Archive

An archive (Latin Archivum, filing cabinet ', . Ἀρχεῖον from AltGr Archeion, office building ') is an institution or organizational unit indefinitely preserved in the archives, made ​​and received is usable ( archiving). The term also building or premises may be meant, in which a library or archive is housed (magazine).

Archives are there worldwide and in nearly all cultures and walks of life. Archives appear in both public ( eg government, local authorities) and private ownership (eg, businesses, clubs, families). Most public archives work due Archive laws that declare the archiving and the associated fields of work as a public duty task. Together with other memory institutions such as libraries, documentation centers, archives or museums form the cultural and legal-administrative memory of a State, a municipality or a region. The preservation and Benutzbarmachung the information is mainly the archives ever greater challenges, especially as more and more documents exist only digitally ( digital archiving).

Archive

The archived in the archives of information and the associated information carrier are grouped under the term archival. A single Archivguteinheit is also called Archivale ( neuter, plural archives ).

Archival material is that portion of documents, which was not retained by pad leading positions such as government agencies, enterprises, associations, families and individuals for various reasons and was judged by a particular archive kept for an indefinite term ( archival rating ). This kind of documents often have the property that they document the tasks ( both mandatory tasks and voluntary tasks ) and the activities of the respective pad leading authority ( eg a bank supervised by the Federal Ministry of Finance, water supply of a municipality, product design in the car business, space flight Aviation Authority, scientific data of a research Institute, annual Meeting of the Association, diary or correspondence of a private person).

The pre-archiving handling of documents governs records management of the pad holding office, a branch of the profession, which greatly suffers deprofessionalization for decades. The state of the archive depends very much on the state of records management. Archives can not make authentic documents usable carelessly run often.

The information which documents may thereby any carrier and formations have, for example, paper-based or electronic case files, databases or other digital systems, individual documents, maps, photographs, films or sound recordings.

Pad Leading bodies provide their documents mandatory or voluntary - depending on the legal background - a particular archive, if the documents have reached a certain age or are no longer required for performance of work. Archive then decide whether the documents are archived or destroyed. The not yet offered archives part of documents is also called Registraturgut, particularly in government agencies and companies. There are significant legal and textual differences between archive and Registraturgut. However, there are significant dependencies and similarities, which are illustrated by the model of the life cycle of documents.

The tools created during the content development of the information of archival material such as finding aids to be used for uses and for the evaluation. Finally serviced archive is now commonly asked in the context of finding aids on the web available to the public. Archival material often consists of unique pieces and has as a primary source has a prominent position in the history of science as well as historical research.

Extension of the term Archive

Often archive is simply for a place that is kept on the no longer updates, for example, many sites have a corresponding archive area. In Archive, it is not a clearly defined or even trademarked term. Very different facilities Archives may call themselves, although it often could be more appropriate to describe it as old registries, libraries, museums and documentation centers.

The so-called archiving in the IT sector leads to dilution of the actual term archive. To speak many companies that offer digital filing systems or use of archiving, when it comes to the storage of data in the system ( electronic filing ). Other memory institutions such as libraries speak of long-term preservation, when the permanent preservation of their digital information is meant ( digital archive ). The use of the term archive in the IT industry is to understand technical. For example, systems for electronic filing or for data backup (see eg the tar file format) are referred to as archives, although nowadays hardly distinguish the access times from the perspective of human labor even from those in the current system the medium. In the 20th century it was common practice to store data from the electronic filing in locked safes.

In the postmodern cultural studies archive is such as libraries needed after Michel Foucault as a generic term for information and knowledge storage.

Archive types and archive support

In the archives in Germany and German-speaking neighboring countries highly fragmented and diverse orientation of the individual institutions is going on, have a structure which is as follows: The main carrier of archives are public and semi- public institutions. Besides archives but also entertain large businesses, organizations and individuals. From the archive support the tradition form the individual archives depends.

The archives of the public sector generally include general government archives, state archives, municipal archives, archives chamber and school and university archives. These archives fulfill a statutory mandate. The archives of institutions and associations include archives of religious communities (at the level of countries, monasteries and parishes and denominations by separated), club archives, archives Party, trade union and employers' association archives, guild archives and more.

In the area of ​​private archives to find about company archives and archives of private individuals or families that are usually not accessible to outsiders. Even the title of journals, the term archive use: For example, the Archive for the History of Medicine Sudhoffs archive or the renowned through his monographic Supplements " Archives of Musicology ".

