October 2003
ISSN 16057058
Number 5
Bllilding of Daii.s at Manoel Island, Gzira National Archives Photo Collection PHO 1030
Contents Editorial
The Volunteers' Scheme
CITRA Conference in Marseilles 3
Early British Period Memoriali ....................... 11
Malta Archives conference 2002 45
The Friends of the National Archives ........... „.12
Archives and Prii
Malta: Archival Dimensions 1314
Cataloguing Unit
From the Pen of Archivios
Thblic Services Unit
Archive Awarness week 2003 16
The year ahead will see Malta become one of the 25
This topic was placed on (he agenda of the nee(ing
members of the European Union. This means that
of the European Bureau of National Archi\'ists on the
Malta will be required to comply with legislation and
initiative of the National Archives of Malta. The
standards that are pravalent in Europe. Amongst these
meeting is hosted by the country presiding the EU.
rules and regulations. there are those effecting archives,
and brings together the National Archivists of EU
records management. and issues of accessibility to
members and accession countries. Head of Archives
official records. It is hoped, that this new scenario
Mr Charles Farrugia attended the meeting in Syracuse
will bring with it the necessary reforms in the Maltese
between 22 and 23 September 2003. He explained
archives sector, which reforms we referred to year after
the importance of collaboration between EU member
year from this editorial.
countries and accession countries so as to share experience in the application of the obligations that
On 13 July 2000. the Committee of Ministers of the
emerge from Data Protection legislation. and the other
Council of Europe adopted recommendation No. R
archival responsibilities of each National Archives.
(2000) 13. on a European policy on access to archives. The main motive of this recommendation was the
On the national level, work continued in constant
acknowledgement that a country does not become fully
collaboration between the National Archives. the
democratic until each one of its inhabitants has the
Friends of the National Archives. and a large number
possibility of knowing in an objective manner the elements of their history. The recommendation dealt
of volunteers, sponsors, and lovers of Malta.s archival
with issues such as arrangements for access, and
financial resources, the National Archives has
emphasizes the concept that access to public archives
managed to maintain its quality service. while new
is a right.
heritage. Notwithstanding diminishing human and
impetus was given to the sorting and cataloguing of records already accessioned at the National Archives.
An important legislation which will effect the way
records are managed is the Data Protection Act which came into effect on 15 July 2003. It is encouraging to see a newly set up structure headed by the Data Protection Commissioner functioning to guarantee the
The weak area is still the overseeing of records
management in government departments, accessioning, and appraisal of records. In these areas the National Archives' authority is lacking and it is
rights of private individuals against the release of
only through new legislation that these issues can be
information concerning their private lives. However,
tackled. Such legislation was drafted by a few
now is the time to have a structure with equivalent
dedicated people over a period of more than five years.
authority and resources to safeguard the rights of
We do hope that the next issue of this newsletter sees
private individuals to have access to the records which constitute an essential and irreplacable element of their
the light at a time when we can start analysing and
culture.
complete overhaul of the present structure that we
applying the new legislation. It is only through a
can maximize our potential and move forward with new approaches and outlook.
Mr Charles F(lrnigia together with other Eiiropean Arcl.ivis[s in Noto on 22 Sep{elnber 2003.
accompanying I(alitin Parliamen[arv Secretary Dt)tt. Nicola Bono
+
+
Researchers condiicting
research a{ the main reading
room of the National Archives of Malta
The XXxvl th Round Table Conference on Archives Marseilles 2002 The XXxvlth Round Table Conference on Archives (CITRA) was held in Marseilles, between 13 and 15 November 2002. CITRA brings together, once a year, the directors of national archive services, and the Chairmen of professional archives associations to discuss subjects of professional interest. The general theme of the Marseilles conference was `Archives at the Heart of the Community'. The National Archives was represented in this conference by its Head, Mr Charles Farrugia. The 237 national archivists, chairmen of national associations, and experts from 83 countries focused particularly on the theme `how does society perceive archives?' One result of the conference was a request to UNESCO to organize an international archives day each
year on a date to be fixed. Finally governments were urged to promote the long term preservation of electronic records as a subject for the organizers of the World Summit on the Information Society. Wenotewithsatisfactionthatforthefirsttime,oneoftheresolutionsapprovedbytheDelegate'sMeeting was proposed by Malta. The recommedation 3.2 `Invite ICA members to develop means to give people, whose families experienced involuntary displacement or emigrated, access to information on their roots' was one of the recommendations agreed upon during the Converging Frontiers Conference held in Malta. AllrecommenationswerepresentedtotheCITRAcommitteeandtheoneaboutrecordsrelatedtoemigration was eventually included in the final resolutions approved in Marseilles. Concurrently with the CITRA conference, the annual general meeting of the European Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives (EURBICA) and the annual general meeting of the Association of Commonwealth Archivists and Records Managers (ACARM), were held.
