State of the Archives Report 2018 by National Archives Malta

STATE OF THE ARCHIVES REPORT 2018

REPORT ON THE STATE OF MALTESE ARCHIVES

2018 The Report on the State of the Maltese Archives is a requirement under article 15(2) of the National Archives Act, 2005 (Cap. 477 of the Laws of Malta), which states that the National Archives Council â&#x20AC;&#x153;shall biannually convene a National forum about the archives, to discuss the state of the archives generally after receiving a relative report to be drawn up by the Council.â&#x20AC;?

Compiled by the National Archives on behalf of the National Archives Council October 2018

© 2018 THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES COUNCIL Published by The National Archives Council October 2018 c/o National Archives, Hospital Street Rabat RBT1043, Malta www.nationalarchives.gov.mt Design: Salesian Press Printing: Government Printing Press

CONTENTS Message from Hon. Evarist Bartolo, Minister for Education and Employment

Message from Prof. William Zammit, President National Archives Council

Message from Dr Charles J. Farrugia, National Archivist and CEO National Archives

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVE COUNCIL 2016 - 2018

NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF MALTA

INVITED ARCHIVES · Archives of the Archbishop of Malta · Cathedral Archive · Ganado Associates Archive · Malta Study Centre, HMML · National Library · Notarial Archives · Public Broadcasting Services Ltd Archive

24 24 27 31 34 37 40 43

RESEARCH · Documenting Official Maltese Identity: A Case Study of Malta’s Passport Applications by Isabella Attard · Gozitan Public Events through News Photography, 1945-2015 by George J. Cassar · Astra Theatre Archive: the structuring of a theatre archive by Rita Cassar · Implementing Records Management Systems (RMS) in Maltese Public Administration by Ray Cremona · The Miscellanea Section of the Archives of the Order of Malta by Franco Masini

ARCHIVES FORUM, 2016

45 47 49 51 53

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We recognize - the unique quality of archives as authentic evidence of administrative, cultural and intellectual activities and as a reflection of the evolution of societies; - the vital necessity of archives for supporting business efficiency, accountability and transparency, for protecting citizens rights, for establishing individual and collective memory, for understanding the past, and for documenting the present to guide future actions.â&#x20AC;? Extract from the Universal Declaration on Archives, adopted by the 36th Session of the General Conference of UNESCO on 10th November 2011.

Main entrance of the National Archives of Malta, Rabat.

Plans for a new National Archives’ building have been on the drawing board and in a preparatory stage for quite some time. We are well aware that, notwithstanding the progress achieved during the last few years, the time is ripe to put all our heads together to overcome the problems regarding the new National Archives’ building. There are obviously other issues that need to be resolved, including an added workforce with expertly trained personnel. Together we should address the provision of greater resources and repositories. We need to review and upgrade policies that will strengthen the work of employees and to have better facilities to deal with the ever-growing number of patrons. I understand that the National Archives is proposing a national policy on archives. This is to be supplemented with specific guidelines towards the specific needs of different archives. The policy should also introduce a service charter with the minimum service standards for all those entities offering archival services. We support this plan and we will assist in every conceivable way to have this policy launched. I am convinced that this National Archives Forum at the Maritime Museum in Vittoriosa will stimulate the necessary discussion to improve on the State of the Archives Report of 2016 – 2018. We look forward to the sectoral reports within this publication, such as those focusing on the Notarial and National Library Archives and to suggestions on improving the archival profession for the future. I thank all the members of the Council and all those involved in the research of records, as well as those responsible for the management, preservation and access to archives. We are at an exciting time in our archival development whereby we need to make a big stride forward towards the provision of more professional services throughout the life cycle of records. I take the opportunity to thank all those who were involved in the research, writing and design of this publication. Finally I wish all participants an enlightening and successful Forum.

“We are at an exciting time in our archival development whereby we need to make a big stride forward towards the

provision

professional

services

throughout the life cycle of records.”

Evarist Bartolo Minister for Education and Employment 5

It is with a sense of satisfaction blended with disappointment that I view the years of the Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activity being covered by the present report. The Council met regularly and, in the vast majority of cases, members were not only present but proved active contributors in all the ensuing discussions. A word of appreciation is thus very appropriate to all members who managed to find time in their busy schedules to attend and to contribute fruitfully towards the betterment of the Maltese archival scene. A number of issues were tackled, including the presence of public archival material in private hands and digitisation projects. The Maltese scene remains characterised by a dichotomy of exceedingly rich archival fonds which cry out for better preservation and access. Our fonds cover practically all facets of the Islandsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; past and beyond. Their research potential is moreover increasingly being recognised as being of a Mediterranean and European significance. Researchers and students from all continents are more than ever becoming attracted to our often hardlytapped archival collections, both in public and private custody, resulting in quite impressive publications. Our rich archival patrimony still however labours under some quite heavy burdens. We have, thanks to foreign interest and financial investment, digitised our major and not so major fonds. Yet digitisation should lead to the next natural step: restoration and conservation of centuries-old volumes that are struggling to remain in one piece given use, far from ideal housing and simply the effects of age. Unless a comprehensive and well-structured programme of conservation is set and implemented much of what has survived for centuries will succumb in our lifetime. The issue of retaining born digital archival material is of equal concern: To what extent is born digital public (but not just) archival material being assessed in view of its preservation? We may well be reaching the ludicrous situation where more documents are available from the pre-digital era than for the last three decades or so. Training archivists and records managers of course helps. Yet, here again the road is long, winding and often pot-holed. While the National Archives Act stipulates that every department should have a records officer, we are still light years away from putting this into practice, even if some improvement has been registered in this area. While University does its utmost to accommodate Government employees who are sent to follow the Diploma in Archives and 6

Records Management, the state bureaucratic machinery still seems to limit the number of such applicants. How can one have an efficient state records management and archival system unless one has trained record managers on the spot? The crux of our present challenge remains, however, having a purposely-build National Archives. The present Council has spent whole sessions discussing this issue. Promises of land being allocated for the purpose keep turning sour. Hours spent going through proposed plans prove an exercise in time wasting, as the Council repeatedly gets informed that the land for the project has been changed, altered or not yet approved. The present administration is to be lauded for its efforts at ensuring that the electoral promises made are delivered. The construction of a new National Archives was one such promise. The whole national archival infrastructure turns around this linchpin: conservation requires the right environment, not a medieval crammed and damp hospital; cataloguing requires sufficient areas and staff where this can be done; public awareness demands large exhibition areas where our national treasures can be displayed. On behalf of all those who hold Maltese cultural heritage at heart the National Archives Council is asking for yet another electoral promise to be kept: the final, irrevocable commitment to the construction of an adequate National Archives building. Prof. William Zammit President of the National Archives Council

In October 2008 the first National Forum on Archives was convened at the National Archives Head Office in Rabat. At that time, the audience mainly consisted of historians or lovers of history. The discussion that ensued mainly focused on historical research more than on archival issues. We have come a long way from that event and we have seen a progression whereby the Forum has become the main platform for all those involved in the creation, management, preservation and access to archives. A number of important milestones were reached. I cannot but thank all those ranging from decision-makers, archivists in charge, staff and volunteers for the dedication they are showing in managing the sector. Any progress registered is due to generous individuals who do not ask what is in archives for them but how can they enable others to use archives. I will highlight some important milestones during the period under review. In past Fora a number of participants urged the authorities to focus also on the wealth of private archives in private homes, in band clubs and records of confraternities locked in oratories in a number of churches. These appeals were taken up and important developments were registered during the last two years. Amongst a number of private deposits the National Archives was successful in acquiring the private papers of Dom Mintoff, the private records of Sir Anthony Mamo and a unique photo of Giorgio Mitrovich. Two landmark agreements of collaboration were also reached targeting confraternities and audio-visual holdings. All these were firsts for Malta. Records Management in Government entities and departments has also improved considerably with records officers posted in most ministries. The new structure of the Records Management Forum that convenes every two months has been set up. It is providing the necessary support and training and acting as a problem-solving mechanism. This success could have been even larger if the right structure and support exists to increase the number of public officers who can enrol for archives and records management courses at the University. Big strides forward were registered on the national memory front. The project now rebranded as Memorja employs professional people. The project has already worked on recording the voices of several protagonists focusing on five selected themes. The methodology used and approaches taken is attracting attention in international conferences

and it has already been showcased in a number of academic conferences. Notwithstanding the above, we are aware that the sector has numerous shortcomings, especially when it comes to resources, repositories and personnel. The plans for a new National Archivesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; building were quite advanced two years ago. Unfortunately, the process suffered a number of set-backs during the last few months. I do consider this project as the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;must haveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; next step for the whole records management and archives sector to make a huge leap forward. We are eager to give our expertise and energy on this project and expect the authorities to solve the current hiccups. There is still a vacuum when it comes to policies. These are much more needed now that the sector has strengthened itself and grown considerably both in terms of employees and patrons. The National Archives is proposing to the archives community to utilise the coming two years to lead a concerted effort towards having a national policy on archives. This is to be supplemented with specific guidelines tailormade towards the specific needs of different archives. The National Archives also intends to come up with minimum service standards for all those entities offering archival services. I augur that this report is followed by a stimulating discussion during the Forum. Dr. Charles J. Farrugia National Archivist

Giorgio Mitrovich (1795-1885) On 29 March 2018 Garth Metrovich (a descendant of Girogio Mitrovich) and his family donated the orginal photograph of Giorgio Mitrovich to the National Archives of Malta. Giorgio Mitrovich was born in Senglea on August 27, 1795. During his childhood, he experienced the riots against the French occupation, the blockade of the Grand Harbour by the British Navy and the capitulation by Vaubois in 1800. He also witnessed the start of British rule. The British administration of the period was averse to the Maltese interest in self-government. Mitrovich and others formed the Comitato Generale Maltese and drew up the 1832 Memorial, demanding administrative reforms. He went to London to plead the Maltese cause and to forge personal contacts with the members of the House of Commons who knew very little about Malta. While in London, Mitrovich published The claims of the Maltese founded upon the principles of Justice. In this pamphlet, he gave details about the right of Maltese to have some form of local government. He died in 1885 in Valletta after a lifetime dedicated to constitutional and political reforms.

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES COUNCIL 2016 - 2018 1.1 The National Archives Council Article 14 of the National Archives Act (2005) stipulates that: 1. There shall be a National Archives Council, appointed by the Minister, which shall be composed as follows: a) A Chairperson; b) The Superintendent of Cultural heritage ex officio or his representative; c) The Chairperson of Heritage Malta ex officio or his representative; d) The National Librarian ex officio or his representative; e) The Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister ex officio or his representative; f) A person to represent the nongovernmental archives or records centres; g) Three other persons chosen from amongst persons known to be used of and familiar with archives, records management and information professions, or working in nongovernmental organisations dedicated to information and archives, one of whom shall be appointed by the Minister responsible for Gozo. 2. The National Archivist and the Assistant National Archivist for Gozo shall attend all the meetings of the Council but shall not vote at such meetings: Provided that the Council may, if it deems so fit, require the National Archivist and the Assistant National Archivist for Gozo not to attend any of the meetings or any part of a meeting. 3. The members of the Council shall be appointed for a term of three years, but the members so appointed shall be eligible for reappointment on the expiration of their term of office. 4. The meetings of the Council shall be called by the Chairperson as often as may be necessary but at least once every two months either on his own initiative or at the request of any two of the other members. 5. Half of the number of the members for the time being constituting the Council shall form a quorum. Decisions shall be adopted by a simple majority of the votes

of the members present and voting. The Chairperson shall have an initial vote and in the event of an equality of votes, a casting vote. 6. Any member who has a direct or indirect interest in any contract of other action made or proposed to be made by the Council in connection with the National Archives, shall disclose the nature of his interest at the first meeting of the Council after the relevant facts have come to his knowledge. Such disclosure shall be recorded in the minutes of the meeting, and such member shall withdraw from any meeting while such matter is discussed or decided upon by the Council. 7. Subject to the provisions of this Act and to such procedures as may be prescribed, the Council shall regulate its own proceedings.

1.2 Functions Article 15 of the same Legislation defines the functions of the Council: 1. Without prejudice to the provisions of this Act, the Council shall a) Promote the National Archives and other record keeping entities; b) Ensure and facilitate the collaboration between the different stakeholders with direct or indirect responsibility for the protection and management of the archives sector; c) Advise the Minister on the management of archives in Malta; d) Draw the attention of the Minister or of any organisation or person responsible for archives to any urgent action that may be considered necessary for the better management of archives and records; e) Advise the Minister on any matter arising from the provisions of this Act and on any other matter referred to it by the Minister. 2. The Council shall also biannually convene a National Forum to discuss the state of the archives, generally after receiving a relative report to be drawn up by the Council. There shall be invited to attend to 9

National Archives Council

Prof William Zammit President

Mons John Azzopardi Member

Ms Maroma Camilleri Member

Ms Joyce Dimech Member

Mr Max Farrugia Member

Dr Anton Refalo Member

Dr Lillian Sciberras Member

such Forum, among others, Departments and other Government entities, Mayors of Local Councils, owners of private archives and their archivists, non-governmental organisations having an interest in the maintenance and safeguarding of archives and public records, the University of Malta, other educational institutions, specialists, consultants, representatives of the commercial sector, persons who make use of the archives, and any such other party showing to the Council in writing that it has an interest therein. The Forum procedures shall be published and sent to the Minister. 3. The Council shall give public notice one month in advance of the meeting of the Forum which shall be chaired by the President, who is to be appointed by the Council.

1.3 Council Members In 2016, Minister Hon. Evarist Bartolo, Minister of Education and Employment, appointed the following members to sit on the National Archives Council for a period of three years, with effect from 1 August 2016. Even though the General Election was held in June 2017, the members remained the same, except for some substitutions. Thus, the following shall keep their post till 2020. President Prof. William Zammit Members • Anton F. Attard (passed away on 18 July 2018) • Rev. Mgr Ìwann Azzopardi • Dr Joseph Buttigieg, Chairperson of Heritage Malta (substituted by Dr Anton Refalo in 2018) • Joyce Dimech, Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister • Cheryl Falzon, the National Librarian (substituted by Maroma Camilleri, Assistant Librarian at the National Library in 2018) • Max Farrugia • Dr Anthony Pace, Superintendent of Cultural Heritage (substituted by Joe Magro Conti in 2018) • Dr Lillian Sciberras The CEO and National Archivist, Dr Charles J. Farrugia and the Assistant National Archivist Rev. Dr Joseph Bezzina at the Gozo Archives are requested to attend Council meetings on a regular basis.

