Governance and Recordkeeping, May 2024
Has your organization published a recent article that would interest our readers?
If so, let us know at: pdtd-drkp@bac-lac.gc.ca and send us the following details:
- article title and date published
- executive summary in 100 words or less
- country
- author name(s)
- organization name
- article link
ISSN 1916-5714
In this issue
Section 1 — General News
Library and Archives Canada News (new section)
Upcoming Events
May 15, 2024—International Council on Archives (ICA) NPP/FAN Virtual Seminar Series. Seminar three:
Archives and Education, Training and Research
Moderated by Leslie Weir, Librarian and Archivist of Canada, this virtual session will enable critical reflection on the available pathways to become an archivist. Through engaging presentations, participants will be encouraged to explore global perspectives on archivist training and identify areas for improvement, bridging the gap between education and real-world practice.
Open House at the Gatineau Preservation Campus
Library and Archives Canada’s Preservation Campus in Gatineau, Quebec, will open its doors to the public on May 24 and 25, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Visitors from the public of all ages will have the rare opportunity to wander through the laboratories and vaults, to discover works by Canadian artists and to learn how our professionals work every day to preserve history. Join us for a behind-the-scenes look at how we preserve your documentary heritage!
New: For the first time, public access to the new building!
We’re opening the doors to the new Preservation Storage Facility to the public for the very first time! This unique building opened in 2022 and is the world’s largest automated archive facility, the first net-zero carbon archive facility in North America, and is LEED Gold certified. It has already won several awards for its architecture and ingenious design.
Committee Updates
LAC employee joins the International Council on Archives (ICA)
Ryan Courchene, who is First Nations, became the first Indigenous elected executive member of the Programme Commission and is currently working on digitizing and providing access to Indigenous materials in the LAC collection for Indigenous peoples in Canada. The ICA strives to encourage and inspire the work of archival institutions, professional bodies, and organizations worldwide, both public and private, concerned with the administration or preservation of archives, records, and data, or with professional education.
LAC employee elected to the Canadian Commission for UNESCO
Senior Archivist Geneviève Morin, who specializes in art, photography, and philately in government archives, was elected to serve as the ex-officio member for LAC on the CCUNESCO's Canadian Advisory Committee for Memory of the World. This committee reviews and evaluates submissions to the International and Canadian Memory of the World Registers. It also makes recommendations to the Executive Committee on the Canadian program.
CCUNESCO helps Canadians share knowledge locally and globally to create better societies and build peace in the minds of individuals. To do so, the Commission facilitates cooperation in the fields of education, science, culture, communication and information to address some of the most complex challenges facing the world today.
Highlights
The ICH-Archives Symposium: Building Connections and Forging Alliances: Strengthening the Intersections between Archives and Intangible Cultural Heritage
Leslie Weir, Librarian and Archivist of Canada, provided opening remarks. The symposium was hosted by the Canadian Advisory Committee for Memory of the World, in collaboration with the International Council on Archives and Heritage Saskatchewan. It brought together key stakeholders in intangible cultural heritage (ICH), archives and research. They considered the theoretical and practical issues associated with the acts of “making, keeping and using” ICH and the resulting documentary products, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous.
Consult the Symposium report
Consult the full event on YouTube
Recordkeeping Strategies:
Our Recordkeeping Strategies Section was active last year. They co-presented a workshop at the International Council on Archives (ICA) 2023 Congress and presented a session at the Information and Records Management Society 2023 Conference in Manchester, England. They also sat on the Programme Commission of the ICA, and the ICA Expert Group on Managing Digital and Physical Records. Additionally, they chaired the Canadian Mirror Committee for ISO TC46/SC11 (Archives and Records Management) and participated in the development of international standards. In May 2023, they led the Canadian delegation at the SC11 Plenary Meeting in Paris and participated in a week of working group meetings.