Added to the archives in newspaper and magazine publishers. As an example of the archives of a major newspaper publisher suited the Süddeutsche Zeitung. " The Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ ) has since its founding in 1945 through a press archive, which documents the texts of their own editors, and numerous national and international publications and provides upon request for research purposes. [ ... ] The technical development from the mid-90s was twofold: (1 ) the total change from paper tray for digital storage and ( 2) the change represented by a publishing internal documentation and information center to a well on the market information service " summarizes Markus shek developments together. Here it is clear that archives thus quite able to experience a certain understanding of change by not only provide in-house information, but also externally occur. Especially with regard to newspaper publishers is increasingly expected such steps to date to bring unused archive content from the cellars of the publishers on their own website here in the next few years. There they can date reports a historical component anreichen or even be monetized directly.

Conservation

Since archives to save the cultural heritage entrusted to them (as well as other cultural custodial institutions libraries, museums and monuments offices) permanently or at least for a long time, there is the problem of conservation. In this field cooperate archives, libraries and museums that would otherwise go largely separate professional ways, the most. The conservation about a tape recorder, should be done in each institution according to the same technical standards as it is also based on the self-understanding of the restorers profession.

Particular problems raises the long-term preservation of digital information, as the durability of currently available disks is very limited. For example, parts of the data of the Apollo program are already no longer be read because the computer operating systems and programs are no longer available by then or the data was not transferred to newer systems.

Another problem is the archiving of paper documents that are not wood-free or contain harmful additives like glue and pigments. While documents on old hemp paper are very durable shelf life over centuries, disintegrate European documents from the 19th century, often by acid corrosion. The restoration is often possible only by the mass deacidification and subsequent stabilization techniques, such as by the paper gap method.

Development

The development of ( the order and distortion of the archive ) takes place in specialist archives today after the principle of provenance, whereas in the 19th century, the principle of pertinence was widespread, organized the documents regardless of their origins, context and origin (provenance ) to tangible terms ( Pertinenzen ). A cracked out of context document has considerably less significance than a document which was left in its context.

Starting from the Anglo-American archives work on common standards such as Encoded Archival Context and Encoded Archival Description. As in the U.S. archives and libraries are far closer than in German-speaking, it comes through the cooperation in the field of standardization for greater cooperation of archives and libraries.

However, it has not proven itself to adapt bibliographic formats on archival needs. The International Council on Archives ( ICA / CIA) adopted in 2000, ISAD ( G) as an application standard for distortion of archival documents (General International Standard Archival Description), and 2004 ISAAR (CPF ) (International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons, and Families ).

Thus, the independence of archival work methods are taken into account. The individualization of individual pieces is counteracted and reflect the principle of provenance articulated in the importance of the emergence of relationships and origin purposes. By unifying the improvement of working methods is achieved, which is based on the practice and which will become the basis for the development of national standards.

The aim is that in the future the user according to uniform standards can research in networked archive databases in the finding aids of archives worldwide.

Use

In particular, the development of data protection was the engine for archival legislation. In the public archives worldwide respect for sensitive personal data plays a major role. For example, personnel records are usually given until some time after the death of the person concerned in the use ( in Germany 10 to 30 years). If the time of death is not known, a period from birth (usually 90 to 100 years) is set.

With the advent of freedom of information laws play the previously dominant fears users could premature access to government files the administrative hurt a diminishing role. For the Records of the Federal and State Governments in Germany applies a rule vesting period of 30 years after emergence.

User

The use of stocks of a public archive for the evaluation for personal, legal or scientific purposes is possible for anyone following approval of an application for identified users. Also, a written request applies in the legal sense as use. As the original Registraturbildner the archive entertaining management is often the main user of the official archival materials to enable the ongoing management operation and to obtain security in legal matters.

The historical sciences expect the customer files and diplomacy to their auxiliary sciences. The use and viewing of public and private archives in order to search, control and evaluation of sources is one of the basic job responsibilities of the historian and his staff and assistants. In addition to all professional historians (which may be employed not only in universities but also in archives and similar institutions themselves) also includes freelance writers, journalists and amateur researchers (such as local historian ) to the regular users of public and sometimes private archives, when they deal with historical address issues. Furthermore archives are regularly used by journalists to operate source research.

Due to the numerous civil register, church records and archived residents' registration card indexes municipal archives are a popular place for genealogists or individuals seeking information about their ancestors. Also to clarify inheritance disputes contact with the heirs appointed lawyers or company archives to obtain certified documents or other documents for legal security of their clients.

As part of the archive pedagogy to schools can make, for example, for the history lesson, the free accessibility of the archives advantage and be technically supported by the archive staff. At the time when the students of the high schools to write their research papers, the archives also notice an annual accumulation of requests by students who are looking in the stocks original sources.