1.4 Summary of Activities During the period covering this Report, the National Archives Council met on thirteen occasions: five times in 2016, twice in 2017 and three times in 2018. During these meetings, the Council discussed various matters of importance proposed by the CEO and National Archivist, or raised by the members of the Council. Several proposals by administrators of other archives or stakeholders were also considered. The following is an account of the Council meetings and the main issues that were discussed:

2016 12 January 2016 - The first meeting of the year of this Council took place at the National Archives in Rabat. - The new building of the National Archives to provide adequate space and facilities for the preservation and access to the holdings at the proposed Educational Village (the exMaria Assunta School in Óamrun) was the first topic on the agenda. - The upgrading of the conditions for the appointment of records officers in public offices was discussed and a meeting with the Office of the Prime Minister was proposed. - Structural works at the Ospizio in Floriana were in hand as a short term solution to the lack of storage space at the National Archives. Dr Charles J. Farrugia, CEO and National Archivist explained that a shelving tender was issued and that a sorting area was to be made available in the large hall for all documents deposited herein but which are not open to the public. - Rev. Dr Joseph Bezzina explained that consultations were being held with the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Education and Employment to be given a room for adequate storage at the G˙arb Government School to hold 298 metres of the Gozo Court documents. - Dr Bezzina continued explaining about the digitisation and conservation of 110 documents belonging to the Universitas of Gozo dating back to 1560. No applications were submitted for the conservation and restoration of these documents but 6 companies tendered their response for digitisation. In all 198,000 photos were taken regarding this collection. - Negotiations regarding the Collective 11

Agreement for the National Archives, which was to expire at the end of the year, were expected to start. Prof. William Zammit spoke about the University Course of Master in Melitensia and Documentary Heritage and said that seven students had applied.

8 March 2016 - The second meeting was held at the Ospizio in Floriana. All members were shown around the place to see the extensive infrastructural works that were being carried out; - Further discussions were held about the building of a new premises to house the National Archives. - Dr Farrugia explained that the National Archives were still waiting for the Office of the Attorney General’s reaction regarding a draft Legal Notice about public records held in private collections. - Discussions were being held to promote the course regarding Records Officers to a University degree level. - It was suggested that the National Forum on Archives could be held in October and various venues were mentioned. All Local Councils were invited for this Forum; however there was no response. Besides, band clubs and parishes were to be invited too. - A letter was prepared and signed by the President of the Archives’ Council to be forwarded to Hon. Evarist Bartolo, Minister for Education and Employment after the largest hall at the Ospizio which was given to the National Archives had been taken back to be allocated to third parties. 17 May 2016 - The third meeting of the Archives’ Council was held at the Gozo branch of the National Archives in Victoria. All members were shown around to see all the collections housed here. - The recent developments about the building of a new premises to house the National Archives were reported upon. Dr Farrugia explained that the masterplan was ready and he hoped that by the next Council meeting plans will be ready for consultation. The CEO continued to explain that the new building will consist of nine storage areas that will hold about 50 kilometres of documents. A climate-controlled stand-alone block, to prevent any damage and while allowing for expansion was being envisaged. - Dr Bezzina explained that the Gozo branch of the National Archives was getting smaller 12

and that new space was needed. Dr Farrugia explained that the National Archives were still awaiting the Legal Notice from the Attorney General regarding public records that are in private collections.

19 July 2016 - The fourth meeting was held at the National Archives in Rabat. - The main subject on the agenda was the new building. - It was decided that the National Forum on Archives was to be held on Wednesday, 5 October at Fort St Angelo in Vittoriosa. - The National Archivist informed all Council members that seven students submitted their application for the call of Records Officers. - Prof. William Zammit spoke about his fruitful visit to the Malta Study Center in Minnesota USA. - The Banca Giuratale in Mdina was to host an exhibition on the 100th anniversary of the birth of Mr Dom Mintoff. This exhibition, organised by the National Archives in collaboration with the Mintoff family, consisted of 33 caricatures of the former Prime Minister by foreign amd local artists, many of which were restored at the Conservation Lab at the National Archives. A catalogue of the exhibition was issued with the help of Profs. Joe Pirotta and Domnic Vella. 20 December 2016 - The fifth and last meeting for this year was again held at the Head Office of the National Archives in Rabat. - The main subject on the agenda was the Forum that was held in October. The main issue discussed was archives in the the digital era. - The Council decided that the action plan for the years 2016-2019 has to be the following: · the building of a new premises to house the National Archives; · the policy of private archives; · information technology and digital archives. - As regards to University students, the President explained that six students were reading a degree while another nine students, six of them sponsored by the Government, were reading a Diploma in Archives and Records Management. Two more students graduated after reading for a Masters in Melitensia and Documentary Heritage. - Dr Charles Farrugia explained that seven students graduated as Records Officers and

- -

these were posted in various Ministries. The aim is to have at least one Records Officer in each Ministry. As regards to the new building, the CEO explained that there were no developments since the last meeting of the Council. A draft policy has to be drawn up giving adequate attention to private archives, some of which have national significance and need to be protected. These are to be given better incentives to preserve and give access to their archives. The CEO and National Archivist ended this meeting by stating that during 2017, five more employees were to start work at the National Archives – three part-times and two full-timers.

2017

the stakeholders being the Broadcasting Authority, the Department of Information, the Malta Libraries, MCAST, Public Broadcasting Services, the National Archives and the University of Malta. A Memo of Understanding was signed regarding cataloguing, metadata, the storage of information and the legal aspect of all pertaining to Audiovisuals. 10 October 2017 - -

1 August 2017 - -

The first meeting of the Council after the General Election of June for this year was also held at the National Archives Head Office in Rabat. The President explained that to date new appointments had not been issued and so that Council could continue meeting until further notice. A decision was taken as regards to digital records and information technology, which was discussed during the National Forum on Archives. When this theme is to be discussed during the Council meetings, it would be wise to invite personnel from MITA to guide the Council about this matter. Dr Charles J Farrugia explained that the discussions with Foundation for Tomorrow Schools about the setting up of the new building were yielding no progress. However since the new building was an electoral promise, meetings with the Permanent Secretary were in the pipeline to implement the project. Mr James Baldacchino, an employee at the National Archives and the administrator of the MEMORJA project presented a presentation, identifying the three themes that were being tackled by the team: the Second World War, Immigration and the Public Service. The meeting ended with Dr Farrugia explaining that the M3P Foundation had taken the initiative to tackle the Audiovisual aspect and the National Audiovisual Archives Steering Committee was set up,

The second meeting of this Council was also convened at the National Archives Head Office in Rabat. Further talks were held about the new building to house the national Archives. The Óamrun area was being discarded since it was no longer viable. Three other sites were identified and a masterplan on these is to be compiled. Mr Simon Cusens was invited to give his views about private archives and public records that may form part of private archives. The digitisation of records pertaining to band clubs is to commence with funds donated by the Government. There exists a collaboration between the G˙aqda KaΩini tal-Baned, the Arts Council and the National Archives about this project. The Archives Awareness Week for this year was planned between the 23 and 27 October. The donation of the private papers of the first President of Malta, Sir Anthony Mamo, a public lecture by Dr David Sutton and a Conference for all archivists that form part of the Commonwealth were to be the main items of the week’s programme.

2018 13 February 2018 - -

The first meeting of the Council for 2018 was an informal one held at the National Archives in Rabat. Discussion continued on the archives pertaining to Band Clubs. Dr Farrugia explained that now a call for applications is to be issued for band clubs to come forward and apply to have their archives digitised. As regards to the building of the new archives, Dr Farrugia gave a powerpoint presentation, citing all the areas involved – Swatar at Dingli, Maria Assunta School Hamrun and a piece of land near the Qormi cemetery. 13

These were all rejected for various reasons. The authorities are focusing n a piece of land at Ta’ Qali near the Crafts’ Village. Cabinet approval was still required for the plan to start. Private collections was once more on the agenda when Dr Farrugia gave a presentation on all the documents that were returned or claimed back by the National Archives from individuals and auctioneers. A proposal for a meeting to take place with all auctioneers was discussed. Besides, the law has to be amended to give a clear definition of what is a public records and if problems arise, one must always contct the National Archivist.

10 April 2018 - -

The second meeting of the Council was also held at the National Archives in Rabat; Matters arising from the previous meeting were basically about private archives and the new building. Dr Farrugia announced that the new site at Ta’ Qali is about 12,000 square metres and a risk assessment of this land was to be done. Prof. Zammit asked for suggestions about the National Forum on Archives. Among others, religious archives, the University Archive, the Gozo Curia and the Ganado & Associates archives were all mentioned to have their say in the forum. The experience of one of the recently appointed Records Officers would be even included.

12 June 2018 - -

The third meeting of the Council was also held at the National Archives in Rabat. An update was given about the digitisation of archival material pertaining to band clubs.

Dr Farrugia explained that turnout was quite low – about ten band clubs applied. A letter of thanks was to be sent to Ms Dorianne Coleiro and the St Michael Band Club of Ûabbar for publishing guidelines on how to archive musical scores and documents following consultation with the National Archives. The meeting proposed in the last meeting with all auctioneers is not to take place before the law was amended. Besides, this topic was to be discussed in more detail. The new premises for the National Archives has encountered some difficulties because now a new site has been offered – Fort Madliena. This proposal has been rejected by the National Archives as it was not an adequate place, besides needing huge restoration. A meeting with the Office of the Prime Minister on this matter was agreed upon. The Ministry of Finance informed the National Archivist that the Ospizio storage space had to be returned to be given to third parties. A new premises was offered and after an inspection by personnel from the National Archives, it was found that this was not adequate. The Education Minister was informed. Dr Farrugia gave a detailed account about documents pertaining to the Addolorata Cemetery. Manuscripts with lists of all burials, compiled by the Capuchin Friars who took care of the cemetery, should be forwarded to the National Archives before being privatised. These manuscripts were infested and were to be treated before their transfer to the National Archives. The meeting came to an end with Prof. Zammit giving a description of his visit to the Belarus Archives and National Library.

NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF MALTA Every February, the National Archives of Malta publishes its Annual Report, outlining in detail its operations during the previous year. These reports are presented to Parliament by the Minister responsible for the sector, and thus are available at the Parliamentary Library and Archives and online. In this section, the National Archives highlight some of its main activities to fulfil its mission for the preservation of the collective memory of the Maltese nation through the protection and accessibility of public archives, during the period under review. June 2016 · 6-7 June. The National Archivist and CEO participated in the European Archives Group (EAG) and the European Board of National Archivists (EBNA) held in Amsterdam, chairing two discussions on Research and Development and Communications within the archival sector. E-Archiving, benchmark development, data protection and the reorganisation of EAG were the identified priorities. · 15-16 June. Our Head of Conservation participated in the Eighth Meeting of the European Heads of Conservation (EHC) held in The Hague, focussing on ‘The Changing Role of Conservation related to Digitisation’. Participants came from fourteen countries

and prepared presentations on the impact that digitisation has on the work of conservators at their various institutions. · 29-30 June 2016. Rev. Dr Joseph Bezzina, Assistant National Archivist, took part in the conference Ready to reach out: connecting cultural heritage collections and serving wider audiences at the Europe Building, Amsterdam. During the conference, 50 international speakers shed light on topics relating to (1) engaging audiences: taking visibility and re-use as the starting point; (2) digesting digital impact: how digitisation is changing our institutions (3) the network approach: reinforcement of the digital heritage infrastructure. August 2016 · 5-17 August. In collaboration with the Mintoff family, we organised an exhibition of cartoons from Dom Mintoff’s private collection to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the former Prime Minister’s birth. The exhibition, inaugurated by the President of Malta, featured 32 cartoons collected and framed by Mr Mintoff himself. Twenty-nine of the cartoons, by 17 different cartoonists, were published in the British press, while the remaining three came from The Sunday Times of Malta and the Times of Malta. The earliest dates back to 1956. The cartoons

charted Mr Mintoff’s political evolution, from his efforts towards integration with the UK, his fallout with the British government in the early 1970s and his final days in Parliament in 1998. · The Malta Study Center and the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library launched the vHMML Reading Room, providing access to digitised manuscripts and improved cataloguing. On this platform, one has the facility to access several records from our collections, including the Magna Curia Castellaniæ Acta Originalia, the records of the Epoca Gallica, miscellaneous records belonging to the various Tribunals pertaining to the French Period and the volumes of Sacra Audientia (1538-1788). September 2016 · 5-10 September. Dr Charles J. Farrugia, the National Archivist, attended, addressed and chaired a number of meetings during the International Council on Archives (ICA) Congress held in Seoul. Dr Farrugia was chosen to be a mentor within the New Professionals Programme. He was assigned to mentor Ms Annelie de Villiers who at the time was applying for a PhD scholarship at Monash University in Australia. Her specialisation theme is on archives of marginalised communities. October 2016 · 4 October. Mr Joe Church, Chief Electoral Commissioner deposited the Electoral Commission’s records generated between 1944 and 1964. These 1,192 files cover 20 years of momentous development of postwar Malta’s political and democratic history, including the introduction of universal suffrage and two referenda: on integration and independence. · 10 October. Dr William Zammit, President of the National Archives Council delivered the National Archives of Malta Annual Public Lecture entitled The Collection of MaltaRelated Visual Material in the Vatican Archives. The lecture focussed upon the various maps, building plans and other visual documents found in the Vatican archival collections concerning seventeenth and eighteenthcentury Malta painstakingly identified by Dr Zammit during various research visits to the different Vatican archival holdings. · 11 October. Simon P. Dimech from our Conservation team participated in a seminar held at the Vatican Library dealing with The Preservation and Conservation of Japanese Archival Documents in the Vatican Library. 16