For more information, please contact: pdtd-drkp@bac-lac.gc.ca
Global News
Aruba
The Internet Archive Just Backed Up an Entire Caribbean Island
Stacy Argondizzo's project, the Internet Archive, has recently expanded its collection with the addition of the Aruba Collection. This collection includes digitized versions of various institutions, including Aruba’s National Library, National Archives, an archaeology museum, and the University of Aruba. It currently comprises 101,376 items, featuring 40,000 documents, 60,000 images, and seven 3D objects. While the Internet Archive is renowned for preserving online resources such as websites, the Aruba Collection represents a significant departure as it archives an entire nation's history. This initiative underscores the organization's mission to enhance online accessibility to information.
Australia
The Australian government’s looming record-keeping disaster
Records practitioners in the Australian Public Service (APS) are deeply concerned about the state of record management practices, despite efforts to raise awareness. The recent Data and Digital Government Strategy, touted as a solution, is deemed inadequate. Managing digital records effectively poses a significant challenge, exacerbated by the exponential growth in data. Over-retention of records is a pressing issue, increasing the risk of data breaches and privacy violations. There is a call for proactive measures to address the unchecked growth of digital records within APS agencies.
China
Google’s retiring of Internet archiving tool draws ire of China researchers
Researchers in China already face challenges due to opaque leadership and censorship. However, they now encounter an unexpected obstacle from Google. The removal of the Google cache function is particularly problematic for China researchers who relied on it to preserve access to information, especially for citations. Academics, journalists, and others utilized cached pages to access past versions of websites and deleted content—a valuable tool given China's heavily censored Internet landscape.
Russia
Russia: Protect the right to truth about human rights atrocities
An amicus brief submitted to the European Court of Human Rights in the “right to truth” cases states that access to historical archives should only be justified in cases where the denial has clear basis in the law, the denial is justified under one of the exceptions listed in Article 10(2), and is necessary and proportionate to the aim sought. Exceptions, such as those for national security, must be balanced with the public interest in disclosing information about serious human rights abuses.
Sudan
Sudan journalists: ‘Fighting threatens 100-year-old media archives
Journalists have expressed concern over the potential destruction or damage to archives, which they consider a crucial political, cultural, and social legacy for Sudan. They urge the warring parties to spare the buildings housing these archives. This plea comes as the Society for Journalists in Sudan sounds the alarm for the second time since the war began. They call upon UNESCO and other heritage preservation organizations to intervene and safeguard radio and television libraries, emphasizing the urgent need to protect this heritage from loss.
Taiwan and Czech Republic
Exhibition: The Imprint of Civilization
The National Central Library of Taiwan hosts collections that encompass the broad and diverse scope of cultural and artistic heritage of Southeast Asia, providing insights into the earliest knowledge of humanity. In collaboration with the National Library of the Czech Republic, the distinctive exhibition highlights the invention and historical evolution of crucial elements like the alphabet, paper, and printing, which are the vital milestones of the development of human civilization. Paper, in particular, has played a crucial role in the evolution of books and the dissemination of knowledge from ancient times to the present era.
United States
More Gen Z, millennials are using libraries, reading paper books, study says
Librarians nationwide have observed a notable trend: an increasing number of young adults are frequenting libraries and favouring printed books over digital options, in contrast to older generations. This challenges the assumption that younger demographics read less and predominantly engage with digital media. The report suggests that members of Generation Z express a desire for a “social media detox,” which could explain their preference for print books over digital alternatives in contrast to older generations.
Global
Preservica launches new Enterprise Digital Preservation
Preservica has unveiled a new generation of its Enterprise edition, which features enhanced capabilities such as improved security, fully automated digital preservation, advanced metadata management, high-performance ingest, and seamless integration with AI and machine learning tools.
Section 2 — Events
Notice
The following is the most recent information available at date of publication.
