The current situation of preserving public records and archives and making them available by archival institutions in South Africa was examined. The study concluded that unless the existing situation is reversed, access to public records and archives in South Africa would decrease.
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND TO STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
One of the strategies to ensure continued access to documents and archives is preservation (Jones and Ritzenthaler 1988: 185). The preservation of and access to documents and archives in South Africa is further explored in Chapter Three.
RESEARCH PROBLEM AND RESEARCH ISSUES
In fact, record and archive preservation in Africa Pacific has been characterized as a crisis area (National Archives of South Africa 1997; Olivier 1999: I 0). What are the activities and strategies used in the preservation of records and archives in South Africa.
JUSTIFICATION FOR THE RESEARCH
What is the potential and actual impact of new laws relating to access to records and archives retention information. There is general consensus that the preservation and conservation of library and archive materials depends not only on their composition and handling, but also on the particular environment of the site.
METHODOLOGY
The second reason was to determine whether the present research is necessary and to choose an appropriate methodology for the research.
DELIMITATIONS OF SCOPE AND KEY ASSUMPTIONS
The other assumption is that storage can ensure the protection of archives and data, as well as guaranteeing their access to users. Trained and qualified staff are supposed to be the key to effectively storing data and archives and making them available to users.
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
It is assumed that record creators are concerned with continued use and access to their data. It is also assumed that archivists and data managers have moved from the custodial paradigm and taken responsibility for making information readily available to users without reducing its future accessibility.
OUTLINE OF THE THESIS
The sixth chapter deals with the interpretation of the results in the light of the research questions. Despite variations in guidelines from one style guide to another, this study consistently used one reference convention based on the Harvard system throughout the study.
SUMMARY
The resulting reference list was arranged alphabetically by author and then by date at the end of the last chapter of the thesis. The main concern of the chapter was to demonstrate that despite the existence of studies on conservation issues.
INTRODUCTION
PURPOSE OF THE LITERATURE IN RESEARCH
This is quite the opposite of the inductive approach where data is examined to develop theories related to the literature. Although the list of purposes of the literature review is endless, six common examples are discussed below.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PRESERVATION AND ACCESS
Preserving and providing access to documents and archives are some of the main reasons for the existence of archives (Ward 2000:43). The main dilemma for archivists is to find a balance between maximizing access to documents and archives and preserving the material.
PARADIGM SHIFT IN THE ROLE OF ARCHIVISTS AND PRESERVATION MANAGEMENT MANAGEMENT
Restoration and conservation processes
Cold lamination can also be used instead of hot lamination (The National Archives of the Netherlands et af. 2001:63). Alternatively, polyester film enclosures of the U-seal (three-sided seal) or L-seal (two-sided, one corner joined) type can be used. According to Ritzenthaler (1993:32), archivists should be aware of the common printing colors as well as their characteristics.
PRESERVATION OF VULNERABLE RECORDS AND ARCHIVES
This strategy is based (as in technology preservation) on preserving the original data in its original form. Unlike other options, migration ensures that the integrity and usefulness of electronic records is maintained in the face of ever-changing technologies. Many institutions are facing a crisis in the preservation of audiovisual materials due to the rapid development of digital data and the gradual abandonment of analog and video magnetic tapes.
PRESERVATION REFORMATTING STRA TEGIES 8
In the case of SSA where there are no generally accepted standards for permanent paper, there can be no guarantee that acid-free paper is used. The statement is still true in the context of the developing world where digitization is done piecemeal. Micrographics, a specialized information management technology involved in the creation and use of microfilm images, has been around for over 150 years (Kuan Wah 1999:184).
HANDLING AND CARE
Maintaining proper temperature and relative humidity (RH) in archival storage areas is very important. According to Ogden (1996b), the control of temperature and relative humidity is of vital importance in the preservation of documentary materials because they contribute significantly to the deterioration of materials. Some of the instruments used to monitor temperature and RF are summarized in Table Two.
The plan should identify areas to be monitored, the procedures to be adopted and forms for recording necessary information (patkus 1998:74). The recently developed Preservation Calculator, a tool for managing the environment developed by the Image Institute in Rochester, New York, will ease the problems of monitoring the climate (Image Permanence Institute 2002; The National Archives of the Netherlands et al. 2001:97). However, the Preservation Calculator makes it possible to quantify the result of changes in climate control equipment, i.e. changes to the HV AC systems, addition of room air conditioners or dehumidifiers and changes in air circulation.
