October 2004
Number 6
ISSN 16057058
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In June 1999 a twoday seminar was called by the Minister of Education to study the situation of libraries and archives in Malta. Malta's leading experts in the field discussed ways and means to reform the sector in order to bring it inline with the needs of modern society. A number of papers and reports were presented. Soon after. a Joint Advisory Committee was set up. bringing together representatives from the Libraries and Archives Advisory Committees. Monthly meetings were convened by the Minister. and the drafting of new legislation commenced.
During the last five years. drafts of a new archives act were written by a group of dedicated people. Consultation with the National Archives Advisory committee ensued and at a later stage the Friends of the National Archives of Malta took up the task to finalise the work on the formulation of the new law. At times, all those involved felt that we had entered into a vicious circle of drafting and redrafting to catch up with the rapid local and international changes in the profession. The various local political happenings made it almost impossible for the authorities to focus on this sector. However. we were fortunate that the political responsibility for libraries and archives remained within the same Ministerial portfolio. This provided a valuable element for continuity.
At the beginning of Summer, the political decision to reform the sector was taken. It is hoped that by the end of this year the Archives Bill becomes law, and that during the year 2005 a new structure for the management of Maltese archives will be implimented. The main features that were delnanded throughout the last years are: • accountable autonomy to the National Archives. • a records management structure throughout all public offices, • the necessary standards and authority for appraisal of records, • the setting up ofa National RegisterofArchives. • the opportunity for archivists to get the necessary training andjobs directly linked to their profession. These points might seem general and vague. however. they represent the core of the archival profession. Most ot` these recommendations have been made to the Maltese Government by local and foreign archivists at least since 1944. The new law will represent a milestone in the history of archives in Malta. This does not mean that with the new law all pitfalls will be remedied. Far from it. The financial constraints` and issues
such as storage space will still have to be tackled. However, we will have in place a structure that is tailor made for the needs of archives. This is what we lacked till now. With the necessary tools in hand. it will be up to all involved in the
sector to work together as a team. so as to get funding, solve problems in a pragmatic way and employ present day technology and expertise. While thanking all those who supported our lobbying for the new Act, and all those who helped us do the preliminary work, we hope that in next year's newsletter we will be in a position to report back on the first positive outcome resulting from the reform.
PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL FORA This year the National Archives of Malta participated in the Xvth International Congress on Archives. The Congress is held every four years and brings together. heads of national archive services, and professional archivists from all parts of the world, to discuss subjects of professional interest. It is the most high level activity organised by the International Council on Archives, of which the Libraries and Archives Department of Malta is a member in category A (i.e. with full voting rights).
The Congress was held in the Austria International Centre in Vienna between 23rd and 29th August
2004. It brought together 2000 delegates from 140 countries. The theme for this year.s Congress
was `Archives, Memory and Knowledge'.
On the first day of the conference, the annual general meetings of ACARM and EURBICA were held. ACARM is the Association of Commonwealth Archivists and Records Managers. EURBICA is the European Branch of the International Council on Archives, bringing together archivists from EU countries, candidate countries, and countries in the European region. In both organisations, the
National Archives of Malta is a member with voting rights.
One of the items on the Agenda of the Association of Commonwealth Archivists and Records Managers
(ACARM) was the election of new members for the forthcoming two years. Mr Charles Farrugia, on behalf of the National Archives of Malta, was elected as member on the Executive Committee of ACARM. During the same meeting a proposal was put forward about the possibility of holding a meeting for archivists from Commonwealth Countries in Malta. The plan is to have this meeting
coinciding with the Head of Government of Commonwealth Countries to be held in Malta in November 2005. Tlle issue of funding is the main stumbling block, which will now be taken up with the
Commonwealth Foundation. During the same meeting, the Maltese delegate addressed participants and paid homage to the memory of the late Ms Hella Jean Bartolo Winston. She was a member of ACARM in a personal capacity, and gave a valuable contribution to the local and international archival community.
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A Vjsjon for the Na(jonal Archjues of Mal(a By Charles J. Farrugia M.A.(Lond). M.A.. B.A.(Hons). P.G. Dip. R.M. (Newcastle)
Head of the National Archives This article gives a short outline of the issues that have to be tackled with priority in a newly reformed National Archives. It is a longterm vision which goes beyond the barriers that have come to suffocate and blur progress under the present structures. It concentrates on five major areas: I. a government policy on archives. 2. human resources and
professional development. 3. records management in government departments, 4. preservation and access, 5. outreach.
A government policy on archives One of the greatest handicaps for the archives sector in Malta is the lack of awareness by both administrators and the general public alike. This situation is not unique to Malta, but rather a common characteristic of the archival profession worldwide. As Charles Kecskemeti puts it ` . . .whether we like it or not, outside the profession, which is small in number. few are aware of the existence of archives and even fewer care about them' .I
This state of affairs puts the responsibility on the few local archivists to make every effort imaginable to put the archives sector on the politician's agenda. This is not an easy task. Archival issues are not in themselves vote catching. Yet. it is wise to try and ride on the tide of the time. Malta's recent accession to the E.U. might provide good timing for changes in the sector. One of the initiatives which will be very fruitful for the archives sector is the creation of a national policy for archives. A national archival policy is what Michael Roper calls `a prerequisite for good archives management in any country' .2 I remember making a similar recommendation during the seminar on the way forward in the libraries and archives sector organised by the Minister of Education in June 1999.