Mr Dimech was one of the 46 participants chosen by the Selection Committee of the Marega Project to attend this workshop. The Friends of the National Archives of Malta sponsored his participation. · 12 October. The Gozo section of the National Archives inaugurated Historical Niches of Gozo, an exhibition showcasing the holdings at the Archives and highlighting several aspects of the Gozitan heritage. Fifty-four niches were exhibited – three from each village and hamlet while the main exhibit was the Nuestra Señora de la Soledad (dated 1559), formerly venerated at the entrance to the Çittadella, the oldest documented niche in Gozo. · 27 October. Rayden Mizzi donated a digital copy of his recordings (audio and visual) of bells in Malta and Gozo. In this project, started in 2006, Mr Mizzi included over 3,600 recordings featuring some 1,200 different bells in 375 different locations (mostly churches but include also other venues). The recordings feature the use of bells in several occasions within the life of the local communities, varying from the celebratory use during the annual festive celebrations to funerals and commemoration of the deceased. · 25-28 October. The National Archivist Dr Charles J. Farrugia addressed the Conference on Authority, Provenance, Authenticity and Evidence at the University of Zadar in Croatia. The event was co-organized by the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Department of Information Studies, VESTIGIA, the Manuscript Research Centre of Graz University, International Centre for Archival Research (ICARUS), Croatian State Archive and Scientific Centre of Excellence for Croatian Glagolitism. Dr Farrugia’s paper dealt with Indigenous Peoples on the National and International Agenda: Where Archives and Libraries Meet and was co-authored and co-presented with Ana Pervan from the International Labour Organization Library. November 2016 · In November 2016, the first Records Officers were assigned within a number of ministries. Although these Records Officers are employed directly by the respective ministries, their duties are coordinated by the National Archives. The Records Officers Forum has been established and sessions are held periodically. During these sessions, chaired by the National Archivist and assisted by the Records Management Unit, the Records Officers meet and share their

experiences and concerns. · 15-17 November. Leonard Callus participated in the management meeting of the Document Lifecycle Management (DLM) Forum Foundation, held at the Norwegian National Archives in Oslo. Created in 1994 on the basis of a European Commission working group, the DLM Forum Foundation was established to develop solutions in electronic records management and serves as a European community of public archives and other parties interested in archives, records and information management. The impact on archives of the General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation 2016/679 [EU]), coming into force on 25 May 2018, was discussed. · 28 – 29 November. The directors of EU National Archives convened in Slovakia, the country holding the Presidency of the EU for their meeting and the Experts’ Group meeting. In view of the upcoming Maltese Presidency of the European Council, the Maltese delegation included the National Archivist, the Assistant National Archivist Dr Joseph Bezzina and the Corporate Services Manager Mr Joseph Scerri. · 29 November. Dr Joseph Bezzina took part in a combined meeting of the Assembly of Associates and the Governing Board of APEF – Archives Portal Europe Foundation at the Historical Building of the National Council of the Slovak Republic, Bratislava. The theme of the meeting was Stitching Archives Portal Europe Foundation. The former APEx folded in June 2015 and the Foundation has taken responsibility for the management of the portal. January 2017 · 16 January. A team, composed of two fulltimers and three part-time employees, was engaged to working on our oral and audiovisual archive. These employees were

Records Officers meeting at the National Archives.

trained in oral history and public memory recording and started carrying out fieldwork. During 2016, we started the restructuring of the National Memory Project into MEMORJA, an oral, sound and visual archive intent on being the Maltese Islands’ main depositor of national and public memory. A strategic plan for the establishment and running of this archive has been developed with the assistance of Prof John Chircop, the founder and the head of the Public Memory Archive within the University of Malta. Our main objective is to employ cutting edge research, methodologies, theoretical and archival approaches, as well as state of the art techniques/IT, to collect, record, transcribe, preserve, and make available for research, interpretation, and educational reasons, and divulgate to the general public – through museums, schools and community spaces – community / shared and individual memories, oral history / traditions knowledge and experiences. Initially, four themes were selected, namely the Second World War, British expatriates in Malta, public administration, and the Lampedusa-Malta connection. During 2017 60 oral history interviews and 6 written accounts were carried out. February 2017 · 27 February. Our participation on the governing board of EUROPEANA formed part of the national obligations while Malta held the Presidency of the Council of the European Union there was. The National Archives appointed its Finance and IT Manager Mr Etienne Ferrito to participate on this board. During the meeting held in The Hague governing issues such as the sustainability of EUROPEANA and the services and opportunities it is to present to stakeholders were discussed.

March 2017 · 27-29 March. Following the elections and the commitment of the new Executive Board of EURBICA to extend its influence and reach more to its members, an Executive Board led by its President Dr Deborah Jenkins was held in Skopje. This meeting was hosted at the National Archives of Macedonia by the director Mr Felip Petrovski. This was followed by a meeting attended by National Archivists coming from South Eastern Europe. The National Archives of Malta was represented by Dr Charles J. Farrugia who would be EURBICA’s President from January 2018. April 2017 · 12 April. A collaborative agreement was signed between the National Archives, the Broadcasting Authority, the Department of Information, Malta Libraries, MCAST, the University of Malta and PBS to ensure the preservation and accessibility of their audio-visual heritage. M3P Foundation will collaborate in this programme while the National Archives of Malta will co-ordinate a digitisation programme for long-term preservation of Malta’s audio-visual heritage. · 27-28 April. Within the framework of the Maltese Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the National Archives of Malta organised and hosted the 35th Conference of the European Board of National Archivists (EBNA) and the 22nd Meeting of the European Archives Group (EAG), fora where the directors of National Archives in the European Union share experiences and good practices. It also provides an opportunity for enhanced collaboration between the institutions responsible for the safeguarding of the memory of EU nations.

The preservation of electronic records, digitisation, emerging data protection legislation theft and the relationship between National Archives and the European Union were included in the agenda of the Malta meetings. · 24 April. The Registers of the Notarial Archives, Rabat-Gozo were relocated, from their storage at the Ministry for Gozo to the National Archives: 1,300 registers were transferred to the Gozo section of the National Archives. These were added to another 529 registers transferred in February 2016. 1,829 registers (copies of the Acts at the Notorial Archives) are deposited at the National Archives (Gozo section) and are administered jointly with the Notarial Archives. · 29-30 April. For the ninth consecutive year, the Banca Giuratale participated in the Medieval Mdina Festival, hosting an exhibition of artistic panels submitted by Prof. Marcello Piacentini in collaboration with Prof. Vittorio Ballio Morpurgo for the 1953 Competition for the reconstruction of the Royal Opera House in Valletta. The exhibition, commemorating the 75th anniversary of Royal Opera House bombing, included also records of the Office of Prime Minister and a selection of music scores that once formed part of the music archives of the Royal Opera House. May 2017 · 4-5 May. We hosted the 9th Meeting of European Heads of Conservation at the National Archives Head Office in Rabat, bringing together leading conservators from various European Union Member States to discuss various topics and developments related to conservation of archival holdings.

European National Archivists who participated in the Conference of the European Board of National Archivists, April 2017.

9th Meeting of European Heads of Conservation, May 2017.

21 delegates from 16 countries discussed a draft Manual for First Line of Conservation before Digitisation and the challenges associated with work on documents with iron gall ink. · 10-11 May. The National Archives of Malta organised the Document Life Cycle Management (DLM) Forum Foundation twoday members’ meeting that is held twice a year in order to exchange experiences and ideas on current trends of establishing comprehensive information governance over digital records. The Maltese dimension in terms of the life cycle of records and the digital challenge was presented during the first session of the DLM Forum by MITA, the Document Management Services of Maltapost plc, and Aqubix. · 23-24 May. We were heavily involved in the organisation of the annual Europeana presidency event that was held that dealt with Migration and Culture: how can our past educate our present? This high-level strategy meeting was primarily targeted at policymakers of EU Member States as a means to raise awareness about what EUROPEANA does in culture and education, and how it can help them in their own work. The main objective was to come up with concrete suggestions on how cultural heritage institutions and ministries of culture can actively help educate students, and more broadly European citizens, about migration. June 2017 · 15-16 June. Our involvement in the EU Presidency events came to an end while hosting the second day of the EU Archivists of Diplomatic Archives’ meeting (EUDiA) at its Head Office. Following a presentation on archives in Malta, the participants visited the Legal Documentation Section of the National Archives and the Cathedral Archives in Mdina.

September 2017 · 4 September. The National Archives of Malta introduced a new policy allowing researchers to use digital photography in the reading rooms at the Head Office Rabat, Banca Giuratale Mdina and the Gozo Repository. This measure is intended to assist patrons in their research and from the feedback received it was much appreciated. · 22-23 September 2017. European national archivists met in Tallin, Estonia for their EAG and EBNA meetings. This meeting followed the highly successful ones in Valletta in April. The Estonian Presidency led discussions focusing on the most topical issues in the European Archives domain including the Code of Conduct related to Data Protection and e-Archiving. The Maltese archives sector was represented by Dr Charles J. Farrugia. A highlight of the meeting for national archivists in Estonia was the tour to the new archives facility in Tartu. It is a facility that will accommodate 43 kms of records and provides the necessary facilities for public services and the back office infrastructure. October 2017 · 4-5 October. We participated in the EUROPEANA meeting Developing impact goals for cultural heritage, a policy event held under the auspices of the EUROPEANA DSI3 with the view of familiarising participants with the EUROPEANA Impact Framework and explore potential impact goals for digital cultural heritage. A set of actionable policy recommendations for further development under the European Year of Cultural Heritage for publication during the Austrian Presidency in 2018, were explored. · 12 October. We started delivering a series of weekly public talks on Maltese Archival Heritage at the University of the Third Age in Cottonera, focussing mainly on topics related to our oral and audiovisual archive project. · 20 October. The family of Louis Curmi donated his collection of old photos, 19

particularly photos related to public transport, to the National Archives. Louis Curmi (1932 – 2016) was born in Senglea; shortly following the outbreak of World War 2 his family moved to the relative safety of Si©©iewi, where he lived until his death. In 1947 he joined HM Dockyard as an apprentice and worked as an electrical fitter until 1968 when he transferred himself to Paola Technical Institute; eventually he became the institute’s Assistant Head.

A caricature from the Mamo Collection (NAM/Acc 2017/01).

· 24 October. The family of Sir Anthony Mamo (1909 – 2008), the first President of Malta, donated an extensive collection of records pertaining to this personality to the National Archives of Malta. Born in Birkirkara, Mamo was educated at the Seminary and the University of Malta where he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1931 and his law degree in 1934. He was in private practice for a year before joining the Civil Service serving as Crown Counsel from 1942 and later on he became Crown Advocate. He was appointed as Chief Justice of Malta in 1957 where he served until 1971 when he was appointed as the first Maltese Governor-General. This 6-metre collection includes letters, notes, photos, footage and articles and sheds a unique light on Malta’s political, legal and social history during the second half of the 20th century. · 25 October. Dr David Sutton, Director of Research Projects in Reading University Library, delivered the National Archives Annual Public Lecture entitled Collecting literary archives and other private papers in Commonwealth countries. He studied literature and librarianship at British and Irish universities and then food history at the Université de Paris-VIII in the 1970s. He is editor of the Location Register of English Literary Manuscripts and UK editor of the 20

WATCH website (Writers Artists & Their Copyright Holders). He is Chair of the Section for Archives of Literature and Art (SLA) within the International Council on Archives, and coordinator of the Diasporic Literary Archives Network. He has published extensively on literary manuscripts, on archival ethics and on copyright. · 27 October. The National Archives of Malta hosted and co-organised Imaging Imperialism, the Association of Commonwealth Archivists and Records Managers’ (ACARM) 2017 symposium. The development of audiovisual technologies coincided with British Imperialism in such a way that the height of the Empire is documented in drawings and photographs while motion picture captured the end of Empire and the birth of newly independent nations across the world. Audiovisual materials are therefore important resources for the study of Imperialism in the modern period, its pretensions, impacts, legacies and contemporary manifestations. This one day symposium, organized on the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage, explored the preservation and use of audiovisual archives across the Commonwealth, with a focus on what they can tell us about the nature and vestiges of imperialism. November · 11 November. A collaboration agreement between the National Archives and the Confraternities of Charity and Our Lady of Mount Carmel of Valletta was signed. Through this agreement, the parties will develop the awareness, protection, accessibility and promotion of the archives of these confraternities, set up in 1610 and 1622 in Valletta. The signing was attended by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr Frank Fabri. · 13-14 November. The National Archives’ manager on Finance and IT participated in the Commission Expert Group on Digital Culture Heritage and EUROPEANA (DCHE), in Luxembourg, discussing the progress with digitisation in Member States and the outcome of the annual reporting on the sector. January 2018 · 18 January. Michaelle Biddle, the Collections’ Conservator at Wesleyan University in Connecticut USA, delivered a public lecture on Paper as Proof and Historical Evidence at the National Archives. Since 2008, Ms Biddle has been consulting conservator for northern

Nigerian and Malian manuscript collections in Arabic script. In 2015 she established a manuscript conservation laboratory at Arewa House, Ahmadu Bello University, Kaduna, Nigeria. She has published on material cultural analysis and conservation of West African manuscripts, bookmaking and manuscript production, their inks, pigments, dyes and paper watermarks. March 2018 · 5 March. Perit Michael Ellul (1925-2018), a key figure in the development of Maltese public archives during the last 50 years, passed away. In October 1972, Michael Ellul, an architect with the Antiquities Unit of the Public Works Department, was entrusted with the custody and maintenance of a collection of public records. This initiative turned out to be the modest start of the National Archives project. Since then, Mr Ellul continued contributing to the development of the National Archives and up to a couple of months ago he was one of our volunteers. · 29 March. Garth Metrovich and his family donated a 133-year old photo of Giorgio Mitrovich (1795-1885), a key personality of Malta’s political history, to the National Archives. Mitrovich contributed significantly towards political and constitutional reforms, including the freedom of the press. In July 1835, Mitrovich went to London to plead for the Maltese cause and published The claims of the Maltese founded upon the principles of Justice. We thank Mr Metrovich and his family. April 2018 · 13 April. The cataloguing and conservation work carried out by the National Archives on the Vincenzo Maria Pellegrini Collection, donated by Gabriel Pellegrini, were presented at the National Archives. The Decorative and Fine Art Society (DFAS in Malta) sponsored the conservation of the collection’s photographic records and volunteer Mary Buttigieg worked on the catalogue.

cataloguing of this collection in collaboration with the Department of Maltese at the University of Malta. · 19 May. Records from the Sir Anthony Collection were included in an exhibition hosted by the President of Malta at San Anton Palace commemorating the 10th anniversary of Malta’s first President. · 24 May. Professor Larry Sawchuk and Assistant Professor Lianne Tripp discussed several aspects of the 1918 influenza pandemic in Malta at the National Archives (Rabat). Dr. Sawchuk, a professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Toronto at Scarborough, is a biological anthropologist and health demographer, whose research interests are in the Mediterranean: Gibraltar and more recently in Malta and Gozo. His research primarily focuses on epidemics of infectious diseases such as cholera, influenza and yellow fever. Dr. Tripp is an Assistant Professor, in the department of Anthropology at the University of Northern British Columbia whose research area lies in the area of biomedical anthropology with a focus on the demography and health of small-scale communities. Her research examines diversity in the disease experience in the Maltese Islands and Gibraltar. June 2018 · 8 June. We organised and hosted a workshop about the best practices in the management of cartographic and design records with employees of the Works and Infrastructure Department within the Ministry for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects. This workshop is within the framework of collaboration between the National Archives and the Ministry for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects with regards to the Public Works’ archival records.

May 2018 · 3 May. Martoine and George Cardona donated their father’s ÌuΩè Cardona’s (19221988) records to the National Archives. ÌuΩè Cardona, a teacher and a researcher about the Maltese language, was a member of the Akkademja tal-Malti and the G˙aqda talMalti (Università). He published a number of studies about Maltese authors; probably his most important work was Dun Karm – Óajtu u Óidmietu (1972). The next step is the Mamo family donating the Mamo Collection.

