NAM Newsletter 10 (2007)

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ENE THENATloNALARCHIVES NEWSLETTEB

MESSAGE FROM THE NATIONALARCHIVIST

~ Charles Farrugia

?&< The Recommendation on Access to Archives approved by the Council of

' ­ Europe in 2000 triggered a series of : Inltiatives that are changing the internatlonal archives scenario. Action

by EU institutions is also effecting the

way archives operate and interrelate.

Our participation on the European Archives Experts Group has streamlined our international efforts to have policies and

On 19 April 2007 Ms Myra Brown visited the National Archives,

Discussions were held on areas that can provide a common platform for collaboration. Ms Brown who is the Information Resource Officer for Mediterranean Europe at the Office of

measures that are applicable across national boundaries.

Public Affairs of the U.S. Embassy in Rome was accompanied

European projects have also made it possible for us to support

by Mr jeffrey Anderson and Mrs Louise Falzon from the U.S,

a number of training placements in foreign archives or related

Embassy in Malta.

institutions. These were mainly sponsored under the Leonardo Mobility project which came to an end in May 2007 with the launching of a digitization booklet.

We will now turn our attention on another interesting programme financed under the lnterreg 1118 MEDOCC

category. The ARISTHOT project focuses on the study, cataloguing and digitization of scientific texts.

The number of international events and conferences is far beyond what we can cope with the present limited financial

and human resources. However, we are trying to participate in events that have effect on capacity building in areas we have classified of prime importance in our strategies. One of these is digitization. For this reason one of our staff participated during the Digitization Conference held in Berlin between 21

and 22 February 2007. Another representative attended the Working Group on the creation of a European Archives Portal held in Brussels on 22 May 2007.

It is with great pleasure and pride that I announce that the National Archives will host the International Round Table

Conference on Archives (CITRA) during 2009. During the month of May we started the initial preparations in connection with the organization of this event. It will bring to our shores around 300 archivists. It will be an excellent opportunity for

us to share our archival heritage with experts in the field

coming from diverse backgrounds. Although the hosting of such a large event will put more burden on our limited

resources,I strongly believe that we can rise to the occasion.

The VII European Conference on Archives was held in Warsaw,

Poland between May 18­20, 2006. This year's theme was The Archivist: Profession of the Future in Europe. National Arch.iv.ist

Chahes Farrugia was one of the speakers during this conference.

He delivered a paper entitled The EL/ropeon Archiv;st.. RegLj`otor or Facilitator?

The European Bureau of National Archivists met in Berlin

between 26 and 27 April 2007 (see photo on front cover). A main theme on the agenda was the future of the Bureau in view of the newly set up European Archives Group.

CITRA will also provide us with an incentive to reach more professional standards both in our service deliveries and also to further promote the newly developing archival local community.

There were other initiatives of an international dimension during the period under review. These included collaboration

with the Genealogical Society of Utah, the jewish Museum in the USA, the Hill rvlonastic Manuscript Library, and other

international organizations. Some of these initiatives are

mentioned in this newsletter. Our targets remain those of integrating as much as possible our initiatives with the other

international programmes that are going on. This is the way

forward which can be of mutual benefit both to the National

The National Archivist was also invited to address the Society

Archives and the entities with which we collaborate.

of Archivists (UK) Annual conference held in Lancaster, UK

Front Cover Photos (startlng from top in a clockwise dlrection):

Celebrating the 250th anniversary from the foundation of the National Archives in Hungary 2 March 2006; "EBNA Meetlng in Berlin" 26 Aprll

2007; Leonardo Project closing event 24 May 2007; CITRA photo by Kevin Casha.

between 5 and 8 September 2006. The theme of Mr Farrugia's F>aper was Establishing University Level Archives training in Malta.

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES NEWSLETTEB "EE ~~

LEONARDO PRESERVING DIGITAL ARCHIVAL CONTENTS A Project carried out under the Leonardo Mobility Measure 2005­2007

The Leononde do Vinci is one of the European Union funded programmes almed at improving the skill and competency of people,

promoteandreinforcehecontnbutiontovocationaltrainlngandllfelonglearning,andimprovethequalityofandaccesstotechnological andorganisationalchange.Theprogrammeconsistsofsixtypesofprojects,oneofwhichisthemobilitymeasure.On4july2005, the National AI­chives submitted an application for a mobility project involving partners from a number of European countries.