MAI[TA ARCHIVES CONFERENCE 2002 Cohvengihg Frontiers: Regional Coloperatioh ih the Arehives Sector 21 23 october 2002 oP[nlnG flDI)R[SS Bv Hon. minlsT[R oF [DucflTlon DR iouls GflLEfl le meridiem Phoenicia malta 21 0ctolier 2002 It is my privelege as Minister of Education to inaugurate this conference aimed at discussing the best methods of regional cooperation in the archives sector. Malta is rich in archival resources, and this brings with it the responsibility to manage these holdings, preserve them and make them accessible to the public. Such a task can be facilitated through cooperation initiatives that extend beyond national boundaries.
Archives form an intrinsic part of our cultural heritage. Our policy as a government is that cultural heritage should not embrace only some parts of society or be the territory of just a few people. It was for this reason that my government legislatedinfavourofculturalheritagewiththeCulturalHeritageAct.TheActprovidesforaseparationofthetworoles that the Department had previously, namely the regulatory role and the management role. The regulatory role has been entrusted to the Superintendance whereas the management of sites is now the role of Heritage Malta. Similarly we have restructured the culture and the arts sector by creating the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts.
Wealsoembarkedonapracessofconsultationofrelatedlegislationsuchasthatgoveminglibralesandarchives.Itisnowtime thatwefinalisedecisionsinasectorthatispassingthroughanevolutionarypracessduetonewtechnology,andlegalobligations related to Data Protection and Freedom of Information concepts. The role of the archivist is continously changing. In order to catch up with developments in the sector, we are making every effort to involve ourselves more on an international level especially in the meetings of the European Bureau of National Archivists and the yearly Round Table conferences.Thereisstillalongwaytogo.TheNationalArchivesActneedstobeamendedandseveraldiscussionswere carried out with the National Archives Advisory Committee and the Friends of the National Archives. At this stage the draft legislation is being considered at Ministry level. I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank all those involved in these discussions for their valuable advise, time and voluntary contribution to the sector.
This conference is also in line with our policy to make a contribution to the archives debate on an intemational level. It is an initiative which found the full support of the National Commission for UNESCO that operates within my Ministry. ItisalsoinlinewiththemissionofuNESCO.OneofuNESCO'sspecificfunctionsasanintergovemamentalorganisation is to alert national administrations to the importance of the management of their records, and to the establishment of archives services in their country.
I thank all of you here today who are responsible for the upkeep of archival holdings in each of your countries. Your labours are extremely valuable in transmitting the benefits of the written word to posterity. MyfinalwordsofthanksgoestotheorganisingcommitteeledbyMrPhilipBorg,andtheMalteseNationalCommission for UNESCO chaired by Professor Charles Farrugia for their initiative. The organisation of this conference augurs well for the local archives sector. I invite all participants to contribute in an active manner towards identifying new modes of cooperation in the sector.
PRESERVING OUR NATIONAL ARCHIVAL HERITAGE: What happens to records when public entities pass from the privatisation process? by Charles Farrugia B.A.(Hons), M.A., M.A.(Lond.), Dip. R.M. (Newcastle)
Head of the National Archives
The debate about privatisation of public entities is one of the most controversial issues in local politics. However, there seems to be some commonground thinking amongst all social partners that privatisation is one of the realities of current international economic thinking. Much has been written about the best methods to privatise public entities, whether partial privatisation is to be preferred, and ways and means as to how such processes can be implemented to the best advantage of the community. Yet, almost nothing has been written in the local media about the destiny of the records of those public entities that have or are soon to become private organisations. From an archival perspective, privatisation raises important legal issues. Every country with a constitutional, democratic political system must clearly define public and private records. The legislation in the United Kingdom states that public records are `created by, or held in, departments of central government' . The National Archives Act of Malta ( 1990) lists the records that are considered as public records, yet the thinking is on the same lines of that specified in the Public Records Act of the UK. The obligations of the state towards its citizens when it comes to public records are clearly defined in the UK Government Policy on Archives. stating that: `...citizens have a general right to obtain information about the activities
carried out by organisations acting on their behalf. This right goes to the heart of democratic accountability and is essential if public bodies are to be subject to informed public scrutiny...'
In democratic countries private records are considered as private property. However, in some countries, legal protection by the state is guaranteed for those records considered of national historical significance. One such case is that of the National Archives of Hungary which has authority to put archives under legal protection if those archives are considered to have `permanent value' . In this sense legal protection means that the National Archives registers the records and may microfilm them if necessary. A similar setup is that in Italy. The state has the right to survey and inspect private records which are considered as having national significance.