Archive laws

Different laws exist at the federal or state level that govern the accessibility of archival documents and formulate the tasks of archives in Germany. At the municipal level corresponding regulations are drafted in the context of local autonomy in Constitutions. Subject of the archive laws regarding the use of the archives is the consideration of science and freedom of information on the one hand and the rights of affected persons on the other. For this protection periods and other restrictions on use to protect the archival materials are formulated. Compliance with the applicable Archives Act obliges the archives, for example, to deny the use if there is reason to believe that the good of the Federal Republic of Germany or one of the countries would be jeopardized, or the conservation status of Archivale does not permit use.

Security

Inhalation of dust or mold can lead to serious respiratory diseases and allergic reactions. Since it can not be completely avoided, dust and mold spores infect the archives, it is imperative when using to protect themselves adequately. The conventional measure is a personal protective equipment consisting of mask, gloves and protective clothing, which will be limited in most cases to gloves.

Since archive is unique, it must be protected from improper use and high stress from damage. In willful damage of the archive, the user can use the granted permit will be revoked. To prevent vandalism, the use is only - allows reading rooms - supervised by qualified personnel. Photographs and copies are also generally forbidden, since the strong light leads to increased stress of the material. To be borne by users Gloves are not only meant to protect the user. By contact with the skin sweat is transferred to the paper of the documents. Since this can lead to damage of the paper, gloves are essential. Only the use of a pencil for the production of notes is frequently approved because in the use of pens is a risk of contaminating the records permanently. Many archives also customize protection films to provide a microfilm use. So the originals are protected because they are not used by the user, while the contents of them can still be made ​​available.

Literature on the use of the archives

• Norbert Reimann (Eds.), Practical Archives Administration, a guide to specialist in media and information services specializing in Archives, Münster 2004
• Angelika Menne - Haritz, keywords archival terminology, teaching materials for the subject of archival science, 2nd, revised. Ed, Marburg 1999

Virtual Archive, Google Books

In the Internet there are numerous archive portals. They offer bundled information about archives and / or the opportunity to search simultaneously in the holdings of several archives. Depending on which and how many archives are accessible from there there is thematically narrower and wider ( more universal ) Web portals.

Casting Google Books - it began in 2004 - has triggered much. At that time there were only a few pilot projects to digitize and archive Find resources to provide for use by both the internet. The idea of open access archives was still not widespread. Google announced in 2004 the goal by 2015 15 million books (equivalent to 4.5 billion pages) scanned to have. Google is also cooperating with the nonprofit Internet Archive project. Google Books hit because of his approach - start of digitization on a large scale, without principle, to clarify or to regulate by contract before the copyright situation of the copied works - in some cases considerable resistance, which also resulted in litigation. Google tried to address this in the context of a large-scale flat-rate contract with rights holders, the Google Book Settlement, which itself the subject of broad debate, and was of legal proceedings.

Google cooperates with numerous extra large and old libraries (see here), including many university libraries:

• USA: University of Michigan (over 7 million volumes ), Harvard University, Stanford University, New York Public Library, University of Virginia, the University of Wisconsin - Madison, Princeton University, the University of California and University of Texas at Austin.

• Europe: the Bodleian Library at Oxford University,
• ( since 2006 ), the National Library of Catalonia, the Biblioteca de Catalunya in Barcelona and the library of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid,
• 2007 announced the Bavarian State Library in Munich, to cooperate as first German library to the project. There are about a million copyright- free works from the historical collections and from special collections are digitized. Excluded from digitizing only the manuscripts and Inkunabelbestände as well as rare and especially valuable historical prints.
• In July 2008, the Bibliothèque Municipale de Lyon was the first French library known their books to be digitized.
• In June 2010, the Austrian National Library announced that Google their copyright-free book inventory digitized ( with the exception of books in which conservation concerns suggest otherwise ) - some 120 million pages.

Further cuts in costs of digitization favor the process.

The digitization of analog archives - away from the find means - is also advocated and - usually in individual individual projects - driven. Resulting digitized are - provided for use on the WWW - immediately or after a certain time.

If museums are so many online exhibits that this results in an overall impression of museum, that's called Digital Museum (examples here).

Archive organizations and professional image

The professional exchange serve the professional associations of archivists ( in Germany: Vd A, in Switzerland VSA, in Austria VÖA ) and associations of archives and archival journals ( in Germany is in the first place, the archivist and the Archival magazine to call, in the arbido Switzerland, Austria scrinium ). Only recently, archivists use the internet increasingly to exchange information (web sites, mailing lists).