The Leonardo­sponsored project Preserv/ng Dtgtto` Archivo` Contents set out to achieve four objectives: ( I ) the gaining of experience on digitization processes in archives; (2) training in de preservation practices of digital contents; (3) the assessment of the current situation in digital contents preservation in both the EU, and in accession countries;

and (4) an anabeis Of he pessible synergies in the methods of digitizing archival contents.

It was furher praped tat, from the ensuing experience, there would be the compilation of a digitization handbook with hints on the storing and eventual tracing and recovery of specific information, The submission was successful. The final assessment acknowledged that the submission was well written and it had an excellent presentation. The tlrene around which it focused was described as one which addresses an issue of national importance both from a cultural and histchcal viewpeint. The contract with the Leonardo Agency was signed on I I November 2005 under the patronage of the Honourable Dr Louis Galea, Minister of Education.

The final result Of ire prayed was compiled in a publication launched on 24 May 2006 during an event at the National Archives Head

Office.TheguestferthiseventwasPermanentSecretaryMrFransBorgwhopralsedtheNationalArchivesfortheireffortstopreserve

the country's archival hehage.

The publication brings together an in­depth study of the preservation of records in digitized format following assessments in three Sou.nth.es. Bugiva. H`ngry. and Sicily, Italy. It is in part the result of a number of case­studies by participants in archival and commercial institutions imwhed in rfe project. The participating institutions were:

• the Ndtnd Anches of Mo/to as leading partner; • the Frierds Of the Notional Archives of Molto., • the Mattabased company L`.ngLjomtne Ltd; •. The.'Trut= if preheTa_tics c]nd !nfiprmatlcs, Bulgarian Academy of Science, Sofia, Bu|gar.ia., • the Ncltjonol Alchiies Of Bulgaria, Sofla., • the Open Saci.ety Arch/.yes ­ OSA, Budapest, Hungary ­ an archives and a centre for research and education.

• the tyro inae conpanies Dotodisc.it and G`obo` Microfi`m Dt.gito` SRL operating in Sicily, Italy, offering the services of the digitjzation and mkiiofilming of documents and related services.

Nine participants undertook the task and they tackled the subject from different aspects.

I . joseph Bezzjne ­Digitizing documents and selecting Subject Headings 2. AIlgelo Dalli ­ungiamine Digital Paper Archive for Archives and Libraries 3. Alison Borg­Hili ­Prhacy issues in digitization agreements 4. joseph Andfo ­Digitjzation and Microfilming by Datadisc.it ­Global Microfilm Digital SRL 5. Ncel D'Anastas ­Digitjzation in Bulgarian Institutions 6. Frederick Cauehi­lnglott ­An experience of microfilming and digitization in Bulgaria

7. Max Fan.gia ­ Microfilming projects in Hungarian Archives

8. Mardn Hampton ­Digitization projects at the OSA, Budapest 9. Charles j. Farrugia ­ The experiences of the National Archives of rvlalta in digitizing archival records.

RIB ' ~­' THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES NEWSLETTER

Four participants examined digitization from a technical point

of view. \ Joseph Bezzina, A6sistant National Archivist of Malta, visited the open 5ociety Arch/.ves in Budapest to delve into a technical aspect of digitization. After

enumerating the objectives of digitization, the author dwells on the subject/descriptor that is to be given to the digitized source. The digitization

of documents would be largely useless without the right subject heading.

Subject headings in standardized lists are a modern development of archival

science but an old puzzle. Even now, no segment of the classification process is as difficult and frustrating as finding a subject heading to flt the contents, in

whole or in part, of a document. The write­up deals with the OSA Subject Headings system that has been designed as a finding aid as well as an indexing

tool and with problems related to the choice of subject headings.

Angelo Dalli discusses the Digital Paper Archive while proposing, on behalf

of the company Linguamine, to provide advanced technology to enable archives to unlock part of the vast national heritage of historical documents currently accessible to only a few researchers. Special add­on extensions provide the possibility of handling historical documents, old books, and other documents that need to be specially handled, restored, or enhanced. Malta s

cultural and scientific knowledge resources are a precious public asset. They

form the evolving, collective memory of society and provide a solid basis for the development of the digital content industries in a sustainable knowledge society.

Alison Borg­Hili visited Dotod/.sc./'t and G`obcJ` M/crofi`m D/g/.tc]` 5RL digital

storage services with a specific purpose: to observe how the Data protection Act of Italy is followed. This Act regulates how personal information is used

and protects misuse of data without stopping it from being used for legitimate and beneficiary purposes, The act allows public administration and private

sectors to make use of digital technologies to replace the records that need to be maintained in accordance with the law, with optical files capable of maintaining the information and characteristics of the originals. The details of

the act are quite complex but the most essential are the rules known as Data Protection Principles. Organisations who are responsible for the conversion E of documents to digitalized form or microfilm must comply with these principles.