In Malta we are still far from reaching this state of affairs. The present National Archives Act does not even give the right to the National Archives to select records worth of permanent preservation and dispose of the rest. It is impossible to keep each and every record, even if there were no financial and human resources constraints. If one quotes the case of the U.K., only an average of 2% of all public records created are selected and deposited at the National Archives for permanent preservation. However, what is more worrying is that there is widespread lack of information about archival issues. This cannot be overcome by simply amending the current legislation. Although this step has to be taken and is already long overdue.
Whose records are they? Clear distinctions have to be made between the types of records a public body owns prior to privatisation. Inactive records (ie. records that are no longer in use for administrative purposes) created before privatisation, are public records and should be treated as such. Public records does not necessarily mean that they have to be open for public consultation. There might be sensitive material which still has be protected by closure periods. However, the point is that the owner of the records is the government and the duties of the government in the management of such records is to be guaranteed. There is no doubt that records created after privatisation are the property of the
private entity. The issue which is most debatable is the treatment to be given to active records created before privatisation and not yet transferred to a public archives on the date of privatisation. A look at the international situation in this regard indicates four main options which can be adopted; a. The first is that the new private organisation acquires all active and inactive records (this is the option adopted in Hungary and Portugal) b. The second solution is for the new private organisation to keep active records for a period of time
(varying from 10 to 20 years). Amongst the countries that adopted this solution one can mention Austria, Canada, Croatia, Sweden and Switzerland c. Another option is that based on the Italian model where the new private organisation keeps all the records indefinitely, with inactive records destined for the public archives. The selection of records for such an exercise is conducted by a special commission d. The final option based on the British approach is that all public records are closed at the point of
privatisation, and if the subjects or functions continue in the new business, new records covering those functions are opened by the new institution. No single option has the perfect answer to the complex issues which arise during the privatisation process. The British model seems to be the most advantageous, although this can be improved by allowing some flexibility when it comes to operational records which are vital for the continuation of business. This can be done by co operation between the National Archives and the public entity in question. The government's aim is not to deprive the new private company of essential records but to safeguard the rights of the citizens so as to have access to records which are theirs by right.
The current legislation regulating archives in Malta does not cater for the safeguarding of public records of public entities passing through the process of privatisation. It is an dct which was passed from the Maltese Parliament in 1990, at a time when privatisation was not a priority on the government's agenda. Even on the international archival scene, the topic of privatisation and archives has assumed utmost importance. This reflects the very nature of archives and the direct link between public administration and record keeping. As countries in Central and Eastern European have reduced the governmentowned portion of the economy from 9095% to 1530%. archives had to tackle the issues arising from such developments.
An integrated approach towards record keeping The issue of records of public entities in a changing environment is not the only challenge facing the archives sector in Malta. National Archives around the world are realigning their policies to embrace the emerging concepts of freedom of information, data protection, and sustainable policies for the protection of cultural heritage. For a country whose economy is highly dependable on the tourist industry, the latteiconcept has to be developed and guaranteed. A new archives law has to take into consideration all these factors and create crossdomain cooperation. It is important to bring together all interested parties in order to transform our archival heritage into another asset instead of viewing it as another overwhelming burden. Apart from the legal safeguards, the academic training has to be provided and the link with the National Curriculum has to be established. In all this. the private sector can play an important role as a
partner and active participant. One Of the files created by the General Post O.fflce in 1951 transferred to the National Archives following the privi{isation of Maltapost
€ <vffiL..£iiL" The National Archives of Malta holds a variety of research materials covering the British period
(18001964). This vast collection incorporates manuscripts, files from various departments, photographic materials, passport application forms, written records by individuals, letters patents and microfilms. A collection consisting of law court cases covering 15301899 is housed separately at the Banca Giuratale, Mdina. The National Archives of Malta endeavors to make the records in its holdings available to the public. To this end the description of its records, according to standards, are the primary tool used to provide this access.
The materials can only be ananged physically in one particular order. This is normally the order which demonstrates or preserves the system which brought them into being. However, researchers who wish to gain access to information held in the materials, need to have a system of assessing how that information might relate to the subject of their enquiry.
Passport applications in their original state
Thefmdingaidshelpthereseacherssothatthearchivescanbescannedindifl€rentandvariousaltemative sequences. They also provide access points to allow users to find the best place at which to stan their research. These tools are the more necessary since users cannot normally scan the original materials themselves because these are boxed and held in closed storage. In previous years a number of persons contributed in compiling a number of catalogues which are still being used today.
The year 2001 saw the setting up of the National Archives Cataloging Unit. The same year saw the first ever publication of archival description in Malta on CD. Over 42,000 passport application records were entered onto an inhouse created database, thanks to the great effort and dedication of the National Archives staff.
ifend ENes Of ifeife
A number of books mainly related to the British rule, which were either donated to the National Archives by various persons or purchased by the Department, enabled us to set up a Melitensia Section. The books were classified according to DDC 21 st ed. and AACR2 standards in order to produce their respective bibliographic details and produced the catalogue. Currently we are creating a database to facilitate searches within this collection. The Cataloguing Unit also provides bibliographic information for periodicals and offprints as they are added to stock.