Amongst the advantages of having a national archival policy one can mention: • it sends a clear message about the importance of the sector to the government and society, • it helps to establish an archival community which is currently lacking in Malta, • it sets out the vision and strategy which the government intends to follow in the field, • it gives a higher profile to archivists and records managers in the general government hierarchy.
Human resources and professional development No institution can be successful without a strong investment in its human resources. A sector which is so extensive and complex such as archives has to be manned by professionally trained people. It is hoped that the next development in this area would be the creation of a Diploma/Degree course in Archives and Records Management at the University of Malta. This can be developed in conjunction with the present Diploma in Librarianship. Proposals in this direction have already been forwarded to the Division of Library and Information Studies. Work on these proposals is also in hand.
Records Management in Government Departments The main recommendation in this regard would be to appoint Records Officers in each government department or agency. However, this is not enough and to avoid a repetition of the first attempt in the early l990s, the National Archives should provide initial and periodic training to R.O.s. Another measure should be the appointment of a liaison officer to act as a desk officer at the National Archives and coordinate/monitor the R.O.s. An inspector of records with the task of visiting record repositories would provide the necessary guarantee that good records management practices are actually in place.
Preservation and Access Issues of preservation and access are fundamental to the mission of an archival institution, especially at a national level. The National Archives shall have a preservation strategy. Most of the archives functions in some way or other relate to preservation. However, the main areas relevant to the Maltese context are,
the archives buildings environment, the maintenance of the buildings, security, surrogates, records in nontraditional media,
conservation, disaster preparedness.
Thestrategyshouldalsoclearlydefineatimeframeforitsimplementationandpracticalmeansashowtoevaluateitseffectiveness and implement periodic adaptations. This will make it more possible to plan things and to identify funding which is often the prime hindrance in implementing these changes.
Thestrategyshouldalsoemphasisetheurgencyofthedisasterpreparednessaspect.Thisareawasnevergivenanyimportanee from the foundation of the National Archives of Malta up to the present day. One of the first priorities should be to devise a disasterplan.Adisasterplanshouldcover`minimisingriskstoarchives,reactingtoafireorflood,andrecoveringdocuments asquicklyandefficientlyaspossible'.`Anotherissuewhichshouldbeemphasisedinthestrategyisthecreationof surrogates and whether to use microfilming, digitisation or both as a preservation technique. All this has to tie up with a clear access policy. Most of the present issues will be clarified in the new legislation itself. However, having a policy in writing will definitely strengthen the hand of those who are to implement it. The current reading
room regulations need to be updated. Yet, these regulations will only be observed if the reading room is equipped with the required staff complement with adequate knowledge of security and preservation issues. This end can be reached by holding induction courses for both staff and users.i
Outreach Outreach is the process of incorporating clientcentred thinking into archival policies. This means that the archivist uses a number of marketing strategies and publicity events to foster a sense of greater understanding and awareness amongst users. The present thought about outreach programmes in archives is that these are not subsidiary occupations when the archivist has accomplished his main tasks. Rather they are an important duty of the archivist. Thejustification for this is that `... an outreach
programme can demonstrate the archival institution's importance to the culture of the country'.5 Another attribute is that it `enables a wider public to benefit from its services', a factor which is very relevant to a National Archives positioning in society.6 The National Archives has a direct responsibility to protect the nation's archival heritage and
disseminate information to the public. To these I add the practical advantage which outreach programmes have in helping the institutionbuildapositivepublicprofile.Thisinturnmakesitmoreattractiveandapotentialcandidateforprivatesponsorships and partnerships. Such an issue is gaining much more weight in an environment where even public bodies have tojustify their expenditure and tap private sources for funding. The final point is the sociopolitical benefits of outreach. Today's drive towards an inclusive society is incomplete without
guaranteeing effective access to the archival heritage of a country to those who might be at the fringes of society. Outreach activities are very effective in this because they can be targeted to special sectors in society.7 One of the first priorities should be to work towards building links between the new institution and the education sector. Links shouldbeestablishedwiththeDepartmentofHistoryoftheUniversityofMaltaandtheHistoryUnitoftheEducationDivision. The National Archives should start considering the needs of students especially in Secondary Schools.8 This should lead towards the inclusion of archives appreciation in the National Minimum Curriculum.
References: I Kec`keliieti. C.. .The Professional Culture of` the Archivist'` in Stjt'cJr€i.tyif.\., Di.5p"al C/ctt.„„ Pttj/€.``,Tt.f;jict/ Cit/"„ c."«w o„ Art`At.t'tt/ Pt7/i.t`i.c'`. Brussels. 2000.173.
: One of the main recommendations made by Michael Roper to Japan as part of an International Council on Archives mission there in 1986 was to establish ajoint forum for the de`elopment and promotion of a national archival policy. Masahito Ando` .A Challenge to Archival Development and Archival Science in Japan.. in Art./?i.``ttj71. XLIV` 149.
i H Forde. .Preservation as a strategic function and an integrated component in archives management: or can we cope without it?`. in At.t.c``` /t; /;i/t;t.;)ift/i.on Presel\`(l{i()n lssiies CITRA I999.ICA. ).8. i The National Archives of the UK has been very succes`ful in holding induction cour`e` for fir`ttime user`. and alto weekly behind the `cene` tours. The physical layout
of the National Archives of Malta should make it easier for something on the Same lines. i M Roper (ed.). Mcmc/gl.ti4J Art./I/l'tr.i.. w /t.t//.ji/.ti4J pt.tjgrfitti»Ic. International Records Management Trust.1999.142. 6 Cook. Mti;itttgi.;Ig Att./ii.`'cJ.``.. « prt7t.cc/!it.c.`` ;7ici;}itti/. International Records Management Trust.1999. 49.