Highlities of Records Officers’s activities within their Ministries (January 2017 – June 2018) The National Archives Act stipulates that there should be a Records Officer in every public office. This provision started being officially implemented at the end of 2016 when 5 records officers were placed at ministerial level (Office of the Prime Minister, Ministry for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects, Ministry for Justice, Culture and Local Government, Ministry for Gozo and Ministry for Education and

Ministry

Intra-ministerial Development of meetings held retention policies

OPM (Building Regulations Office)

Ministry for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects

Ministry for Justice, Culture and Local Government

Ministry for Gozo

Employment); in March 2018, Records Officers were placed at the Ministries of Finance and Ministry for Health. The main duties of these records officers are to assure good records management practices and to be the contact persons between the National Archives and the ministries. It is hoped that eventually each Ministry will have a Records Officer.

Appraisal exercises 1

- Building - Building Regulations Office Regulations being developed Office’s records appraisal criteria being developed

7 Monthly meetings with DG (Operations)

5 (being drafted)

1 - Strategy and Support Services; appraisal of Public Works ledgers and files 2

Transfer of records to the National Archives _

- Local Councils - Courts of Justice (Civil Courts) - Courts of Justice (Accounts Department) - Identity Malta retention polices being developed - Cleansing and Maintenance Division

- Balzan Local Council - Heritage Malta

1 (being drafted) - Salaries’ Back Office

2 2 - Government - Works Bank records Department’s - Maps (c 4000) records from Works’ transferred Department - Government Bank’s record transferred

- Courts of Justice (Criminal Courts) records’ transfer process initiated

Ministry for Education and Employment

6 (concluded)

- Child Care Centre – UOM - Examinations Department - Exemptions Board - Quality Assurance Department - Education Logistics and Administration - Migrants’ Unit

- Stores MEDE (Printing Negatives) - Stores MEDE (Accounts’ Records) - Stores MEDE (PQs) - Registry (General Files) - Floriana Primary (photos/ registers) Appraised - Jobplus - St Venera Secondary School - G˙arg˙ur Primary School

- Back Office Gozo (Students’ Registers) transferred - Examinations Department (General Files) transferred - Floriana Primary (Photos, Student’s Registers, Visitors’ Registers) transferred - Stores (Published Books’ Negatives) transferred - Registry MEDE (General Files) transfer process initiated - G˙arg˙ur Primary School -Marsa Primary School - Paola Primary School

11 (being drafted) - Accreditation Unit - Department of Educational Services - 6th Form (Malta) - 6th Form (Gozo) - Information Management Unit - Gem 16 - School of Music - Quality Assurance Department - Strategy & Support Archiving of Old School Documents - Student Services - Óamrun Primary Ministry of Finance*

Ministry for Health*

1 (concluded) - Vehicle Tax Exemption -

* started working in March 2018. 23

28 March 2017

10 May 2017

21 August 2017

11 October 2017

27 February 2018

15 May 2018

Presentation about the MEMORJA Project by James Baldacchino, NAM Administrator (Memorja Project)

MTIP, MJCL, MEDE, MGOZ, Mater Dei Hospital, Heritage Malta, Identity Malta, Planning Authority, Building Control Board (OPM)

Mater Dei Hospital, Heritage Malta, MFIN, MGOZ, MTIP, Planning Authority, Ministry for Health, House of Representatives, MTIP, MJCL, MEDE.

A presentation regarding the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) vis-à-vis Archives & Records Management by Dr Charles Farrugia – National Archivist.

An overview of the War Museum Archives by Maria Micallef – Archivist at Heritage Malta.

‘Tackling the Shed: A best practice case study’ – a presentation by Mary Anne MTIP, Mater Dei Hospital, Identity Debono from the Ministry for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects Malta, Institut national du patrimoine ‘Records management in France, practice and challenges’ - a presentation (Paris), MJCL, Heritage Malta, House of Representatives, Ministry for Health, MEDE by Clémence Lescuyer – Student Archives Curator at the Institut national du patrimoine , Paris

Presentation about the records management system at the European Asylum Support Office by Simona Cantarella – Document Information Officer, European MGOZ, MTIP, MEDE, MJCL, Heritage Malta, House of Representatives, European Asylum Support Office Asylum Support Office Presentation on Records Management within the Ministry of Gozo by Joseph Grima, MGOZ

Presentation on the archives of the Parliament of Malta by Eric Frendo, Archivist at the Parliament of Malta

Talk on Digital Preservation: Creating Value with Digital Preservation: Building an Accessible and Dynamic Digital Archive by Ann Keen, Preservica

Presentation on Records Management within the Ministry For Justice, Culture & Local Government by Mariella Galea, MJCL Records Officer

Presentation on Records Management within the Ministry for Education & Employment by Mary Anne Farrugia, MEDE Records Officer

Dr Mario Thomas Vassallo, Lecturer, Public Policy, FEMA, University of Malta

Presenations Lecture entitled: Multi-Level Governance by

MTIP, MJCL, MEDE, MGOZ, Enemalta PLC, Planning Authority

Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Ministry for Transport & Infrastructure (MTI), Ministry for Justice, Culture & Local Government (MJCL), Ministry for Gozo (MGOZ), House of Representatives, Planning Authority

Records Officers Forum - Sessions - 2017 - June 2018 Date Participants Entities represented

INVITED ARCHIVES Archives of The Archbishop of Malta Rev. Dr Nicholas Doublet The Archives of the Archbishop of Malta (AAM) housed at the Archbishopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Curia in Floriana contain the diocesan records from 1531 to 1898, along with some miscellaneous items dating from 1450 to 1928. A major challenge for the Curia Archives in the past two years was the identification of suitable space within the existing building for a new archive to hold the ever-growing collection. The next step was to plan the refurbishment of this space for archival needs and seek the administrative and financial support for this project. Considerable amount of time was invested in getting the best available expert advice in the hope of establishing a modern archive consonant with the latest technologies and best archival practices. Hopefully, the structural work will start in a few monthsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; time. Work on the archives collections has continued. After the initial cleaning and boxing of a new section of the Acta Civilia we are in the process of cataloguing these documents to make them available to researchers in the shortest possible time. Other work involved the preliminary cleaning and boxing of the volumes

pertaining to the Libreria di San Calcedonio. An important initiative has been that of creating stronger links with the parish archives that also fall under the remit of the Diocesan Archivist. A survey about the contents of parish archives was sent to all the parishes in October 2017. Precious information about the number of volumes for baptism, marriages and deaths found in parishes was gleaned. The survey also sought to find out whether these parish archives were accessible to researchers. Because of the interest created by the survey several parish priests sought our advice regarding conservation of their collections. Several onsite inspections were held. During the meetings with parish priests to discuss the condition of the archives they were in charge of, several solutions were recommended about reorganization, preservation and the assessment of the locations used as archival spaces. The urgent need of preserving past documents for posterity, especially those in danger of being lost, motivated the agreement signed with the National Archives of Malta in November 2017. The beneficiaries of the

collaboration created by this settlement are the Confraternity of Our Lady of Charity (Saint Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Parish, Valletta) and the Confraternity of our Lady of Mount Carmel (Carmelite Church, Valletta), the archives of which are in danger of perishing for ever. The National Archives have placed their conservation expertise to save these records that hold important information on the contribution of lay men in ecclesiastical functions and for the study of social history, important aspects of our national heritage. The AAM has continued to support researchers in their studies. The Archdiocese of Malta has transferred all its microfilms into digital media to make them available over the internet besides continuing digitising Manuscripts found especially in the Mater Dei and Sancte Laurenti archives. Researchers can access the website to find the already digitized documents. Those who visit the Curia archives in person usually inform us beforehand which volumes they would like to study. In this way, documents are retrieved for their perusal before their arrival thus lessening waiting time and helping them make the best use of their research time. This simple but effective procedure has also helped the limited staff available to better organize their work and be more helpful to researchers. Over the past two years, the number of visitors to the Curia Archives has increased. More University students are becoming aware of the collections held and their accessibility especially through outreach activities. History of Art students discover the patrimony held by the Church through the course tutorials organized at the Curia. A few decide to pursue research for

their thesis and projects at the Curia Archives. Students studying for the warrant of a Public Notary this year carried hands-on sessions [cleaning, cataloguing and refiling] on Acta Civilia documents. The students spent a total of 12 hours working under the supervision of their tutor and our staff at the Archives as part of their course requirements. This experience proved a true revelation for them. They discovered that these manuscripts contained some of the legal jargon and procedures they come across during their studies and practice. University History students have also visited the Archives to evaluate the available sources for their research especially in their demographic studies. The Archivist and the Assistant Archivist have participated in several conferences both locally and abroad. This has enhanced their professional development. The presence of the Diocesan Archivist at international conferences and courses has given more visibility to the Archives of the Archbishop of Malta as evidenced by the increased requests for information found in documents at these Archives. The future of the Curia Archives holds several challenges. The setting up of the new archival space will require the transfer of whole collections from their present location and the re-organization of the material available in the new space. More resources will be required to set it up and running in the least possible time without possibly hindering the day-to-day work. Every effort is being made to ascertain that the new archive can contribute to the better preservation of its collections to posterity and the study of Maltese history.

Lorenzo Zahra, a long-standing volunteer at the Archives of the Archbishop of Malta.

The Cathedral Archives Rev. John Azzopardi and Mario Gauci

1. Introduction The Cathedral Archives are managed by an Archives Board (technically known as the Bord Mani©erjali Arkivju Storiku tal-Katidral), which falls under the supervision of the Cathedral Chapter. The running of the archives office is under the responsibility of the director and archivist Mgr John Azzopardi, a member of the Cathedral Chapter who is assisted by three employees. By means of a newly restructured entity, we have successfully worked on several tasks and concluded a number of major projects with others already in the pipeline. However, there is still a long way to go in the coming future. The new environment and fresh mentality has contributed successfully to academic, cultural and musical sectors, and is expected to continue doing so.

2. Projects a. New official website A new official and visually-appealing website has been launched. The site explains the roles of the Cathedral Archives institution in terms of content and services. The challenges involved in the construction of the archives portal have been successfully concluded. The first initial phase was launched in August 2017 and in the future we will be offering more search facilities in terms of catalogues and the location of the aids of the documents that are conserved on our premises. b. Digitization projects The HMML University of Minessota renewed its long-ongoing collaborative programme with the Cathedral Archives, and in 2016 concluded a two-year project which entailed the digitization of the following archives: AIM Cartolario, choral books, fragments parchments and other miscellaneous material which had never before been digitized. A considerable amount of this material was uploaded to the website with the exclusion of the Processi Criminali, the musical archives and other collections.

c. Conversion of the microfilming project and the sharing of our digital content with HMML The Archdiocese Curia, thanks to the initiative and the direction of the late Fr VicGeorge Vassallo, has been converting the microfilms that are conserved in our archives and elsewhere. The majority, with the exception of some classified categories, have been uploaded to the Archdiocese’s Archives website. Unfortunately, the loss of Fr VicGeorge Vassallo had an impact on the continuation of this huge project. However, the Curia staff managed to finish the conversion of all the microfilms housed at the Cathedral Archives and, hopefully will soon be starting the conversion of the microfilms housed at the Diocese of Gozo. Meanwhile, there is an ongoing effort by HMML, Curia and Mgr John Azzopardi to recover the missing microfilms. A solution which includes a number of technical and technological aspects was arrived at and we are presently sharing and exchanging the converted microfilms with the Malta Study Centre at St. John’s University, in the meanwhile the Curia is receiving digital copies of the missing microfilms from HMML. d. Acquisitions and cataloguing Our ability to accept new material is becoming limited due to insufficient space – a problem which, hopefully, will be tackled in the coming years. Notwithstanding, in the past two years we have had various new acquisitions, including the papers formerly belonging to the late Professor Andrew Vella OP, the volumes formerly belonging to St John’s Conventual Church, entitled Missae Omnium Fundationium, the music belonging to the late Mro. Ablert Manchè, consisting of various scores for operas, ballet, operettas and other printed editions, the old choral books and decorated Gregorian liturgical chants from the Cathedral Church, the official Chapter administrative registers, previously kept at the old Chapter’s Hall, records of the painstaking work of cataloguing the parchments undertaken by Prof. Stanley Fiorini, and records of the cataloguing of the papers belonging to Dom Mauro Inguanez O.S.B. 27

3. Events a. Concerts Throughout 2018 we have organized a program of events to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the archives. These activities were planned periodically all year round. The event which kick-started the program was a grand concert in January 2018 where the Dixit Dominus a due cori (Z95, ACM. Mus. Ms. 295, in G major), dated 10 June 1756 (in seven movements) edited by Christine Gauci and the Messa a due cori (Z96, ACM Mus. Ms. 253, in G), dated 25 June 1756 (in eight movements) edited by Dr Frederick Aquilina were performed. These works were immaculately performed by the Collegium Orpheus under the direction of Jean Marc Layblle. Another recital was held on the 24th June at the Cathedral Museum. This concert gave a glimpse into the unusual sacred music performed 800 years ago. The choir, conducted by the German Burkard Werhner and assisted by Dr Martina Caruana, performed parts from the oldest original musical works conserved in the archives of the Cathedral of Mdina Malta. The twin manuscripts, believed to date back to Malta’s Angevin Period (1268-82) and containing Latin medieval monophonic chants, were studied painstakingly and performed faithfully.

b. Conferences In February 2018 we organized a conference entitled Ecclesiastical Archives in Malta: Crossroads of Cultures and Religion. A number of local and foreign scholars participated in this one-day conference and presented work on a number of historically fascinating themes. The first part of the conference aimed at giving an overall representation of the current state of the ecclesiastical archives and to highlight the current challenges. The second part of the conference dealt with themes which have emerged from extensively researched material treating with topics related to Church history, the Roman Inquisition, music, arts and architecture, fine bookbinding, demography and the development of the Maltese language. Apart from the conference, we have published the proceedings in a volume edited by Prof. Stanley Fiorini and Prof. William Zammit. c. Exhibitions In view of Valletta as the 2018 European Capital of Culture we particiapted in a joint event which graced the old capital of Malta and the Cathedral archives with a remarkable documentary exhibition. The motivating theme and leit-motif of the exhibition entitled ARCHIVUM CATHEDRALIS MELITÆ FONS HISTORIÆ: A selection of 50 of

Performance from the oldest musical works conserved at the Cathedral Archives, dating date back to the Angevin Period (1268-82), June 2018.

Documentary exhibition including records from from the Cathedral Archives spanning 800 years of history, May – June 2018.

documents from the Cathedral Archives spanning 800 years of history illustrated the importance of manuscripts as an essential primary source in the study of these islands’ identity as manifested in aspects of their history, art, music, architecture, language, social history, church-state relations and other areas of study. The documentary exhibition was complemented with the publication of a fully illustrated exhibition catalogue edited by Mgr John Azzopardi and Mr Mario Gauci.