I No Risk
Light
Therefore, light levels in storage, reading and exhibition areas should be kept as low as practical. Because damage is a function of both the intensity and duration of exposure, light levels should be kept as low as possible and exposure duration should be as short as possible. When not in use, they should be stored in a light-tight container or in a windowless room that is only lit when materials are collected.
Particulate control and gaseous contamination
One of the most important photochemical reactions is oxidation, where molecules transfer their energy to an oxygen molecule, leading to harmful chemical reactions. The pollutants that cause damage to documents and archives and the measures to control air quality are discussed in this chapter. On the other side of the coin are total particulate matter (TSP), such as dust, soot and smoke, which damage materials.
Biological factors
Termites can attack the structure of the building and eat any paper products. It is generally agreed that the sites listed below should be avoided because of their disadvantages for the preservation of documents and archives (Duchein 1977:22; Het Nationaal Archief van Nederland et al. 2001:87). Storage furniture for archival and archival materials can contribute to the deterioration of the collections they house.
Handling and good housekeeping
Eating, drinking and smoking around records and archives should be avoided as the spills and stains are generally permanent. Photocopying should only be done if it can be done without causing damage to the records and archives themselves. Suitable materials and equipment, which remove rather than redistribute dirt and dust, should be provided.
DISASTER PLANNING AND SECURITY OF RECORDS AND ARCHIVES
Copies of the plan should be distributed to all personnel responsible for emergency prevention and recovery. Multiple copies of the plan should be kept off-site as well as in the building(s) where materials are housed. There should be an adequate number of hand-held fire extinguishers (C02, water or foam depending on the likely cause of fire, i.e. electrical or chemical) strategically located.
PRESERVATION POLICIES
- Infonnation contained in a preservation policy
Typically, the policy includes an introduction, archive philosophy statement, statement on access to originals, and preservation program parameters. The archives' philosophy statement may include the archives' mission statement and goals. Staff should be aware of the existence of the policy as well as their responsibilities for compliance.
PRESERVATION PLANNING
In other words, planning is a systematic balancing of the goals and resources of an organization. The needs assessment survey analyzes the policies, practices and environments that affect the preservation of the collections. Planning should involve as many staff members as possible so that they will take ownership of the conservation program.
PRESERVATION TRAINING AND EDUCATION
Education and training are essential to improving records and archives in Africa. The archivist's role was to ensure effective and efficient access to records and archives by their creators. Their absence is one of the indicators that access to data and archives is limited or impossible (Ngulube 2002c:576).
REVIEW OF PREVIOUS STUDIES ON PRE S ERV ATION AND ACCESS TO RECORDS AND ARCHIVES WORLDWIDE RECORDS AND ARCHIVES WORLDWIDE
Most of the studies on the preservation of archives in sub-Saharan Africa are based on theoretical insights and hardly grounded in practice or based on empirical research. In 1986, Clements (1987) conducted an international survey to assess the state of world heritage. 9 above discussed and demonstrated that it is one of the key elements of a conservation strategy.
SUMMARY
More importantly, it recommended that the gap between theory and practice could be bridged by defining conservation policies that reflected the needs of the collections that could function within the means of each given institution (Lindsay 1999: 425). Although the conservation findings of previous studies are similar in many ways, they differ in significant ways, in terms of conclusions reached by each of the studies regarding the institutional mission, the holdings, environmental factors, the users and technological limitations. The components of a conservation program, which include reformatting strategies, environmental control, disaster planning and security, conservation policies and plans, standards relating to conservation and raising awareness of the importance of conservation, were also considered.
INTRODUCTION
PUBLIC RECORDS AND ARCHNES MANAGEMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA
- Storage of public records and archives in South Africa
According to Schedule 5 of the Constitution of South Africa (1996) and the National Archives Act of South Africa 1996, archives are a provincial competence. The NFVSA is a sub-directorate of the National Archives of South Africa (see Figure Three), located in Pretoria. State-created material is periodically transferred in terms of the National Archives of South Africa Act No 43 of 1996.
