CHAPTER2_March2018

ARCHIVAL
THEORIES AND

PRINCIPLES

FACULTY OF INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
IMR 455: ARCHIVES ADMINISTRATION

At the end of the chapter, students should be:
• able to define the concept of archival principles
• able to explain the various theories of archives
• able to discuss the important elements that describe in archives definition

ARCHIVES VS RECORDS

WHAT ARE ARCHIVES?
According to Michael Cook, archives can be defined as records
that not necessarily non current records as long as have
continuing value which need to be permanently preserved

WHAT ARE RECORDS?
Michael Cook defined records as documents regardless in any
kind of form which are created, received, maintained and used
by an organization or an individual to support its legal
obligations or in the conduct of business transaction, which
provide an evidence.

,

DEFINITION OF MODERN ARCHIVES

According to Michael Cook, archivists around the world
have defined the term archives in their own way based
on an approach that is relevant to the materials which
they deals with. The modern archivists, have a definite
need to redefine the archive in a way that is better
suited to its own needs

RECORDS BY SCHELLENBERG

other activities or All books, papers, received by any
because of the maps, or other public or private
informational documentary
value materials, institution
evidence of its regardless of legal obligations
physical form or or in connection
functions, policies, characteristics with the business
decisions,
Records by transaction
procedures, Schellenberg
operations
preserved by that
institution or its
legitimate
successor

RECORDS BY SCHELLENBERG (CONTINUE)

From the definition of records, Schellenberg defined the term “archives” as:

"Any record of a public or private institutions that have been identified
eligible for permanent preservation for reference and research purposes
and that have been selected to be deposited into archival institution"

MORAL AND PHYSICAL DEFENSE OF ARCHIVES

Based on Hilary Jenkinson archives provide evidences in which moral and physical
defense of this evidential value is the main principle of archival work. (Manual of
Archive Administration, 1922)

MORAL DEFENSE OF
ARCHIVES

The moral dangers to archives
against which archivist have to guard
are clearly to be apprehended chiefly

from themselves.

Safeguard authenticity Preserve context and links to Based on principles of
other provenance and original order

7

MORAL AND PHYSICAL DEFENSE OF ARCHIVES (CONTINUE)

PHYSICAL DEFENSE OF
ARCHIVES

The physical dangers, which
are mainly external, i.e

proceeding from sources other
than the archivists themselves

physical care and security
required for long term
preservation

8

THE ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF
ARCHIVES

To be archives, records must have been produced or accumulated to
accomplish a specific purpose and must have values for purposes other
than those for which they were produced or accumulated

reasons why
records were

created
why they are

preserved

Page 9

WHAT IS ARCHIVES?

Archives is also one of the central cultural

institutions of its society; serving as a center of
research, a foundation of the rights of

citizens, a place for public research and a
guardian of culture

Page 10

ARCHIVAL PRINCIPLES (CONTINUE)

Respect Des fonds - Respect for
the creator of the records or
archives

Provenance - The organization Original Order - The order in
or individual that created or which document were created,
arranged and maintained by
received, maintained and used
records while they were still the office of origin.
current.

Page 11

These principles The archives of two agencies or organizations cannot be combined
require archivist to
keep the materials The private archives of different individuals should not be integrated,
that are created, even if the individuals were related or experienced the same events,
Archives cannot be re-arranged. Principally, materials must not be
assembled and ordered by subject, date or medium of material if that was not how
accumulated and/ or they were organized when created. They need to follow its original
maintained and used order.
by an organization or Identify levels of archives according to the hierarchical levels of
individual to retain arrangement used in archival work.

the documents
original order.

Page 12

ARCHIVAL THEORIES & PRINCIPLES

Important manual written on archives administration:

1. Manual for the Arrangement and Description of Archives
by S. Muller, J.A. Feith and R. Fruin, (Dutch Archivists)
published in 1898

2. A Manual of Archives Administration by Sir Hilary
Jenkinson (British Archivist) published in 1922

3. Archivistica by Eugineo Casanova (Italian Archivist),

published in 1928

4. Archivkunde by Adolf Brenneke (German Archivist),

published in 1953

Page 13

ARCHIVES FROM DIFFERENT ARCHIVIST/
THEORIST

The whole of the written documents,
drawings and printed matter, officially
received or produced by an administrative
body or one of its official, in so far as these
documents were intended to remain in the
custody of that body or of that official.”

The Dutch Archivists (S.Muller, J.A.
Feith and R.Fruin) defined the word

“archief” as:

Page 14

ARCHIVES FROM DIFFERENT ARCHIVIST/
THEORIST

“Documents drawn up or used in the
course of an administrative or executive
transaction (whether public or private) of

which [they] formed a part, and
subsequently preserved in their own
custody for their own information by the
person or persons responsible for that

transaction and their legitimate
successors.”

Sir Hilary Jenkinson (British archivist) defined archives as:

Page 15

ARCHIVES FROM DIFFERENT ARCHIVIST/
THEORIST

The Italian Archivist Eugenio Casanova in
Archivistica, defines archives as:

“The orderly accumulation of
documents which were created in

the course of its activity by an
institution or an individual, and

which preserved for the
accomplishment of its political, legal

or cultural purposes by such an
institution or individual.”

