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Introduction to the Concept of Archives
Using an Archives
Introduction to the Concept of Archives
- a group of records or documents of enduring value
- an agency or institution which houses and makes available documents
of enduring value
- the premises in which documents of enduring value are
housed
Archives (the agency or institution) document the activities of an individual, an
institution, an enterprise, a government, or an organization. They keep those
records which have enduring value and are worthy of long-term preservation.
Archival records include documents such as letters, reports, files, contracts, and
other things which may not seem like documents, such as photographs, films, audio
recordings, maps, and computer files. Records in any medium can be judged to be of
value for long term preservation.
Whereas library materials are most often published, archival materials are most
often unpublished. Published material is often referred to a
secondary cources of information, and archival documents are often reffered
to as primary information.
Archivists differentiate between the significance of items, and the information
they contain. In some cases, original documents are preserved. In other cases,
where it is only the information that is recorded, recent technological advances
sometimes allow archives to keep information in more practical, inexpensive forms
than that of the original documents. Archivists will sometimes copy the
information onto other media (this is referred to as reformatting) to preserve the
information, and/or to ensure repeated access without damaging the original,
and/or to provide more compact storage.
Archivists:
- appraise records to identify those which have lasting historical
value
- arrange and describe records to facilitate access to the
contents
- provide access to researchers and the general public, as appropriate,
through direct reference services, exhibitions, publicity, publications,
internet outreach, etc.
- preserve archival records through preventive measures, and on occasion
through direct intervention
Using an Archives
Archival documents are unique. If they become damaged, lost, or misplaced,
they are no longer available. There are no extra copies.
Archival documents are often very fragile.
For these reasons, archivists have a different approach to accessing the
information held in archives:
- Archival documents are consulted only in the archives, they are never
loaned.
- Archives have special security measures in place to ensure that the
documents in their care continue to be available to future generations.
- Archival documents need particular care and handling - by both staff and
researchers - to ensure that they are not damaged or destroyed.
Collection
Archival documents are sometimes referred to as collections. For
example, the collection of John Doe. The current usage of the term
collection is usually restricted to archival documents which an individual
or an organization has collected or gathered together, as opposed to documents
which are produced by an organization or an institution as part of its normal
functioning (see fonds below).
Finding Aid
A finding aid is the tool or device which archives create to help
researchers access the information found in a fonds or collection, or
a group of fonds or collections. There are many different kinds of
finding aids. They can be very detailed or they can contain only cursory
information. They can describe the holdings of a single archives, or a group of
archives. The finding aid is organized to help the researcher determine if
the fonds/collection might contain information which would be of interest.
The Finding Aid to a single fonds or collection will
usually contain:
- biographical information about the creator,
- a scope and content note which will include
- a broad overview of the kind of documentation which is in the
fonds/collection
- information about how much documentation is in the
fonds/collection
- the dates of the documents.
- A more or less detailed description of the documents.
- An index.
A finding aid can be available on paper, and/or electronically.
Fonds
A fonds is the archival documents created by an individual, an institution, an enterprise, or a
government organization while carrying out its day to day activities. See collection above.
Original Order
Original Order is the archival principle which requires that the creator's
original order (when it is evident there was original order), is maintained. When
possible, the original order is maintained to preserve the context in which the
documents were created and used.
Provenance
Provenance is the archival principle which requires that documents
created by an institution or an individual must remain together. Archivists do not
reorganize archival documents so they can be filed according to subject. The
original context of the records is always maintained. This ensures that the greatest
possible research value can be gained from the documents by preserving the context
in which they were created.
- Be sure to use secondary sources (books and journals) to research your topic
before going to an Archives. Know your subject well and focus your research
interest.
- Work with an archivist or a reference librarian to identify which archives might
have primary materials of interest to you.
- Once you have located an archives which has the primary documents which
you think might interest you, arrange for a visit, call them, or write if distance is a
problem. If you plan to visit, it is always best to call ahead to:
- describe your project, and ascertain which materials might be of
interest
- provide advance warning of your visit
- make an appointment if appropriate
- confirm hours of opening and location
- When you visit an archives, describe your project clearly and concisely
including the following guidelines:
- the information you are looking for
- the context of your research
- how extensive you expect your research to be
- your deadlines, if you have any
- Work with the archives staff to identify materials which may be of interest.
Remember, archivists usually know their holdings very well, and they may be able
to make suggestions which may never have occurred to you.
- Follow the Reading Room Rules. Your
cooperation is important for the safekeeping of the documents. PLEASE HANDLE
ALL ARCHIVAL MATERIALS WITH CARE AND ATTENTION.
Each archives will have reading room rules which are slightly different. The rules
are not there to make life difficult for you, but to ensure that you and other users
will have access to the documents now and in the future.
- Use the finding aids to determine which records you would like to see. The
finding aids provide valuable information. Take the time to look them over
carefully. This will cut down the amount of time you have to spend doing your
research.
- Take good notes and ensure you have all the information you will need to do
proper citations. Speak to archives staff about correct format for archival citations if
you are not sure how to do them.
- Copies of documents can sometimes be made, but there are usually restrictions.
Plan to spend whatever time is needed to take notes. Rules vary from one
institution to another, and even within the same institution the rules may vary for
paper documents, photographic documents, sound recordings, etc.
- There is often a strict limit to the number of photocopies you can make.
- Archives staff usually do the photocopying to ensure there is no damage
to the documents.
- Sometimes documents cannot be copied because they are too fragile.
- Documents to be photocopied should be flagged with acid-free markers.
- There is often a copyright restriction limiting what can be copied.
- Before ordering, find out the charges for copying, and the time it will take
to get the copies.
If you are looking for further information, go to Using Archives: A Practical
Guide for Researchers.
Canadian Archival Information Network
Repositories of Primary
Sources
Canadian Archival Resources on the Internet
Réseau de diffusion des archives du Québec
Copyright 2003 Concordia University Archives
All rights reserved |
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