Australian Society of Archivists

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Luciana Duranti
Archives as a Place
This article discusses the concept of archives as a physical place of custody, its meaning and implications, and the possible consequences of its abandonment, particularly with regard to the authenticity of records over time. While the second part of the article makes specific reference to issues related to electronic records, the arguments presented are applicable to every kind of record, regardless of form.

Terry Eastwood
Should Creating Agencies Keep Electronic Records Indefinitely?
The author argues that creating agencies should not keep electronic records indefinitely in their custody, and that archival institutions fail in their mission if they do not have custody of electronic records. The case for this position is presented by way of analysing and rebutting the four key points in David Bearman's 1991 paper which described archives as an indefensible bastion. The author writes that only archival institutions can guarantee an uncorrupted and intelligible record of the past.

Frank Upward
Structuring the Records Continuum - Part One: Post-custodial principles and properties
The records continuum is becoming a much used term, but has seldom been defined in ways which show it is a time/space model, not a life of the records model. Dictionary definitions of a continuum describe such features as its continuity, the indiscernibleness of its parts, and the way its elements pass into each other. Precise definitions, accordingly, have to discern the indiscernible, identify points that are not distinct, and do so in ways which accommodate the continuity of change. This article, and a second part to be published in the next issue, will explore the continuum in time/space terms supported by a theoretical mix of archival science, post-modernity and the 'structuration theory' of Anthony Giddens. In this part the main objectives are to give greater conceptual firmness to the continuum; to clear the way for broader considerations of the nature of the continuum by freeing archivists from the need to debate custody; to show how the structural principles for archival practice are capable of different expression without losing contact with something deeper that can outlive the manner of expression.

Greg O'Shea & David Roberts
Living in a Digital World: Recognising the Electronic & Post-custodial Realities
The authors examine the reality of the archival management of electronic records and the digital world we live in. They discuss issues surrounding keeping electronic records and examine the fundamental question of where records should be kept in the electronic age. In doing so they examine post-custodial ideas and strategies by means of some case examples and conclude by hypothesising whether, in a digital world, location really matters.

Adrian Cunningham ‑ Commentary
Journey to the End of the Night: custody and the dawning of a new era on the archival threshold
At the invitation of the editor, the author examines and comments upon the four preceding articles in this issue of Archives and Manuscripts. While initially critical of the position of the post-custodialists, the author now finds himself largely in agreement with the most recent development of the post-custodial position. He argues that the debate has been a positive development, a disagreement the archival profession had to have in order to achieve progress towards theoretically sound and workable solutions to the challenges posed by electronic records.

Stephen Ellis ‑ Commentary
Four Travellers, Two Ways, One Direction: where to now for archival practice?
At the invitation of the editor, the author examines and comments upon the first four articles in this issue of Archives and Manuscripts. He is critical of elements in each presentation, though for very different reasons; he identifies areas of agreement they share in common; and he ends by calling for action to implement and test the approaches the authors espouse.

Jenni Davidson & Donna McRostie
Webbed Feet: Navigating the Net
The authors provide some basic background on the Internet as a prelude to introducing its main areas of interest and value to archivists. These are illustrated by reference to six World Wide Web home page 'sites'. More specialised sites covering areas such as preservation, electronic document management, specific archival institutions' and associations' sites, and even a journal are also described. They conclude by focusing on the Internet's potential for enhancing accessibility to information about archives and their collections and by highlighting opportunities in the virtual world of the future.

Baiba Berzins
Archives and Manuscripts in Latvia
Since Latvian independence in 1991, archivists and manuscript curators there have had to deal with the legacy of Soviet methods and practices and the challenges of a society undergoing political and economic change. During a visit to the Latvian State Archives and the Academic Library in March 1996 the author was able to see how these two institutions are dealing with the issues facing them.

 

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