7 The British Government Policy on Archive` States that .Ooutreach activities should also feature prominently in the actlvities of archives. which should consult people at
risk of `ocial exclusion about their needs and aspirations.. PRO. Gftt.cm»IcW Pf;/it..\. t;ti Art./ii.t'c,I.. A"n P/titi |online]. 2000. Available on the World Wide Web at httpw www.pro.gov.uk/archives/actionplan. I A specific program of school vi`its exists at the National Archives in Kew. Study packs on `pecific themes `uch a` Victorian Period are prepared regularly. A `Imilar pack
was launched during the first Archive Awareness week by the National Archives of Malta. It provides the student with selected documents for secondary school students. and with easy to follow learning games for primary schools level.
From the National Arcnives' Diary ... The year under review witnessed various activities aimed at increasing the awareness of the general public. The most ambitious event was the first ever Archive Awareness Week. Under the theme `Preserve to Serve' a weeklong event reached out to students. academies, the media and the general public.
27 October ~ 2 November 2003 ~ Archive Awareness Week
Press Corference announcing the events
Anmial Public Let.tiire
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Ediica{ion day ~ San An{on Students
2123 Sept 2003 110ct 2003
Pal.ticipation at the European But.eau of National Archivist in Syracuse Visit organised by the National Council of Women
17 0ct 2003 210ct 2003 24 0ct 2003 27 0ct 2 Nov 2003 5 Nov 2003 7 Nov 2003
Filming of Meander (PBS) at the National Archives Visit to H.E. the President and presentation of National Memory Proposal
13 Nov 2003 24 Nov 2003 26 Nov 2003 2 Dec 2003
Press Conference announcing the Archive Awareness Week Archive Awareness Week 2003 Visit to Archive organised by Malia Visit by students from the Diploma in Public Administration Friends of the National Archives participation in Book fair 2003 Visit by students from the Malta Centre for Restoration Visit by students from St. Edward Visit by Dr Theresa Vann Curator Hill Monastic Library
7 Jan 2004 3 Feb 2004 18 Feb 2004 21 Feb 2004 1 Mar 2004 4 Mar 2004 8 Mar 2004 14 Mar 2004 22 March 2004 22 May 2004 28 May 2004 10 Jun 2004 16 July 2004 23T28Ang2orH 16 Sep 2004
St. Martin's School visit of National Archivist in Syracuse Filming for PBS production on emigration Visit by a group of architecture students Visit by a group of Salesians Proposal Visit by Marge Melun from the Library of Congress Visit by a group of 8. Comm students Exhibition by Joe Sultana Talk to Savio College in Public Administration students Launching of the National Memory Project by the President of Malta Seminar by Head of Archvies on `The National Memory project' on the occasion of Museum Day Exhibition by Louis Casha Filming by Turkish TV crew Mass in memory of Hella Jean Bartolo Winston Participation in ICA Congress in Vienna Participation in digitisation initiative in Bulgaria
RECORDS MANAGEMENT For the past six years, the need of having a Records Management Unit within the National Archives was felt. As no staff or funds were ever allocated for such a purpose, we tried to do all our efforts to
provideadvicetocertaindepartmentswhoexperienceproblemswiththemanagementoftheirrecords. During the last year, we concentrated our efforts on three particular areas. These were the Public Lotto Department. the Public Works Paola Region, and the issue of Data Protection.
Hundreds of P.W. records were saved from the Paola Health Centre following to the rapid intervention of the staff of the National Archives with the support of the Armed Forces of Malta who offered transport for the said records.
Hundreds of photos were passed on to the National Archives b}' the Public Lotto Department whose functions ha`7e now passed to the private sector.
Several meetings were held about the implementation of Data Protection. the upkeep of hospital I.ecords. and the futui.e of the PBS archives.
Donations Mr George Azzopardi donated a number of letters which were on sale in a public auction. The lettei.s dating back to the 1850s were sent by Biagio Tagliaferro to other shipping agents. A sman collection of papers of the late Lt Cdr. \e.IT`i+[:|={Frv:{;:;:(;;I;:;I.`{e;;{e\{\i:i.;;i;I:iI;i ; bi.FI(incesco Bu((i gie_g _Hello s[!(lio` I)ub`bli.co d`el `gr(:n(l' Ospe(I(lle Na~ionale (lei Peter Flett was also recei\'ed from Mr Iain Flett. The third donation came from Dr Klaus Vella Bardon. It consists of two volumes Mdt/f€si. /8 0t./a/7cj. /804. The volumes consist of notes taken by Sal\'atore Bardon during the lectures. In response to our consistent requests for book donations. and also similar initiatives by the Friends of the National Archives. ftJ;ic/fl::/.ojii.Pflfj.i.mow/.HMfr//7.presentedthearchiveswithacollectionofworkspublishedaspartoftheirpublicationprogramme. AnagreementwasalsoreachedunderwhichtheFoundationhasofferedtodonatetotheNationalArchivesallfuturepublications.
ThelastmajordonationwasthatbytheMenoftheTrees(Malta)Association.ThroughtheinitiativeofMsCarmelinaGrech.and Mr Attard Montalto. we recei\'ed the papers including minutes and correspondence of this association. Apartfromthese.therewereotherdonationsofsingleitems`butofequalimportancetothosementionedabove.Wewouldliketo thank all those who took initiative to pass to us such important documents. We hope that through the Techanism that will be createdaspartoftheNewArchivesAct.thesamecollaborationwehavewithprivateindividualsandorganizationbebuiltwiththe other recordcreating offices in the Public Ser\'ice.
Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti presentation
Dr Klaus Vella Bardon presentation
Preserving our Photographic Holdings by Marisa Calleja DLIS Cataloguing Unit
More and more researchers are becoming aware of the fact that photographs have great historical value. Increasinglyphotographsarebeingusednotonlyasillustrationsbutalsoasindividualdocumentstohelphistorical
research. Among its 12 kilometres of shelves the National Archives of Malta holds thousands of historical
photographs.MostofthemareuniqueandillustratevariousaspectsofthedevelopmentoftheMalteselslands.
The Collection Ourholdingsaredividedintotwosequences.ThePo;./;.ct7./A;.c/If.t'ccontainsthousandsofphotosattachedtopassponapplicationsfrom 1915onwardsandpicturesofGovemors.LieutenantGovemors.ChiefSecretariesofState,Presidents,PrimeMinistersandotherdistinct
personalities.Tothese,aconsiderablenumberofpollraitsofprominentMaltesetakenbyphotographerTonySMangionwereadded.The otherpaftcoversSpc'cj.c7/Et'c;7/s..Royalvisits.wardamageintheCottoneraarea,churches,constructionofvariousbuildingsandpublic edifices. picturesque views of various parts of the Maltese Islands over the years. and much more.
Photosareaddedtoourcollectioncontinuously.RecentlyMr.TonyTerribiledonatedanumberofphotosandhasofferedtoallowusto borrowhisextensivecollectionandhaveitdigitalised.OtherrecentdonationsweremadebyMr.SalvinoLombardi.Mr.AnthonyAbela. Mr.JosephM.Boffa.Mr.GeorgeAzzopardi.Ms.MichelleGelle(France),Mr.HenryBonanno.FamilyAgius(Birkirkara).TheSalesian Community. the Central Bank of Malta and The Mackay Maltese Club, (Australia).
Over500photographsweredepositedwiththeNationalArchivesjustbeforetheLottoDepartmentwasprivatised.Discussionsheldearly in2004betweentheDirectoroftheDepartmentoflnformationandtheHeadoftheNationalArchivesbroughttotheforetheneedto
preservealltherecentdigitalimagesforfuturegenerations.ThousandsoftheseimagescoveringeventsinMaltafromtheyear2000are being copied onto CDRoms.
Preservation Thephysicalenemiesofphotographsincludetheobviousvillains:directsunlight.insects.rodents. Themoresubtleonesarejustasdangerous:adhesivesthatdegradeovertime,sulphurcompounds that can be given off by wood or rubber trigger fading. high humidity which encourages the
growthofmould.Human..intervention"isanotherfactorthatcanpropagaterapiddeterioration.
I,:_e`~=:#:_oT_±e__I?tipn?1Arc`hiv`e`s.aTeto.c_o_uec{,pi.esen'eandpi.o\`ideaccesstoi[sholdings{o //Ic/p!ib/i.c.TherecentlylaunchedNationalMemoryProject¢j.#„/ocjcfr/cct;.cz!tdj.o`'i.s[ta/cH.c/I7.t'c
Various preservation tools Lised in the |}rojec[
(ili(I {o presen'e its con{en[s for pos{eri{!.
Pi.eserving archival material is a very laborious task. Each photograph needs to be cleaned and given a sequential number. Special archival polypropylene pockets. available in various sizes, areusedtoholdthephotographinplacewithouttheneedforadhesivesorphotocomers.They
are then stored in acid free archival boxes.
Toavoidpublichandlingoftheoriginals,theNationalArchivesofMaltahasstartedaprojectto digitalise all of its photographic collection. Photographer Mr. Kevin Casha has offered to use his own equipment to digitalise the collection. Photographs are captured by means of a high resolution camera. then transferred onto a computer. Each image is then enhanced and given a same sequential number as that of the original.
Pl.o[ographer Kevin Casha working on the (ligi{is(i{ion of I)ho[os
Cataloguing ArchitectMichaelEllul.aparttimeemployee,isenga.gedonprovidingdetailsforeachimagein the collection using a specially designed form.
The Cataloguing Unit within the Archives. supervised by the author of this article, created a database (to ISAD(G) Standards) and Mr. Simon Cutajar and Mr Charles Aquilina provided technical assistance.
Computerscanperformfastandeasycrossreferencesearchesandtheycanimproveaccessibility to the collection without the need to browse through the originals. This should give our unique documents a longer and safer life.
Archi{ec[ Mich(lei Ellul who for the
last 15 rears gave his con[ribu[ion
as a parttimer on cataloguing
We would like to thank the Friends of the National Archives for sponsoring the first phase of the project. We appeal to commercial organisations to come forward and sponsor the upcoming phases of the Project.
Remote research requests by Ms Alison Borg Hili Reader`s Ser\'ices Unit
In this section a brief glance is being taken at the numerous research enquiries reaching our archives. A statistical report has been compiled and is being presented in the chart below. The data in this release is based on a detailed analysis of the incoming requests of those researchers who visit our reading room or receive assistance by mail. email or telephone.