Annual Meetings and Conferences
National
May 2024
International Council on Archives (ICA) NPP/FAN Virtual Seminar Series
Virtual, May 15, 2024
June 2024
Book Science
Toronto, Canada, June 5–7, 2024
Black Community Archives and Libraries
Toronto, Canada, June 13–14, 2024
October 2024
Dublin Core Metadata Initiative 2024
Toronto, Canada, October 20–23, 2024
International
May 2024
British and Irish Sound Archives 2024
Glasgow, Scotland, May 9–10, 2024
Information and Records Management Society Annual Conference
Brighton, United Kingdom, May 12–14, 2024
Archives and Records Association—Budgeting for Beginners
By United Kingdom and Ireland, Virtual, May 14–15, 2024
June 2024
Memobase de Memoriav: le portail du patrimoine audiovisuel suisse
Geneva, Switzerland, June 18, 2024
Artificial Intelligence Genealogy Seminars: From Basics to Breakthroughs
GRIP Virtual Session, June 23–28, 2024
August 2024
Save the Games: A Digital Preservation Symposium
Rochester, New York, United States, August 21–22, 2024
September 2024
No Time to Wait!
Karlsruhe, Germany, September 11–13, 2024
November 2024
Deathscapes: Histories of Photography and Contemporary Photographic Practices
Nicosia, Cyprus, November 7–9, 2024
Section 3 — Current Trends and Products
Recordkeeping: Current Developments, Projects and Future Initiatives
Canada
NL Privacy Commissioner Advocates for Responsible AI Deployment Amid Privacy Concerns
The Privacy Commissioner of Newfoundland and Labrador is urging the government to tackle privacy concerns related to AI, especially as the federal government is developing the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act. This call is significant as the proposed Act aims to establish ethical guidelines for AI systems affecting Canadians, underlining the importance of addressing privacy issues in the evolving digital landscape.
Australia
Digital transformation remains confusing and challenging for public servants
A recent survey of 425 Australian government workers by tech company Appian revealed that despite a lack of clear benefits, public servants are enthusiastic about new technology in the workplace. Sixty-three percent of respondents believed that the digital transformation of government services had enhanced accessibility. However, only 11% reported having access to all the necessary information for their jobs.
Belarus
Feats and Destinies of Partisans in Documents Exhibition Opened in Moscow
The exhibition showcases rare photographs taken during the Second World War and features award lists and combat profiles of renowned brigade commanders, Heroes of the Soviet Union, and ordinary partisan soldiers. For two years, the exhibition will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus and the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. The majority of its content comes from the Belarus Segodnya Publishing House and the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus, particularly from the unique Internet project Partisans of Belarus.
India
Digitizing 175 million pages of archives in Maharashtra
The Maharashtra State Archives announced plans to digitize a diverse collection of historical documents, including centuries-old papers. This initiative aims to provide accessibility to researchers, authors, and history enthusiasts over the next five years, enriching the historical resources available for study and exploration.
United States
Sharing Mississippi’s history: University to digitize historic archives
The University of Mississippi's Department of Archives and Special Collections is launching a digitization project to modernize its audiovisual holdings, which include recordings focusing on civil rights. Of the nearly 100,000 sound recordings, most of which are under copyright, approximately 12,000 recordings will be digitized, making them accessible to audiences worldwide. The audiovisual materials encompass numerous formats, including 16 mm film, Super 8 film, 8 mm film, Betacam, U-Matic, VHS, digital audio tapes, microcassettes, audio cassettes, and 16 2/3 rpm discs, with some items dating back over 50 years.
United States
Empowering Artists Impacted by the System: Archiving for an Enduring Creative Legacy
On December 1, 2023, the Fitton Center for Creative Arts in Hamilton, Ohio hosted Preserving Our Creative Footprints: An Archive Workshop for System-Impacted Artists. Tailored for members of the Returning Artists Guild, including co-founders Kamisha Thomas and Aimee Wissman, this workshop marked a significant step for those navigating the complexities of preserving their artistic legacies. The workshop was part of the Archiving Marking Time initiative led by the National Archives Project, aimed at providing archival assistance to artists, families, and organizations associated with Marking Time, a project inspired by Dr. Nicole R. Fleetwood's book Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration.