A second CD which was issued in 2002 consisted of a detailed catalogue of the correspondence Passport applications (MFA0I ) 1921 1938 database on CD between the Governors of Malta and the Colonial Office 18001860 (GOV Fonds). This was an even bigger challenge since 9500 documents had to be read and summarised. The database was created according to ISAD(G) standard. Data which was accumulated in the last 10 years by various persons was amalgamated and standardized. Data input was done by Ms Alison Borg Hili and the undersigned. * .:. * *ri5*FI.ES± I ., ± *f `.*..
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Education Department files covering 19311978 were tackled by a group of Library and Inforlnation Diploma Students. They managed to vet 3851 records covering 1931 1944. These were cleaned and put in acidfree boxes. The Cataloguing Unit created the necessary database,
provided training to the students to manipulate the database, and supervised data entry. I + * Another/o#c7£ that is being processed is the Head of Ministry. The Head of Ministry established 4+ ~tck FT?iii
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a RERE #EL< rSutS ,JSi*t ' *#S
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hiiferiife
~`m in 1921, followed the new constitution which granted selfgovernment to the Maltese for local `: affairs. Due to political turmoil, the constitution had to be suspended several times in the
following years. Like any other entity the Head of Ministry (HOM) had its own files. These weredividedintotwocategories,theDepartmentalfiles(HOM1)andpetitionsfromindividuals (HOM2). `: Correspondence between Governors of Malta and the colonial
Office database on CD
Processing the HOM2 collection followed the same pattern as that of the education files. The process was carried out by two volunteers:MrJosephSapiano,anexNationalArchivesemployeeandMsMariaGulianaFenech,astudentfromtheUniversity of Malta. Mr Sapiano is responsible for the cleaning, sorting and the putting of files in acid free boxes, while Ms Fenech is responsible for the data input. OurnexttargetisthecollectionofMilitayServiceRecords.Thiscontainspersonalitemshistoryofthosesoldierswhoenlistedin vatousBritishinyunitsforserviceinMaltaonly.Earlierrecordsdatingfrom18cOconcemingtheMilitiaarealsoincoaporated withinthiscollection.Documentscovertheperiodupto1970.Thedatabasethatwascreatedbytheundersigned,isbeingcompiledby MsMarleneBorgandproofreadbyMFrederickCauchilnglott.
TheNationalArchivesofMaltaholdsacollectionofmorethan4,000photographicmaterials,comprisingphotographs.negatives, paintedphotographs,postcardsetc.ArehitectMichaelEllulapalftimeemployeeisengagedonproducingdetailsofthiscollection on paper using a specially designed form.
AsthepersonresponsiblefortheCataloguingUnit,Ishouldpointoutthattheworkmentionedabovecouldnothavebeendonewithout thehelpofvolunteers,studentsfromthediplomacourse,parttimers,theFriendsofNAandthecommitmentandthededicationofmy colleagues,MrCharlesFarrugiaHead,MsAlisonBorgHiliandMsMarleneBorg.
During the last three years, the National Archives gradually increased the opportunities and tools that facilitate and aid researchers in canying out their studies. An increasing awareness about the archives led to the utilisation of various services, including requests by phone, email, fax and post. An average of four to five research phone calls are answered daily. The use of electronic mail has also increased in popularity.
A closer look at the figures shows that 65% of research requests were made by males.Thisrepresentsanincreaseof10%infemaleresearchers,whencompared to last year's surveys. Several Maltese nationals make use of the email facility, butaconsiderablepercentageof62%usingthisfacilitywereforeigners.Among foreigneresearchers31%wereAustralian,18%Greek,13%Canadianand13% British. There were also queries from Hungary, Belgium, U.S.A., and Italy. Usually a request takes between 1 to 10 days for a reply, though this generally depends on the nature of the query. This grapb shows which areas are most popular among eresearchers.
Thefollowingtableshowsapercentageoftheusemadeofourarchivesduringthepastthreeyears.
FebruaryandNovemberarethemonthsduringwhichmostnumberofdocumentshavebeenconsulted.DuringNovemberof 2002eachresearcherconsulted4documentseveryhour.TheleastamountofdocumentsviewedwasduringJuneof2001, one document for each hour of research. DuringthelastfewweeksresearchattheNationalArchiveshasincreasedconsiderably.Manyuniversitystudentsarecarrying out their studies at the archives,. viewing documents of the late British Period especially the CSG section, Blue Books, Government Gazette and the various reports dealing with a wide array of topics.
