n.the activities performed in archives, especially relative to their managementUN 1947, 3Establish liaison with archivists of associated and other international agencies and with the principal archives agencies of member states, for the purpose of collecting information on records of international agencies, or related research materials, and on methods of archives administration, as well as for the purpose of obtaining documents and records essential to the archives of the United Nations.Lethbridge 1951b, 381While in Western Germany archives administration has remained a matter to be regulated by the individual Länder, which indicates the genuinely federalistic nature of the West German State, the sham character of the “German Democratic Republic” is drastically revealed even in the field of archives administration.Polden 1968, 3Archives administration is not an exact science. It stands on a very small number of general principles, the application of which must be tempered by commonsense and a measure of flexibility to fit the framework and contours of the organisation concerned but also consistent with a genuine acknowledgement of the purpose behind the principles even if it cannot be followed out to the letter. And the essential purpose behind the principles of archives administration is simply to preserve the archives of an organisation arranged in their natural order as created or assembled, provided the original operations were in fact carried out in an orderly manner.Russell 1979, 203To be sure, the book serves well as a “nuts and bolts” manual of archives administration, but it is the raising of issues that is the real strength of this book and, throughout, Cook provides succinct and thoughtful discussions of many aspects of archival science.Larson 1982, 43I would like to suggest that the commitment of archives administration to administrative service and records management as primary missions has hindered the emergence of full professionalism, because it has prevented the development of the substantive characteristics of professionalism, and has encouraged the view that archives administration is just another staff function.Freeman 1984, 112Put another way, we must begin to think of archives administration as client-centered, not materials-centered.Cook 1986, 65There is an important difference between the aims of RM and archives administration.Bradsher 1989, xivThe universal experience, considered by Holmes to be essential to the production of a compendium of archival theory and practice, may still be lacking; but sufficient agreement exists as to the general knowledge and skills of archives administration which archivists must possess to warrant an attempt at the compilation of a handbook.Kurtz 1989, 242Effective archival administration requires successful integration of the principles and practices of archives administration with the management techniques of business or public administration.Yuqing 1991, 207In addition to these main points of similarity in the archival work of our two countries, there are significant differences in approaches to archives administration and records management.Greene 1998, 155There is one final thought about use-based appraisal: it carries with it the implication that other aspects of archives administration—particularly processing and reference—should also be more user-driven.Craig 2005, 256But in acknowledging change and its unpredictable course, archives also need to find anchors for rational and articulate archives administration.Greene 2006, 8Further, the essay will argue not only that reappraisal and deaccessioning should be as normal a part of standard archives administration as cataloging and reference, but that it can be.Posner 2006, 71The conference, with a membership list of about 500 names, is a most important channel through which the Federal archivists are able to communicate their viewpoints to those engaged in creating and administering current records and to spread the principles of archives administration in the agencies of the Federal Government.Trace 2020a, 111Archives administration was defined as the history and present practice of archival work, including that of arrangement.the field and discipline committed to maintaining archivesLethbridge 1951b, 381While in Western Germany archives administration has remained a matter to be regulated by the individual Länder, which indicates the genuinely federalistic nature of the West German State, the sham character of the “German Democratic Republic” is drastically revealed even in the field of archives administration.Lethbridge 1951b, 382However, from the legislation printed below in translation, it appears that archives administration in the Soviet Zone has been completely centralized in accordance with the example of the U. S. S. R.Posner 1972, 55Where a records center is in operation, as it is on the national level, the appraisal and disposal of records takes place in the center, which of course will be controlled and staffed by the archives administration; and from the center accessions will reach the archives in a relatively even flow, which facilitates arrangement and assigning call numbers to them.Tener 1978, 18Published under the auspices of UNESCO in 1972, the draft law on production and right of access encourages the methodical transfer of public records to archival repositories, the democratic exercise of powers entrusted to archives administration, and access without distinction made between users.Yuqing 1991, 212One of the functions of archives administration bureaus at various levels in China is the responsibility for the supervision and administration of the scientific and technical records of enterprises such as mines or factories, businesses, and scientific institutions.Schellenberg 1996, 5The nationwide archives administration was further solidified by the law of October 26, 1796, which gave the Archives Nationales jurisdiction over the archival institutions that were established in the main cities of the départéments to take over the records formerly held in district archival depots.Wehner and Maidment 1999, 29–30The combined efforts of the great state and national libraries, the university research libraries and the colonial and post-colonial government archives, together with reformatting and copying programs, have produced an institutional framework of archives administration which has provided at least a partial infrastructure for the preservation and control of Pacific archives.Fode and Fink 1999, 57It is the explicit wish of the politicians to ensure that the legislation moves with the times, just as the archives administrations are acutely aware of the violent changes that are taking place within the entire world of documentation for which they are responsible.Posner 2006, 25But, on the whole, decentralization of archives is the characteristic trait of archives administration before the French Revolution.Posner 2006, 185–186The German administration took charge of the great Warsaw archives centers, made the records accessible, concentrated records left behind by the fleeing Russians, passed on the disposal of useless papers, inspected the local archives, and carried on, in short, most of the functions of a modern archives administration.McFarland 2007, 141Similarly, many lone arrangers attribute failure to external forces and appear willing to content themselves with small victories won in the hard-fought war of archives administration.Wilsted 2007, 132When the move is completed, the archives administration