Global
The potential of advanced tech to reduce clinician burnout
The integration of ambient listening and generative AI has the potential to alleviate physicians' workload during patient encounters, thereby reducing burnout and enhancing patient interactions. Artificial intelligence is seen as a promising tool to streamline clinical documentation processes, particularly in transferring clinical findings into patient records. This capability is now available to approximately 150 health systems, hospitals, and medical centres using Epic's automation documentation systems. Early adoption of this technology has shown promising results.
Products and Tools from Around the World
Canada
Writing an Archival Acquisition Policy
An acquisition policy for archives establishes guidelines for acquiring, preserving, and providing access to documents. It defines criteria for accepting records and materials, identifies responsible parties, and articulates the archive's standards and values. Acquisition involves a commitment to long-term care and access for acquired records. Responsible acquisition practices prevent uncontrolled collection growth and potential future deaccessioning needs. Additionally, the policy aids staff and volunteers in understanding the archive's collection scope and specialization, minimizing subjective decisions regarding potential donations that do not align with the policy.
Europe
New Open Education Strategy Published
Librarians as Agents of Change, a new Open Education strategy for 2024–2026, has been announced. The strategy aims to support higher education policymakers, librarians, ambassadors, and facilitators of Open Education in Europe to implement UNESCO’s Open Educational Resources (OER). The strategy seeks to clarify these relationships for policymakers and academic institutions. The mission also includes enabling conditions, fostering opportunities, and maximizing access to OER, practices, services, and infrastructure while promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion to meet local needs.
United States
Digitech Systems Recognized as Outstanding Cloud Information Management System
Digitech Systems announced that ImageSilo has been awarded the Outstanding Cloud Information Management System by Keypoint Intelligence, a renowned independent product evaluator in the information management and imaging industries for over 50 years. ImageSilo received a Platinum rating by Keypoint Intelligence analysts, who praised its comprehensive features, ease of implementation, robust cybersecurity, and efficient workflow engine that doesn't require coding.
Global
Salesforce to Enhance AI and Analytics on Einstein 1 Platform
The Data Cloud Vector Database is an innovative solution designed to integrate all types of business data, including unstructured formats like PDFs, emails, and transcripts with CRM data. Since approximately 90% of enterprise data exists in unstructured formats, the primary challenge has been ensuring accessibility for business applications and AI models. Salesforce's approach to utilize the Data Cloud Vector Database alongside Einstein Co-pilot Search aims to tackle this issue by enabling business users to harness AI capabilities more efficiently.
Global
Magika: AI powered fast and efficient file type identification
Google has open sourced Magika, an AI-powered file-type identification system, aiming to assist others in accurately detecting binary and textual file types. Utilizing a custom, highly optimized deep-learning model, Magika achieves precise file identification within milliseconds, even on a CPU. Traditional file-type detection methods rely on heuristics and custom rules, making accurate detection challenging, especially for textual formats and programming languages with similar constructs. Magika addresses this challenge by using a deep-learning model designed and trained using Keras that only weighs about 1 MB. At inference time, Magika uses Onnx as an inference engine, ensuring fast file identification, comparable to non-AI tools, even on CPU.
Global
ARCHWay: a Free to use ARCH service tier
To enhance accessibility to computational research and education with digital collections, Archives Research Compute Hub (ARCH) is introducing ARCHWay, a free service tier within ARCH. ARCHWay allows individuals to explore web archive collections computationally, enabling analysis, generation, and publication of research data. Each ARCHWay account includes access to a collection sandbox covering diverse topics. To assist users, the ARCH team provides support through an easy-to-use user guide and written and recorded tutorials.