4. Outreach and public relations a. Participation in musical concerts Several musical programmes have been performed thanks to our rich musical archival repertory. Requests for music concerts have been accepted follwing formal agreements. These included a baroque concert held in January with the programme concert entitled Messa de Morti Concertata, 1653 following music written by Bonaventura Rubino and performed by Cantoria Campitelli. Another concert programme was held at the Mediterranean Conference Centre with a performance of Antonio Nani’s Responsori a quartetto per il Giovedi Santo directed by conductor Michael Laus on Palm Sunday 2016. Besides these, there were numerous requests for individual music works which

were performed during local parish feasts, by the national orchestra and also abroad. Included amongst these was a project to record the Messa De Requiem, composed by the late Mro Antionio Nani, conducted by the late Mro Joseph Vella and recorded in Bulgaria in 2017. b. Onsite student’s visits and voluntary work Over the past years, the Cathedral Archive has been committed to providing opportunities for practical tasks by enabling volunteering experience, internships and archive visits. Our goal is to provide undergraduate and graduate students with meaningful and realistic work experience that will benefit the students by offering opportunities in a variety of disciplines including archival science, library science and art research. In this respect we have offered regular programs on basic preservation techniques, description and hands-on work with historical material related to history, art, music, language, archaeology and any other topic which might be relevant to students’ area of study. Moreover, over the past few years a number of foreign Universities, particularly French, have been sending students to undertake scholarly internships. We have also had visits from various conductors accompanied 29

by their academic staff, including the Istituto Magistrale Regina Margerita of Palermo and by Daniele CannavĂ˛ and the Ensemble Baida di Santa Agata of Catania. c. Archiveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s services Throughout 2016 we had some 130 archive consultations and 30 new applications, while in 2017 we had an increase to 197 archive consultations and 23 new researchers. Since the current year has not yet come to an end, we are not in a position to give a definitive number of archive consultations and new registrations.

Looking forward

2016-2018 have been a critical period in our growth and development; right now we are significantly expanding our aims. The Cathedral Archive has invested significant effort in reviewing its human, financial and capital resources to ensure the organisation is dynamic, agile and best positioned to deliver in its role as a leader in the preservation and sharing of knowledge and in shaping the digital future of information management. Ultimately, the Cathedral Archiveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role remains to ensure that the essential records of the Cathedral are secured, accessible and reusable in the future, thus aiding in unlocking Maltese and Mediterranean history.

University students led by historian Dr Joan Abela visit the Cathedral Archives. 30

Ganado Advocates Archive Robert Mizzi

Background

Ganado Advocates had started archiving its closed files in a Valletta garage which had been converted into an archive with steel shelving and split in two levels. Over the years, the Valletta archive was filled up with files. The files being archived were often bulky and were not assigned a Bring Up date for evaluation. Whatever was sent to the archive, was meant to remain in the archive...forever! Eventually the firm rented out a garage in Óamrun to use as another archive. As happened with the Valletta archives, steel shelves were installed and the garage was split up in two levels. After a few years, the Óamrun archive started getting full as well and it was at this stage, in 2010, that I was handed over the management of the firm’s archive. Both sites, the one in Óamrun and the other in Valletta, were practically full to the brim with files pertaining to clients of the firm and dating back four decades and more. Following an inspection of both archives it was evident that the files of the Valletta archive needed to be moved to make space for newlyarchived files and that the Óamrun archive had evident structural issues and was clearly affected by dampness and humidity. The Valletta archives were cleared and all its contents, just over 1000 boxes of files were stored with a local company which offered the service of document storing. Each box was assigned a barcode and each barcode was linked to a number of files within the specific box. This facilitated retrieval when needed. The use of an off-site archiving service created the badly-needed space for new files to be moved to the Valletta archives, closer to the firm’s offices

and in much better condition. As the firm expanded its services, the need for a bigger and better working environment was felt and a massive project was embarked upon to bring everyone together under one roof. As a result of this expansion, the firm started generating more files which eventually will end up in the archive. It was clear that the firm’s archive also needed a revamp to reflect the expansion of the firm. A Records’ Officer was in fact recruited and immediately enrolled for the Diploma in Archives and Records Management at the University of Malta. The firm gave the necessary support to the new recruit to read for her Diploma and this included flexible working hours to be able to attend lectures. In the meantime, another garage adjacent to the Óamrun archive was rented and shelves were installed. Although this alleviated the problem of the old Óamrun archive, it was evident that all these efforts were an interim solution to a problem that required some strategic thinking.

Figure1. The state of the walls in the old Hamrun archives

Figure 2. Water drain next to files and resulting corrosion

Identifying the problem

It became evident that a strategic plan was required to address the challenges emanating from the situation where the firm had its important records spread over four different locations. To compound matters the Óamrun archive’s situation was becoming worse as the metal beams started corroding. The damp walls also started affecting the electrical system and it was at this stage that a decision was made to look for a new location for the firm’s archive - a place where we could bring all the records together under one roof in proper conditions,

properly organised and with an efficient retrieval system. The firm invested in a document management system and although the implementation and take-up of the system were slower than expected, more documents were being saved on the DMS. Therefore, the need to print everything and insert in the physical files that eventually ended at the physical archive decreased. This was not immediately evident to everyone and some people were still printing practically everything and adding it in the individual file. It was also evident that the files being sent to the archive were being overloaded with multiple copies of the same document and other irrelevant material. Ironically, the advent of email and technology had contributed to more papers to be inserted within files as email threads were repeatedly printed and filed over and over again. It was clear that a policy was needed to distinguish between the records that actually needed to be archived and less important records that could be digitised and kept only in electronic format.

3. The solution The Archives and Digitisation Committee drafted and implemented the Policy Document for Digitisation and File retention/disposal. The policy clearly indicated that only ‘original’ documents are to be included in the physical file and that all other records should be saved on the respective file within the DMS. The Records’ Officer took charge of vetting and preparing all archived files to be moved to the archive; the situation started improving immediately as our archive was more organised and both the archiving process as well as the retrieval of files from the archive became more streamlined, thanks to the new policy and other forms which were designed to give structure to the archiving process. The firm’s IT department helped in creating a MS Access database from which newly archived files are assigned their respective archive location code, known internally as the Z-Number. So the issues of proper processes and policies regarding archiving and digitisation were being addressed but an elephant was still in the room. The firm clearly required a new dedicated location for its physical archive and it was eventually agreed that a search for a new location that would be able to house all our archives under one roof could officially start. After viewing a couple of possible venues, the ideal premises were identified. As soon as the contract was signed, the Archives and Digitisation Committee discussed this massive 32

project and how best to tackle the movement of around 16,000 files from four different locations without disrupting the retrieval of files which is an integral part of managing the firm’s archives.

4. The project The Archives and Digitisation Committee discussed the project with the firm’s Chief Operating Officer and once the project was approved, the cleaning, painting and installation of required shelving commenced. A new electrical system was installed as well as security features such as an alarm system and fire fighting equipment. Climate control was one the main issues that the committee had to tackle. After confirming that the new premises had no issues with dampness, it was decided that no climate control equipment would be installed, but the level of humidity should be regularly monitored. Work on the new archives started during summer of 2017. Given that the new location had a high ceiling it was decided to create an upper floor that would allow us to have a similar layout to that on the ground floor, allowed the doubling of the shelving space. A goods’ lift was installed near the entrance so that files could be lifted to the first floor. It was also decided that a data room will be constructed within the new Archives to serve as an off-site data back up for the servers within the firm. By November 2017, the shelving on the lower ground floor was ready and the actual moving of files could start. Planning the movement of files from our four locations required the proper project management and trying to ensure that at any stage, if an urgent request for a file was received we would be able to locate the file and retrieve it not later than the following day. Project management software was used and the project was split into four different phases. It was decided that the shelving available within the current archive which was in good condition would be dismantled and reinstalled in the new location at Mrie˙el. This would reduce the costs of the project which were already soaring. This required even more planning as most of the shelves were packed with files. During Phase 1 all files in Valletta were packed in boxes and marked appropriately. In the meantime, the dismantling of shelving started from the newly installed shelving at the new Óamrun repository which were not yet being utilised. These were moved to the new location at Mrie˙el and installation at ground floor level was started. The first batch of boxes was moved from Valletta to Mrie˙el to conclude Phase 1.

Phase 2 involved a lot of coordination as the installers dismantled the Valletta repository and moved the shelves to Mrie˙el. Concurrently another archive (Óamrun Old) was being packed into boxes and moved to and adjacent location. During this second phase, the shelving of files moved from Valletta to Mrie˙el started taking place. Phase 3 included the dismantling of the newly cleared shelves at Óamrun and the movement of these to Mrie˙el for installation in the upper floor. In the meantime hundreds of packed boxes started being moved to Mrie˙el and placed in a temporary location on the ground floor until all shelving at the upper floor was finished. This phase also included the movement of over 1000 boxes from our off-site archiving supplier to the Mrie˙el site. The final phase (Phase 4) included the cleaning of the archives, finalising the installation of the remaining shelving on the upper floor (we had to wait for a month as shelving material was out of stock) and the shelving of all the files we had moved to Mrie˙el in their proper allocated space. This included moving a huge number of boxes around within the two floors and ensuring that the files are properly shelved and space for possible expansion is left throughout. This phase also included the installation of adequate lighting across the entire archive, fire fighting equipment and an alarm system. It must be highlighted that during all the 4 phases described above, the retrieval of files from the archives was never suspended and we managed to find the respective files being requested in reasonable time in all instances.

Figure 4. Imrie˙el Upper Floor – Corridor 3

The whole project lasted from November 2017 to May 2018 – 6 months of planning, adapting to changes from the original plan, coordinating transport and a lot of toing and froing with boxes of files from one location to another

5. Conclusion This was a massive project for our firm and it is hoped that it guarantees a well-functioning archive. Currently, we are working on a disaster recovery plan and will be adding adequate signage throughout the archive before the end of this year. A special word of thanks goes to our Records’ Officer who followed the project plan and executed the plan on-site, including the packing of files and respective shelving in the new archive. She was assisted by a part-time temporary worker through most of the project. All of this work was carried out by a team of three persons – none of which could be dedicated to the project on a full-time basis. Both the Records’ Officer and myself had to ensure that our daily routine work still gets done. It is hoped that with the current location, the firm has enough room for expansion for at least the next ten years. This is a conservative figure as with the policies in place we are now seeing much leaner files being sent to the archives.

Figure 3. Imrie˙el Upper Floor - Corridor 1

Malta Study Centre, Hill Museum and Manuscript Library Dr Daniel Gullo Since 2016, the Malta Study Center (hereafter MSC) at the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library has engaged in multiple initiatives to create access to archives in Malta and in the United States that contain records related to Malta and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. While our mission remains focused on the digital preservation of manuscript culture, we have increased our efforts to create access to the legacy microfilm collections and digital collections through the launch of the online database vHMML Reading Room at https:// www.vhmml.org. The creation of the new online database also involves migrating the metadata from our old legacy catalog known as OLIVER, to vHMML Reading Room. As part of this migration, records, previously catalogued using field metadata are being updated using modern DACS and DCRM(MSS) standards. We are also using metadata authority files for names, titles, subjects, and genre/form to update the records as part of the data migration. The process is being done to facilitate the creation of modern digital finding aids for each collection, as researchers are demanding greater online access to metadata content and digital records that include images.

1. Digital preservation Heritage Malta The MSC completed a five-month project to digitize the manuscripts, drawings, and map collections at MUÛA - MuΩew Nazzjonali talArti. Objects that were digitized included the Great Siege maps by the Italian printer Giovanni Francesco Camocio, which were added to the UNESCO Memory of the World Register in January 2018. MUÛA also maintains a significant collection of manuscripts from the period of the French Occupation of Malta between 1798 and 1800, in addition to several medieval manuscript fragments and invaluable drawings by Italian masters. The manuscripts, prints, drawings, and rare map collection, including the Albert Ganado Collection, were digitized between November, 2017 and April, 2018. 1577 objects were digitized as part of the project, partially funded by the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation.

Archives of the Archconfraternity of the Holy Rosary In partnership with the Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti, the MSC signed an agreement with the Archconfraternity of the Holy Rosary to digitize the Archconfraternity’s pre-1815 archives and manuscripts. The collection is housed in the chapel of the Archconfraternity in Valletta located in the Dominican Priory. Records within the archives detail the many ministries and activities of the Archconfraternity. These activities include the care of the condemned, care for the poor, and the payment of memorial masses for the members of the Archconfraternity and their families. The records also include the history of donations and grants made to the Archconfraternity, providing a window into the history of landholdings, construction of chapels, commission of art works, and other aspects of Catholic devotion in early modern Europe. Over 500 volumes of the archives were digitized between January and August, 2018. Initial metadata work has been completed as part of the digitization project. The project was funded by the Achelis and Bodman Foundation.

Confraternity of Charity In 2017, the MSC signed an agreement with the Confraternity of Charity in Valletta to digitize the confraternity’s pre-1815 archives and manuscripts. The Confraternity of Charity contains over 300 manuscripts located in Saint Paul’s Shipwreck Church. During the 1980s, Dun Ìwann Azzopardi microfilmed 20 manuscripts from the collection as part of the original MSC microfilming project. These microfilms focused on the confraternity’s Cabreo and volumes from the Legato de Napoli, all of which were digitized again as part of the new project. The collection stands out for its records detailing the redemption of slaves, care for the poor, and care for the nuns of Santa Magdalena and Santa Ursula. There is very detailed history of land records and donations in the collection. Documents include records of the Grand Masters of the Order of Malta who joined the Confraternity. Over 250 volumes will be digitized. The project was funded by the Achelis and Bodman Foundation. Archivum de Piro In partnership with the Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti, the MSC agreed to digitize the Archivum de Piro, one of the largest private family archives in Malta with over 300 pre-1800 manuscripts and 150 archival boxes in its collection. Housed in the Casa Rocca Piccola, the archive charts this history of the Marquis de Piro and his family as they rose to become integral officers in the finances of the Order of Malta. It also details their vast network of friends in Malta, Italy, and France. The archive is notably rich in local history, from medical practices, costumes, trade, and household slavery being detailed in the correspondence. Starting in 2016, the MSC digitized 314 manuscripts and over 296 archival boxes in the collection. The project was funded by donations to the MSC preservation fund.