Page 16

ARCHIVES FROM DIFFERENT ARCHIVIST/
THEORIST

The German Archivists Adolf Brenneke in
Archivkunde defines archives as:

“The whole of the paper and
documents growing out of legal or
business activities of a physical or
legal body which are intended for

permanent preservation at a
particular place as the sources and

the evidence of the past.”

Page 17

IMPORTANT ELEMENTS IN
ARCHIVES DEFINITION

1. The reasons
why materials
were produced
or accumulated
2. The values for
which materials
are preserved

3. Custody

4. Integrity of
Records

1. THE REASONS WHY MATERIALS WERE PRODUCED
OR ACCUMULATED

• officially • in the course • creation to • their growth
received or of an accomplish as a result of
produced administrati “political, “legal or as
Dutch archivists ve or legal, or business
Jenkinsonexecutivecultural activities.”
Casanovatransactionpurpose”.
Brenneke

To be a potential archival quality, it is important to know how a document is
created for the purpose of achieving some administrative activities, law,
business, or other social activities.

2. THE VALUES FOR WHICH MATERIALS ARE
PRESERVED

for their own information

Jenkinson for their own reference Those materials
modern archives are kept for the use of others than those considered as
Schellenberg archives need to be
that created them permanently
Brenneke decisions must be made as their value for such use preserved for
Page 20 reasons other than
Cultural purposes those for which
as the sources and the evidence of the past they were created
or accumulated
either for the
purpose of official
or/and cultural.

Research purposes

3. THE ELEMENT OF CUSTODY

Jenkinson Schellenberg
proof of an “unblemished
the fact of unbroken
custody” can be line of responsible
custodians” or of
established, or at least, “unbroken custody” cannot
a “reasonable be made test of archival
quality in dealing with
presumption of it can modern records
be established Modern records are large
is the differentia in volume, complex in
origin, and usually
between a Document disorganized in their
that is and one that is
development
not an Archives
Archive quality is
dependent upon the
possibility of proving an
unblemished line of
responsible custodians

Page 21

4. INTEGRITY OF RECORDS

The evidential records of a records should
value of archival given agency be kept, under
should be kept the arrangement
materials are together as given them in
based on how they records of that the agency in
were maintained in the course of its
agency official business
the creating
agencies and how records should
they were transfer be kept in their
entirety, without
into archival
custody mutilation,
alteration, or
unauthorized
destruction of
portions of them

Jenkinson

Page 22

FACULTY OF INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
IMR 455: ARCHIVES ADMINISTRATION

Chapter 2 has introduced the concept of archival principles which covered the following terms:
• Respect Des fonds
• Provenance
• Original Order
The lesson also has explained various theories from different archivist which are:
• Muller, J.A. Feith and R. Fruin, (Dutch Archivists)
• Sir Hilary Jenkinson (British Archivist)
• Eugineo Casanova (Italian Archivist)
• Adolf Brenneke (German Archivist),
The lesson also describes the important elements that describe in archives definition.

References FACULTY OF INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
IMR 455: ARCHIVES ADMINISTRATION

A manual of archive administration : Jenkinson, Hilary : Free Download & Streaming.
(n.d.). Retrieved July 16, 2016, from
https://archive.org/details/manualofarchivea00iljenk

Bradsher, J. G. (1989). Managing archives and archival institutions. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press.

Carolin, W. (2006). Managing archives foundations, principles and practice. Oxford
Chandos Publishing

Cox, R. J. (2005). Archives & archivists in the information age. New York: Neal-
Schuman Publishers.

Cox, R. J. (2000). Closing an era: Historical perspectives on modern archives and
records management. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press.

Laura A. Millar, (2010). Archives: Principles and Practices. 1st ed. Atlanta, United States:

Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc..
Muller, S., Feith, J. A., Fruin, R. J., & Leavitt, A. H. (1940). Manual for the arrangement

and description of archives: drawn up by direction of the Netherlands association
of archivists, by S. Muller, J.A. Feith and R. Fruin,Translation of the 2nd
edition by Arthur H. Leavitt. New York: H.W. Wilson.
Schellenberg 1903-. (1965). The management of archives. New York: Columbia
University Press.

FACULTY OF INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
IMR 455: ARCHIVES ADMINISTRATION

Quizzes
Choose TRUE (T) or FALSE (F) for the statements below

1.According to Hilary Jenkinson, moral defense of archives is a physical care and security
required for long term preservation.

2.According to Hillary Jenkinson, to ensure records are remain integrity, records of a given
agency should be kept together as records of that agency

FACULTY OF INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
IMR 455: ARCHIVES ADMINISTRATION

Quizzes
1.Describe the concept of archives defined by Michael Cook.

2.Identify the two important elements introduced by Hillary Jenkinson

FACULTY OF INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
IMR 455: ARCHIVES ADMINISTRATION

Quizzes
Fill in the blanks.

1.________________________is the organization or individual that created or received, maintained
and used records while they were still current.