The Volunteers Scheme
enters its second year Ms Alison Borg Hili Librarv Assistant
The National Archives has always believed in the usefulness of voluntary work. The system of voluntary work, although on a much smaller scale, started five years ago.The positive input of the existing volunteers has always been our inspiration. Moreover, last year `The Friends of the National Archives' in collaboration with the National Archives, launched the Volunteers Scheme. The feedback from potential volunteers was an encouraging one. This led to the compilation of a volunteers' register.
The way the system operates is quite flexible. Volunteers are accepted from all walks of life. We do have quite a diverse array of jobs such as sorting of documents, inputting of catalogues on databases and computerisation of catalogues. Once a volunteer is identified for a particularjob, training is given and an agreement is set on the number of hours to be worked. Some of the persons who have submitted their names are already contributing to this system. Mr. Joe Sapiano, an exarchives employee who has retired earlier this year, is working on the files of the Head of Ministry (HOM2). Presently he is sorting and cleaning the material and storing them in acid free boxes. Concurrently an in house database has been created. University student Ms. Maria Giuliana Fenech is responsible of the inputting of the mentioned Mr Joe Sapiano during his volunteer work
files.
}`!AT Io}`Ai Ai{cr: I v ES CF h!AL1`A
VOLUNThERS
Major Frederick Cauchi Inglott, a graduate in Library and Information Studies. is working on the Military Service Records
:,taltp. National Archives, !ioused ir. tr.f. former fanto Spirito r{o€pital, Bp~t`at, is the in+r}in refogitar.y for t+,e origin®] documents rel`9.tint to ill,&1ta's admini8
tra,tive histcr.v from 1€{Or\, and legal proceedings from
/o#cZs. He has provided us with a finding aid, which includes the necessary information to guide us staff, in the retrieval of the required files. Major Cauchi Inglott will also be assisting in the database proof reading of the Military records.
In order to keep in touch with all its members, `The Friends of the National Archives' launched a monthly electronic newsletter to all its members. VicePresident of the committee and head of Archives Mr Charles Farrugia is the person responsible for its drafting while volunteer Lieut. Colonel Malo Schembri coordinates the IT side of it and ensures that the members receive the latest updates.
lc 35 . 'i`he Friends of the }{p^tiona~1.£<rc`hive£` zire Seeking
recruits to .join their recentl,v for.!ned Volunteers Sch€me, helping to catalogue and preserve the. thousands of unique records awaiting processing. An.yone intere€ted in .ioining the Schem€ for either a Short spell or longer period, can dov,7r``3oa¢ ,.n 8i`plic a.tion form from the lrien€s' v<.eb€ite gt: T`.wv,'.a¢rchivesr#alta.cjt`.net
!'urther detai}s! mt.w.education.gov.mt/edu/national ¥+rt:hiv€S.htm or emails charles. `i.fp+rrugia{.mp^gnot.=t
Adver{isinent for volui.leers in tl.e UK CILIP newsletter
Last year, Ms. Heather Brown. a qualified librarian who has worked in a number of libraries in the UK, successfully conducted a threemonth voluntary work at our archives. She assisted us in the cataloguing project of the ADC/o#d,7 (Aide de Camp to HE the Governor/President). Presently, Ms. Tanja Morgensten, a second
year student reading archival sciences at Postdam University, Germany. is carrying out a twelve week practicum. The latest volunteers that joined our ranks were Dr George Camilleri and Ms Catherine Macdonald from the U.K.
Ms Tanja Morgenstern during her prac[icum at the National Archives
Experiences in the field of archives are of mutual benefit to both parties and hence should be encouraged. Whilst thanking everyone for their continuous support. I appeal to those who wish to join the scheme to come forward. Our archi\Jes can benefit a lot from an extra pair of hands.
*ApplicationformscanbedownloadedfromtheFriendsoftheNationalArchives'websiteat:!!±!!£!!£±irchi`.esmalta.cj±±e±
[arlH British Period memorials Winston L. Zanmit B.A. (Hons), M.A„ P.G.C.E. An interesting collection of records preserved at the National Archives of Malta is that of the Memoriali. In all the collection consists of 25 volumes covering the dates 19 August 1801 to 1810. The volumes are summaries of the various memorials and petitions from the general public to the first three Civil Commissioners; Cameron 1801 1802; Ball 1802 1809 and Oakes 18091810.
Each memorial consists of a summary of the original petition and the answer from the authorities. The importance of these records derives mainly from the fact that the original petitionswerenotpreserved.Ihadtheopportunitytogothroughallthesevolumesin1994, when they were still at the National Library. The notes I took then made it possible for me to compile these notes and deliver a short speech about the records as part of the inservice courses organised by the Head of the National Archives to his staff.