2. vHMML Reading Room, vHMML Data Portal and Malta collections The Hill Museum & Manuscript Library launched vHMML.org in 2015 as an online resource for the study of manuscript cultures, including the archival and manuscript cultures found in Malta. In 2016, the website added vHMML Reading Room, a comprehensive database of the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library’s digital and microfilm collections. Reading Room will eventually contain all of the MSC’s collections, including all digital archival, print, and manuscript collections, in addition to the metadata for all of the legacy microfilm collections, including the

major collections of the Archives of the Order of Malta and Università at the National Library of Malta, the Cathedral Archives in Mdina, Archives of the Archdiocese of Malta, Archives of the Diocese of Gozo, Parish Archives, numerous archives found in the houses of the religious orders, and several private institutions and libraries. Reading Room will allow researchers to search all of the MSC’s collections in a single database. For digital collections, researches will be able to view the images in color alongside the metadata. The MSC has received permission to scan the black and white microfilm of several collections, and those images will be added to Reading Room over time. The scanning of microfilm does not include the Archives of the Order of Malta at the National Library. Initial scanning will focus on the Parish Archives of Malta, given their importance for local history and genealogy. Reading Room is a complex integrated software platform that utilizes MySQL for its database, Digilib for the image server, and Elastic Search for the search. Java was used for the underlying code, while Mirador provides the iiif service for the digital images. The iiif environment allows researchers to do comparative manuscript studies within vHMML, as the JSON manifest can be dropped into the digital viewer to facilitate comparative analysis without having to use multiple tabs, browsers, or screens. This is particularly important for Maltese archival research, where records can be analyzed across multiple collections and fonds located in distinct repositories. A significant upgrade to vHMML has been the inclusion of the new application called vHMML Data Portal in 2018. vHMML Data Portal makes it possible for you to create a custom dataset for personal research or for digital humanities

projects. Researchers can choose their own search criteria and then focus search results using the same search tools found in vHMML Reading Room. vHMML Data Portal provides users with the option of exporting curated datasets or the complete vHMML Reading Room dataset. Datasets are downloadable in JSON format, which provides the widest range of options for repurposing vHMML metadata for your projects. A JSON schema for archival material has been included to facilitate metadata analysis for export.

3. Authority files and digital finding aids Central to the migration of data from our old database OLIVER to vHMML Reading Room is the need to implement authority control over the metadata in the MSC’s microfilm and digital collections. Previously, the metadata in OLIVER contained field metadata, or metadata that did not correspond to Library of Congress authority files. Moreover, the metadata was not entered using DACS or DCRM(MSS) standards. One major limitation was the database OLIVER, which was designed for medieval European manuscript cataloging, and not for archival records.

The MSC, in conjunction with Hill Museum & Manuscript Library’s metadata cataloger Eileen Smith, developed a system to enter metadata based on Library of Congress and VIAF authority files where such records existed. In the absence of authority files, the MSC and HMML created records for vHMML until such a time as can be found to submit the data to create new files. The creation of these authority files is essential for the operation of Reading Room, which allows researchers to find like metadata across distinct archival collections found in repositories across the world. It creates a “virtual archive”, even uniting volumes separated from the main holdings, like the manuscripts of the Archives of the Order of Malta located in Washington, D.C. By standardizing the cataloging method and controlling the metadata, the MSC will be creating new digital finding aids to facilitate research. These finding aids will be constructed using vHMML Data Portal, as it digitally mines the data in Reading Room to curate select databases for each unique collection or theme. The first such finding aid, MaltaParishArchives. org will be launched in the fall of 2018. The Malta Parish Archives project will facilitate access to parish records microfilmed by the MSC between 1980 and 1989.

The National Library of Malta Maroma Camilleri

1. Introduction Despite being first and foremost the depository and custodian of the national imprint, the National Library is generally more widely known for housing the historic Archives of the Order of Malta which were only transferred from the Public Registry to the then Royal Public Library prior to the outbreak of World War II in 1937. The National Library also conserves two other important record groups, namely the Archives of the Treasury of the Order of Malta and the Archives of the Universitas, i.e. the local governing body of Malta prior to 1530 and which continued to survive until 1818. The Adami collection, consisting mainly of marriage data arranged by parish, is also significant. Malta Libraries, of which the National Library forms part, strives to preserve its priceless archives in the best possible manner and also to place them at the disposal of students and academics for purposes of study and research.

notably the Archives of the Order of Malta (AOM). These, as well as the Treasury record group, attracted a high number of requests. The least sought-after category of items was the Universitas archives which focus on the medieval period and thus present certain difficulties both in deciphering and understand the script. The increase registered in 2016 did not continue through the following year which witnessed a marked decline in the number of items requested in the Reading Room, namely 6694 items, a 13% decrease from 2016. This figure translates into an average of 22 items per day. Consultation by scholars of the Archives of the Order of Malta remained significant. The Treasury record group this year received unusually marked attention due to an unprecedented surge in the studies of the cabrei of Malta, especially of Valletta, in the context of the run-up to Valletta 2018. The

2. Reading Room Services Although the National Libraryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s archival material remains an important source for those pursuing historical research, the number of persons who physically frequent the Reading Room with a view to carrying out research has unfortunately dwindled. The year 2016 registered a total of 5,445 persons â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an average of 18 per day - while during the following year, the figure decreased further to 4660 researchers, an average of 16 per day and a 14% drop from 2016. This marked decline has been consistent over the past years and may be attributed to a number of factors, mainly the provision of information and digital images by the Library via e-mail, the easy availability of information and digital texts over the internet and more recently, the accessibility of National Library material via the National Library portal Digivault. This decrease, however, was not reflected in the number of items requested and delivered in the Reading Room which actually rose by 20% over the previous year and registered 7,544 items, i.e. 25 per day of opening. Research was mainly conducted in the newspaper and Melitensia collections. A substantial number of researchers, especially foreign scholars, consulted the archival sources,

Adami collection was quite frequently consulted while the Universitas’ documents occupied the usual last position. The Readers Services unit did its utmost also to respond to the needs of those persons who wished to conduct research but who sent requests by e-mail, via the National Library’s Facebook page or rarely by sending a letter via traditional post. The year 2016 registered a number of 452 queries, which translated into remarkable 28% increase over the previous year. It is worth noting that the decline in the number of persons physically accessing the library was balanced out by the increase of users, especially local ones, who sought information remotely. In fact, almost half the total number of queries came from Malta, followed at a distance by Italy, France, the UK and the US. The year 2017 witnessed the arrival of a record 472 requests, just over half of which came from Malta. Others were submitted mainly by French, Italian and British scholars, students or general public. Requests reached the library from distant countries such as Mexico and Japan. The majority requested digital copies from the library collections, with French and Italians focusing on the Archives of the Order and the rest seeking information from newspapers and books and frequently ordering digital copies. There are yet no official records for the current year but the trend seems to continue to move in a dual direction, whereby fewer persons frequent the library physically and more queries reach the library remotely. Until June 2018, a total of 2407 researchers used the Reading Room while over 200 requests have been received by the library via e-mail or social media.

3. Digitization Over the past years, the National Library embarked on an intense digitization programme by means of a project for which the National Library had succeeded in procuring European Regional Development Funds (ERDF) in 2008. The project established a framework to digitize the library’s collections, thus ensuring preservation of the original material and providing

digital access to them. Since the initiation of the project in 2009, a large number of items have been scanned, enriched with metadata and uploaded on the portal Digivault for consultation by the public. During the year 2016, a total of 200,000 new images were added. Items to be digitized were selected mainly on the basis of the frequency of demand by the public and also of the fragility of the original material, which is why priority was given to newspapers. In 2017, the digitization project was continued and the library’s digital collection uploaded on its portal Digivault increased by a total of 210,000 assets available for consultation. A significant development during the past year was the transfer to the digitization studio of the job of scanning the images requested by the public. This new service significantly increased the workload of the studio but was also instrumental in bringing about a larger variety of items to be digitized, as per the readers’ demands. During the current year, the aim is to reach a total of 250,000 digital assets.

4. Conservation and Preservation This aspect is one of the most vital when considering documents and books which dated back to centuries ago. Unfortunately, due to adverse climatic and environmental conditions, a considerable number of books are in a bad state of deterioration and require urgent restoration. The restoration process is a very meticulous one and is both painstaking and time-consuming. During the years 2016-

From Absolutism to Glasnost: a journey into Russian history through the National Library collections, 2017.

2018, a large number of archival and library manuscripts were restored while original prints and maps were professionally cleaned. Although the National Library lacks the amenities and ideal conservation conditions of a state-of-the-art modern building, it is nevertheless doing its utmost to keep itself updated on the latest techniques in this respect. A disinfestation micro-project involving the contents of the Library Manuscripts room was commenced in December 2016 by SalvArti Co. Ltd. The method used was Anoxia disinfestation, a process whereby elimination of insects is achieved by asphyxia, through the use of nitrogen. Such a technique does not modify in any way the physical or chemical properties of the item treated, and its original form is retained, though freeing it from the action of the pests. To date, the services of SalvArti are still being engaged to implement disinfestation projects in various areas of the library.

5. Exhibitions One way of promoting the library’s archival holdings is through the organization of exhibitions. The year 2016 being the 450th anniversary of the foundation of Valletta, Heritage Malta and Malta Libraries joined forces to create a common project aimed at providing visitors with an authentic historical experience. The exhibition Melita Renascens: Valletta 1566 was mounted in two separate venues – the National Library of Malta and the Vendome Bastion in Fort St Elmo. The Archives of the Order of Malta featured considerably in the display which also consisted of printed works and artefacts. The most important exhibition organized by the National Library in 2017 commemorated the first centenary of the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. The exhibition entitled ‘From Absolutism to Glasnost: a journey into Russian history through the National Library collections’ consisted of a display of records spanning over 300 years of events, from the first Russian envoy to Malta, Boris Scheremetev, on behalf of

his sovereign Tsar Peter I in 1698 and ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the creation of the new republics in the early 1990s. A 40-page catalogue was written and produced for the occasion. Some of the documents displayed in the Russian exhibition were showcased at the Russian Centre for Science and Culture on the occasion of the visit of Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna, Head of the Russian Imperial House. Among the exhibits were copies of letters from Tsars Peter the Great, Peter III and Paul I, as well as a portrait of Paul I which had been presented to the then Royal Malta Library in 1937. On display were also on display newspaper reports and diaries of Russian refugees who sought asylum in Malta in 1919 in the aftermath of the Bolshevik revolution. During 2017, the National Library was also invited to collaborate in other exhibitions, most notably that featuring the dagger of Grand Master de Valette mounted at the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta. The National Library participated with a volume from the Archives of the Order of Malta (AOM 299) which contained the proceedings of the Chapter General of 1566, during which the annual commemoration of the 8th September victory of 1565 was instituted, and a volume from the Library Manuscript collection (Libr. MS 17) which contained information about the sword and dagger presented to Grand Master de Valette on 5th June 1566. A significant development which occurred during 2018 was the appointment of the Manager Curatorial Affairs with the two-fold responsibility of curating the National Library edifice as a historically architectural monument as well as managing the preservation, enhancement and presentation of its historical holdings. The purpose behind the creation of this new role within the context of heritage management was to project the Bibliotheca both as the guardian and custodian of rare book collections and unique archives spanning almost a thousand years and as one of the main cultural assets enriching the Maltese Islands.

The Notarial Archives Dr Joan Abela

1. ERDF Funding Project

2. Cataloguing

The Ministry for Justice, Culture and Local Government was successful in an application for funding under ERDF 2014-2020, Priority Axis 5, namely, ‘The Rehabilitation of the Notarial Archives Building and Historic Collections’. The Notarial Archives Foundation (NAF) provided professional assistance throughout the application process and supported the Chief Notary to Government, Dr Keith German, who was appointed Project Leader. Thev project’s objectives are:

British Notaries Project The British Notaries Project involves the task of cataloguing each act of the British Notaries for the first half of the nineteenth century. This project at the Notarial Archives was initiated in 2013 and is still on-going. The cataloguing is being carried out by a group of volunteers under the supervision of Ms Sarah Watkinson who successfully completed her MA studies on Notary John William Stevens and the British community in the early years of British rule.

1) Upgrading of the buildings: This aim envisions the conversion of the structure housing the archives and the one recently acquired into a state-of-the-art building with the ideal conditions for the preservation of the collection. No. 24 St Christopher Street and No. 217 St Paul’s Street will be transformed into one interconnected centre for historical and scientific investigation fully accessible to the local and international research community. Academic tourism will also be given priority.

3. Research

2) Disinfestation of manuscripts: Two systems will be used for the disinfestation of the collection, namely anoxia treatment and microwave treatment. The anoxia treatment which will be used to eradicate insects will be done on site. The microwave treatment will be used to treat mould growth and it will be carried out off site. 3) Conservation of the manuscripts: The most important documents in the collection will be given priority in terms of conservation. There will also be different levels of treatment ranging from minimal to extensive treatment. The storage area for the housing of manuscripts will have controlled environmental conditions that will ensure the stability of the collection and prevent any further damage from occurring. Manuscripts will be stored horizontally instead of vertically because of the sheer weight.

Research Support Officers The University of Malta and the Notarial Archives recently entered into a collaboration agreement to undertake a number of initiatives. The Notarial Archives has granted just over €445,000 in funding and will be working closely with the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of ICT. Research at the Notarial Archives has for the past decades provided invaluable information on Malta’s history and the volumes preserved are considered among the most significant of the archival sources on the island. There are a number of specific areas of research which are of special interest and on which students and researchers have already compiled data. The Department of Art and Art History will be building up on this data by creating a database which highlights archival research and the formal study of works of art. The University of Malta’s Department of Artificial Intelligence will be handling three different projects, one of which is the creation of a research tool called “NotaryPedia” which will facilitate searching on the digital archive through the use of graph-based representations. The Department will also develop an online catalogue for the different research projects that use data from the Notarial Archives. The Department of Computer Science will be assessing different condition simulations for the effective preservation of manuscripts within the Notarial Archives. The Department will also be tasked with turning history into life through a tailor-made mixed reality experience to convey an interactive perspective of a number of historical local events.

The projects are expected to be concluded by 2021.

4. New discoveries Portolan Chart The Malta Financial Services Authority adopted Volume 29 of Notary Natalis Parmisan which was bound with half a portolan chart which covers the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea with Libya, Big Sirte to Bonadrea, to Isola de Columbi and beyond eastwards; and the North Coast of the Black Sea from Crimea to the Danube. The chart is unsigned and undated. The approach to its identification and dating have involved examining the presence of its geographical content, toponyms, palaeography, and finally the visual language and graphical signs it contains. The nature of the pictorial city signs, flags and remaining fragments of scales and compass roses mark it out as a fine example of early modern nautical cartography. Arsenic Content Prominent yellow staining can be found in various corsair documents from different centuries at the Notarial Archives. One of these documents was taken to the analytical lab at Bighi, where noninvasive micro-X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy was used to analyse the yellow staining. Results showed that the staining contains arsenic and sulphur. Research suggests that these stains are the result of a fumigation technique used in the 1700s, believed to be disinfecting the paper. Recipes of this technique can be found in

documents at the Notarial Archives, stating the quantity of each ingredient, the process, and lists of volumes that were fumigated. This discovery awaits further research and analysis by one of the Notarial Archive’s paper conservators, namely Ms Chanelle Briffa.

5. Adopt a Notary Scheme In order to prevent further damage caused to the invaluable collection at the Notarial Archives, a scheme for the conservation treatment of important volumes which was initiated in 2013 continued to be popular with those wishing to sponsor the Archives. By means of this adoption scheme, a range of manuscripts are available for private sponsors and individuals to sponsor through the three categories of the scheme: Adopt a Notary; Adopt a Volume; and Adopt an Item.