They should ensure that the data is lawfully processed, and guarantee accuracy in accordance with these regulations. |oseph Amod.io v.is.ited Datc]disc.it anci Global Microfilm Digitc]l SRL w.ith a

different purpose: to experience their work and to replace actual documents with optical files that are capable of monitoring the information and the characteristics of the original. Datadisc.it employs highly qualified personnel

capable of independently carrying out all the procedures both at the client's place of work, as well as in its own laboratories. The procedure of digitization involves the conversion of documents to digital form using Kodak equipment

such as the Microreader Kodak 3000DSV, the B&W Scanner Zeutschel OS7000, This microfilming of paper material and the transfer of information onto optical media is carried out using the best software available, such as, ABBYY Fine Reader 7.0, Kodak Digital Image, Archive Writer Interface software, and Omniscan Vl I.4.

Five other participants in the project made case studies of the process of digitization in several archives.

Noel D'Anastas visited several Bu`gori.on reposi.tori.es holding over 12,500 manuscripts of Slavonic, Greek, Latin, Islamic, and others. It is the third largest

collection in the world of epigraphic inscriptions from Late Antiquity. Problems

in small countries like Bulgaria abound. These are related to the absence of

a national strategy and guidelines, leading to lack of co­ordination between

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES NEWSLETTER illEE' ­

separate local initiatives; the lack of funding for digitization programmes; the imperfections of the Bulgarian legislative regulations; and the ambiguity of

legal copyright issues, the cause of many difficulties for decision makers and

of ambiguity in the level of presentation of documentation.

Frederick Caiwhi­Ingk" concentrated his study on two leading government archive agencies in Sofia, Bulgaria. The Noti.ono` Archtves of Bu`gorio is still in

its initial stages of digitization. Important documents requiring digitization are

s_em to the tryrtrrmt Of D®tjzotion of Scientifilc Knowledge at the Bulgc]rian Academy Of Sciences. where a DIGI CULT Trc]nsfier of Knowledge Project .is .in

operation utlking a Zeutschel Omniscan 5000TT digital scanner equipment that incorporates a 256 colour, black and white, and grey scale standard scanner. The sex=ond &8€ncy .is the Department of Bulgc]ric]n Documents Held

in Forei.gn Anchjves. It rTrfuntajns a close contact through the World Wide Web

wth ngier ardhae depesfahes around the world and tracks down documents related to Bulgaria. Wth the consent of the depository, such documents are downloaded, microfilmed, catalogued, indexed and stored.

Max Farrugia followed several digitization projects being carried out at the OSA (the Cfty Society Arch/.yes at Budapest) Collection and at the Secret Services Aulchhes ­twro important repositories dating back to the Communist Regime Era ­as well as at the National Library. In the two archives, documents are preserved and conserved in their original state. Most of the documents at OSA are dorzed, while digitization at the Secret Service Archives is in its early stages. The aufror delineates the ongoing process.

Martin Hampton visited the OSA. During his visit he participated in three

projects. The first was the creation of a metadata for documents published by the fublie Heath frogram of the Open Soctety `rtstt.tLtte (Osl), the preparation of an abstract for each document, and the uploading of publications (in PDF format) to the Sores Network Archival Portal (SNAP), The second was the

FT¥H,­",

preparaton Of de final Osl grant program reports for batch upload into SNAP; the experie":e consisted in developing a spreadsheet with the appropriate fields and infomabon, the scanning of reports, and the creating of electronic versions for be dirful repository. The third was evaluation of essays written during the Balkan conflict by students from former Yugoslavia, the choice of material deemed historically significant, and a method for ensuring students' anonymity prior to papers. uploading onto the OSA website. The experience can serve as a model for similar digitization projects.

Charles I. Farrugia, the National Archivist of Malta, strongly believes that digitization is very effedhre in facilitating access to archives, and also in widening

the user base of hoidings. At the same time, it is not possible to overlook the pitfalls of digitization when it is not backed up by effective strategies

guaranteeing long­term preservation. As one would expect, the author proceeds to pro\nde details about the digitization projects undertaken so far at the Not/ono/ AJch^as of Mo/tcJ, including: Friends sponsored projects;

Vodafone Maha Foundation sponsored projects; agreements with the Genealogical Society Of utah: digitization of photographs under the National Memory Project; and digitization on demand.