Whatinspiredmetoresearchthesevolumeswasthewealthofinformationaboutthesystem of local government in operation in Malta during the Early years of British rule. The office relative to today's Mayor's was that of Logotenente. From the Memoriali volumes it is One of the volumes of Memoriali being microflillmed
possible not only to compile the names of these officers, but also the petitions they were compiling on behalf of their respective localities.
Mostoftherequestsdealtwithroadworks.In1805GiuseppeFrendo,LogotenenteofcasalBalzan,petitionedfor the construction of water culverts. Another interesting request is that made in 1806 by the Logotenente of Mosta GiovamiChetcutifortheconstructionofawindmill.Othertopicsrelatetonightwatchinvillagesandthe`Capitano di Notte'. Severalpetitionsrelatetorequestsforadmissiontotheoldpeople'shomeorOspizioinFloriana.Theserequests were generally referred to the Logotenente of Floriana. Other petitions received from government employees were mainly requests for a pay rise.
When the Order of St John left Malta, all churches which were owned by the Order passed in the hands of the Government. This meant that petitions from Rectors of these churches were addressed to Civil Commissioners. In 1805 the Rector of the Liesse churchaskedforpermissiontocommissionnewmarbleworksinthechurch,andduring the same year he asked for the sum of 20 scudi for the festivities connected with the consecration of the church. Permissions connected with the organisation of feasts and the flring of petards were also very common. Similar requests were made in connection with the Our Lady of Sorrows'feastofPieta(1808),andthefeastofStLawrenceinBirgu(1812).Arequest for a pennit for horse races on the occasion of the feast of st Helen ofB'Kara was made in 1810. Regatta permits were requested for the feasts of Christ the Saviour and of Santa Liberata of Kalkara.
Work in progress on the microf illming Of records
Othermemorialirelatetorequestsfortheopeningofcateringestablishments.hi1810AntonioVassalloaskedforpermission toopenahotelat8'Kara,whileForfunatoSammut,alsofromB'Kara,appliedforapermittoopenacoffeeshop.
Requests for financial aid were not lacking. In 1802 the Sliema residents asked for money to erect a church. Similar requests came from Gozitan parents in 1802, for the college established in Gozo. Thetwolastcases1wouldliketohighlightarearequestmadein1804bytheSiggiewimayorforapermissionfor hismatrimonialcontractontheoccasionofhissecondmarriage.Alsoin1804themayorofHalGhaxaqpetitioned for permission to donate property for the value of 1,015 scudi to his son Rev. M. A. Mallia.
THE FRIENDS OF THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES Help us preserve our archival heritage! Mr Max Farrugia Secretary
FRIENDs OF "E NjmoN^I. ARCH IVES O I AA^IT^
Microfilming Project Earlier this year the Friends of the National Archives launched a fundraising scheme aimed at sponsoring the microfilming of several historical documents dating back to about 200 years. These documents form part of the holdings of the National Archives. The response from members, the general public, and a number of entities was encouraging. A contract was signed with a microfilming company to go ahead with the first phase of the project. A considerable number of documents were microfilmed and these were presented to the archives recently. The second phase of the project consisting of a large amount of documents to be microfilmed will be given the green light as soon as the necessary funds are collected. This will probably be during the first months of the new year. The Friends are optimistic that the sum of around six thousand liri, that they need to microfilm the rest of the documents, will be collected. Appeals will be made to local firms, corporations, and entities who can support this project. These will receive a second appeal to contribute towards this worthy cause and safeguard part of our country's heritage.
Press coliference announcing the microfilming project by the Friends '
Mr Joe Schirb presenting his family's
The Assistallt head Of San Anton School
donation for the project
presenting the sponsorhsip cheque to
committee on 21 June 2003
Mr Max Farrugia
Cooperation with Local Councils During the outgoing year a number of Local Councils enrolled as life members of the Friends of the National Archives. We would like to thank them for their initiative. We also urge those who are not yet members to consider becoming members. A number of councils asked for our help regarding information related to the history of their respective locality. Others benefited form tours to the archives. We look forward for more active collaboration with the Local Councils.
New Archives Law
Educational visit il. collaboration with Dingli Local Council
Following a campaign by the Friends insisting that the National Archives' setup need to be restructured, and that a new legislation was a necessity for the better running of the National Archives, a number of important developments took place. The Friends Committee had several meetings with the Head of the National Archives Mr Charles Farrugia, and subsequently with Hon. Dr. Louis Galea, the Minister responsible for the National Archives. The Minister announced in public that the new law is underway. The Friends are proud of their contribution during the process, and also of their input.
