CUSTODIAL AND POST-

CUSTODIAL APPROACHES TO ARCHIVES

Corie Zylstra

CUSTODIAL HISTORY 1870’s—Theodoor Van Riemsdijk

Focus on why and how records are created rather than their future use

Shellenberg Noncustody=lost and damaged records

1937—Jenkinson Archives are “'documents that are set aside for

preservation in official custody'. Custody was critical to what he called 'Archive quality', which depended on records appraised as having continuing value as archives being managed by 'an unblemished line of responsible custodians', whose 'primary duties' were the 'physical and moral defense' of the archives in their care.”

CUSTODIAL HISTORY 1960’s—Society of American Archivists

(SAA)Custody is still important

1980—F. Gerald Ham Introduced the term “postcustodialism” into

archival vocabulary and theoryArchivists will manage records and not just

keep them

1980’s—Archivists do not know which approach is best

BEARMAN/COOK VS EASTWOOD Bearman (most outspoken critic of

custody) and CookAbandon the role of custodianWork with records managers to appraise

records.Appraisal based on relevance to the

corporation and society Eastwood

“The physical custody of archival material remains essential for guaranteeing an uncorrupted and intelligible record of the past, and in terms of ensuring accountability for both institutions and for society as a whole.”

THE “NEW PARADIGM” Change the focus from

Record content to contextRecord itself to its functionCustodial preservation to “intervening in the

records creation process and managing the behavior of creators”

New paradigm supporters were very abusive towards the traditional custodial approach

“SHELLENBERG IN CYBERSPACE” Author Linda J. Henry

New paradigm supporters do not support their views well Poor research and references Do not consider other opinions and experiences

Suggests looking at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)

POST-CUSTODIAL MANAGEMENT IN AUSTRALIA Even more involvement

Archivists “work collaboratively with other information specialists, including records managers and information technology professionals, to analyze information management requirements, design appropriate systems, and estimate and oversee the management of risks involved in keeping or destroying information.”

National Archives of Australia (NAA)Archivists and creators work together under

the same rules

AUSTRALIA’S PRO POST-CUSTODIAL Acland

Followed the NAA’s form at the University of Queenland

McKemmishFocus on the relationship between agencies,

how they create their records, and the records themselves

Custody should remain with the creating or controlling agency

AUSTRALIA’S ANTI POST-CUSTODIAL Eastwood—3 concerns

“Weak” institutionsSeparating recordsSubjectivity and bias

Luciana DurantiFocus on subjectivity and biasRoman historyArchival “threshold”

Stephen EllisCustody does not guarantee authenticity

but physical and intellectual custody are still key

OTHER ARGUMENTS Greg O’Shea

If archivists wait for electronic records to become non-current then it will be too late

Frank UpwardLocation will matter less than accessibility

because records will “no longer have to move across clear boundaries in space or time to be seen as part of an archives.”

OTHER ARGUMENTS Alf Erlandsson

‘Metadata systems approach’Have archival users in mind when the

systems are designed and records are created

Aid archivists later if they take physical custody

OTHER ARGUMENTS Heather MacNeil

Interference from outsiders would undermine the evidential value of the metadata

Sarah FlynnPost-custodial management is not

necessarily permanent

OTHER MIDDLE GROUND APPROACHES Ellis

Do not take an extreme positionThe NAA’s position is case sensitivePost-custodial management will not work for

every institution

Archives have a choiceCertified digital archives

CHANGE IN AUSTRALIA Switch to custodial management of

digital records of archival value

Found a “lack of understanding and a high degree of confusion among employees regarding their responsibilities and abilities to manage electronic records’ as well as considerable confusion among agency recordkeepers about the requirements of the standard on electronic recordkeeping.”

ANALYSIS The custody issue has been around for

over 130 years

Post-custodial supporters need to act and think more like the archival pioneers

Custodial supporters need to think about the future of electronic records

ANALYSIS Both sides worry about the authenticity

of the records for future usePost-custodialists want early archival

involvement so that records wont be lostCustodialists worry that involvement will

cause bias

Can a middle ground be found?Erlandsson’s metadata system?

ANALYSIS Post-custodial management is not for

everyone

Create policies and standards to keep everyone accountable

No institution should be forced to use it

Higher bodies like the NAA should research theories before making them national standards

CONCLUSION Archivist

“an individual responsible for appraising, acquiring, arranging, describing, preserving, and providing access to records of enduring value, according to the principles of provenance, original order, and collective control to protect the materials’ authenticity and context.”

Creation is beyond the role of the archivist

BIBLIOGRAPHY “A Glossary of Archival and Records Terminology.” The Society of American Archivists. Accessed

April 10, 2012. http://www.archivists.org/glossary/index.asp.

Bastian, Jeannette Allis. “A Question of Custody: The Colonial Archives of the United States Virgin Islands.” American Archivist 64, no.1 (Spring/Summer 2001): 96–114.

Boadle, Don. “Reinventing the Archive in a Virtual Environment: Australians and the Non-Custodial Management of Electronic Records.” Australian Academic & Research Libraries 35, no. 3 (September 2004): 242-252.

Burrows, Toby. “Personal Electronic Archives: Collecting the Digital Me.” OCLC Systems & Services 22, no. 2 (2006): 85 - 88

Davis, Susan E. “Electronic Records Planning in ‘Collecting’ Repositories.” The American Archivist 71 (Spring/Summer 2008): 167 - 189.

Henry, Linda J. “Schellenberg in Cyberspace.” American Archivist 61, no. 2 (1998): 309–327.

Ketelaar, Eric. “Archival Theory and the Dutch Manual.” Archivaria 41 (January 1996): 31 - 40

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