The following is a review of some of the most popular research enquiries:
. fo:nmesa[:fg tcfuas:j[zsh;rset::¥[:s ,a[:i:u£[]y:rdoob:::; ¥[f::o:£afto#es t#[::nFbaemu;:;d£::t:ar;]Lyehb]ssfttoer%t:::fs:£]:a:::ooftu:p£]e£:::;:e: www.archives.gov.mt under services family history) is the most appropriate source to begin a research. For records of burials one can consult the same website. For records listing birth/marriages/death certificates etc one has to consult Curia Archives, Cathedral Museum Parish Archives or the Public Registry for the post 1863 period. OneofthemostextensiverecordgroupsheldattheNationalArchivesisthecollection of passport applications. These application forms include personal details of the person making the request. From 1915 onwards these applications are enriched with photos of the individuals. To make the task easier we have also created a searchable computerizeddatabase(192138)whichisavailableandmaintainedatthereadingroom. Maps:theNationalArchivesisalsoinpossessionofplansanddrawings.Thesewere accessioned from the Land Registry and include drawings related to buildings and sites formerly under the British Military. It is important to note that access to these drawingsisonlyavailablebyappointment.Thus,itisstrictlyrecommendedtocontact the archives prior to any visit. Thereisaninterestingcollectionavailableforresearchconsistingofgroupofalbums depicting royal festivities and other photos accessioned from the Public Works depicting the reconstruction of various parts of Malta.
Members (Jf [hc' i>ul]IiL lil.c' Li``.`i.`l(il
in finding imlp`s tin(I drawilig`s in
Our map rti{jii.
The several queries received from abroad and locally, leave no room for doubt that requests dealing with British military are definitely the most requested. In 1992 British army service records for Maltese personnel were accessioned from the Ministry of Defense in UK. These recordswhichnumberaround50,000arebeingkeptinstorageboxesandstoredintheoriginal sequence of the UK (i.e. in regimentrservice no. order). These files were created for each serviceman who enlisted and contain service information as well as personal and sensitive information. They include medical history of the individual, any disciplinary actions taken ;I;+avi'n.;t~;Lil.divia;aI together with their conduct report sheets. The most important document I.Hc"i.cc pr;."„mt'/ J.crtw.t/` withineachfileistheattestationsheetdealingwiththeparticularsofthesoldierandtheserviceconditionspresentedtohim,theoath ofallegiance,physicalcharacteristics,resultofthemedicalexaminationcarriedoutbytheservicedoctorandthesignatureofapproval of a high ranking officer. It is for this reason that these files are confidential and information is not to be disclosed without the necessary consent. The time limit to access these records is 75 years (from the date of the last entry in the file). Information from thesefilesafterthistimelimitisonlytobereleaseduponwrittenconsentfromthepersonconcerned.Inthecaseofdeceasedpersons documentaryevidenceofthedeathtogetherwithawrittenconsentofthenextofkin,isrequired.Basically,asalreadyexplained,an thepersonnelrecordsareheldinconfidenceandinformationisnotdisclosedtoathirdpartywithoutthenecessaryconsent.Ifoneis lookingforanindividualserviceman'srecord,shouldbesubmitted,thearmynumbertogetherwiththenameofunitandafullversion of the name of the ex soldier as this facilitates the retrieval of records. 1
One must keep in mind that not all the documents are kept at the National Archives many documents are deposited elsewhere. For this reason it is most important to establish that we hold the material of interest to you prior to contacting us. One is most welcome to ask for advice on his/her research from our staff who will be happy to guide the researcher to the mostappropriaterecords.Itisimportanttonotethatstaffdonotundertake research on ones behalf. However we do acknowledge that one might encounter certain difficulties and in such cases although we do not provide a detailed research service, limited assistance such as preliminary advice on the available finding aids is provided. In addition online information can help you get started with your research requests at our archives. Anotherpointtorememberisthatourmaterialisnotorganizedbysubject. Thismeansthattomckethingseasierbasicfactfindingisrecommendedbefore startinganyresearch.Themoreinformationonemangetogetthebetter,asthis togetherwiththetimeonehasavailablewilldeterminewheretostartfroin.
by Marlene Borg Reader's Services Unit
'/M/hfi}/drd4unpeAItJdaprJjJj&to{jjAj}iM4dA¢¢macl¢;? Through the past year (August 2003 July 2004) there have been many activities namely the Archives Awareness Week including a whole day with guided tours, which has helped the public to appreciate and understand more the work that is carried out within the Archive. Moreover, this awareness has circulated interest and resulted in a boom in the number of researchers resulting in 80% increase over the previous year. This came as no surprise. Most comments in the media and newspaper articles indicate that the Archives became one of the Governmental entities that strives to give a good overall service to all patrons.
Throughout Winter and Spring there was a continuous flow of University students namely those from the History and Architecture Departments. In fact on one particular day in April there was a record attendance of 19 researchers of whom 17 were University students conducting research through, various records, mainly the Public Works. General and Miscellaneous Reports, Chief Secretary Section and Blue Books.
The Rabat reading room
Seeing all the interest circulated one is committed to ask ..Why choose the National Archives to make your research"?
The Archive being located in an old area in Rabat offers the comfort of a quite environment. Information is given to all persons arriving at the reading room who are treated to an overview of how to conduct research. Finding aids are ready at hand and any informationregardingthematerialhousedandanythingrelatedtothetopicbeingresearchedisgivenonrequest.Manyresearchers in fact claim that the customer service given here is excellent and therefore they opt to visit the National Archives frequently.