Bequest from Australia TheFriendsoftheNationalArchivesmanagedtonegotiatethebequestoftherecordsofanexActingDirectoroftheDepartment of Agriculture. The family of the late Dr. Hirst, who during the Second World War was Acting Director of the Department of Agriculture, donated a considerable amount of documents to the Friends. These documents deal with problems encountered during the war in the agricultural sector, and the action that was taken to minimise the hardship. This was the second bequest followingthatofMsAnnWilliams,visitinglecturerattheUniversityofMalta,andexpertonMiddleEastandMediterranean history.
Keep in touch via our website www.archivesmalta.cjb.net
I
Malta.. Archival Diryleylsiorls Hella Jean BAR:TOLO President Friends of the National Archives Vice Chairperson National Archives Advisory Board
The present The world of archives goes back several centuries in Malta, so I will try to limit myself to the relative contemporarysceneofthearchivalprofessionrestricting myself to the last 30 years.
office staff. His report on the situation was factual and realistic.Theneedforadequatetrainingofdepartmental staff was underlined. He called for an archival program thatneededgovernmentresourcestosupportandexpand it.
In March 1971, a twoday conference took place and was eminently represented by the leading academia in the field of library science and history.The resounding
p.reoccuperriion then was Maltese History what futurri Amongstseveralmajorissues,concernswereexpressed very strongly about the path post independent Malta would take in the field of archival science. I shall not try, in this limited time to give a blow by blow account of the post mortem to this conference. But suffice to inform the listeners that some progress was made albeit in miniscule steps.
Thirty years ago we had a call for the setting up of a Public Records Office, for the retention and archiving ofgovernmentpublicsectorrecords,theestablishingof a separate department with suitable premises and trained staff and a register of Archives. As this distinguished audience is aware the main archival collections are the National Archives, the Notarial Archives, the Public Registry and the Archives section of the National Library. There are also ecclesiastical archives, private archives, and parastatal archives.
Fast forward to 1987, when through a career change I found myself in charge of the Registry office at the Central Bank of Malta. I had no background baggage to this issue of concern and just as well. A short 15day introductory program in 1990 at the US National Records office (NARA) in Washington was my baptism of fire in the archival field. I could then start to understand the importance of the document and more important the retention of it for posterity as evidence of the past. The following year in 1991 the Central Bank, on my recommendation, sponsored the visit of American Archivist Frank G. Burke. He held the first everintensive fifteendayseminar/workshopforpublicsectorrecords
He was echoing Dott.ssa Baviera Albanese, who in 1971 had stated that the highest priority was the creation of a
public conscience to the existence of the problem of the Maltese archives and the necessity of finding a solution for them. She had called for the creation by the State of the necessary infrastructure for the solution, grouped under three heads: administrative, material and matters regarding the personnel to put all this into practice.
The public sector records' infrastructure, inherent and based on the Whitehall system during Malta's colonial
past, was fragmentizing into hybrid systems throughout the seventies and eighties. Modern archival practice in Malta remained painfully elusive. Clearly, the IVcz/!.offa/ Arcfoi.veg Ac/ //990/ can be
consideredtobethefirstlegislationtoprotectthepublic sector records by creating an official National Archives. It was the first piece of legislation to address and stem the flow of complete disintegration of record keeping Systems.
This legislation is, however, ineffective in addressing the glaring loopholes. It does not provide a comprehensiveframeworkforthemanagementofpublic records. Technical know how, advice and effective legislation with a proper administrative structure would
go a long way to address the current situation and safeguard Malta's archival heritage.
esv.lee_ChairoftheNationalArchivesAdvisoryBoard, I have been privy to several reports, proposals, white papers, seminars the lot but the wheels of bureaucracy turn ever so slow. It was for this reason that in the year 2000 a small nucleus of concerned individuals set up the Frj.c#c7s a/ /foe National Archives Of Malta, whose maim Triissioir .is to
help the National Archives in performing its duties of safeguarding Malta's documentary heritage and
promoting its study and research. The aim of the Fri.c#c/s is to provide such resources as are want to be unavailable. These include voluntary indexing of collections, printing of finding aids for researchers, purchase of books for the reference room, purchase of related equipment for the reading room. The list is endless.
The Future Malta has still to start the debate on instituting an
effective integrated records management program for public records, appraisal / destruction, the preservation of important legal, fiscal and historical documents the right to access, freedom of information, data protection, dimensions of tertial education in archival science, space allocation for the growing collection and, legislative update. Malta needs to have a purpose built national archives building with qualified staff to run it. The most important task of any administration of a system of archives is to ensure the ready utilization of the material conserved in such archives. There is the need for catalogues, indexes, and registers etc, which enable the scholar to find his way among the labyrinth of documents. Clearly at national level, there is a need to develop new methods of cooperation between the National Archives and emerging local private structures aimed at the
protection of documents, which are a component of national heritage and are also needed, for social and
We have seen the privatization of public corporate entities in recent years. Is current legislation sufficiently able to impose on a private institution the duty and obligation to preserve materials of historical importance?
Training and education The need for training isjust as great to help local archivist meet the challenges that modern technology has brought about. Automation is not a panacea and cannot be instituted without the framework and foundation of best
practices and principles. A centre of excellence is needed to act as a catalyst for training in the variety of professional skills.
We need to formulate the platform of dialogue with our regional neighbors because we can learn much from their experience and we need the interaction of teaching, research and application.
Standards Joint initiatives could be undertaken to set up a common descriptive standard for the collections of library, museum and archives of the region. Here one can draw on such organizations as the Standing Conference on Archives and Museums (UK) set up in 1989 for dialogues and communication projects to bring together descriptions of archives, museum objects and library materials. Such data can be exchanged in a regional context effectively once a common standard for description is agreed upon.
scientific research.
Conclusion
The current National Archives has not developed its identity of a national institution, as is the case in all the other EU member and candidate countries.
department of History referred /a ccmc/crz.cs a//orgo//c# cz#ci.c#/ cJocwmc#/I. These cemeteries have quadrupled
Is Malta in line with EU directives when it comes to Data Protection and Freedom of information?
and a crematorium will be needed when the task is taken in hand to sift and appraise the backlog of forgotten documents!
We hear much of Egovernment ecommerce email e everything but do the records, constituting this wild foray into IT, get organized under best practices and guidelines? In the paper environment it is easy to define destruction as the destruction of paper with text. In the electronic environment we are nowhere near debating what constitutes retention and /or destruction.
During the last decades the question of public access to official documents has been very much in focus all over the world. How reasonable is access when local files of sixty years ago are still held with the creating agencies?
During the 1971 conference, Prof. A Vella Head,
Be it as it may, hope springs eternal and I trust that at the end of this conference the mechanism will be established for the implementation of collaborative initiatives on a regional scale. This conference is one small step towards achieving cohesion for an integrated
plan regarding regional training and sustainable collaborative.
N.B. This paper was presented by Ms. Bartolo during the Converging Frontiers Conference in 2002.
]F]Fto)]nni lt]hite ]P'te]ni toJl[ jAEL]Ftc]hiifIvi`itoJs Dear Diary, Finally_i_tisSundayand1amreadyfornyowaitedrest.VerysoonitwillbeMondaymorningandac[ivitywill s{.artallover._I?mpotcomplaining,but1doneedtorest.Inthepast1wasquiteunhappywi{hthestateOf my
documel.ts. Today however my collections are being cleaned. At last the dust mites and worms that haw;be;n feas[ing so long are on the way to destruction. ` +` *
Monday
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The staff have just arrived. I a ready to vield as much i wisdom {o iny readers f or ye{ffidrngitwh}giv
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Today preparatit]ns are in
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computers. However the staff are doing wonders. f ew havebeen asking q;ntistio;s;i;;iIt;e Despatches a collection covering a vast period
In 2001 the first CD database project on Passport
from 1800 to 1950. I have skimmed through so many of the pages and met with half the writers
Archives Corference was organised and another CD
themselves. So many memories, these works bring
about my collection Of the Despatches was compiled.
to 'ne.
This year saw` the birth of several projects;
Applications was launched. In 2002 the National
digitisation, microfilming, databases. Wonder how they manage, just these seven people. Better hurry {o catch up with what is being discussed during the staff meeting. Shall be writing soon...
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l}RIISIIR`rll '1`0 SIIRVII ARCHIVE AWARENESS WEEK 2003 27 October 2 Noverrlber 2003
The first National Archives Annual Public lecture delivered by
Professor Henry Frendo on 26 November 1999 paved the way to an
annual event held during the month of October or November. Other activities such as exhibitions, school visits, and press conferences
succeeded in promoting our services to the extent that research at our reading rooms increased considerably.
This year, we tought it is opportune to go a step further. For the first time the National Archives will be hold an Archive Awareness Week,
between 27 October and 2 November 2003. The theme chosen for this first awareness campaign is `Preserve to Serve'. These three words describe the mission of archives. Archival services preserve
records to serve the public. If records are not preserved at the first place, they cannot be accessible to the public.
The one week long events will include press conferences, features in
the Local media, a presentation to a selected audience about the value
of Reprographics as a means for preservation, and this year's annual public Lecture. We are honoured that this year's distinguished speaker is H.E. The President of Malta who is also Honourary Patron of the
Friends of The National Archives.
The climax of the week is an open day of the National Archives scheduled for Sunday 2 November 2003. This is an excellent
opportunity to go on a guided tour around our stack rooms, see the microfilming process, buy books or souvenirs from the Friends Book fair, or have a glimpse at a selection of historical photos preserved at the National Archives. All activities are organised by the National
Archives in collaboration with the Friends of the National Archives
and the Ministry of Education.
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