Present: Theo Thomassen, Marie-Francoise Limon, Margaret, Ann Pederson, Masahito Ando, Feng Huiling, Irena Mamczak-Gadkowska, Silvia Schenkolowski-Kroll
Apologies: David Gracy, Torbjörn Kjölstad, Luis Hernández Olivera, Angelika Menne-Haritz
Opening of Meeting
Theo Thomassen welcomed everyone and thanked Silvia for her hard work organising the meeting.
Salamanca Minutes
These were formally adopted.
Structure and Communication
Organisation (Theo)
Considering the ambitious programme’s heavy workload and the fact the SC members all have professional obligations we can be proud that so much of the MTP has been accomplished. Theo thanked the Committee for the work done this past year. There is some way to go to perfect the way the Section operates. Although the Section was instituted from a committee in 1992, the Section remains primarily a committee and this needs to be discussed. Ann said that in order to realise the Section’s potential, we need to have more communication with members. We will have the potential with the database and website.
SAE runs a lot of projects. Not many members are contributing to the Section’s work, so most of the work must be done by the Steering Committee itself. If the ICA secretariat will be better facilitated in the near future, it might take over the administrative work involved, which would allow the Steering Committee to focus on content, on activating the members and on strengthening communications with other archive schools, and with countries that don't have archive schools. Moreover, Theo said we should think about the future. There are several different groups: universities which are well-equipped but have their own contact network; in-service training establishments like national archives; a large group of archival educators needing resources. Theo gets a lot of requests for help and cannot provide them with services they need. It will be important in the next term to support these different groups more equally.
Membership and Communications (Margaret)
The membership figures are 62 members in category C and 51 members in category D. Margaret requested that members be particularly aware of the need for good communications in the forthcoming year.
The Salamanca papers have not yet been published, due to a printing error. There is therefore a chance to include all the papers.
Marie-Francoise reported that the membership database has 304 addresses, more than the 113 SAE members. The big issue is who can manage the database.
Theo said that the aim of transferring tasks to the Secretariat was a medium or long-term objective. It would not happen in the term 2000-2004, so an interim option was needed. Margaret is not able to continue as secretary into the next term and we need someone who is part of a larger organisation with good facilities to take over the job.
There was lengthy discussion of the administrative needs of the Committee and the need to attract new committee members with good support from their institutions.
Collaboration with the US listserve was discussed, and with Carol Couture in Montreal.
It was decided that a clear answer on the Data Protection issue should be obtained in case it was relevant to our data gathering activities. Margaret would contact Gary Peterson of the Legal Committee to see if that might result in some guidance.
Finances (Marie-Francoise)
We will not be able to spend any of our money unless we put forward an annual budget. Members were requested to submit budget items by the 1st December.
The Directory, which would not appear published as it had before, had become a database. There could be a proposal for the next committee to expand the database to include the kind of details the original Directory had contained.
Feng Huiling presented her report, which was very useful, on the changes in Chinese archival education
Luis had sent papers: his bibliography submissions and a letter about the publication of the Salamanca papers in the January issue of Tabula, the journal of the archivists of Castille & Leon.
Intermediate Report
It was agreed that Theo’s intermediate report would be the basis of the report submitted to the Secretary General in December.
Project Reports
Research Projects
Ann presented Grace Tsay’s report on the database and requested thoughts, impressions, suggestions before 15th December. Grace should be formally thanked.
Teaching aids
MPSR Study Program
The Steering Committee members contributed their comments on the modules during the final review period over the summer. They were launched in Budapest. Ann thanked Theo and Margaret for their support and assistance. The Trust appreciated the Committee's input.
Digitisation of teaching aids
Ann volunteered to look into the digitisation of the teaching aid kits. Marie-Francoise would check with authors regarding copyrights.
Curricula Evaluation projects (in the absence of Torbjörn this was covered briefly)
Spanish Curricula
European course on electronic records
RECPRO
PARBICA, at the 8th conference in Fiji, August 1999, affirmed the need for professional training and there have been discussions with the university of the South Pacific. The Secretary General asks SAE to study the problem. Ann will write a few lines to include general tips and suitable consultants. It was agreed that Masahito and Feng Huiling would collaborate with Ann.