The publication aims to stimulate further discussion and research on digitization

and the benefts and pthlls it has in the archives sector. The theme is an ever changing one, and solutions which might be relevant in a particular situation might not be as efective in other scenarios. We do invite interested readers to come up whh suggestion, recommendations, and views in order to ascertain that this document remains relevant in the years to come.

A digitlzation booklet was published ­ Copies can be obtained from Head Office.

+

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I,=, Leonardo da Vinci

niiE:­­` THE NATioNAL ARCH,vEs NEwsLETTEB

ARISTHOT Sciences .In the Med.Iterranean

Structuring the Mediterranean Basin by developing the scientific heritage common to both sides of the Mediterranean, using Information Society tools.

ARISTHOT ­lNTERNUM : Sciences in the Mediterranean partnership consists of 14 institutions, out of which 10 are from

the European Union and 4 from the Meda Countries, The partners in this project are:

The objective of Sciences in the Mediterranean is to develop cultural solidarities in the area of the Mediterranean Basin by

• Centre de Conservation du Livre ­CCL, Arles ­ Paca (FR)

easing the access for all to a common heritage. Sciences

• Biblioteca Berio ­ Marie de Genes ­ Ligurie (lT)

in the Mediterranean have always been the reason of exchanges

• Research Academic Computer Technology Institute (CTI) ­

in the Mediterranean area, it seems then necessary to disseminate

the experience of these exchanges by developing a textual

Telematic Center "Westgate" ­Patras (GR) • Mairie du Murcia ­Murcie (ES)

and iconographical corpus on Sciences in the

• Universita degli Studi di Cagliari ­ Sardaigne (lT)

Mediterranean, available thanks to the Information Society.

• Geocultural Parks of Eastern Aegean ­Athenes (GR)

The goal of this digitisation of documentary heritage is a better

• lnstituto Andaluz de Tecnologia ­Andalousie (ES)

dissemination of the common memory of both sides of the Mediterranean.

• Consorzio Nazionale lnteruniversitario per le

The Project Sciences in the Mediterranean aims at developing,

Telecommunicazioni ­Toscane (IT) • Natlonal Archives of Malta ­(MT)

manuscripts, archives, graphic documents, photographs, video

• Promocion Economica de Moncada ­ Pemsa ­Valencia (ES) • Gehimab ­ AIgerie • Bibliothca Alexandrine ­ Egypte

and audio records) common to both sides of the

• TULOV ­Turquie

Mediterranean basin.

• Dokuz Eylol University ­Turquie

using the ls tools, the scientific heritage (books,

Themes of the project : ­ Sciences of Nature and Mathematics: Astronomy and Botany. ­ Applied Sciences: Medicine, Pharmacy, Veterinarian. ­ Traditional sciences: Alchemy, Divinatory Sciences, Esotericism.

­ Auxiliary science of history: Archaeology, Palaeography,

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• `.t­, I.­ t`,.

Codicology, Sigillography and Numismatics.

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Documents from the Wgnacourt Museum Archlve in Rabat will also be Included

NAG ­Gurdan Lighthouse ­Alr Ministry ­one of the weather log­books held

in this project. One of the selected items for digitization is The Hydrogrc]Phy or

at the National Archives Gozo which will be digitised as part of this project.

Sicily, Malta, and the odlfc]cent Islands, surveyed in I 814, I 815 and I 816. By Capt.

Vvilllam Henry Smyth. London, I 823 (Courtesy: Wignacourt Museum, Rabat)

THE NATloNAL ARCHIVES NEWSLETTER RIEE' "

I have greatly admlred Sir Themlstocles Zammit whom Paul

of him to it. There has been no

Cassar said was probably `the most distinguished Maltese'. After

biography and the few records

visiting the Laboratory Museum at the Ministry of Health in

and works of this most eminent

Merchants Street in valetta, I began to collect copies of his work

Maltese are scattered. Some

as a scientist and a medical doctor. Unfortunately, archives of his life are few and widely dispersed. His archaeological works are

years ago the National Archaeology Museum had an

well represented in the National Archaeology Museum and the National ubrary. The letter, however, has only 15 of his scientific

exhibition with a number of

papers athough others may be found in the bound volume of

of him as a young man ~ the

the Mediterranean Fever Commission (MFC) 1904­1906, His

usual portrait is of an old man.

original rotebcoks are on display in the laboratory, but they are of little value as he was a very poor record keeper (he even

should collect details of where

loaned portraits, including some

I think that the National Archives Temi Zammit

gave the wrong year for one experiment). The National Archaeology Museum has some relevant items among many

archival material may be found.

others. Zammit was the only Maltese on the MFC and items by other members afie relevant: Captain Kennedy's MD thesis (for which he was awarded a Gold Medal) with his slides etc have been given to the Ministry of Health.