Studies and Surveys
Scotland
Scottish Government: Records Management Plan Progress Update Review
Published by: Scottish Government
The report outlines the results of the assessment conducted by the Public Records (Scotland) Act 2011 Assessment Team on the Progress Update template submitted by the Scottish Government. Details regarding the assessment outcome and feedback provided are available in sections 6 to 8 of the report.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Department of National Archives—Framework for National Archives and Records Management Legislation (for comments)
Prepared by: Committee to Revise National Archives Law No. 48 of 1973
This Act establishes the Sri Lanka National Archives Department to systematically manage, preserve, and make records accessible. It ensures the transfer of public records to the Sri Lanka National Archives. Additionally, it repeals the National Archives Law No. 48 of 1973 and addresses related matters.
United States
Study: Abstract Data Definition for Electronic Records Management
Published by: Office of the Director of National Intelligence
The Abstract Data Definition for Electronic Records Management outlines fundamental data elements crucial for managing record information. Maintained by the Intelligence Community Chief Information Officer through the Data Standards Coordination Activity and Common Metadata Standards Tiger Team, it facilitates Electronic Data Management (EDM) within the Intelligence Community Information Technology Enterprise. EDM is essential for overseeing information from initial intake to final disposition, ensuring compliance with legislation like the Federal Records Act, Freedom of Information Act, Privacy Act, and Executive Branch directives, covering both permanent and temporary records.
Global
Study: Of acquisitions and interference: accounting for systemic threats to the freedom to read
Published by: Emerald Insight
This paper critiques librarianship's conventional understanding of the freedom to read, which focuses on noninterference and unrestricted access to materials. The author argues that this view fails to address systemic barriers that restrict people's reading choices. The example of compulsory readings illustrates how norms and practices in literary production limit individuals' reading freedom, even without deliberate interference. While the current approach advocates for a wider selection of books for consumers, the author suggests that meaningful change requires restructuring institutional arrangements that shape readers' choices.
Global
Digital Scholarly Journals are Poorly Preserved: A Study of 7 million Articles
Published by: Journal of Librarianship and Scholarly Communication
Digital preservation is crucial for maintaining the integrity of scholarly links and citations facilitated by the digital object identifier (DOI) system. However, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding regarding the preservation status of articles assigned a DOI. A study constructs a database of preservation information from original archival sources and analyzes the preservation statuses of over 7 million DOIs in a random sample. The findings indicate a significant preservation deficit, with only a small percentage of Crossref members (0.96%) confirmed to digitally preserve over 75% of their content in three or more studied archives.
Section 4 — Selected Readings and Recordings
Articles, White Papers, Presentations, Reports, Videos and Podcasts
Canada
Blog: Accessing Personnel Records of the First World War: A new database at LAC
A new database was launched in November 2023 as part of an ongoing effort to consolidate all of Library and Archives Canada’s standalone databases into a unified search platform called Collection Search. To ensure continued accessibility of these records, they were successfully migrated to Collection Search. Additionally, a new database tool was developed to enhance access to the personnel records of the First World War. This tool retains the original search features while introducing new functionalities for improved search, filtering, and data extraction.
Canada
Blog: La protection des renseignements personnels dans un contexte de la gestion de l’information infonuagique (French Only)
The boundless capacity for online information sharing raises concerns for many individuals. Can we effectively safeguard digital personal data within cloud information management? This blog delves into understanding the technology behind data storage, pinpointing related challenges, and presenting solutions grounded in archival and digital information technology practices.
Nigeria
Video: Newspapers deteriorate in National Archives, Hence the Need to Digitise Them—Lawal
Published by: YouTube, Tech into the Future
Nigeria's historical wealth resides within newspapers, housed in physical archives, warehouses, and storerooms nationwide. Regrettably, a significant portion remains undigitized, while the newspapers themselves are deteriorating, leading to an unprecedented loss of the country's history. Tech into the Future interviews a team dedicated to averting this loss.
Global
Report (Press Release): Record Management Services Market Size & Trends to 2031
Written by: Prudent Markets
The Record Management Services Market 2024 Report provides in-depth insights into the technical and financial aspects of the industry. It constitutes a significant addition to Prudent Markets' collection of market research studies, providing comprehensive analysis of key factors driving market growth. The report delves into various aspects such as demand-supply dynamics, pricing, profit margins, production, and value chain analysis, providing valuable information for stakeholders.
Global
Blog: How Workflow Digitization Impacts Sustainability and Accessibility
Published by: Forbes
It's crucial to consider accessibility, especially given the significant number of youths diagnosed with learning disabilities, emphasizing the importance of a supportive workplace environment. Injecting accessibility into your digital strategy anticipates this evolution, ensuring that employees can adapt and thrive. While there's been a noticeable commitment from executives to create accessible products, this focus should also extend to internal customers—namely, employees. The rise of the digital employee experience presents an opportunity to enhance the workplace experience of all employees, regardless of disability.
Global
Podcast: Conversations in Cultural Heritage—Rare Book School Podcast
This five-episode series from Rare Book School’s Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship for Diversity, Inclusion, and Cultural Heritage focuses on the background and contributions of People of Colour within cultural heritage organizations. It explores various career paths and roles within these institutions and features diverse experiences and perspectives from individuals working in the field.
Global
Paper: Guardians of our Knowledge, Indigenous Documentary Heritage and the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme (PDF)
The paper provides an overview of the Canadian Advisory Committee, detailing its role and adherence to Memory of the World guidelines. It includes case studies on the recognition of Indigenous documentary heritage, recognizing the current limitations of our understanding to what has been nominated to date. It anticipates further growth as the National Register evolves.
Books
Selected Readings
Annie, Antoine, Landais, Benjamin, Cartographier le parcellaire rural dans l’Europe d’Ancien Régime, 2024. (French Only)
How were rural land parcels mapped before the widespread adoption of geometric cadastres? While some representations dating from the 15th to the 18th centuries demonstrate a scientific approach, most reflect a time when maps were less abstract and used the language of artists to depict and explain. Three key questions guide the analysis of many specific corpora in modern Europe.
Bruncevic, Merima, Regulating Transnational Heritage: Memory, Identity and Diversity, 2022.
Current international and national laws governing cultural heritage often overlook "transnational heritage," which lacks a clearly defined community responsible for its preservation. This book explores the complexities of regulating transnational heritage, discussing various cases and highlighting its implications for broader legal issues like citizenship, human rights, and sovereignty. It emphasizes that transnational heritage extends beyond communal rights, affecting laws governing the movement of people and cultural goods.
Mannheimer, Sara, Scaling Up: How Data Curation Can Help Address Key Issues in Qualitative Data Reuse and Big Social Research, 2024.
This book identifies six common issues shared between the reuse of qualitative data and conducting big social research. It presents findings from interviews with three communities of practice involved in social research and data. Additionally, it provides guidance on how researchers can utilize this information to responsibly expand their research practices.
Mas, Sabine, Maurel, Dominique, L’archiviste humaniste : rôles et positionnement institutionnel et sociétal, 2024. (French Only)
This book examines the evolution of the archivist profession and its role in contemporary organizations and society. It also explores the evolution of archival science, work units, and functions associated with document and archive management. The uniqueness of the book lies in its argument for a humanistic approach to the archivist profession, emphasizing the importance of technical understanding and convergence between cultural heritage and technological challenges. This book is intended not only for archivists, but also for students and academics in archival studies.
Submissions from Subscribers
Submission from Kai Naumann, Germany
Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, edited by Naumann, Kai. Databases for 2080. Workshop Proceedings, 2021.
Sustainability of data is an aim often neglected if you look at the effort invested in digital solutions. In the last 15 years, database technology has continually progressed, performance has scaled, and conferences on database technology have flourished. In contrast, there were very few dedicated events on how to secure efficient and effective access to database content for longer periods. It was after a long gap that the Databases for 2080 workshop of 2021 addressed all aspects of this subject.