Other than the success achieved in the reading room of Santo Spirito one must not overlook the good service being offered at the same repository in the Map Room. In this area there has also been a research increase of 5097c over last year, and mainly researchers are coming from other governmental institutions, companies and also University students. Access to the Map Room is available by appointment. The Banca Giuratale in Mdina too has had a comeback this year, and since the end of March we have seen an increase in research activity. 65 researchers visited the Legal History repository compared to the 15 attending during the same period of the previous year. This is mainly due to the fact that now the Banca is open from Monday to Friday for research. In previous years. it opened only on request. Catalogues and Indexes facilitate and make material more accessible. Most popular areas of research are the M"g;i¢ C!ii.i.¢ C¢s/c//¢;7!.¢, Swpp/j.cc pc;~ Bo//cgc and Sc7z/c;tzc of the various tribunals. A photocopy service is available on site and a microfilming section has just been set up.
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The educational work books prepared for Ediication Day 2003
®be asattta ®turatale by Noel D. Anastas DLIS Reader's Services Unit
BuiltbyMondionin1726,theBancaGiurataleorMunicipalPalacewaspartofagrandschemeinitiatedby Grand Master Fra Manoel de Vilhena. It is claimed that this plan was intended to express in architectural terms,thethencurrentmentalityofprincelyabsolutism.WhereasthemedievalaspectsofMdina'sbuildings I had largely survived two hundred years of the Order's rule, the second decade of the eighteenth Century T4f heralded a rapid transition to the baroque form for substantial areas of the old Capital. One must not Ignore the fact that in practical terms this change was aided and abetted by the devastating earthquake of 1693. _ _ _ _ 7
The main entrance of Mdina and its surroundings were drastically altered in the space of a few years: the Banca Giuratale for instance. was totally demolished and its stead the Magisterial Place (today housing the National History Museum) was built. This project even necessitated the shifting the main entrance to the city to its present location. The Bianca was erected in the ___ _ \_ J .1, Cathedral area where Mondion's plan; were by comparison were less grandiose in architectural scope and more gradual in execution.
The practical purpose for the Banca Giuratale was to house the offices of the civil administration of the Maltese Islands. Variously referred to as the Commune, Universita, Parliament. Municipality and Consiglio Popolare. this institution consisted of the Hakem or Capitano della Verga and four Giurati. The Hakem was appointed by the Viceroy of Sicily. and later by the Grand Master. He was the Island's Chief Justice. Commandant of the Army andHeadoftheConsiglioPopolare.Togetherwithhiscouncil.theHakemhadonlyexecutive powers which, in the main, consisting in sending ambassadors to the King of Spain or his ViceroyinSicily,appointgovemmentofficials.Ievytaxes,importwheatfromSicily.maintain the walls and fortifications, repairs of roads etc. B¢77c¢ G!.wr¢f¢/c a/ MCJ!."a
ThefourGiuratiwereelectedannuallyonthefeastofSt.JohntheBaptist,andtheirdutywastoaidtheHakemrulethelslands. The Consiglio Popolare's powers were greatly curtailed with the coming of the Knights of St. John in 1530. It is claimed that theConsiglioplayedaleadingroleintheuprisingoftheMalteseagainsttheFrenchin1798.ThecomingoftheBritishtoMalta saw the dissolution of the Consiglio Popolare in 1819 by Governor Sir Thomas Maitland. Thus some to an end an a.ncient and importantnationalinstitutionwhichinspiteofitsmanyinherentshortcomings.andrestrictionsimposedbysuccessiveforeign rulers for many centuries served as the only means of popular political expression. The Banca Giuratale itself is not known to what use it was put during the rest of the nineteenth century;ontheotherhandformanyyearsofthepresentthebuildingwasusedforeducational purposes. Today, the majestic palace houses the IV¢fi.t7;iff/ Mc"oJi. Projec/. and the records of various Courts tribunals of the periods both prior to and following the arrival of the Order of St. John, the French occupation and the early years of the British rule. It was officially inaugurated as part of the National Archives on 28 October 1988. These records were previously kept at the Grand Master's Palace at Valletta while the nineteenth century legal documents were transferred from the Law Courts.
Legal Documents
Mr Mario Camilleri pagina[ing records from the Consolato del Mare fonds.
ThedocumentsbelongingtothepreOrderperiodaredividedintothreesections:TheCitri.aCapftct;7fl/j.I;theO#cJ.itmPj.i.j7!ctri.!" and the Ojr}cj.". SccTc/j.clc. With the arrival of the Order of St John, the number of tribunals _`_ _ _ JJ _ . , A . ,+ , f` fl, , I_ _ increased. The section comprising the documents belonging to the period of the order of st John pe i;;I;ir;.1;;amen{i,thecon:oltitodimare.`theMtigis{rti{Lisci\ii{a{isNo{tibilis`andthecas{ellcmicie contains the records of eighteen Tribunals. Among them, worthy of mention are the A4ctgi.s/r" CLlria.
The Consolato del Mare of Malta was set up in 1697 by Grandmaster Perellos as a court of the Grandmaster as a sovereign prince, thus theoretically having no appeal to Rome. This coincided with the reissuing of licences to corsairs flying the flag of the Grandmaster. The consolato was organised to provide redress in cases where Maltese corsairs searched or attacked Greek ships whichwereallegedlytransportingTurkishgoods.ThereasonsfortheestablishmentoftheCtjnso/c]ff) j.n Mct//ct, must go beyond the narrow interpretation of it being set up only in order to defend Maltese corsairs visivis Greek lawsuits and to end the Inquisitor's interference. During the course of the seventeenth century, the increase in mercantile trade made the need for some reform in maritime merchant law necessary.
