ARCHIVES & RECORDS ASSOCIATION OF NEW ZEALAND

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Members' Newsletter

Below is our most recent newsletter. If you wish to view newsletters in PDF format please download here for a print copy or to view on your own PC. For information about publication frequency and how to submit content please click here.

Newsletter No. 79, June 2010

Click here to download printable version (PDF 3.31 MB) [Advertisements featured in pdf : Information Leadership; Port Nicholson Packaging; Conservation Supplies; Dexion; Silver & Ballard; Skudder Wilson Information Management; Audio Transcription Services; New Zealand Micrographics Services]

 

President’s Message

As you no doubt know, one of the things which has been pre-occupying Council in the last few months is the proposed merger of Archives New Zealand, along with the National Library, into the Department of Internal Affairs. Our biggest concern is the threat to the independence of the Chief Archivist and his or her ability to ensure that government is accountable for its recordkeeping when positioned at second or third tier management level. The ‘boss’, or Chief Executive of Internal Affairs, to whom the Chief Archivist would be accountable as an employee, is always going to be able to direct him or her, unless legislation is carefully designed to ensure true independence. This has constitutional implications which we feel are serious. Many other aspects of this move concern us, too, of course, but we are particularly focusing our efforts on changing this situation. In the meantime, you can possibly help by contacting your local MP – particularly National MPs – and expressing your concern. Our position is clearly stated in our position papers on the ARANZ website, but you are also welcome to contact me, vice-president, Janine Delaney, or treasurer, Philip Colquhoun, if you’d like to talk about background for any discussions. There is an awful lot of ‘spin’ around information being disseminated about the amalgamation, which I am sure you are able to see through.

On another front, we recently put in a submission on the Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Bill to reflect our concern that, while libraries and museums are mentioned as being core functions of local authorities, archives are not. If you are interested in reading our submission, you will find a copy of it on our website.

By the time you receive this newsletter, you should have received information and a survey about the Going Professional proposal. We urge everyone to respond to the very short survey, so we hear your views. Results will be discussed in the forum at the conference and at that point we will decide whether a working group is established to explore the proposal further.

Speaking of the conference, that’s now just over two months away. It promises to be an excellent one, with Randall Jimerson from the United States (check out his fascinating newbook, Archives power: Memory, accountability, and socialjustice) and Joanna Sassoon from Australia as keynote speakers, and a variety of other sessions guaranteed to satisfy all our members from their many different perspectives. (And, if you can tack some time on to your visit to Wellington, it’s a great place to take a break in winter because there’s so much on that’s not weather-dependent!) We look forward to seeing you there and to having an opportunity to catch up and share news and views.

Joanna Newman

President

For more information on any ARANZ activities, or if you have feedback for Council, please contact Joanna Newman at president@aranz.org.nz

Archives New Zealand Integration

The integration of Archives New Zealand and the National Library into the Department of Internal Affairs is progressing.

For information about the Government’s decision to integrate Archives New Zealand, the National Library of New Zealand and the Department of Internal Affairs and the subsequent implementation programme go to:

Department of Internal Affairs Integration Open Document

This website provides Questions and Answers, News, Organisational Profiles, and other information.

The Hon. Nathan Guy assures legislative protection for Archives New Zealand and National Library roles, and has announced funding to develop a government digital archive.

For information go to http://www.beehive.govt.nz/portfolio/archives+new+zealand

Take a Deep Breath, Nothing is Impossible if you put your Mind to it!

There are Archives all over New Zealand that follow their own processes and procedures. Every one has been set up by people with the very best of intentions; a recognition that if they don’t save those records, they will be lost forever. And so it was with the North Otago Museum. The Archive was purpose built in 1987. The staff office and public reading room area was one long room that was dominated by a bench. Visitors and researchers to the Archive often arrived before 9.00am and left after 5.00pm. There was very little time for collection management care and it was often so loud with genealogists and researchers constantly present that it was impossible to concentrate. Creating separate staff and researcher space and establishing public opening hours so that we could get back-of-house jobs done, became a priority.

There were no standard operating procedures for how data should be entered onto the database, or even identification of what constitutes archival material. Not a lot of resources were available, so typically boxes were stuffed with whatever came in: newspaper clippings stored with handwritten manuscripts and hand drawn linum plans. Duplicates abound! And there was no system for series arrangement or maintained order within the collections, so Council minutes, for example, were housed haphazardly amongst school records and boxes of ephemera.

The first thing that struck me when I started working at the North Otago Museum three years ago was how difficult it was to find anything. I can’t describe to you the embarrassment of having researchers staring at me waiting for whatever it was they wanted, and me not being able to find it; even on the database, let alone its physical location. Back then the database was unsupported Paradox software and there were days where it wouldn’t go at all. The most crucial thing to do was to have that data (for what it was worth - one of my favourite entries in the brief description field was "ask the curator") migrated to a better collection management system. Coming from a museum background and realizing that the object collection database also needed to be preserved, I went for VERNON CMS. A major problem was that originally there were a number of databases: archives, maps and plans, digital photographs, objects and none of them had unique accession numbers, or locations. Transferring all of that data into one database proved to be very problematic and I spent long hours creating unique storage locations before VERNON took over. They did a sterling job but still we can have up to three items – an archive, a map and a photograph, with the same accession number! At least now we can identify its location.

The photograph collections are interesting, at some point 10,000 had been digitized; all in grayscale (even if they were colour prints) and the location of the original was not recorded during the digitization process. So trying to find the original is a difficult task. Occasionally it was noted if the original was colour, but that just created more frustration – where is it so that it can be digitized correctly?

Now it is easy to identify problems, but harder to problem solve. What was needed above all else was a professional archivist to put the Museum Archive on the right track, most urgent was the establishment of an hierarchical arrangement system including detailed series descriptions, the standardization of data entry (if I see another abbreviation that I don’t know, I will scream) and an audit (be-gone cheque book butts). Alongside that person we need archive technicians to separate out the reference material from the archive material, to re-house the at-risk archives properly, to catalogue the huge amount of original photographs that have never been catalogued, to locate the photographs that have been digitized and to re-scan them.

It all seems like such a lot of work, if it had only been done properly the first time thousand of dollars, and my sanity, would have been saved. So, the best advice I can give you is:

  • a) Do not presume that you will work in an institution forever, do presume that you could be run over by a bus on the way home tonight and that someone will have to take over your job
  • b) Establish standard operating procedures for data entry
  • c) Seek professional advice, it is worth the investment
  • d) Seek the advice of your peers, it pays to see what other professionals are doing
  • e) And don’t be fooled into thinking that by saving a few pennies now you have been clever, because it is going to cost someone a great deal in the future.

The best advice I have been given – by the fabulous Sharon Dell, librarian at the Hocken: when you start in a new position, write down all of your first impressions; those things that work and are important to save, and those things that must be changed. Refer back to that notebook every six months and tick off what you have achieved. Fingers crossed you won’t be hit by that bus before you have made that final tick.

Rowan Carroll, Director, North Otago Museum

Archivists Roundtable at Dunedin

An Archivists Roundtable discussion will be held after the ARANZ Otago-Southland Branch AGM, 10th August, Knox College. Contact: vivienne.cuff@archives.govt.nz

Recent Comings & Goings in Otago

At the Dunedin City Council Archives, Chris Scott has been recently appointed as Archivist following Bill Sykes retirement after 26 years working in the DCC Archives from 1984 to April 2010.

Rowan Carroll, North Otago Museum Director, is seeking an Archivist for the North Otago Museum. To find out more about this position contact Rowan: rcarroll@waitaki.govt.nz or phone (03)4330815.

Sound Archives Ngā Taonga Kōrero is back open for business

In December 2009, Sound Archives Ngā Taonga Kōrero (SANTK) closed its doors for a couple of months to enable the implementation of a new collection management system (CMS) – Vernon. Vernon Systems is an Auckland-based company, and its software is used extensively in the heritage/museum sector in New Zealand (and abroad).

SANTK began the arduous task of finding a new CMS a few years ago; Vernon was chosen in 2008 and a trial version of the product was installed to assist with planning for our data capture and customisation. Our old database had severe limitations and was not economically viable to upgrade. The new CMS offers advanced cataloguing functionality and the facility for our specialist audio staff to enter technical information directly in to the database (an option not available in our old system). Vernon lets us run data reports and import and export data to/from other applications such as word processors, and spreadsheets. The import and export functionality will be utilised in future to expedite technical and data entry for like-audio items. Vernon is also MARC21 compliant (Machine-Readable Cataloguing Record) which will assist in the storage and retrieval of information in an online public catalogue.

As part of this project we received funding for additional cataloguing staff to work on the enhancement of our existing catalogue data, including database thesaurus creation, in preparation for the new system. The complexity of some tasks can in part be attributed to the difficulty of transcribing names as heard directly from the source i.e. open reel tape or disc. Our collection dates back to the 1930s, and most of our entries pre-date the online resources now available for verification (such as the Library of Congress Authorities, Te Puna/National Library of New Zealand and Nga Upoko Tukutuku/Maori Subject Headings).

The biggest task faced by the two staff working on the project was the identification of where existing SANTK data would map to in Vernon and documenting what additional fields were required. Each field/subfield in the old database was mapped to a corresponding field/subfield in Vernon CMS. This required an understanding of the characteristics of the various fields and a familiarity with the test database.

Like any new system, workflows are still being finalised and small modifications are being made. The information is expected to go live to a new web browser for users mid year with a much-improved search engine. In the interim, material can still be searched online at www.soundarchives.co.nz and you can contact us at info@soundarchives.co.nz for audio requests. (Note: the online search currently points to our old database until the planned update). SANTK will keep ARANZ members posted on the date for the release of our new web browser.

Finally, over the shutdown period, work was also completed on studios for audio preservation staff at SANTK Christchurch. Audio work spaces were previously housed in an open-plan office area not conducive to working with sound. There are four studios in total, one dedicated to disc preservation, one to tape preservation and two multi-task studios. There are also two spaces dedicated to the cleaning of discs and tapes, which will allow us to work with more problematic items from the collection. A listening area for researchers is also being finished.

Karen Neill
Manager, Sound Archives Ngā Taonga Kōrero

ARANZ Events Calendar

For information about conferences, workshops and upcoming events go to Upcoming Archives & Record Keeping Events Calendar available at http://www.aranz.org.nz/Site/events/calendar.aspx

NZMS Celebrates 20th Birthday

This June NZMS (New Zealand Micrographic Services) is celebrating 20 years of working with the GLAM sector (Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums). And what a 20 years it has been! Founded by Andy and Audrey Fenton together with John and Nan Pert in 1990, NZMS now has a team of 22 working on digitising and microfilming heritage items.

While still microfilming the NZ newspapers I love, NZMS now digitises a huge range of formats: photographs; negatives; (the beautifully named) lantern slides; maps; posters; books; documents and my personal favourite textiles. (It is wonderful to see digital images which enable you to examine the very weave of the cloth).

Like so many organisations dealing with information and cultural material these days, NZMS is that mixture of the old and the new. On one hand adopting the latest technology to facilitate access to information and to make top quality digital copies while on the other hand bringing out the white gloves and acid free paper corners for handling precious and fragile heritage items. It’s an interesting mix, but it works well. To my mind nothing represents this better than the Cruse scanner at HMIF (Heritage Material Imaging Facility), currently housed in the Archives New Zealand "heritage fortress" in Wellington. With the largest scan bed in NZ the Cruse scanner relies on a complex software algorithm to achieve extremely accurate focus and high level of detail. It is well designed so support careful handling of heritage material, plus it has the aesthetics and long, simple lines of the old fashioned manual printing press. Attractive technology coupled with duty-of-care.

The juxtaposition is evident throughout NZMS. Conventional microfilm cameras and processors working alongside cutting edge digital scanners. Time-honoured ISO standard microfilm processes happening alongside current digitisation best practice. Photographers’ traditional darkroom skills being applied via imaging software.

And all with a splash of kiwi ingenuity! If you have been treated to a tour of our facilities in Tawa you will have heard stories of the microfilm reels (now standard) made to Andy’s specifications, visited the ex-shipping container NZMS has kitted out to serve as a fire-resistant safe or seen the book cradle which Andy designed on the back of a napkin! We are always keen to borrow and share ideas with others too. For example we have Christchurch City Libraries to thank for the anti-fatigue mats our camera operators use –great for tasks which require lots of standing. Audrey and Andy’s daughter Kate inspired our ‘wordle’ (a colourful word graphic) with a homework project and we live in hope that son Michael will convince Andy that Facebook is just as professionally valuable as LinkedIn.

NZMS fondly remembers John Pert’s zeal for quality and relationships built on trust, he died in 1995 but his legacy lives on. NZMS is taking those values, looking to the next 20 years and thinking about how we can work with you into the future.

Pauline La Rooy
NZMS Business Development Manager.

Michael Garnstone Hitchings 1924-2010

One of New Zealand’s most knowledgeable and expert manuscript librarians, Michael Hitchings, died in Dunedin on 19th March.

Michael was born in Christchurch and educated in Wellington and Auckland, before joining the RNZAF in 1944. There followed two stints as a meteorological observer on Campbell Island, 1946 and 1948, the second as officer-in-charge. He then tried his hand at teaching at Raurimu High School, 1950-51, before gaining his BA from Auckland University. The following year he entered the world of heritage collections librarianship at the Auckland Institute and Museum Library, proving so adept that without any qualifications or experience, he was left in charge for several months while the librarian, the redoubtable Edith Evans, was absent on extended leave. It was Edith Evans who introduced Michael to archives and manuscripts, an interest that he retained for the rest of his life. Following a year at the New Zealand Library School, he was appointed Manuscripts Librarian at the Alexander Turnbull in 1954, and then Reference Librarian two years later.

From 1957-58, Michael was Commonwealth Library Fellow at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, from where he researched source material for American whaling activities in the Pacific. The following year, 1958-59, he moved to London as Historical Manuscripts Officer at the New Zealand High Commission. His main responsibility was evaluating and selecting manuscript material relating to the Pacific for microfilming. Among the repositories he surveyed were the British Museum, the Public Record Office, the archives of the Church Missionary Society and Methodist Missionary Society, and those of Selwyn College Cambridge.

Back at the Turnbull Library Michael assumed increasingly senior roles — Acting Deputy Librarian and 1963-64 Acting Chief Librarian. During this period, he developed a strong interest in archaeology, serving on the executive of the Wellington Archaeological Society and acting as Hon. Secretary of the New Zealand Archaeological Association. This led to membership of the New Zealand Historic Places Trust, including a long term, from 1969, on the national executive that resulted in his award of an MBE in 1983.

It is no secret that Michael, opposed to the pending incorporation of the Turnbull Library into the National Library, had no great love for G. T. Alley, the new National Librarian, so it was perhaps something of a blessing that in 1964 he passed up the possibility of the top Turnbull job, which went to A. G. Bagnall instead. And to Hocken’s great good fortune, as his appointment as its Librarian in 1965, bringing great experience and an extensive array of contacts, could hardly have been bettered. Here, despite constantly constrained resources, he steadily built up the Hocken Library’s collections and reputation nationally. He developed a particular interest in literary papers and paintings. He was responsible for R. A. K. Mason’s and J. K. Baxter’s papers being acquired by the Library, and for the first transfers of those of Janet Frame. In fact, his interest in archives and manuscripts had never abated.

From 1960, he was a member of the Archives Committee of the New Zealand Library Association and in 1976 became a foundation member of the newly formed Archives and Records Association of New Zealand. He also oversaw the appointment of Hocken’s first fulltime position of Curator of Manuscripts in 1970, which led to greatly expanded holdings, even when the scale of archives acquisition threatened to overwhelm available accommodation, let alone the Library’s ability to organise and describe them. But the riches gained were immense, including the very full archives of the Plunket Society and even more massively those of the NMA Company of New Zealand.

Michael’s contributions to heritage collections were recognised by awards of the Fellowship of the New Zealand Library Association and of the Art Galleries and Museums Association of New Zealand.

Hocken under Michael was a happy, vibrant place. Before computers library relationships were more direct and personal, and the Hocken staff work area at morning tea was filled with talk on many topics, accompanied by the strongest coffee in Dunedin. Regular local readers and visiting scholars were always invited in to the sociable crush, in a way, which is inconceivable now. He taught his staff that good reference was foremost a matter of having the right attitude. His natural courtesy to all readers and visitors, his conscientiousness, and his careful, perfectly phrased letters of reply to enquiries were examples to follow.

Michael retired in 1985 and then developed other interests, but is still remembered as one of our earliest and best archivists, though he was always proud to be called a librarian.

Stuart Strachan
Dunedin

Minister Appoints Archives Council

The Minister Responsible for Archives New Zealand, Hon Nathan Guy, has appointed three new members to the Archives Council Te Rua Wānanga; they are Dame Ann Salmond, Barry Holdaway and George Reedy.

Dame Ann Salmond is an author and Distinguished Professor of Anthropology and Māori Studies at the University of Auckland. From Marlborough with an agricultural background, Barry Holdaway is an historian who is a regular user of the Wellington reading room. George Reedy, MBA, is a chartered accountant with a strong interest in both Māori business development and digitisation. As a founding director of ISP Actrix he has a strong knowledge of IT and the opportunities it offers.

These new members replace founding members Dr Monty Souter, Theresa Graham, and Rachel Lilburn, and I want to thank them for their valuable contribution to archives. Existing council members Richard Nottage CNZM, chair, Ani Pahuru-Huriwai, Stuart Strachan QSO and, Mel Smith CNZM have been reappointed for another three years.

The council had its first meeting for the year on 20 April.

Management Benchmarking Study

Technology Indicators released the results of a study into Records Management in local government in Australia and New Zealand. The study provides comparative peer data that local councils can use to self-assess how they manage their records and to identify areas where their organizations are leading (or trailing).

The study highlighted common challenges local councils face. About 70% of local councils reported increases in the number of electronic records they registered over the last 12 months, and in some local councils the volume of electronic records more than doubled. Local councils also experience an increased public demand for council records (property information, maps, development applications, etc). Among the reasons for the changes in the number of records related service requests are an increased awareness of the public about council records through relevant information available on-line, an increased use of on-line services and e-mail to request and/or access council records, and population growth in some areas.

For many local councils, improvement of the staff productivity is becoming a dominant business driver for the deployment, replacement or upgrade of their electronic records / document management systems. However, concerns over compliance readiness remain - almost 40% of the local councils find it difficult to comply with legislative requirements for records management.

Across local councils of different sizes and types, top common issues negatively impacting records management practices are the lack of buy-in from the council staff and poor utilization of electronic records / document management systems. One of the challenges closely related to the lack of buy-in from the council staff is inadequate training in records management. In more than 70% of local councils, less than 10% of the council staff were provided with formal records management training in the last 12 months.

The report with the study findings can be ordered from Technology Indicators, service@tech-indicators.com.au

Leila Abbasova
Research Director Technology Indicators

Governance and Recordkeeping

Governance and Recordkeeping Around The World is a free newsletter published on a regular basis by Library Archives Canada (LAC) that explores and highlights issues pertaining to government and recordkeeping practices in the public and private sector.This newsletter is a great source of the latest news, events, trends, products and publications in the field of public administration and recordkeeping. It is available from http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/government/news-events/007001-1000-e.html

Digital Recordkeeping System Standard Exposure Draft out for Consultation

The revised Electronic Recordkeeping Systems Standard (ERKSS), currently referred to by its working title, Digital Recordkeeping Systems Standard, is out for public consultation. The standard will be a discretionary standard for public offices and local authorities. To read a copy of the draft standard go to http://archives.govt.nz/advice/work-progress/current-projects-and-news/electronic-recordkeeping-systems-standard-erkss-revie


Digital Continuity Glossary Wiki

As part of Archives New Zealand’s Digital Continuity Action Plan, their Digital Continuity team has set up a working group to compile an up-to-date Glossary of digital continuity and preservation terms. The Glossary can be used to help collaboration between different sectors involved in digital preservation, eg. archives, records, libraries, and IT. A wiki has been created to compile the glossary and has just put the initial list of terms out for wider consultation. To view the wiki go to http://wiki.archives.govt.nz/w/Digital_Continuity_Glossary_Wiki

Advent of Cloud Computing

Dave Durkee’s article, ‘Why Cloud Computing Will Never Be Free’ in Communications of the ACM ( May 2010, Vol. 53 No. 5, Pages 62-69) explains the essential characteristics of cloud computing, service models, competition and cloud pricing strategies, Cloud 2.0 the value-based cloud and its use for business activities.

Available at http://cacm.acm.org/magazines/2010/5/87259-why-cloud-computing-will-never-be-free/fulltext

For articles on Cloud computing and e-government, browse May 2010 issue E-Gov. Available athttp://www.egovonline.net/magazine.html?view=magzine&mag_id=97

Making Intelligence Relevant

While the records and information management environment you work in may be quite different, this viewpoint grounded in recent United States military experience in Afghanistan will provide food for thought.

It examines the success and failure of organisational communication, and effective integrated approaches to information access (bearing in mind the necessity for information security, etc). The issues are defined and solutions recommended in this incisive and direct report.

Fixing Intel: A Blueprint for Making Intelligence Relevant in Afghanistan, By Major General Michael T. Flynn, USA, Captain Matt Pottinger, USMC, and Paul D. Batchelor, DIA, In: Voices from the Field,Jan 2010), available at http://www.cnas.org/files/documents/publications/AfghanIntel_Flynn_Jan2010_code507_voices.pdf

ICA-Req: Phase II Project

The three modules of the International Council on Archives Principles and Functional Requirements for Records in Electronic Office Environments (ICA-Req for short) has been fast tracked for adoption as a standard by the International Standards Organisation. A full range of ICA-Req implementation guidance is due to be completed by 2012.

ISO Archives/Records Management Standards Available

A range of International Standards Organisation records and archives management standards for business, government and society, are available for purchase from

http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue/catalogue_tc/catalogue_tc_browse.htm?commid=48856

American Archivist Online

American Archivist, the semi-annual journal of the Society of American Archivists (SAA), is now online.
No. 1 Spring/Summer 2010 and earlier issues are available at http://archivists.metapress.com/content/120809

ICA International Archives Day

Members of the International Council on Archives celebrated International Archives Day on 9 June 2010 to promote archives, and the profession, and a foster greater sense of international solidarity among the participants.

Archifacts Online

Work is underway to digitise the full run of Archifacts from April 1974 to April 2010. The issues are currently being digitised and OCR’d (optical character recognition) by NZMS. The articles and reviews will be freely available on the ARANZ website as text searchable PDFs; well in time for a formal launch at Conference this year. The set for scanning was compiled with the help and generosity of Christine Black, Lesley Courtney, Janine Delaney and Lois Robertson who sourced the elusive 1977 new series no. 2 issue in Dunedin!

NZ in Memory of the World Register

New Zealand’s only two entries on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register until very recently were the women’s suffrage petition and the Treaty of Waitangi.

A meeting was held on 22 June regarding the possibility of introducing the UNESCO Memory of the World programme (www.unesco.org/webworld/mdm ) to New Zealand. Participants from different New Zealand institutions attended, along with Ray Edmondson, an international advisor on Memory of the World from Australia. Joanna Newman, represented ARANZ.

Joanna says, "I believe the UNESCO Memory of the World programme in New Zealand has great potential. My vision is to see groups of archives registered. Archives from smaller archives as well as large, national institutions would put forward. The concept would be to bring together ‘distributed’ collections, such as earliest immigrant accounts, early farming records. This way, a small institution with a special shipboard diary written by an immigrant could contribute to a group of significant records along with the largest institutions.

"I would also like to see us start by surveying our history and identifying aspects which are significant to our culture and identity, rather than going straight to those iconic individual items. From there, one would invite contributions from all archives for consideration as part of the ‘collection’ reflecting that aspect of New Zealand’s memory. (You could compare this with the concept of a documentation strategy, in archival terms.)

"Entries selected for the Memory of the World register are considered significant in national, regional or world terms. With recognition of the status of the item(s), the primary value to any participating archives would be publicity for their collections – internally, within their own organisation; within their town or city; or with users and potential users anywhere. For institutions, increased appreciation and awareness of archives may result in budget increases or provide helpful justification for grants for conservation or digitisation, or greater use of collections."

A Working Group has been established to draft Terms of Reference for a National Committee, to be put to our New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO.

Feedback Records & Archives Week

Kirsty Cox, ARANZ Records & Archives Week 2010 Councillor, says "Thanks to all participants, this year’s Records & Archives Week around the theme of "Industrious Kiwis: Archives & Industry", was a great success. From all accounts, events held this year were of a high calibre, diverse and dynamic. "

The theme for next year’s events will be announced later this year so you can start planning events to raise awareness of significance of archives, and the importance of their preservation.

Your feedback from this year’s events ARANZ Branches is valued as it will assist us in planning for next year.

Please send feedback on what worked well, what didn’t, and changes or improvements you’d like to see to Kirsty: kirsty.cox@natlib.govt.nz

Managing & Preserving Community Archives

A guide to managing community archives, including information on acquiring and processing archives, preservation, and access and reference services, published by the National Preservation Office, is available at

http://www.natlib.govt.nz/catalogues/library-documents/managing-community-archives

Blog Spot – Gudmund Valderhaug

To read Gudmund Valderhaug’s blog posting on "The good Archivist"….On power and powerlessness documenting personal rights, and other issues go to http://depotdrengen.wordpress.com/the-good-archivist

Some Professional Development Reading

Jimerson, Randall C. 2009 Archives Power: Memory, Accountability and Social Justice. 466pp. ISBN 1-931666-30-X For purchase enquiries contact: Society of American Archivists www.archivists.org

Pacifico, Michele F. and Thomas P. Wilsted (Eds.) 2009 Archival and Special Collections Facilities: Guidelines for Archivists, Librarians, Architects and Engineers. 204pp. ISBN 1-931666-31-8 For purchase enquiries contact: Society of American Archivists www.archivists.org

International Council on Archives Committee of Descriptive Standards. 2008 Interational Standard for Describing Institutions with Archival Holdings. ISBN 978-85-60207-19-0 Available online: www.ica.org/en/node/38911

Healey, Paul D. 2008 Professional Liability Issues for Librarians and Information Professionals. Neal-Schuman Publishers: New York.

National Digital Forum 2010 Conference: Linking Data, Linking People

18-19 October 2010

The 9th annual National Digital Forum conference will be held at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington.

Linking data, linking people will raise discussion and explore opportunities for the creative and cultural sectors to link and make available digital content to the benefit of New Zealanders and the rest of the world. The interactive format for delegates to take part in open knowledge sharing, discussion and debate. The conference programme includes speakers, discussions, practical workshops and demonstrations.

For further information go to http://ndf.natlib.govt.nz/about/2010-conference.htm

Future Proof Resilient Archives 2020 and Beyond Australian Society of Archivists National Conference

Melbourne 12-17 October 2010

For further information and registration go to http://www.archivists.org.au/2010-melbourne

2010 ALGIM RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYMPOSIUM

26-27 JULY 2010, WELLINGTON TOWN HALL, WELLINGTON

The Conference, Information Management Professionals: the Lifeblood of Organisations, is relevant to everyone, so you don’t need to work in local government to attend.

Programme highlights include:
International and national keynote speakers, and experts on topical legal and technical issues, recordkeeping standards, strategies and practices, Council case studies, updates and future plans for the ALGIM IM Toolkit, and more.

For further information go to www.algim.org.nz For registration enquiries contact Amanda Cockburn on (06)351 6330 or email info@ algim.org.nz

iPRES 2010  7th International Conference on Preservation of Digital Objects

September 19 - 24, 2010, Vienna, Austria

iPRES 2010 brings together researchers and practitioners from around the world to explore the latest trends, innovations, and practices in preserving our digital heritage.

iPRES 2010 will re-emphasise that preserving scientific and cultural digital heritage requires integration of activities and research across institutional and disciplinary boundaries to adequately address the challenges in digital preservation.

Digital Preservation and Curation involves various disciplines and communities. Conference topics will include:

  • Theoretical, Formal and Conceptual Models of Information and Preservation
  • Trusted Repositories: Risk Analysis, Planning, Audit and Certification
  • Scalability and Automation
  • Metadata Issues for Preservation Processes
  • Business Models and Cost Estimation
  • Personal Archiving
  • Innovation in Digital Preservation: Novel Approaches and Scenarios
  • Training and Education
  • Domain-specific Challenges: Web, GIS,

Primary/Scientific/Sensor Data, Governmental & Medical Records

  • Case Studies and Best Practice Reports: Systems, Workflows, Use Cases

For further information go to http://www.ifs.tuwien.ac.at/dp/ipres2010

ARANZ Conference Scholarship

Applications are invited for the Crown Records Management Scholarshipto attend the ARANZ Conference 2010
Investing in the Future Research, Records and Preservation


25-27 August, Wellington


For Scholarship Application information, the Conference Programme, and Registration go to ARANZ website at http://www.aranz.org.nz/Site/events/Conferences/2010_Conference.aspx

ARANZ Conference: Investing in the Future Research, Records and Preservation

Wellington, 25-27 August 2010

The 2010 ARANZ Conference, Investing in the Future: Research, Records and Preservation will be held at Civic Suites, Wellington Town Hall, Wellington.

The Conference will include presentations by international Keynote speakers Randall C. Jimerson and Jamie Andrews, and other speakers, workshops and discussions exploring opportunities for researchers, communities and organisations to collaborate in the guardianship of knowledge and help safeguard our collective past in perpetuity.

Themes will address the question of what the archives and records professions need to do now to meet the demands of the future, and will include:

  • New developments in researcher experience, stories from the front line.
  • User investment in collaboration with archival institutions (Web 2.0 and community engagement).
  • Preservation - personal, community, organisation.
  • Disaster preparedness - preventive measures for long term protection.
  • Investing in good recordkeeping now for good archives in the future.
  • Public Records Act Audits 2010.
  • Measuring recordkeeping performance.
  • Media user engagement and public relations.
  • Countering negative publicity.
  • Digital Rights Management and re-use of information.
  • Standards - accessibility, control and management of information.

For further information about the Pre-Conference Programme, Conference Programme and social events and to Register go to ARANZ website at http://www.aranz.org.nz/Site/events/Conferences/2010_Conference.aspx

ARANZ ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

26 August 2010
5pm
Civic Suite 3
Wellington Convention Centre

ARANZ Council Nominations to be received by 30 July

WANTED: Articles for Archifacts

Please contact the Editor of Archifacts if you have a paper or item you wish to submit for publication in the ARANZ journal.

 

Electronic or Printed Newsletters

From issue Number 71 June 2008 the majority of our membership have been enjoying receiving email notification as each issue of the ARANZ Newsletter has become available in electronic format on the ARANZ website.

Members who are without email, or for various reasons prefer the printed version, are sent the printed version. If you are

  • Receiving the printed version and prefer an electronic version, OR
  • Receiving the electronic version and prefer a printed version.

Contact the Membership Secretary on membership@aranz.org.nz

ARANZ Council Meetings in 2010

25 August; 23 September; 18 November

ARANZ Otago-Southland Branch Management of Community Archives A two-day Workshop on Governance for Small Archives

Tuesday and Wednesday, 19-20 October 2010

At Central Stories Museum & Art Gallery, Alexandra

Led by Stuart Strachan QSO, this workshop will cover:

  • Governance Structures

  • Finance and Funding

  • Valuation of Collections

  • Facilities Management

  • Essential Policies – Acquisition, Collection Management, Access, Security and Conservation

  • Working with Volunteers

  • Public Programmes

Limited numbers. Registration Essential.

For further information contact Vivienne.cuff@archives.govt.nz

CONTACT THE EDITOR:

The Editor is always delighted to receive news items, information or advertising enquiries for inclusion in the newsletter, published four times a year (January, April, June, & October). Contact the Editor by e-mail newsletter@aranz.org.nz or by post: ARANZ Newsletter Editor, PO Box 11-553, Manners Street, Wellington 6011.
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