should take time to thank all the staff and those leading the moving effort.Danielson 2010, 262Sometimes a donor’s will designates that family papers be left to a repository, but that legal document is not honored by the heirs. In this delicate situation, the archives administration needs to think through the costs and benefits of pursuing legal remedies.Leland 2011a, 81–82It does not need to be pointed out that this is impossible in America; instead of one archives administration we must always have at least 47 (and more as new States are added), all mutually exclusive of each other.Haas and Schürrer 2022, 236The disintegration of Prussia and the resulting parceling out into individual state archives administrations threatened the young archivists with the danger of narrowing their horizons.the educational curricula or formal training covering the theories and practices of archivyDowling 1975b, 450–451The professional membership would be open (1) to persons who possess two years full-time working experience in a recognized archives in addition to either a postgraduate degree in archival science or a diploma-certificate in archives administration and at least a bachelor’s degree, and (2) to persons with a “minimum of five years” experience as an archivist in a recognized repository.Hartung 1976, 38David Hartung was a graduate student in library science when he enrolled in the first seminar in archives administration offered at the University of Minnesota (through the department of history during spring quarter, 1976).Goggin 1984, 248In 1937, Evans recruited Buck to teach the first course in archives administration at Columbia.Bradsher 1989, 14Perhaps a history background, supplemented by formal training in archives administration and librarianship, would produce the best prepared candidate for an archival career.Matthews 1989, 49She believed that state archives were better positioned than any other agencies to provide training and instruction in archives administration to individuals in libraries, historical societies, and smaller private and public archives who were charged with the development and maintenance of an archives program.Corbett and Hadley 1989, 145The purpose of the ASA Education Program is to provide formalized educational and training opportunities for the membership of the society and for others interested in archival activities through the following activities: ¶ 1. Core-Curriculum Program of scheduled educational and training workshops covering basic functions and activities of archives administration (four per year); ¶ 2. Special Topics Program of unscheduled, but regular, educational and training workshops, seminars and lectures covering more advanced and/or special aspects of archives administration (minimum two per year); ¶ 3. Self-study kits of standard literature on basic aspects of archives administration; and ¶ 4. Other educational and training opportunities which are developed from time to time.Summerrell 1999, 93, fn. 14Similar findings were made by Ann Pederson in an international survey of universities and institutions offering programs of study in archives administration.Posner 2006, 60The suggestion, however, to provide a comprehensive course in the history and techniques of archives administration was translated into practice when, during the academic year 1938–39, Solon J. Buck, then Director of Publications of the National Archives, at Columbia University in New York assumed charge of the “first course designed primarily for the training of archivists to be offered in this country.”Posner 2006, 72Furthermore, while the Denver course closely resembles the American University course in the “History and Administration of Archives” and thus confines itself to the study of principles and techniques of archives administration, both the Raleigh and the Madison courses attempt to cover far more territory inasmuch as they include one or more of the following: the preservation and administration of historical museums, monuments, and sites; theory and practice of historical writing and publishing; history and administration of historical agencies.Linn 2015, 108They decided that applicants had to meet one of three combinations of education and experience: a master’s degree including at least nine semester hours of graduate study in archives administration and a minimum of five years qualifying archival experience; a master’s degree and six years qualifying experience; or a bachelor’s degree and seven years qualifying experience.the organizational entity or designated people within it having responsibility for direct oversight and management of an archivesEpstein 1957, 142Regular features of each issue were sections devoted to archival science in the broadest sense, to the exchange of experiences in archives administration and organization, to the discussion of methods of preserving documents, and finally to book reviews and bibliography.Polden 1968, 4Even though there are simple guiding principles of archives administration, it does not take long for an archivist to realise the sheer impossibility of having inflexible “systems” built into any part of his work.Carroll 1969, 8Records management has become one of the major influences in archives administration in that archivists often advise on records-keeping practices, they are expected to have a thorough knowledge of past and present methods of records-keeping, and so on.Rhoads 1982, 7A RAMP study on abstracting services for archives administration and records management systems, entitled Archives Journals: A Study of their Coverage by Primary and Secondary Sources, 1981, points the way toward strengthened management capabilities and enhanced professionalism through greater awareness of, and accessibility to, the important literature in the field.Larson 1982, 43–44Archives administration displays most of the features of an established profession: an association, a journal, a code of ethics, requirements for admission, and so on. . . . Their tendency to reassure each other constantly that archives administration is a profession, and that archivists are professionals, reflects “some nervousness” on their part about it. ¶ . . . As a result, the strongly proclaimed convictions of archivists notwithstanding, archives administration is probably not held to be a profession by the larger society.Larson 1982, 44A reorientation of archives administration away from its preoccupation with administrative service and records management toward the cultural-historical mission which was relegated to the background years ago for the sake of professional and bureaucratic security would open up new opportunities for professional development.SAA 1993, 8The code identifies areas where there are or may be conflicts of interest, and indicates ways in which these conflicting interests may be balanced; the code urges the highest standards of professional conduct and excellence of work in every area of archives administration.Greene 2006, 12For more than 20 years, professional best practice in archives administration has included creation, dissemination, and implementation of a formal collecting policy for manuscript repositories.Daniels 2022, 16Archives administration has its own principles and unique body of knowledge and practice, which must be the fundamental core skill set for every museum archivist.
Notes
Terms often used interchangeably for one or more of these senses include archival administration, archival management, archive administration, archive management, and archives management.
