Introduction [1988]
How many times have you been asked "what do you do for a living? How many times have you replied "I am an archivist," only to be faced with a blank stare and a mumbled "what?" or "oh, that's nice" or "oh, you dig things, don't you?"? But contrary to popular misconceptions, archivists are not archaeologists, anthropologists, historians, librarians, or office managers, though heaven knows running an archives may involve all these tasks. And archives are not museums, libraries, art galleries, islands in the South Pacific, or little fish you put in Caesar salads. Archives are places where unpublished, one-of-a-kind materials (also called archives) are preserved for their research value. According to the Oxford Dictionary, an archives is both "a place in which public records or historic documents are kept," and "a historical record or document so preserved." An archivist is the keeper of the archives, the caretaker of the historical records.
Today, archives can include a broad range of material in a variety of media. Archives might be public and corporate records ("archives") generated by governments or businesses, or private papers and records ("manuscripts") created or kept by individuals. They can be paper documents such as letters, diaries, reports, minute books, or memos, or they may include other media items such as photographic images, maps, architectural records, films and videotapes, paintings and drawings, phonograph records and cassette tapes, pamphlets, newsletters, brochures, and even machine-readable records generated by computers.
The archival repository, or place where the records are kept, may be a building, part of a building, a room, or sometimes even a closet. It is a permanent institution, dedicated to caring for the records, safe from environmental and human hazards, with facilities and equipment to ease the work of the archivist and encourage use by the public.
The first archives contained the leather and wooden writing boards of Egypt, the clay tablets of ancient Mesopotamia, and the papyrus rolls of Rome. The Vatican and other religiousd institutions developed archives soon after their inception. In these early times, financial, legal, or theological records were kept by their creators, usually high-ranking officials such as royalty high prests or political leaders, for their own personal use and information. Registers and lists of records were kept by scribes, and the materials themselves remained decentralized, in the custody of the agencies that had received or created them. Itwas not until the late I 700's that the concept emerged of a general archives, preserving all historical records about a society.
France was the focus for the centralization of archival holdings. In 1782, there were no fewer than 1,200 separate archival repositories in France. Fear of enemy attack during the French Revolution prompted officials to bring the country's historical records together in one place, and the Archives Nationales was formed in Paris in 1789 as a central repository where archival materials could be kept safe from damage or attack In 1796, this archives formally took control of all the country's records, and existing provincial repositories were subordinated to the national agency. This concept of one centralized archives was new and revolutionary in itself but more significant was the acknowledgement by be state of its responsibility for the country's documentary heritage. The change in the nature of archives from private to public was also significant: for the first time, the general public had a legal right to obtain access to archival materials.
Throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, other countries formalized their archives, and archivists began to develop principles of archival work, including provenance (or respect des fonds)-respect for the creating body-and original order-respect for the original arrangement of the materials. (These concepts are discussed in detail in Chapter 4.) Archival procedures were developed, various systems established, and different methods adopted in different countries, as archivists struggled to formalize and standardize their work.
In Canada, the first archivist was appointed in New France in 1724, and the first archival repository was proposed in 1731. The Quebec Literary and Historical Society was formed in 1824 and members travel led throughout North America and Europe to locate and copy historical documents relating to Canada. Nova Scotia became the home of the first archives in English Canada, when Thomas B. Akins was appointed records commissioner in 1857. An Archives Branch of the federal government was formed in 1872, supervised by Douglas Brymner, Canada's first Dominion Archivist. The Public Archives of Canada was formally recognized by statute in 1912. The archives continued to grow, and today it serves as both a cultural archives and government record office, collecting material of all media, from manuscripts and government documents to maps, films, and machine-readable records. in 1987, the archives was officially renamed the National Archives of Canada, and today Dr. JeanPierre Wallot serves as the first National Archivist.
Throughout the twentieth century, provincial, city, and local archives have continued to develop and expand across the country in a wide variety of institutions. Today, archives can be found in:
art galleries
churches and religious institutions
corporations
historical societies
hospitals
improvement districts
libraries
municipalities
museums
native peoples' resource centres
private societies, associations, and clubs
schools and school districts universities and colleges
Across Canada, archives range in size and sophistication from the provincial and territorial repositories, often with modern facilities and a large staff, to small archives kept in basement storage rooms, cared for by a single volunteer.
There are also several associations in place throughout the country to serve the needs of archivists, including such groups as the Association of Canadian Archivists, the Bureau of Canadian Archivists, provincial archival associations, and museum and library organizations. These groups offer services such as workshops and seminars, newsletters and publications, and other guidance and assistance.
This manual, developed by the Association of British Columbia Archivists, is for the archivist in a small repository-for the volunteer, the one-day-a-week employee, be part-time archivist. It attempts to take the archivist through all the stages of archival work, from establishing or formalizing an archives to arranging, describing, and conserving different media materials. included are chapters on resources and facilities, acquisition, appraisal and accessioning, arrangement and description, conservation and security, reference services and public relations, records management, and the role of computers in archives. The manual includes sample forms, illustrations of various activities, a glossary of terms, a bibliography, and an index.
No manual can answer every question, and no reader can undertake all the activities suggested. It is important to strive for standards and for the "ideal" in all archival activities, but this manual also recognizes the day-to-day reality of most small archives and addresses basic "how-to" questions about archival work. Important information is repeated at appropriate places in the text, so that you can read the chapters on photographs or maps, for example, and not have to refer back to chapters on arrangement or description.
Some archival issues, including conservation techniques such as deacidification or fumigation and appraisal activities such as weeding or sampling, are beyond the scope of this manual. Anything less than a complete analysis would be misleading and a disservice to the reader. Consequently, these subjects are simply introduced with a caution to review the relevant literature referred to in the bibliography and contact archival professionals for advice. if you are looking for help from other archivists, the best place to start is your own provincial or territorial archives or the National Archives of Canada. These institutions can direct you to appropriate literature, local archival associations, or suitable specialists in your vicinity.
The forms and photographs in the manual illustrate one way of doing a particular task. They are descriptive, not prescriptive. Feel free to change them to suit your own conditions. The bibliography includes references to other publications with illustrations and samples; the Society of American Archivists' Archival Forms Manual, for instance, is a good source of sample forms, and many of the handbooks and manuals on specific subjects contain a number of examples.
Do not be disheartened if some suggestions seem beyond your reach, and do not feel you must rearrange existing archival systems to conform exactly to the examples in this book. Each archives is unique, with its own priorities, goals, and problems. A religious archives may never become involved in records management. A hospital archives may never develop an oral history programme. An archives with no budget for acid-free folders will not consider a computer a priority. Decide what you ought to do in the archives, and what you are able to do, in relation to your time, budget, abilities, and facilities. Use this book and use your common sense. Consider the suggestions in this manual as that-suggestions-and adapt them to suit your own circumstances. Examine your work in light of be guidelines offered and improve or change your programmes whenever necessary.
Remember that an archives is a permanent institution, not a special, one-time project. Consider your long-term goals and aspirations and strive for long-range changes as well as immediate ones. Use this manual not only to find out how to care for your archives but also why they need special attention. Your work does make a difference, and it will remain in place long after you have left. A well-founded archives will continue to benefit your community well beyond your tenure as archivist. Archival work is not yet a science, but to many it is an art. It is both a challenge and an opportunity.