Australian Society of Archivists

View abstracts

Frank Upward
The Records Continuum and the Concept of an End Product
Some archivists in Australia whose particular functioning leads them to see public access mainly in terms of access to an end product have had nervous reactions to newer archival theories dealing with the formation of archives. Within those approaches, at least within continuum theory, records are always in a state of becoming and never in a final state of being. For evidence of that uneasiness one only has to read Paul macpherson’s article published in Archives and Manuscripts in May 2002. In that work Macpherson claimed to show, amongst other things, that in their implicit assumptions some records continuum theorists leave public access to ‘post-current government records’ out of the continuum. I was extensively cited in order to demonstrate his case. This article is a response and will argue that it is an ‘end product’ view of public access that is outside continuum theory.

Matthew Eidson
Beyond the Purview of Recordkeeping: A Response to Paul Macpherson
By addressing the absence of formalised access standards in Australian archives legislation, Paul Macpherson sheds light on a collection of access problems archives are facing today. The relationship between access and primary archives functions such as appraisal, records management, reference and outreach should be explored. Recordkeeping models tend to imply access as part of other conventional archives functions beyond the scope of recordkeeping. This article shifts attention from Macpherson’s argument to include the user at the point of creation to protecting the records creation stage itself, recognising appraisal as a means of formal user input and blending reference and future access to current recordkeeping models.

Jeremy Cauchi
The Development and Implementation of an Access Standard at Archives New Zealand
In December 2001 Archives New Zealand issued an Access Standard to set out principles for the provision of access to public archives in the New Zealand environment. This paper describes the development of the standard, some of the key issues grappled with in the development and its principal features. This is followed by comment on how the standard has been applied at Archives New Zealand and its further potential.

Tikka Wilson & Lenore Coltheart
'Reaching Out' Revisited: A Case Study of the Australia’s Prime Ministers Website
In 1994 Helen Nosworthy’s chapter in The Records Continuum, 'Reaching Out', argued that the then Australian Archives should move in the new direction of promoting ‘wider accessibility and use of the archival resources of Australia’. Nosworthy identified exhibitions and print publications as the two primary vehicles for this work. Internet technology and the World Wide Web were still too new to rate a mention. A decade later, the National Archives websites comprise nearly 15, 000 pages and are attracting more than 400, 000 visits a month. This article revisits 'Reaching Out' and reflects on how the new medium has taken its place alongside exhibitions and print publications as a way to promote the Archives collection. We will first briefly outline Nosworthy's 1994 markeling strategy. Then we present a case study of the development of Australia’s Prime Ministers website. Focusing on its layered approach to website content development and design, we argue that the medium enables the creation of a hybrid ‑ part exhibition and part finding aid ‑ that can effectively address the needs of a wide range of users.

Tony Caravella
The Laws of War and the Destruction of Cultural Property in the Iraq War 2003
Cultural property has a history of being damaged, destroyed or stolen during times of armed conflict. This paper discusses that topic in the context of the war in which a coalition of forces led by the United States of America invaded Iraq in 2003 The paper firstly defines what is meant by the term 'cultural property' and discusses the importance of it. The law governing the protection of cultural property in the situation of armed conflict is then outlined, followed by a short explanation of the significance of all this to Iraq. The paper then speculates on the extent of loss or damage ‑ it is speculative although based on a wide range of reporting sources, but speculative nonetheless. There is conflicting information on the degree of damage and loss. There is also a brief coverage of the precautions taken to protect cultural property together with discussion on what measures are being undertaken now, together with what should be done to protect the unique and precious cultural properly. Finally, the paper contemplates the lessons to be drawn from this armed conflict for those working in the collection and management of cultural property and highlights the need for their collective responsibility.

 

Image

Quantity: