October 2002
ISSN 1605-7058
Number 4
Parade on the (Jccasion of the \`isit {o Malta of the Duchess Of C(>rnwall (lad Yol-k in 1901 -Nati(Jnal Archi\ies Pht){tl Ct)llec{ion
Contents Editorial Projects & Initiatives
2
3 -4
The Teachers Documentation centre ................. 8
The Friends after wideraudiences
9
Cataloguing unit / Volunteers scheme .............. 5
Archives conference in Malta ................... 10-11
A Profile of Our Patrons
Promoting Family History
6 -7
12
Editorial the second catalogue on cd which will reach the
In to lastlegislate year's editorial, the authorities in favourwe of urged archives. We wrote that the archives sector is faced with two options - we can either convert our archives into a Euro-
public in the coming weeks.
Mediterranean centre of excellence, or else we
agreementreachedwiththeGenealogicalSociety
can leave our archives degenerate into `cemeteries of old forgotten records', as
described by Professor Andrew Vella 30 years
of Utah for the setting up of a reprographics unit at the archives, and the approval by UNESCO for funding of the first international archives
ago.
conference in Malta. Both projects were inspired
Another two successful projects were the
by Ms Hella Jean Bartolo, whose initiative and energy has kept us going against all odds. The
At that time we were writing in an optimistic
conference `Converging Frontiers: Regional Co-
vein, following discussions with the authorities
operation in the Archives Sector' at Le Meridien Phoenicia, and the accompanying `Maltese
and the groundwork of a completely new legislation, drafted by volunteers, who love the Archives' exhibition will give our sector sector, and who are ready to spend hours of their extensive promotion not only locally but also free time for the benefit of the sector. internationally. Our thanks go to the organising committee, the Director of Libraries and Archives Mr Philip Borg, the head of the This year was another year full of meetings, National Archives Mr Charles Farrugia, and in drafting and planning. However, we cannot but particular Ms Maroma Camilleri for her showourdisappointmentthatthenewlegislation commitment in the setting up of the exhibition. has not reached Parliament yet. We cannot keep postponing decisions in this sector. We hope that the new legislation reaches the Parliament early
This was also the year in which we began spreading our message through web-technology.
next year.
Both the National Archives and the Friends of the National Archives now have their own websites. We encourage you to access these sites regularly, keep updated with our latest news, and
This let down was compensated for by great strives forward by the staff of the National Archives and the Friends organisation. A new cataloguing unit has been set-up at the National Archives, and the first output of this section is
participate in our activities. Your support means better services and stronger commitment towards our nation's archival heritage.
National Archives Annual Public Lecture 2002 Re-visiting Old Pastures: Rejoicings and Disappointments by
Professor Robin C. Alston Professor Emeritus University of London on Thursday 24 October 2002 at 6.30 pin Reading Room, National Archives of Malta, Santo Spirito, Hospital Street, Rabat
Proj®¢t+ ®hd lhiti®tiv®+ Emigration Exhibition and Public Lecture Last year's Annual Public Lecture delivered by Prof. Maurice N. Cauchi discussed `The Maltese Migrant Experience'. Concurrently the archives organised an
exhibition entitled `Old Roots - New Horizons - the history of Maltese Migration'.
Both the lecture and exhibition were well-attended and the Chilil.I)el.w)n tJj. llle FI.ielld`` i)`f llle Nillit)Iiill Archi\`e`s iM``
proceedings of the lecture were published.
Hell(I Jetm B(irtt>lo. I)resenting the s|)(ms(N-`shi|} (>f lhe
P(issp()r{ Ai)|}lica{ion.s c.d. {o Mr Charle.s Farnigi(I.
He(ld Of the National Archi\'es oi. 8[h November 2001
from UNESCO to hold the first international archives conference in Malta. The theme chosen for this conference is `Converging Frontiers:
Archives Sector'.
Regional Co-operation in the
Information about speakers and the
programme of events can be viewed on the archives web-site at www.education.gov.mt/edu/national_archives.htm.
School Visits PllI.I of the lludiel.ce I)I.esel.I ftJr lhe 2002 Nii{it)Iiiil Archi\.es Aimiiill Piiblic.
Lec[iire, `The Mallese Migrant Ex|lerience', b+ Prof. M(lllrice N. C{lllchi Inset.. Mr Chiirles Farrilgi(I, He(Id of the Naliol.ill AI.chives
introducing Pr(]f. Callchi.
While archival collections mainly target specialised
researchers, we also support the idea of introducing school children to our holdings. What we insist on is the commitment
Aiu. Williams Bequest
of teachers to visit the archives beforehand, and prepare a lesson plan for their students. This idea was introduced during
Ann Williams, who lectured in the Department of History at
this year and worked out very well.
theUniversityofMaltaasvisitinglecturerformorethanthirty
years, decided to donate a collection of books from her own personal collection. The books arrived in Malta with the support and personal intervention of H.E. High Commissioner
Dr George Bonello du Puis and the Minister of Education Hon. Dr Louis Galea. We would like to thank Ann Williams
for her generosity and support.
Computer Network Till a year ago the computer infrastructure at the archives lacked any type of networking facility. Following the strong
commitment from the Department's IT Support co-ordinator,
Mr Simon Cutajar, and Mr Edward Caruana from the Ministry of Education, a computer network was installed at the archives. This means that our data is now on a centralised
Catch them !oiing! -scl.ool children el.jo!ing a session a{ the al.chi\'es llnder the gllidance of their teacher Mrs Evel+n Pllllicino
server. This is giving our staff complete flexibility of work, while enhancing our communications with third parties
National Archives web-site
through better e-mail and internet service connectivity.
During this year we have developed the National Archives
UNESCO-sponsored Conference
web-site from a simple two page section on the Ministry's web-site to an extensive and attractive page, continuously
Through the advice and hard work of Ms Hella Jean Bartolo,
updated for the services of our patrons. During the coming
the National Archives of Malta managed to get a sponsorship
year our priority will be the elaboration of the catalogues link.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Ivan Pirotta for the design and regular updates.
UNESCO Archives Portal Another initiative was adding a link from our web page to the UNESCO archives portal. This is a very effective way to enhance our visibility on the international scene and facilitate
contact with patrons from abroad.
Lecture by Dr Carmen Depasquale On 6 December 2001 the University History Society organised
the Andrew Vella Memorial Lecture at the National Archives.
This year's speaker was Dr Carmen Depasquale who discussed the topic `The French Knights and the Maltese inhabitants in the l8th century'.
Extensive restoration/redecoratioi. works were carried our throughoii[ the groul.d fooor of the National Archives
Refurbishment Works Anambitiousrefurbishmentprogramme,especiallyacomplete
redecoration of the offices, was embarked upon earlier this Summer. Works were also carried out on the restoration of the ground floor and the staff room. We would like to extend our thanks to the staff of the Education division, and to the Works
TechnicalOfficerofficerofourDepartmentMrFransCaruana. Another word of thanks goes to Mr Joe Stivala, one of our
watchmen, for his voluntary work, and to all the staff of the archives for their extra commitment during these busy days.
Diploma in Librarianship and Information Studies Practicum Once again this year we were fortunate to have a number of Andrew Vellii Memorial ljec{ure 2001 organised b! the Mal{il History
Societv at the National Archives of Malta on 6 December 2001.
students from the Diploma in Library and Information Studies who opted to do their practicum at the National Archives.
The students were Carmelo Borg, Shaun Sydney Borg,
Fjur ir-Rabat
Veronica Calleja, Antoinette Caruana, John Giuliano, Eman
The good relations and spirit of co-operation with the Rabat
Grima, Mariella Grima, Marie Lou Grima, Mario Mifsud,
Local Council were maintained also during the past year. The
Emanuel Tanti, Denise
main activity of the Rabat Local Council this year was Fjwr
Vella. The projects for
i.7--Rczbcz/, a concert aimed at giving an opportunity to young
this year consisted in the
musicians to develop their talents.
listing
More than 50 young
part
of the
musicians participated in this year's concert held at the
Education Department
archives on 11 July 2002.
records, the Head of Ministry Files, and the
sorting of a group of Law Courts records. We would like to thank all students for their commitment,
their
supervisor Ms Hella
Jean Bartolo. and the
head of the Division of
Library and Information Studies Fjur ir-R(ibat C()ncer[ - 1 I Jiil! 2002
Sciberras.
Dr
Lillian A group of DLIS s{uden{s working oi. a sorting exercise
THE CATALorTulNG UNIT AT THE NATloNAL ARCHlvEs During thedevoted first years following the official of the infrastructure. National Archives Malta insub-divisions 1994, our energies were to the putting into place ofopening the necessary Theof structural of the mainhalls,thelayoutofthenewshelvingandalltherefurbishmentwasdonewhilewewereoperatingon-site,and also offering research services to our patrons. Concurrently, works were being finalised at the Mdina Repository, and a few years later, at the half-way house at Hal Far. pr
Three years ago we formulated a business plan with emphasis on the setting up of the professional infrastructure. From the investment on the buildings and the furnishings, we shifted our energies to human resources training, and setting up of those facilities needed to carry out the remit of the archives. In-house training courses are being organised by the head of the National Archives Mr Charles Farrugia, who last #::asguec:::Stf:tLLEni:let:sYt;dc:T]e¥eALCo°nudros:.£nArch£VesandRecords,Jw`A/MHBurgH,/„„,#:,,7,£„„Ac„ow"a/t,.g„„7g
During the last phase a computer network was installed throughout the National Archives in Rabat. This facility makes it possible for archives staff to login into the main server from any computer point. The importance of such ameasureisboththesafeguardofthedata,andtheflexibilityofoperationthatsuchasystemgivestoandunderstaffed institution.
The next great strive forward was the setting up of a cataloguing unit. The project included the refurbishment of an office and an adjacent lobby. Ms Marisa Calleja is in charge of the organisation of a library equipped with all the international archival standards, and support literature needed in the cataloguing process. ISAD(G) standards are being applied for the cataloguing process, and the second catalogue on cd is expected to reach the public in the coming weeks. Concurrently, we are making all our efforts to convince the authorities to provide the necessary funding and human resources for the procurement of an archival software package.
THE VOLUNTEERS SCHEME I::Sp:rutrmbeenL::fc:hna::::rbg::;:E]:£C;::::::£snu8p'paonr:ftrhoe:hv°ouL:an:::r::rAe:c°hrLqvsaypa::£sne:i:tLPoans:ams;::SL±£s:£tnhgepvr:fe°cut§ and the related building up of administrative histories is time consuming. For this reason, the archives has embarked on a policy of encouragement to recruit a number of volunteers.
The first volunteer to work at our archives was Ms Kerstin Haker who did her practicum at the National Archives in February 2000. This was as part of her degree in Archival science at the University of postdam. Following that, a structured volunteers scheme was launched during this year's Friends AGM. A number of volunteers have since started contributing some of their free time on archival work. The first two were Mr John Giuliano and Ms Sue Grima. From this page we would like to thank both for their generosity. Anyone interested in joining the volunteers scheme can download an application form from the Friends' web-site at; www.archivesmalta.cjb.net.
Mt)I.e st)rting (mil {riiining of \1()lunteers under the direciit)a (]f
Mr Charles F(irrugia
On 16 September 2002 Ms Heather Brown joined our ranks for three months of voluntary work. The original contacts with Ms Brown came through Dr Mike Freeman. The Malta Library and Information Association (MaLIA), especially its Secretary Robert Mizzi, also gave valuable help. Ms Brown, a professional librarian from London, will be working on a cataloguing project of the ADC's records held at the National Archives of Malta.
A PYoflille of our patrons
preparedby the T\ealder's services unH
s part of the restructuring process carried out at the National Archives during the last months, a Readers' -i+`/I Ti`/`rLJ `+-ii`r --' unit -'---Iis-----. ' Mr Joe Sapiano, with the support of two Services Unit was set up.T'This led by Assistants, - Library . -I , __ Ms _I: MarleneBorg,andMsAlisonBorgHili.Oneofthefirstinitiaiivesofthenewunitwasareader'ssurvey.Theaimof thissurveyistobuildaprofileofourpatrons,theirneedsandtheiropinions,inordertoprovideanimprovedservice.
A L
The statistics that emerged from the survey showed that 76% of our patrons are male, but female attendance is on the increase when comparedtopreviousyears.Someofourrsearchersvisitourpremises once a week (279ro), with 53q7o stating that they are more frequent visitors. When it comes to age groups, the results of the survey gave very interesting findings, reproduced in the following chart.
Another scope of the survey was to build a profile of the scope of research at the National Archives. The next graph gives an idea of the reasons given for visiting the archives in Rabat or Mdina.
Age groups
H 1 6 - 24 yrs
I 25 - 44 yrs I 45 - 59 yrs I 60 yrs +
Main reason for visiting NAM 1. F amily history or personal interest/hobby. 2. P rofessional researcher. 3. M edia researcher 4. R esearch for business or public body. 5. R esearch by academic staff. 6. R esearch degree project. 7. T aught degree/further education 123456789
Whenaskedaboutthemannerthroughwhichtheycametoknowofourservices,mostrespondentssaidthatword of mouth is still the most effective publicity method for the National Archives. Other just phoned the enquiry telephoneservice,orcametoknowaboutourexistencewhileattendingoneoftheculturalactivitiesheldbythird parties on our premises.
Amongst the criticism we received one can mention the need of better reprographic facilities (e.g. a copier for documentslargerthanA3),theneedofairconditioninginthereadingroom,theneedofanelevatorforpeoplewith disability,andmorehumanresourcestoopentheMdinarepositoryonaregularbasis.Whileallthesesuggestions areveryvalid,onehastokeepinmindthatasasectionwehavenosaywhatesoeveraboutthefinancialallocation, or the recriutment of human resources. In such a situtation, we are doing our best to give the best service with a total staff compliment of eight persons that have to man three premises, two reading rooms and a collection of more than 12 kin of records! Oneofthesuggestionswedidhowevertake,asalltheliumanresourcesandfinancialrequisiteswereprovidedby theMinistryofEducation.Thiswasthebuildingofanewweb-site.Wewouldliketoinviteyoutovisitoumew websiteatwww.education.gov.mt/edu/national_archives.htm.Theprovisionofsuchasitewasoneofthesuggestions we got in the survey, and now this complaint has been seen to. Much more developments and a searchable catalogue database are our priorities for the near future. We must say that those who answered our questionnaire were rather satisfied with the reading room services. Mostdescribedtheseservicesasexcellentwithcommentssuchas,`Agreatplacetoaccessinvaluablematerial!'. Wethankyouandappreciateyourcomments,whileinviteotherstostartbenefittingfromourservices,whichapaft from photocopying, are entirely free of charge.
SOME OF THE RESEARCH WORK CARRIED OUT DURING THE
LAST YEARS AT THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES Title of Study: Researcher: Output: Abstract:
Local Transport between the Wars Mrs Doris Mangion B.A.(Hons) -History Department, University of Malta The aim of the thesis is to study the social impact of the advent of transport on Maltese society. The various methods of transport that developed in Malta throughout the late 19th and early 20th century are put under scrutiny in order to create an understanding of the impact of these services on the daily life of the Maltese.
Records consulted: Title of Study: Researcher: Output: Abstract:
Records consulted:
Title of Study: Researcher: Output: Abstract:
Records consulted:
Chief secretary to Government (CSG) -Head of Ministry -Petitions Local Government in Malta,1775-1993.
Mr Winston L. Zammit M.Phil leading to a Ph.D -History Department, University of Malta Study aimed at tracing the development of Local Government under the Knights of St John, the British and the Maltese Government. Chief secretary to Governement (CSG) -Files and petitions; Departmental files; Debates; Govemor's despatches (GOV). A History of Maltese Legislation,1914 to 1928
Dr Raymond Mangion M.A. -University of Malta The study explores the history of the legislature and legislation in Malta during the first Responsible Government. Emphasis is made on persons and groups in Malta and London who influenced law-making in the period. Dr Mangion is currently researching the topic for a PhD in history at the University of Cambridge. Chief secretary to Govemement (CSG) -Files and petitions; Departmental files; Reports; Debates; Original texts of legislation.
Title of Study: Researcher: Output: Abstract: Records consulted:
Genealogical research Mr Henry Bonanno Personal Interest/ Publication of articles Research in connection with the building of family trees. Customs Department; Passport Applications; Petitions; Bills of Health; Attestation sheets (KOMR etc.)
Title of Study: Researcher: Output: Abstract:
Had Dingli, Volume 2 Fr Alexander Bonnici Publication on local history of a village Apart from his publication about the village of Dingli, Fr Bonnici is also preparing a documented history about the bishops of Malta. Correspondence that passed between civil authorities in Malta and those in London during the British period was consulted by Fr Bonnici and the missing gaps traced from the records held at the Public Record Office. Blue Books; Chief secretary to Government; Census records, Air Raid precautions; Governor's despatches (GOV)
Records consulted:
THE TEACHERS DOCUMENTATION CENTRE AT FLORIAVA by Mr Charles Cilia
The source need for a Teacher's andtime Re Centre has beenDocumentation felt for quite some within the Education Division, but it was not until 1989 that the decision was taken to provide training for an information officer to run this Unit. A scholarship was provided by the Education Division and the selected person was sent to the United Kingdom to follow a hand on course in "The Management of Resource Centres". Returning from his studies in the UK, Mr. Charles Cilia, who is the Education Officer for Documentation, started work on the setting up of the Centre. The Girls Trade School at Floriana had just closed and the ground floor was indicated to be converted into the Documentation Centre. It was no mean task. Everything had to be started from scratch, which in a way was a good thing. Material started coming in. Material which sometimes was sent in because people saw some documentary value in it while others, directed it to the place to get it out of sight. Again this was a good thing because some really valuable material did come in this way, and once sorted and indexed proved to be a veritable gold mine for administrators, researchers and teachers alike. The collection, now houses various documentary material related to historical and educational matters of a local and international nature. For example the Centre boasts of a complete collection of Education Circulars dating from 1851, which is continuously tapped for information on developments in the local educational scene. Sources which often bring to light very interesting material and information. The users are varied but a good number of them are students following B.Ed, M.Ed, and PhD courses at the faculty of Education at the University of Malta. The Reports collection housed at the Centre which totals around 12,000items, is another source of information for researchers and its number continues to grow as new developments are taking place in the local and international field,
has brought together various documentary collections ranging from a local Newspaper cuttings collection to a photo collection relating to aspects of education in Malta. One particular collection - the Text Book Collection is avidly studied and analysed for comparative studies in teaching approaches, and methodology. A collection of syllabi prepared by the administration and education Officers throughout the years provides various research possibilities when studied in conjunction with the Past Annual Examination Papers Collection and the Schools Annual Collection.
While the body of information material at the Centre keeps growing exponentially, which is most exciting, the situation with regards to manpower is most alarming. The Centre started out in 1990 and in spite of repeated attempts to have more staff who could improve efficiency and effectiveness through organising, indexing, linking and promotion of the material, the place is still run by Mr. Cilia on his own. Considering the fact that around 4,000 users avail themselves of the services at the Centre during a particular year, it would indeed be a pity if this support is not provided to enhance the service. The future looks brighter. Thanks to Dr. Tony Abela Medici who has built a specific Data Base Computer Programme for the Centre, the search for material, once inputted, should prove less daunting than it does at present. Information retrieval at the Teachers' Documentation and Resource Centre would have come of age.
particularly with the substantial increase of new possibilities which the newly launched National Minimum Curriculum is generating.
Since its very beginning the Teachers' Documentation and Resource Centre
TIlâ‚Ź> Teilcl.er`s' D()cumen{(l{ion Celill.e in Fit.nLin-
The Friends ®f +he Nati®nal Archives reaching out to a wider audience! By Mr Max Farrugia -Secretary
Annual General Meeting and Bequests
r¥iee| intervention of Mr Brooks, a British The annual general meeting of the Friends resident in Malta. The second bequest of the National Archives of Malta was *----------:------- are documents donated by Mrs Ann held during July. During the meeting the ¥rty#£Lffj±€.ediFfwi||iams,formerlecturerattheHistory President Ms Hella Jean Bartolo, outlined g±§#\£ -¥-=-EL# Department, University of Malta. At the priorities for the coming years. She present the Friends are negotiationg two announced that for the second year g`de _#, otherbequests,belongingtoalocal running the Friends will issue its second naturalist and a person previously active \-_r= in public life. CD listing the despatches available at the ;8§#; National Archives covering the period Friends' web-site
I
- who j=e=5ir =c£:i.+ th.I
RL
1800 to 1860.
She also explained that
during the past months the Council worked very hard to prepare a draft in connection with a new legisation for the National Archives. She also announced the plans of the Friends to set up a group of volunteers to support the work of the archives. The Head of the National Archives explained how such a system will work. Secretary Max Farrugia outlined the activities of the Friends, amongst other things the meetings held with local authorities, and with foreign delegations with the aim of improving the conditions and acquisitions of
private documents. During the outgoing year the Friends of the National Archives managed to acquire documents belonging to Dr Henry Hirst, ex-Director of Agriculture in Malta during the Second World War. These were donated by his daughter Ms Thomas, who now lives in Tasmania. The bequest was made available through the
The Execiiti\.e Commi{lee of the FI.iel.ds of the National Archives of Malta during the 2002 AGM
(From left: Mr Noel D' Anas[as, Mr Max Farrugia, Ms Hello Jean Bar[olo, Mr Chcirles Farrugia, Mr Steve Borg)
Election of New Council The new Council elected during the Annual General Meeting is made up of; Ms Hella Jean Bartolo (Chairperson), Mr Charles Farrugia (Vice-Chairperson), Mr Max Farrugia
(Secretary), Mr Gerard Bugeja (Treasurer), Mr Richard Matrenza (PRO), Mr Steve Borg, Mr Noel D'Anastas (Members)
New Legislation One of the most pressing problems of the archives sector in Malta is the inadequency of the current legislation. In order to give a contribution in this regards, more than 10 meetings were held with interested parties including the Minister of Education and the Shadow Minister. A
draft legislation was formulated and presented to the Minister of Education.
Mell.bel.s |}resent for the Fi.iei.ds AGM
CONVERGING FRONTIERS : REGIONAL CO-OPERATION IN THE ARCHIVES SECTOR International Conference - Malta - 21 -23 October 2002
By Charles Farrugia B.A.(Hons), M.A., M.A.(Lond) - Head National Archives of Malta The official setting up of the National Archives of Malta in 1990 through the National Archives Act was an important milestone in the history of Maltese archives. The richness of Malta's archival holdings, especially for the period of the Order of St John's stay in Malta, makes it an excellent place for historians and archivists alike to appreciate such a heritage. And it is with this background in mind that the National Archives of Malta decided to organise a regional conference for archivists in Malta. This proposal found the support of UNESCO and will be held between 21-23 October 2002.
The aim of this conference is to study the best ways to foster greater co-operation between archival institutions, mainly in Europe and the Mediterranean region. The intended audience of the conference includes Directors and heads of archival institutions in the Euro-Mediterranean
embodied in the papers to be presented by Ms Hella Jean Bartolo, Chairperson of the Friends of the National Archives, and the undersigned. Mr Philip Borg, Director of Libraries and Archives will give a speech during the opening ceremony.
region; policy makers in the archives sector; academics involved in archives training and curriculum development. The language of the conference is English although papers will also be available in French in printed form.
Amongst the speakers invited for this conference one can mention leading academics and archivists such as Professor Robin Alston, Professor Emeritus at the University of London, Mr Patrick Cadell, ex-Keeper of Records of Scotland, Prof. Salvatore Italia, Director General, Italian State Archives, and Mr Moncef Fakhfak, Director General of the National Archives of Tunisia. The number of participants that have already confirmed their
Apart from papers by guest speakers, the conference will include three workshops where the participants can express themselves at greater length and in a less formal environment about topics of particular interest. The themes of the three workshops are; i. International
programmes and initiatives, ii. Education and Training; and iii. On-line access to archival holdings. The three reports from participation includes archivists the workshops will be discussed from the UK, Italy, France, Spain, at the closing session and a set of Poland, Scotland, Nigeria, Israel, recommenda-tions will be Romania and Tunisia. The approved by the con-ference. The Maltese perspective will be papers given during the
conference will be col-
lated
and
published.
The idea to hold such a conference in Malta materialised following the setting up of the Maltese National Commission for UNESCO. Two representatives on this committee are Mr Philip Borg and Ms Hella Jean Bartolo. The National Archives was asked to submit a brief for
projects and three different projects were presented on
behalf of the archives. The conference proposal was the one approved by the Maltese National Commission and subsequently by UNESCO. An organising committee was set up by the Director of Libraries and Archives with the under-signed appointed as conference co-ordinator. The committee is composed of :- Mr Philip Borg - Director; Mr Charles Farrugia
Co-ordinator;
Ms Hella Jean
Bartolo; Ms Maroma Camilleri; Ms Marisa Calleja; and Mr Anselm Sciberras. The committee met regularly and developed a marketing strategy for the conference while Le Meridien Phoenicia was identified as the venue of the conference. With the support of
Mr Edward Caruana, Mr Claude Sciberras, Mr Ivan Pirotta and Mr Simon Cutajar, a web-page for the conference was designed.
Promoting Famjlu HjstorU A joint project sponsored by the Genealogical Society of Utah
I:i::rs;acr:::y£::t:nstahreouunndft:%%¥:fda:imr'e:::r£:X requests. In Malta, this is not the case. The reasons for this may be several. However, the most obvious seems to be, the complex process one has to pass through to compile a family tree. The archival sources for such a task are scattered in various archives, each falling under different authorities with different access rules.
indirectly help family researchers in their complex task.
Following contacts made by Ms Hella Jean Bartolo, representatives of the Genealogical Society of Utah held discussions with representatives of the Libraries and Archives Department. The Utah delegation came to Malta The main collection of records related to family on 11 April 2002, and was led by Mr Geoff Mowlam. history are the records held at the Public Registry. The local negotiators were Mr Philip Borg, as However, these records start in 1863. For access to Director of Libraries and Archives, Mr Charles J. previous records one has to search in the individual Farrugia, Head of the National Archives, and Ms parish registers, and often, this is not an easy task. Hella Jean Bartolo, Chairperson Friends of the For the older period one can consult the records of National Archives. the Sfcz/ws A#z.mczr#m held at the Curia Archives or
the Cathedral Archives in Mdina. The services The technical details of an extensive microfilming offered by private family researchers are much more efficient, yet, one has to be cautious in order to get project were discussed. It was agreed that the Genealogical Society of Utah provide the apparatus accurate work done for him. and human resources needed to microfilm Maltese
Last year the National Archives of Malta issued a cd with a catalogue of more than 40,000 Passport applications. This tool has been used during the last year by various genealogists to fill certain gaps in their data. This year, we decided to embark on a much more ambitious project, which will Tllc' (ll.(il llHilt'l.g(Jillg I.t'fitl.lli.shllleil( ((] ht)ii,se
the re|)rograr>hic`s iinil.
passport applications for the period 1880 -1940. The National Archives will give access to the material and provide an adequate premises for the
project. Following these discussions, the project was approved by the Permanent Secretary and the Education Minister Hon. Dr Louis Galea.
During the months of August and September the necessary refurbishment works were carried out in a section at the archives previously known as the Chaplain's quarters. The necessary microfilming machinery was brought over, and we are now on the eve of launching this exciting new project which, apart from helping to promote family history in Malta, will also initiate, the much needed, muchawaited extensive microfilming works, at the National Archives of Malta.