`^ The microfilming setup
recenllv installed a[ the
Banca Giuratale We would like to welcome Mr Noel D.Anastas and Mr Mario Camilleri who joined our stat`f following the restructuring at Metco and the Malta Shipbuilding respectivel}J.
THE NAVIGATION DU SAVOIR PROJECT by Dr Simon Mercieca I ha\Je the pleasure of informing you that the second salon dedicated to the Maritime Heritage of the Mediterranean will be heldinMaltabetweenthe11t`'and16thOctober2004.TheMaltaexhibitionwouldlookatvariousaspectsoftheMediterranean
Maritime Heritage. The theme of this event is: Mediterranean SeascapesRediscovery of the past for the Understanding of the Future.
The Mediterranean Institute is a partner of an international consortium called Navigation du Savoir. The consortium is an EUfunded project within Media Heritage 11 and this project aims in bringing cultural evaluation of historical docks of the Mediterranean. As part of this initiative.
the Mediterranean Institute will be organising a whole week of activities at Pinto Wharf valletta.
The aim of the Mediterranean Institute is to organise a big international fair in which members of this consortium. which hail from different Mediterranean countries. will also be invited.
A number of activities have been planned to illustrate the tangible and nontangible heritage of the Mediterranean. Each partner in this exhibition is invited to set up his own stand so that histher work in favour of the Mediterranean Maritime Heritage shall be exalted. This will include
exhibits on the past history of the Mediterranean Arsenals. SubAquatic Heritage, and a school for the development and enhancement of Traditional Maritime Crafts. Moreover. other cultural
manifestations will take place. particularly a round table conference. an academic conference. as well as a number of cultural manifestations such as Musical Concerts and Historic Re enactments. As part of this activity. a special website has been created to give publicity to this event and also to facilitate I.esearch on the Mediterranean Maritime heritage. The website can be accessed on the following http address: http//www2.cs.ucy.ac.cy/ navigationdusavoir
Among the activities which I would like to highlight. there is an international conference which is spread over two consecutive
days between the 13`h and 14th of October 2004 and in which different aspects of the Mediterranean Maritime Heritage will be discussed. This conference is part of the Ivft`'i.gfT/7.t7;I 4/!t Sftt'f7j.;. Project. The purpose of this conference is to promote the
material and immaterial heritage of the Mediterranean with special focus on the historic docks and arsenals and how their past military purpose can be changed to one of cultural dialogue and ethnic contact points.
The theme of the Conference is "War and Peace in the Mediterranean". The conference is divided under the following four topics:
I. Fortified Islands in the Mediterranean 2. Mediterranean Landscapes and social Fabrics 3. The Tangible and Intangible Mediterranean Heritage: an Anthropological perception 4. Is there a future for the Mediterranean Maritime Heritage?
Other activities of considerable importance are the two exhibitions. which will focus on the material heritage of the
Mediterranean. The first exhibition will be organised at the Maritime Museum in Birgu and will focus on the underwater maritime heritage and will feature some of the historic wrecks recovered from the Mediterranean Sea. The second exhibition will be set up at Santo Spirito Archives Rabat. In this exhibition, specimen of the Consolati del Mare registers will be exhibited besides a collection of true size reproductions of maritime graffiti worked out by our maritime expert Mr. Joseph Muscat. Moreover. a number of paintings in reproduction featuring scenes of shipwreck will be mounted. The scenes chosenforthispartoftheexhibitionaretakenfromsixteenth.seventeenthandeighteenthcenturypaintingsandlithographs featuring the shipwreck of Saint Paul in Malta. Moreover, as part of this event` a number of Consolato del Mare documents had been microfilmed and inserted on a CD. Eventually. they will be included in the website that is being currently built as
part of the Navigation du Savoir project.
The main partners of this event are the Mediterranean Institute at the University of Malta. the Maritime Museum of Barcelona, the Maritime Museum of Paris. Pisa Consortium Ricerche, Commune di Pisa. University of Cyprus. the Association pour la Sauvegarde du Patrimoin Maritime Villefranchesurmer. (France), Unesco, the ministry of Culture Algiers, the Ministry of Culture Tunis and SERNES VillefranchesurMer. The University of Malta is the leader of this project.
11'
Consolidating the embodiment of our identity
REwl,I',I , , 'E¥
by Steve Borg DLIS, Secretary Friends of The National Archives
To fuel the dynamism that Hella Jean Bartolo. our late President. generated in the pursuance of our endeavours is no mean task. When. in 2000. we founded the Friends of the National Archives we were fully aware of her acumen. Even her failing physical condition did not stop her from urging us to press forward our archival concerns. Paramount to these has been our continuous output with the Ministry of Education in amending. formulating and proposing the new legislation in the National Archive Act. Hopefully. these shall be enacted by Parliament in the very near futui.e.
Other than Hella.s untimely demise. it has been a remarkable year for us. Our committee has achieved so much with so little. We have seen an increase in members, be they academics. researchers or the general public. The microfilming and digitizing of public records at the National Archives remains one of our main priorities. We are funding the work involving the Departmental Registers covering the In and Out conespondence (CSG 81 ) from 1851 to 1948. It is pertinent to note the financial partnership we have made with TUI Thomson that shall help us record the original documentation pertaining to the early British era covering 1801
to 1825. Also notable achievement is the sponsorship agreement we reached with the Malta Tourism Authority.
Our next project should see to the introduction of machinereadable equipment that shall assist researchers to make use of the digitized records in a workstation in the Reading Room at Santu Spirtu.
