Listserver [email protected], Conservation Discussion Listserver at consdist- [email protected], Microlink Discussion Listserver at
http://www.slsa.sa.gov.aulmicrolink and Digital Preservation Discussion Listserver at http://www.jiscmail.ac.ukldidital-preservation and other Internet discussion groups (IDG).
Preserving and providing access to records and archives are some of the major reasons for the existence of archives (Ward 2000:43). Indeed, the important mission of many national archival institutions is to facilitate access to their holdings. No archivist or records manager needs to be reminded that they create, acquire and preserve records and archives in order that they can be used. According to Matthews (1990) preservation is a broad umbrella encompassing many activities that facilitate access to documents. The activities are largely aimed at protecting and securing documentary materials to guarantee their availability, access;
and use. In fact, to de Lusenet and Drenth (1999), "[p ] reservati on is a must for continued access". Indeed, preservation has been defined as:
extending the life of materials for the purpose for which the materials exists in the library collection or archives ... and maintaining access to recorded knowledge as far into the future as possible (Gracy 1995 :25).
Thus, preservation guarantees continued availability and usability of information contained in records and archives. Preservation is not an end itself, but it is a means to achieving a desired end: access. However, attaining this goal largely depends on how records and archives are preserved, their arrangement and description, and laws governing access.
Access can be defined in a number of ways. Access can be bibliographic or physical. The two aspects of the definition of access apply to paper, microform or electronic formats (Rutstein, DeMilIer & Fuseler 1993:48). The need to provide both physical and intellectual access is a major justification for the preservation of records and archives. According to Arnoult (1995: 17), the purpose of "preserving is not to preserve for pleasure", but it is done to ensure access. Preservation is not an end in itself, but it is a means of diffusion and communication.
To de Lusenet and Drenth (1999), "preservation and access are inextricably entwined, so that one could even speak of preservation for access".
Though the "preservation is access, and access is preservation" equation by Battin (1993:367) has been questioned by scholars like Cloonan (2001:240) it does not take away from the argument the fact that the major reason why materials are preserved is to facilitate present and future access. It would be stretching the argument too far to say that Battin (1993) meant that preservation was the same as access as Cloonan (2001 :240) would have us believe.
Definitions of concepts used in the study in section 1.1.1.3 of Chapter One demonstrated that the terms do not mean the same thing and it is assumed that Cloonan (2001) knows that. The point being made by Battin (1993) is that preservation and access are inextricably connected to the extent that the two can be regarded as symbiotic. Records and archives that are not preserved will not be available for future generations. According to Baker and Soroka (1978 :5), "preservation is the indispensable means of assuring the availability of knowledge and access to it". Thus, the need to facilitate access to the records of the past justifies preservation.
The main dilemma of the archivists is to strike a balance between maximising access to records and archives and preserving the materials. Handling, as it is going to be demonstrated in section 2.8 below, damages archival materials. Archival institutions have resorted to reformatting strategies in order to protect their documents while at the same time facilitating access. Reformatting produces surrogates of the deteriorating documents and materials in high demand rather than providing the original. Surrogates are produced through photocopying, microfilming and digitisation. These reformatting strategies are discussed later in detail in section 2.7 below.
Although, the terms "preservation and access" have become a rallying cry for archives in their quest for funding and justification of their existence, institutional policies and resources show a disparity between "preservation" and "access". This should not come as a surprise to anyone who has worked in archives and records centres. A besetting problem of archives has been a shortage of resources for providing proper access to archives through the essential work of arranging, describing and preservation. As with fragments from an archaeological site, meaning can only be given to documents once they have been pieced together, identified and described. Many records and archives remain inaccessible to the public because they have not been arranged and described. This constitutes a major infringement of the people's right to information that would be otherwise open to the public.
The archival profession has long advocated intellectual freedom and deplored censorship. Yet the content of many records and archival materials is at risk of censorship due to the inherent fragility of their materials, poor storage conditions, and mishandling. Archival documents that
have been printed on acid paper will become brittle and disintegrate over time due to a weakening of the paper fibres. However, a variety of methods can be used to capture the content of brittle records and archives before they crumble. Microfilming can preserve a document's content, while paper deacidification can stabilize and halt the disintegration of acidic paper. Materials can also be printed on alkaline, or non-acidic, paper at a cost comparable to printing on acid paper.
The preservation challenges and issues outlined in the foregoing paragraphs will be elaborated on as each of the elements that constitute an archives preservation programme are examined more closely in the ensuing sections of this chapter. Some of the major elements of an archives preservation programme that are discussed are: control of the environment, building design and storage, disaster preparedness, handling and maintenance, reformatting of deteriorating materials, conserving individual items, preservation policies and plans to coordinate preservation activities and raising awareness on the importance of preservation (Gracy 1995:31-35). For the moment, let us tum to the changes that have taken place in the perception ofthe role of archivists in the preservation of documentary materials.
2.3 PARADIGM SHIFT IN THE ROLE OF ARCHIVISTS AND PRESERVATION