6. Public Awareness Art at the Archives A photography project by art photographer Alex Attard and developed in collaboration with Notarial Archives Foundation, has been awarded funds from the Malta Arts Council. The project included an exhibition, held between 3 October and 2 November 2018 at Valletta Contemporary, a newly established artistic centre. All works were inspired by the Notarial Archives, and in particular by the “Crying Room”, so called because within its walls one finds wardamaged documents that are in a precarious 41

state of preservation. These mangled, distorted manuscripts lie buried in boxes in a state of stasis with no apparent use. In collaboration with the Notarial Archives Foundation, this photography project looked into the original purpose of these damaged manuscripts and presents a new narrative by creating a dialogue between the photographer, Alex Attard, and the damaged manuscripts. It examines absence, presence and usefulness, and conceives and suggests alternative identities, parallel existences, for these forgotten manuscripts through an artistic expression, wherein history informs art, and art returns continuity to history by restoring time, memory and purpose to it. This exhibition has been the central activity of a whole month of activities held by NAF, including a satellite exhibition entitled Artists as Activists, opening the doors not just to the building itself but also to the stories found within the Archives. Seven artists who work with paper contributed to produce overlapping narratives about everyday life. With around 14 artworks exhibited alongside the sizeable volumes, Artists as Activists got audiences thinking about the stories that often remain untold: from the overlooked happenings on busy Valletta streets to the layering of memories. In a way, this echoed many of the stories found within the Notarial Archives themselves, which are full of mundane, personal stories that have become fascinating and invaluable down the centuries. Parallel Existences – The Notarial Archives: A Photographer’s Inspiration: Alex Attard, edited by Joan Abela and Emanuel Buttigieg was published by Kite Publishers in connection with this exhibition. NAF opened its doors to visitors on the Notte Bianca event on 6 October 2018, during which guided tours allowed visitors to see the work being done at the Notarial Archives. Natalis Notabilis 2017 and 2018 In 2017 the Notarial Archives Foundation was invited to take part in a six-day event that transformed Rabat’s historic core into a Christmas wonderland. The Notarial Archives Foundation shared historical recipes connected to Maltese history and to the volumes housed in the Notarial Archives. All proceeds went towards the preservation of the documents housed at the Notarial Archives. In addition to the participation of the Natalis Notabilis event, the Notarial Archives Foundation

collaborated with the organisers to restore a nineteenth century volume containing musical scores from the archives of the Archconfraternity of Saint Joseph in Rabat. The volume is currently in the process of conservation and will be presented during the Natalis Notabilis 2018 event in which the NAF will also be participating. Science in the City The Notarial Archives Foundation was represented at the 2018 Science in the City event held in the Parliament foyer in Valletta. The Foundation presented the skills and demonstrations related to the Archives amalgamating the thematic outlook on science and culture. The main presentation was about paper marbling and included demonstrations, explanations of the process and a hands-on experience for visitors. A paper conservator provided onlookers with the opportunity to look at fragments of materials used in book conservation through a microscope, whilst a historian explained the skill sets associated with reading manuscripts. Public Lectures, Media and Tours Various public lecture, TV and Radio programmes and group tours were organized by the Notarial Archives Foundation in order to create public awareness.

Public Broadcasting Service Ltd Archive compiled from PBS’s publicity on the project

Introduction

Dating back to 1960, the Public Broadcasting Services Ltd (PBS) archive is Malta’s largest audio-visual depository, dealing almost exclusively with Malta, its history, its people, its landscape and its memory. It consists mainly of footage reels and tapes estimated at over 47,000 hours of legacy footage. This footage is divided in five different formats. Format Beta High Bands SVHS 16MM CD and VHS Total 2.

the equipment and software that is yet to be procured in order to be able to start the inhouse digitization. Eight editing suits, an open area for Indexing and a server room for storage and robotics are planned. Highly-skilled human resources are required. There will be considerable investment in the engagement of Video Editors, Directors and Meta Data Inputters who will be employed solely for the scope of this project.

Hours 19,800 2,550 126 1,722 22,000 47,000

Digitisation Project

PBS is working on a project to digitise approximately 24,200 hours of this footage. In 2014, PBS submitted an application for EU funding under Priority Axis 5 -Protecting our environment - investing in natural and cultural assets. Two years later, PBS was awarded €5 million to finance its project named: ERDF .05.021 - Enhancing the Cultural Tourism Experience through Digitization. Last year, PBS drafted tenders for the project. The project will be executed over a three and a half year period, starting in 2018 all through the 3rd quarter of 2021. The project aims to make this heritage available to the local population, while enhancing tourist sites, monuments, streets, gardens, piazzas with footage relevant to those same locations; this will be done through both through the internet and through fixed viewing rooms. The Execution of the project will be divided into three phases. a. Refurbishment and Investment The basement at the PBS Creativity Hub in G’Mangia will be turned into the nerve centre of the PBS Archives project. It will house

Digitization and Indexing

- outsourced digitisation Formats such as 16mm film, U-matic reels and High Bands cannot be digitised in-house because of the nature of the treatment needed before the digitization process can be done. It has therefore been decided that these formats are to be sent to a specialized digitization company. The cost and time-frames for the material to be outsourced will depend heavily on the location of the tender winner; if the supplier is situated abroad one will have to take into consideration transport and insurance costs. It is estimated that there are 4,398 of hours of digitising material to be outsourced â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a good one-sixth of the total hours to be digitised.

- in-house digitisation Once the equipment is setup and all staff has been engaged, the in-house digitisation can commence. It is calculated that there are 19,800 hours of material to be digitised in house. It has been estimated that for every hour of material, 9 man-hours which include the production and indexing of the footage will be required. c. Indexing and MetaData Digitised material indexing, including the metadata, will be conducted on all the digitised material for easy reference. The indexing process will overlap the digitisation process once digitised material is available.

RESEARCH In 2005 the University of Malta started delivering training programmes in archives and records management, the same year when the current National Archives Act (Cap. 477 of the Laws of Malta) came into force. This made it possible for students to study these disciplines at tertiary level, within a department that caters also for related streams. The University of Malta’s Department of Library, Information, and Archive Sciences (LIAS) provides the education necessary to compete and succeed in this contemporary information age. As part of the Faculty of Media and Knowledge Sciences (MAKS), LIAS presents unique opportunities to build and

expand one’s knowledge, skills, and capabilities in diverse information professions including in Library and Information Science (LIS), Archives and Records Management (ARM), Knowledge and Information Management (KIM) and Documentary Heritage and Melitensia Studies at Master level. Research at Ph.D. level is also possible. This November the first cohort of students who read for the Master in Documentary Heritage and Melitensia will graduate. The following are extended abstracts of those dissertations that have focused on archives or records management in the MA stream.

Isabella Attard Documenting Official Maltese Identity: A Case Study of Malta’s Passport Applications

This study sought to consider the elements that constitute a country’s official national identity, examining the Maltese official national identity as evidenced by the applications for a Maltese passport. It was argued that the consideration of national identity is generally categorised in terms of primordial elements such as race, kinship, territory, religion, language, culture, history and way of life. However, all these elements are based on concepts which are abstract and therefore make the final product difficult to delineate with any amount of accuracy that is firmly beyond debate. On the other hand, official identity is dependent on documentation that provides the evidence required by the governing authority in order for an individual to be granted their official identity. When information, in the form of documents, was able to be stored and organised, it could be retrieved and reused. It is the piecing together of this “information that can be collected, classified, and circulated, and when necessary verified through the presentation of a document”1 that 1 Robertson, 2010, The passport in America: The history of a document.

constitutes official identity. The applications for a Maltese passport was chosen for the exploration of an official identity that is based on the information harvested from tangible documents which can therefore be described more objectively and rationally. The passport is by no means the only official identification document In Malta today. Nor is it a document that every person is required to carry as its use is limited to those wishing to travel abroad. Other frequently used identification documents in Malta include the Driver’s Licence and the Identity Card. With regard to the former, despite the ever-growing number of drivers on the island, the document is only issued to individuals wishing to drive who have successfully passed all the necessary tests. Also, there is no need to provide verifying documents regarding for example, one’s parentage or nationality. With respect to the latter, the situation is somewhat different as all residents are required to be in possession of this document. However, the Identity Card only came into being in the mid1970s and does not date back far enough to the historic moment when Malta became an 45

independent nation. Therefore, the application for a Maltese passport, which evolved directly from the application form needed to obtain a British passport, not only provides a link between the colonial and independent eras but also offers a wealth of information in the changing variety of supporting documents required to verify the holderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s official identity thereby making it worthy of closer study. In order to do this, this dissertation first examined theories propounded by Robertson which suggest that official identity can be determined by considering the official documentation of the individual and the

processes that govern the collection and cataloguing of the documents as well as the dissemination of the information contained therein. Works on documentary practices by Frohmann and Buckland are discussed in order to support Robertsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s theories. The theoretical discussion is supplemented by a longitudinal case study whereby the evolution of one particular official document, the application for a Maltese passport, has been studied and analysed. Conclusions indicate that documentary practices, although subject to change, have provided the foundation for the construct of official national identity to materialise.

The first passport application in Malta that includes a photo, dated 13 January 1915. The British Nationality and Status of Aliens Act (1914), which came into force on 1 January 1915, made it compulsory to have a photo and a personal description on passports. NAM/MFA/50/1915. 46

George J. Cassar Gozitan Public Events Through News Photography 1945-2015 A photo is both a document and an archival record, while the camera is an archival machine. The photograph, derived from a negative or born-digital, both tells a story as well as is a document in itself. By time, the photograph has become a complex record used for institutional, industrial, advertising, fashion, entertainment, personal, and artistic purposes. These various uses render photography an important instrument in modern archival studies. Photography, both in archival and private collections, should be considered as an integral part of the collective memory Collective memory goes far beyond museums, works of art, national orchestras and classical composition, Ûfin Malta, schools of art and music, and even edifices. It is, in its simplest terms, what has been said and done, what is remembered by the people regarding their own way of life during both normal and abnormal times, and all of this too at the humblest and simplest levels of Maltese society over vast swathes of time and events. There has been a time when a subset of such collective memory (then often labelled as folklore) was very popular in Malta. Ìuzè Cassar Pullicino, and now in our times Charles Coleiro, have recorded a lot of its main elements. “Collective memory continuously needs to be cared for and nurtured. Each and every one of us has a duty to do it.”1 (Consiglio, 2017, p. 14). These words were the spark for my research about Gozitan photographic archives and collections between 1945 and 2015, including the photographic collection held in state archives, church-owned archives, band club archives and others owned by nongovernmental organizations and individuals. Several authors reviewed the history of photography in the Maltese Islands since its inception up to World War II. However, little has been published about post-World War II photography in Gozo. 1 Consiglio, J. (2017, September 12). Collective memory. Times of Malta, pp. 2. Retrieved from https://www. timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20170912/opinion/ Collective-memory.657805

I examined the state of the photographic archives on the Island against a selection of photographic archives in Malta and abroad. Moreover, the archival materials utilised by the majority of photographers that photographed gozitan events in the period studied, as well as their actual condition have been examined and proposals for the future were outlined, following interviews with the collections’ custodians. In Gozo, many recall several events that took place since 1945. I managed to reference the majority of these events by grouping photographs from archives and private collections around the island around five themes: 1. Celebrations: inauguration ceremonies of statues, bells, monuments, buildings, anniversary celebrations, etc. These are celebrations that occurred once. 2. Tragedies: calamities that remained in the collective memory of the Gozitans. 3. Official events: special events organized by the establishment including Papal visits, royal visits, state visits, etc. 4. Cultural Events: I included only those cultural events that were organized once and omitted those being organized on an annual basis, eg the lyrical operas. 5. Miscellanea: All other events that did not fall within the previous categories. There are events that were left out as for various reasons, including that I did not manage to come across any photographic record. These categories and the reasons as to why they were

Installation of Mgr Joseph Pace as bishop of Gozo, 8 April 1945. Cremona Photo Archive 47

Police and volunteers carrying one of the 23 people that drowned near Óondoq ir-Rummien, 30 October 1948. St George’s Basilica Archive

Official opening of Astra Theatre, January, 1968. Astra Theatre Archive

left out may grouped along these lines: 1. Theatrical events with the exception of the official opening of Astra and Aurora Opera Houses. In my opinion this subject merits a study by itself. 2. Sports events. I think it has been written enough on this subject by journalists like Alvin Scicluna, Joe Bajada, Koli Apap etc. George Vella Muscat is preparing a comprehensive book on the subject. Moreover Jean Mark Cassar prepared dissertation on the history of football in Gozo.

collective memory such as the drowning of 24 persons outside Óondoq ir-Rummien. This subject merits a dissertation by itself. The installation of archpriests and parish priests. This is another subject that merits a profound study. As far as I am aware, this has never been tackled. Political activities with the exception of a few that are still remembered in the collective memory like the famous Mintoff meeting at it-Tokk on 5th March 1961. All activities directly organized by the private secretariat of the Ministry for Gozo. As over thirty years have elapsed since the introduction of this institution, I feel this deserves a thesis by itself. I have also omitted events to which I found references in newspapers and periodicals but failed to find a photograph ex. the official opening of Oratory Don Bosco on 8th October 1949.