We have also launched the first phase of the National Memory Project. The philosophy behind it is to set up a modem archival collection that houses audiovisual material, including sound recordings. cinematographic films, photographs and ephemera. On the 22'``` March. H.E. the President Prof. Guido de Marco inaugurated the Natioilal
Memory Project. at the Banca Giuratale in Mdina. H.E had expressed. through a number of meetings with the Friends at the Palace in Valletta. a deep interest in the setting up of the National Portrait Archives. Housed in the 1726 edifice. this gallery is attracting a considerable number of daily visitors to see an exhibition of images of Maltese personalities. photographed by Tony S. Mangion.
The lnass in memolT (Jf Hello Je(ln Blu.{olo ii{{eilded b! the Mil.i`s[er a.f Edllca{ion
The Friends have also donated custom made archival acid free polypropylene covers to help protect archived photographs from natural elements. I am pleased to say that well over a quarter of the current archived material has already been cared for in the said pockets.
We are also vigorously consolidating the Reference Library at the National Archives by purchasing in stock or out of print Melitensia publications that fall in line with the collection development plan of the National Archives. Thi.ough this beefing up exerciseweaimtoprovideuserswithindepthbibliographicaidsandsubjectandperiodi.elatedmaterials.woilhyofsuchanobleinstitution.
HELLA JEAN BARTOL0 WINSTON Appreciation by Charles J. Farrugia I first met Hella in 1998, soon after I took over charge of the National Archives. I had called her hoping to establish contact with one of the few archivists on the island with whom I hoped to share some of the frustrations of the job, and lean some of the tricks of the trade. She was expecting the call, and the next day there she was at the archives. From then onwards. her support towards the archives was a neverending story.
The connection of Hella with archives developed quite late in her lifetime. She was employed at the Central Bank of Malta where the need of converting the registry into a records management services unit was implemented in 1988. Hella was sent on a short course in Records Management in the United States from where she came back charged with initiative to introduce the concept of records management in Malta.
In1994,HellawasawardedaMastersDegreeinRecordsandArchivesManagementfromtheSchoolofLibraryandlnformation Studies at University College London. Her thesis `A Records Management programme for the Central Bank of Malta' was implemented by the Central Bank, Hella's employer at the time, and sponsor of the course. On her return to Malta, Hella worked at her the records management programme of the Diploma in Librarianship and Information member of the Society of Archivists of UK and of the US (ARMA). She was also the only one of the Chapters of ARMA.
previous post at the Central Bank and established Bank. She lectured at University as part of the Studies. She was the first Maltese to become oftheAmericanArchivistsandRecordsManagers foreign archivist to be approved as Director of
On the local scene, Hella has served for a Ltora.ry Assoc.ia;riion (Ghaqda Bibliotekarji`). various committees appointed by the 1996 she was appointed on an Action the then Minister of Education. After the change appointed Ms Hella Jean Bartolo as Deputy Committee.
number of years as member on the Council of the now renamed MaLIA. She also served on Government to propose reforms in Archives. In Committee on Libraries and Archives set up by in Government, the current Minister of Education Chairperson of the National Archives Advisory
Hella used her contacts abroad to put Malta's archival heritage on the international scene. Four main initiatives deserve a mention. Some years back, through her contacts with the World Bank where she used to work for a short period, she managed to get an approval for S 10,000 for the Maltese Government to build a records centre. In 1997, she also managed to get funding for a study of the records management system at the Ministry of Education. This survey was conducted by experts from the InternationalRecordsManagementTrust.InAugust2001,HellaconvincedMrGeoffMowlamfromtheGenealogicalSociety of Utah to come over to Malta and negotiate sponsorship for a microfilming project. Luckily enough in this case we managed to build a long standing relation which is proving most beneficial to the National Archives.
What was most striking in Hella.s character was her determination, personal initiative, and stubbornness not to give way in front of bureocratic behaviour. Her utter dislike of officials who hide after studies in order to play for time and avoid change, was evident and pronounced on more than one public occasion. She complemented her words with action. On some occasion sherepresentedMaltaininternationalarchivesconferences,payingherselfformostoftheexpenses,butsavingthefaceofthe country, by not divulging abroad that our absence was merely the result of `lack of funds' to participate.
In July 2000 Hella was one of the founding members and first President of the Friends of the National Archives of Malta. This voluntaryorganisationishelpingtheNationalArchivesaccomplishingitsmissionandhasprovedindispensableatatimewhen the National Archives is suffering from severe shortages in human and financial resources. Apart from her commitment towards the archival scene in Malta, Hella was an active member in the committee of the Friends of St Vincent de Paul, and a member of the Maltese National Commission for UNESCO. Notwithstanding our friendship for the last years, I still do not feel I know enough the character of this great lady. It was only lately that I came to know of her singing talents in her youth, and the publication of novels and poems. In all our discussions, she was never eager to tell about her past, but rather full of plans for the future. Even in the last months, she remained a forward lookingperson.HerregistrationasspeakerfortheArchivesCongressinAustriaisjustoneproofofthisoptimisticandforward looking spirit. The passing away of Hella Jean Bartolo Winston can only be described as a great loss for Malta's cultural heritage, especially the archives sector. I feel that her contribution was never officially recognized as should have been. It is also painful to see that the reforms she worked so hard to see implemented in the archives sector are still on paper. However, her legacy will live on. Herspiritofcommitment,determination,andinitiativewillinspireusallformanyyearstocome.Ourgratitudetohercanonly be expressed if we follow in her footsteps and persist in putting the issues of archives and records management on the agenda of the country.
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