Seville Congress
We discussed the content and organisation of the Agora session. We should also try to encourage members of the Section to think about the important issues they are dealing with as archival educators and trainers - the symposium covers the whole of archival science and should generate discussion.
Theo announced that there would be a new journal on archival science which would be subject to peer reviews and would include no papers from conferences. It was called "Archival Science" and the general editors were Eric Keetelar, Peter Horsman and Theo Thomassen. The aim was to level up the relation between anglophone and non-anglophone articles. They would ask authors to translate their material into English for a broader audience. It would provide a support for archival teachers, but also (which was another aim of the Section) to transfer archival knowledge to anyone who needs that knowledge. The advisors include representatives from ARMA, ICA and IFLA. It would appear 4 times a year.
Developments in ICA Organisation
Appendix 3 of the Jerusalem meeting papers, ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN ICA, is the most important document. It concerns Theo's intervention regarding A and B category members who seem not to realise that most of the work is done by sections and committees. It is more likely that the changes will promote the efficiency and effectiveness of the ICA bodies, instead of increasing bureaucracy, as the scepticists fear.
Theo explained the that training – but not education - would be added to the ICA mission statement. It is important that SAE be consulted as the ICA develops a training policy. It is unclear what is meant and intended.
The issue of funding, and how the lack of funds prevents the ICA from much good work, was discussed at length.
It is considered important to tell the ICA Secretariat what the Steering Committee wants it to provide for us. Our proposal shapes up into:
The Training officer will require an infrastructure, to provide a framework in which we can operate. Support will also be needed particularly for facilitating projects. This would include administration, secretarial duties, funding, facilitation, representation and advocacy: also communications - website, databases, connectivity among players, publications: s/he has to have a staff. The Training Officer would be the voice of education to the CPM and the regional officers.
The Steering Committee should promote education and training quality. It should find and promote:
Sponsor:
Its role is to:
The Regions should be more project-based. They would promote the more local projects, but also participate in global stuff – the Steering Committee wouldn't put a project in place without liasing with the local representatives.
Theo said that the Training Officer would not only be doing a few things a couple of days a month – a large amount of time and personal enthusiasm and commitment from the post holder would be essential.
Bibliography Meeting
Theo said that the four project team members deserve admiration and gratitude for what they have so far achieved. The information gathering stage is complete. Classification is a big challenge and the biggest problem is data input, especially in different alphabets etc. A final issue is the timetable to have the bibliography printed before the Seville congress. Masahito will coordinate the project and gather all the material ready to be handed to the Cyrillic alphabet solution or to printers.
ICA Training and Certification Policy
It has already been noted that the ICA identifies training as its biggest issue. There is a need for training all over the world and the ICA will try to satisfy that need. Training modules (IRMT) are now around. The Secretary General asked SAE to comment on the suggestion that ICA should develop a global certificate issued by the ICA to certify archivists operating on a basic level in developing countries. The SC thought this was rather impractical. It should also be noted that supporting the Trust modules is different from designing a certification program for the world. Theo asked for a mandate for the bureau to respond to the Secretary General. Margaret is to write the report and send it on behalf of the Steering Committee. They would say that the Committee feels it is a good idea for ICA to meet training needs and to look at certification programs in developing countries and to assist them to achieve their own goals.
Preparations for Period 2000-2003
The composition of the new steering committee and new medium term plan is an important issue. We need to think of new candidates and canvass their involvement and those of us who could stay for a further term should decide whether to stand again. We need more representation from Africa, Asia and South America – the Europeans should not be so prevalent. We need continuity, the president should be from the existing committee. The proposal of the Bureau is Torbjorn. The committee agrees.
Margaret wishes to remain on the Committee, but she is not able to commit to the responsibilities of Secretary. Her employment in recent years has been uncertain, and there are no guarantees that her employer would fund ICA/SAE activity. Theo said it was a pity that she can't continue as Secretary. Margaret said that she would give the next secretary as much help and support as she was able during the transition period.
Margaret is to facilitate communication between Feng Huiling and Elizabeth Box at the IRMT.
Next Meeting
The next meeting would be in Seville in September 2000
Closing of the Meeting
Theo thanked Silvia for her hospitality and closed the meeting.
