped by local circumstance.
In the absence of both a national library and museum until the mid-twentieth century, the national archives took a holistic approach selecting and preserving official and private archives but also collecting and exhibiting historical evidence in the form of pamphlets, posters and newspapers, documentary art and portraits, a variety of artifacts and in due course, film. Its public outreach initially focused on assisting the emerging historical profession but has increasingly balanced this with initiatives to serve all interested Canadians. When the National Library was formed in 1953, its acquisition mandate was strictly limited to publications by Canadians or about the country, a mandate which harmonized with the archives. Both institutions shared a building and common administrative support services. The rapid digitization of both recordkeeping and publishing combined with social media, the Internet and growing public expectation for convenient access provided the catalyst for creating a new knowledge institution to serve Canadians in the twenty-first century.
This research aims to review the projects in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA) in the field of Big Data. In addition, it analyses the possibility to use the Big Data tools in the administrative documentary environment to benefit in the future from the vital data included in its records. Through the use of case studies, the author seeks to identify Big Data in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, its sources, and relation with the BA records. This article concludes that the Bibliotheca Alexandrina is participating in Big Data initiatives through its web environment and projects. Moreover, the BA documentary environment is 72% valid for applying Big Data tools. The author’s assessment is limited to the reality of BA paper or digital records only, excluding records 2.0 (or, records concerning social media?). However, in this case the assessment depends on analysing the three BA records; papers, digital and records 2.0 altogether, then, the percentage of the BA documentary environment validity for using Big Data tools is reduced to be 59%.
This article recommends that the Bibliotheca Alexandrina improve its technical and regulatory aspects for records so that it does not lose a vital Big Data source in the future. In this regard, Bibliotheca Alexandrina can cooperate with institutions that have experience in dealing with administrative records; considering them as a vital source of Big Data, and to benefit from them by using Big Data tools for extracting information from records.