Some of Zammit's work is recorded in the Annual Reports of the Publie Health Department. He was an active member of the Maha Branch of the British Medical Association whose minutes have recently been loaned and not recovered ­ some items

Wyatt HV Royal Navy surgeons and the transmission of Brucellosls by goats'

References

(Photo from the NAM Collection)

mllk. I Royal Navy Medical Service 1999; 85: 112­117.

Wyatt HV Dr. G. Caruana Scicluna. j Med Biography 2000; 8: 191 ­193.

Wyatt HV Sir Themistocles Zammlt; his honours and an annotated blbliography of his medical work. rvlaltese rvledical journal 2000; 12: 27­30.

Wyatt HV How Themistocles Zammlt found Malta Fever (Brucellosls) to be transmitted by the mllk of goats. I Roy Soc Med 2005; 98: 451 ­454.

Wyatt HV Sir Themistocles Zammit: his medical and scientific career. Submitted.

were pun­ished .in the British Medicc]l journc]l .

His horse was bombed in \^/\^/ 11 so many items may have been lost. There are aspects of his work which were outside my interests and time. I have not searched for the records of the Education Department for whom he travelled to Britain, the Universfy where he was lecturer, professor and rector on the Leprosy Board and the Governor's Council of which he was a member. He was an honorary member of the Royal Navy rvlediterranean Fleet Club, but I have found no trace of it.

During \M^/ I he travelled to Italy and then Britain with a hospital

ship amrty there is no mention of him although he must have been very imohed in the medical work in those years. All British service units kept a daily diary during the war, so that a search at The Nainal Archhres, Kew near London might be interesting.

Letters by the members of the MFC to and from Colonel David Bruce FRS, RAMC are housed in the Wellcome Library in London

and the minutes Of the MFC belong to the Royal Society. Both contain valuabe infomaton about Zammit. Documents relating to Bruce were part Of the RAMC College collection, now in the Wellcome Library. His other papers are in Scotland.

Zammit founded .La fle`dro Medico' with Dr. Fabrizio Borg and

wrote many of the abstracts. However, apart from the copies in the Nainal Ltryr I have found nothing else about the journal or Dr. Borg. Zammit visited the Pasteur Institute in Paris and Kings College in London but neither recorded his visit.

Dr. Cassar wrote two interesting booklets about Zammit and the goats' milk controversies, published by the Government and now out of print ­nether has an ISSBN number and one was recently for sale on e­bay. Some of his archaeology books and his stories have been recently republished.

The Melitensis Collection of the university, which houses a

number of items given by the family, should receive all new items

relating to Zammit. I am donating my own reprints and records

7

STANLEY FRASER'S DONATION Mr Stanley Fraser served in the Royal Artillery from 1939­1945 and during the siege of Malta from

194 I ­1943. He served at Hagar Qim as an anti­aircraft gunner, taking humerous photographs and

cine film of those momentous events.

Some years back Veronica Galea took the initiative to digitise Fraser's collections after she acquired

funding by the Farsons Foundation. The whole idea was resonant with Fraser's plan to deposit his collection with the National Archives.

A formal agreement regarding the donation was signed in front of a lawyer between Ms Galea on behalf of rvlr Fraser and the National Archives on 23 November 2006. The digitized collection is

expected to reach the National Archives by the end of this year.

NATIONAL ARCH IVES COU NCI L The National Archives Council has the role

of an advisory body to Government on all archives matters, lt is set up by virtue of the National Archives Act ov 2005). Lately there was a change in the headship of this Council following Mr joe W. Izzo's resignation from

the post of President. The incumbent is

Magistrate Dr joseph Cassar, an ex­ Parliamentary Secretary and a keen researcher. Magistrate Cassar is seen in the

photo accompanied by the National Archivist during his flrst official visit to the Head Offlce

of the National Archives on 6 june 2007.

COUNCIL LOGO LAUNCHED During a meeting held on the 14 june 2007 the National Archives Council approved its logo. The design is by Mr Godwin Borg.

COUNCIL

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