______________ Consiglio, J. (2017, September 12). Collective memory. Times of Malta, pp. 2. Retrieved from https://www. timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20170912/opinion/ Collective-memory.657805

Official opening of Aurora Theatre, October 1976. Aurora Theatre Archive

3. Annual festivities like village feasts, Carnival etc. The annual village feasts or any other annual manifestations for every town or village during the seventy years covered by this dissertation are also excluded. Moreover books like TeΩori fil-Knejjes Maltin by Tony Terribile, Ilwien il-Festi Maltin by Andrew Borg and Mark Micallef Perconte and the voluminous The Maltese Village Festa edited by Dr Godfrey Farrugia, amongst other books, have covered this subject very well. 4. Accidents and incidents with the exception of a few that are still remembered in the 48

Pope John Paul II crowning the Our Lady of Ta’ Pinu effigy, 26 May, 1990. Ta’ Pinu Shrine Archive

Rita Cassar Astra Theatre: the structuring of a theatre archive The purpose of this research was to raise awareness about and to promote the archiving of the performing arts in Malta. Although Malta can boast of a rich history in performing arts, there is significant room for improvement with regards to theatre archives. As a nation we should start collecting and organising these archives immediately in order to prevent further loss of information from this area of our national memory. The only theatre on the Maltese Islands with an archive that is available for research is the Manoel Theatre; however, there is scope for further development of archival and preservation standards at this institution. This research investigated how theatre archives abroad are organised and made public. Contact was established with different theatre archives held within University collections, theatres and museums abroad. Through the information acquired from these archives, from the literature researched and following consultation of theatre archives webpages, the author was able to develop a model for a first theatre archive on the Islands that follows archival standards. A detailed description of the Astra Theatre archive was given. It described the choices and decisions made while structuring this archive as well as an account of how the catalogue, which will be used as a finding aid at Astra theatre archive, was compiled following the

International Standard Archival Description (ISAD(G)) (ICA, 2000). The study also explains the choice of AtoM, a web-based cataloguing system based on the ICA standards created by Artefactual Systems with the collaboration of ICA Program Commission (PCOM), as the software used for the catalogue. Through this choice Astra Theatre Archive catalogue is compatible with the National Archives of Malta, opening up opportunities for future collaboration and the possibility of sharing of catalogues not only for local purposes but also with international projects such as the Archives Portal Europe and Europeana (Archive Portal Europe Foundation, 2016; Europeana Foundation, n.d.). This study also analysed Manoel Theatre archive in detail. It analysed its present state of conservation and preservation, the cataloguing system used, the finding aids present and the environment in which the archive is preserved. The methods used to shelf the collection and the types of collections present at Manoel Theatre archive was also studied. It is worth to note that although Manoel Theatre is the national theatre and can boast of a prosperous history in performance that goes back to the 18th century, its collection starts only from 1961. Today, the collection at Astra Theatre archive includes an almost complete collection. The earliest documents conserved within the fonds

Opera music score signed and stamped from ISTR fonds courtesy Astra Theatre Archives

Programme for Santarellina held in 1947 from AT fonds by the courtesy of Astra Theatre Archive

Astra Theatre (AT) are from 1947, namely a leaflet announcing the operettas held by the dramatic group T.D.S., with Mro Giardini Vella as the composer, music director and stage director of the same performances. The Astra Theatre archive includes also two bequests by the families of Ìor© Xerri and Michael Angelo Galea, two active members at the theatre. Their collections include original and translated scripts, lists of actors, props and costumes, stage directors’ notes and light designers’ notes to publications published by La Stella Philharmonic Society. Other interesting fonds within the same Archive are the Impresa Said Teatru Rjal which collect music scores for operas, vaudevilles and parodies, most of which were held at the Malta Royal Opera House. They include also comprise a collection of original writings and translations of different genres by M.A. Borg and other Maltese authors and composers such as C. Huber, J. C. Camilleri, Augusto German, Mro O. Crescimanno, Mro G. W. Malfiggiani, Mro D. Amore, Mro P. Sarvaro. The material conserved within these fonds date back to the late 19th century and early 20th century. The MGGV fonds are the collection of Mro Giardini Vella comprise music scores from the pen of the Maestro and other personal documents. Manoel Theatre Archive was then compared together with Astra Theatre Archive to the Royal Albert Hall Archive. This study dedicates a whole section for the conservation and preservation precautions that should be taken to safe guard the artefacts in a theatre archive for posterity, outlining details of preservation measures that must be taken to slow the rate of deterioration of the collections stored in an archive. Since these measures are expensive and not cost effective especially for archives working on a small budget such as Astra theatre archive, advice from Maltese conservators was sought to keep 50

the environment within the archive as stable as possible, at minimum expenses. The necessary policies needed to manage a theatre archive are drafted and can be used with perhaps little modification to suite the archive concerned. The study attempts to give suggestions on how such a venture can be sustained financially although these suggestions were not made through a scientific research which leaves an opportunity for another study. Finally the research concludes with guidelines which could be easily followed by anyone who is interested to archive a theatre archive or a small collection in the absence of a professional archivist. ______________ Archives Portal Europe Foundation. (2016). Archives portal Europe. Retrieved from https://www.archivesportaleurope. net/ Artefactual Systems Inc. (2015). AtoM: Providing access to memory since 2007. Retrieved from https://www. accesstomemory.org/en/ Europeana Foundation. (n.d.). Europeana pro: Transforming the world with culture. Retrieved from https:// pro.europeana.eu/ I C A. (2000). ISAD (G): General International Standard Archival Description: Adopted by the Committee on Descriptive Standards, Stockholm, Sweden, 19-22 September 1999. Retrieved from https://www.ica.org/sites/ default/files/CBPS_2000_Guidelines_ISAD%28G%29_ Second-edition_EN.pdf

Ray Cremona Implementing Records Management Systems (RMS) In Maltese Public Administration Introduction The international standard ISO 154891:2016 - Information and documentation – records management – Part 1 defines records management as: the field of management responsible for the efficient and systematic control of the creation, receipt, maintenance, use and disposition of records, including processes for capturing and maintaining evidence of and information about business activities and transactions in the form of records. (ISO 15489-1, 2016, p. 3) Records management is an important managerial and administrative function that helps to establish and ensure the efficient management of records in order to help furnish and maintain evidence of an organisation’s activities, decisions, operations, and transactions. The introduction of electronic and hybrid systems that are a mix of both paper and electronic record formats, has transformed the way records management is promoted and perceived. For example, the emphasis on the benefits of records management in solving problems of storage created by huge amounts of paper records and the corresponding need to reduce costs in the form of rental fees associated

with such storage provision, has shifted on the evidential value of records (Sheperd and Yeo, 2003). Accountability demands that governments are held responsible for their actions, especially if their actions have an impact on human rights and fiscal stewardship. In a democratic society, civil society holds public administration under close scrutiny. The evidential value of records derives from the fact that records document and provide evidence of the activities and actions of public administration. The increased importance of good governance and accountability principles oblige public service entities to subscribe and implement standards and principles that demonstrate compliance with legislative and other legal requirements in the conduct of their operations in an effective and efficient manner. Records Management Systems are information systems that capture, manage, and provide access to records through time. Records Management Systems provide a systematic approach to manage an organisation’s records, while serving as a tool to meet the needs of an organisation to improve its record keeping performance. Such a system should incorporate a set of components such as resources, responsibilities, procedures and equipment that interact together to help accomplish such

a purpose. The implementation of RMS in local government entities has only been a relatively new measure, and in most cases the implementation was on an ad-hoc basis. In contrast with the large amount of literature written on the generic implementation of RMS, limited literature is available on the implementation of RMS in government entities. This is even more so with respect to literature relating to the local context due to the fact that records management is a relatively new concept in Malta and also due to the lack of a local professional records management community and research. Aims and objectives The overall objective of the research project was to assess the adequacy of RMS in Maltese government entities and understand the issues and steps involved in implementing RMS according to established international standards. The adequacy of current records management practices was examined through a retrospective review of record keeping practices from British colonial administration to post independence Maltese administration and the review of current public service registry systems and record keeping practices in a selected number of government entities. Methodology Data was collected through a comprehensive literature review in which several aspects of record keeping practices within Maltese public administration were reviewed. Legal and administrative developments that had an indirect impact on record keeping practices were also reviewed. The analysis from the literature review was analysed qualitatively through a gap analysis and subsequently through a simplified strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis. The gap analysis provides a snapshot of the overall situation of records management in Maltese public administration. The gap analysis identifies the gap between the objectives set by the enactment of the National Archives Act of 2005 and the current situation. The SWOT analysis reveals that a number of weaknesses and threats are hindering the implementation of records management practices in Maltese government entities. From an overall assessment of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats faced by Maltese government entities, it is believed that the weaknesses and threats outweigh the strengths and opportunities that have been identified. 52

The weakness of the public records and information systems is more evident when one takes in consideration the proliferation of public electronic records. The growing number of records that are being created in digital format (digitally born) and the planned mass conversion of paper records into digital records through scanning will pose a significant challenge to the records management practices of government entities. On the other hand, government and government entities websites may pose a greater challenge due to the frequent loss of information through updating and ‘link rot’. Without a proper national policy framework for the management of electronic records, Malta is risking the loss of its digital heritage. Conclusion In a time span of twenty two years, Malta’s public administration progressed from a situation where there was no legal right of access to the public records which were held by government entities to a situation where through the National Archives Act of 1990, access was granted to public records that were transferred to the National Archives (Aquilina, 2002.). Consequently, through the Freedom of Information Act, the citizens of Malta, civil society and the press were granted access to information that was not rendered public by the government entities. The research study highlights the inter-link between records management and information management and the importance of integrity and accessibility when dealing with public records in particular electronic and digital records. Furthermore, the study presents a number of recommendations and suggests a way forward for the implementation of RMS in Maltese public administration. The recommendations developed through a comprehensive literature review in which aspects of records management practices were critically reviewed and the analysis of the results of the gap and the SWOT analysis. ______________ International Organisation for Standarisation (2016). ISO 15489-1: 2016. Information and documentation – records management – Part 1: General. Geneva: International Organisation for Standardisation. Shepherd, E., Yeo, G. (2003) Managing records: a handbook of principles and practices. Facet Publishing. Aquilina, K. (2002) Freedom of information under Maltese law, available at http://www.humanrightsinitiative.org/ programs/ai/rti/international/laws_papers/malta/foi_malta. pdf

Franco Masini The Miscellanea Section of the Archives of the Order of Malta

The 6,542 volumes of the Archives of the Order of Malta (AOM) in the National Library of Malta is a unique collection of manuscripts, parchments and charts spanning over six hundred years of the history of the Order of Malta. The collection has been carefully catalogued and is presented into seventeen classifications. Whilst the first sixteen sections are clearly divided specifically by subject the seventeenth section is entitled Miscellanea and comprises some 136 volumes dealing with varied subjects and covering various periods. It is not known when the classification took place but currently the only reliable source is a typewritten document referred to as the Repertorio dated 1890 and attributed to Dr Luigi Vella and revised by Dr C Camilleri and Dr Ant. Briffa1. As the name implies the Miscellanea is a repository of a diverse number of manuscripts, printed material and charts. It is not presented chronologically and a wide range of subjects feature in its 136 volumes. It has been generally catalogued when its volumes, along with the rest of the AOM archives were digitized by the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library of Minnesota USA (HMML). A study of nine volumes was

undertaken by the author in connection with a Dissertation for the Master in Documentary Heritage and Melitensia presented at the Faculty of Media and Knowledge Sciences at the University of Malta in April 2018. The volumes of this classification fall roughly into three types. The majority appear to have been classified before the departure of the Order from Malta in June 1798. Some of the volumes appear to have been intentionally collated and bound during the time of the Order in Malta. A few volumes appear to have been collated and bound after the departure of the Order. Those volumes which were collated and possibly bound during the Order’s stay include a large number of petitions from individuals or organisations. These petitions appear to be original as most of them carry the ViceChancellor’s original, signed reference to the Order’s Council. They also seem to have been folded in three sections with a short description appearing on the top of the middle panel of the trifold. It is therefore likely that the collection of petitions were referred to the Council of the Order and then held by the Vice-Chancellor for records purposes. A number of volumes refer

in detail to several activities of the Order or its projects. For instance the possible revival of the English Langue2, the building of the aqueduct by Grand Master Wignacourt3, the bequeathing to the Order of five fortifications built at this Grand Master’s expense4 and the administration of the slaves’ prison5. Certain references in some volumes of the Miscellanea clearly show that they were compiled and bound after the Order’s departure from Malta and their presence in the body of the AOM archives seems out of place. One particular volume6 included a manuscript dated 16th August 1803, a good five years after the Order’s departure from Malta. Other post-Order documents7 include a manuscript with a list of slaves freed by the French in 1798 and dated 10 December 1798, and a volume8 which includes a document in Turkish referring to Mehmet Ali of Egypt which is dated 1811. There is no clear explanation how these post-Order volumes are found in the AOM. It is likely that this was due to the handling of the archives during the troubled times through which the AOM passed between the departure of the Order and the eventual deposit of the archives in the National Library of Malta.

Most of the volumes in this classification of the AOM are paper or board bound. Two volumes9, however, are richly bound in leather with decorative tooling. They appear to have been bound between the end of the 17th century and the beginning of the 18th century. They deal with the Tratte ed Estrazioni and are therefore valued documents of great interest to the Order, as their contents were considered as privileges enjoyed by it. There is no reason why these two important volumes should form part of the Miscellanea section. Their rightful place should be in the corpus of the Archives in one of the important classification sections. Why have these important documents been placed in this section? Finding exactly the date when these volumes were placed in this section would solve the question. Obviously they were discovered or acquired after the classification of the Archives was completed and possibly placed in the Miscellanea classification as the overall classification of the AOM had already been effected. This is not a study of the Miscellanea classification but simply an overall look at a part of the AOM which has not yet been thoroughly studied by scholars. Many of the documents could be cross referenced with manuscripts in the other classification sections of the AOM. A clearer picture would thus emerge not only of the nature of the section but also its importance as a repository of documents unique to the history of the Order of Malta and its administration. ______________ 1 Hannibal Scicluna “Archivum Melitense” (1912) Vol. 1 2 AOM 6384 and AOM 6390 3 AOM 6391 4 AOM 6397 5 AOM 6398 6 AOM 6402 7 AOM 6402 8 AOM 6504 9 AOM 6419 and AOM 6420

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE NATIONAL FORUM ON ARCHIVES, 2016 Fort St Angelo, Vittoriosa 5 October 2016 The discussion started with an update of the work by the Gozo section of the National Archives. The section, consisting of circa 600 metres of documents, is doing valuable work in saving material created in Gozo or related to Gozo. In particular the saving of the building notices related to Gozo (1889-1970) were mentioned. The issue of born digital records was raised. There was an appeal for the updating of guidelines to registry practice as with the passing of time keeping records in digital format is becoming a nightmare. The work by the Department of Library, Archive and Information Sciences at the Faculty of Media and Knowledge Sciences in training future records officers was praised. However, the country still does not have a national platform for its electronic records. The issue of valuable archival records in private hands was also touched upon. The Forum recognises the valuable work of those archival collectors who invest in private holdings. There is a need to arrive at some form of recognition for private collectors to collaborate with the State in preserving archival treasures in private hands. Legislative changes might be needed in this regard and the Forum was encouraged by the audience to lead in this area. An area which was criticised as still not on board when it comes to records management is the issue of the management of records of Local Government. There were suggestions to try and build networking with the Department responsible for Local Government and the secretaries of the said councils. While the minutes of these units are published, one should try to have them deposited.

Archival description was identified as a central weakness of Maltese archives. Our repositories hold thousands of fonds and professional archival description is lacking in several of the main repositories. This has a negative impact on the research process. This problem is related to the availability of specialised human resources and the lack of investment in the sector. The salaries offered by all institutions managing archives do not encourage attracting further specialised human resources. A suggestion was made for a nationwide approach towards the collection of old photos. While donating records might be inhibiting for certain families, the acquiring of digital images of historical photos might be easier to handle and more promising. The work at hand at the Notarial Archives was also praised as of extreme value to the country. The plans are for the project of the St Chrisopher Street repository to become a state of the art research centre by 2023. Sending students abroad to graduate at Masters level has proved a very successful venture. Crowd sourcing was suggested as a potential way forward to increase human resources through a user involvement that can bring not only the workmanship but also the knowledge. A preoccupation was raised about new legal provisions in a number of entities empowering them to destroy original hard copy records in the cases when digitisation is carried out. This needs further analysis focused on the type of digitisation that is carried out and also the level of digital infrastructure these entities have to preserve digital surrogates for posterity.