Archive by Author

Learn to be a trainer: it’s everyone’s business!

When archival issues are unknown, misunderstood, or not taken into sufficient account in administrations, archivists and records managers must become trainers to get their point across. To help them, ICA is developing tools.
“Train the trainers in Records Management” is a project launched by EURBICA and developed by ICA. It uses the “Train the trainers” resources [...]

Martin Hampton, member of the Friends of the National Archives of Malta

Can you introduce your organization ?
The Friends of the National Archives of Malta is a voluntary, non-governmental organization, created in 2000. Our aim is to support the National Archives and to raise public awareness of the importance of preserving documents.
What does your organization do?
The support we can give to the National Archives falls into two categories

We [...]

IRMT : an approach to building excellence in Electronic Records Management in English-speaking Africa

Doctor Anne Thurston established the International Records Management Trust in 1989 to  develop and share solutions internationally through research and development, capacity building and consultancy services.
During the late nineties, in cooperation with ICA, IRMT developed a resources pack including courses, training materials, and a procedure manual to help building competencies in Electronic Records Management. These [...]

Educating and training archivists in Southern countries

Jean-Wilfrid Bertrand, National Archivist of Haiti presented an analysis and perspectives on archival education and training in African, South American, and Asian countries, which could also hold true in some countries of Eastern Europe.
There is great diversity between these countries, but also some constants regarding archives and records keeping : insufficient or underdeveloped legal frameworks ; public policies [...]

Freedom of Information and Developing Nations: let’s do it !

Setareki Tale, National Archivist of Fiji and President of PARBICA, and Vice President for Branches gave a presentation called “Freedom of Information: Readying the Horse and Cart in Developing Nations”.  Here is a summary of some key points from that presentation.
Record Keeping has a way to go in many developing nations:

It’s a low priority ; the complexity and [...]

Positive action and archives

Arike Oke took part in the project “Connecting Histories”, run by Birmingham City Archives in 2006-2007. She talked about her experience on November 18th during the session “What is the relevance of archival education and training for indigenous and marginalized communities ?”
The project’s goal to collect, catalogue and highlight black and minority histories in Birmingham. Recruiting [...]

New members for a new ICA ?

The Executive Board got together on November 17th to discuss ICA membership; its structure, its fees, and its advantages.
The place for members in the Branches
Two Branches wish to modify their constitution and change the members place. SARBICA wants to extend membership to the Branch to non ICA members. PARBICA would like to allow ICA category C members to be considered as category [...]

The Fund for International Archival Development (FIDA) is reactivated

ICA Executive Board, during its meeting of November 17th, reactivated FIDA, to create it as a largely autonomous body within the ICA Constitution.
This reactivation will consent to support projects for developing archives and the archival profession, with respect of the local situation and of cultural diversity. It’s particularly vital for developing countries.
The new FIDA shall [...]

A programme for « Young professionals » ?

The new approach the Programme Commission (PCOM) is considering to complement the projects’ one tends to develop consistent programs of its own, or supported by Sections or Branches. One of them is particularly aimed to young professionals.
It aims to involve more and more students and young professionals in ICA, so that their vision of archival [...]

Meeting of the Programme Commission (PCOM) – November the 16th

Much work has been done this year to clarify and formalize the PCOM protocols. Secretariat, members and projects mentors’ roles were clearly stated. Application forms, evaluation forms and so on were updated or developed. Models for contracts with the projects managers were established. The new Pcom workspace, on the new ICA website, will help to [...]