Records and archives management in a museum agency : the case study of Heritage Malta

Abstract

This study investigates the state of records management within Heritage Malta. It was triggered by the need to assess whether the agency needs to have a records management policy and system in place. Such a system would allow for a centralised, sustainable, and accountable way to manage records; thus, its potential impact on the workflow needed to be studied as well. The current practices and workflow employed within Heritage Malta were investigated through interviews with the senior management of Heritage Malta. The data collection process involved asking some of the Head Office personnel to describe the records creating phase from an administrative point of view. The researcher also interviewed the registrar and senior curators, who provided information on how they manage the records created in museums. Heritage Malta’s senior curators were also consulted to shed light on the documentation associated with archival artefacts. Furthermore, the researcher also interviewed archivists and museum personnel from the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design of Norway and the Finnish Heritage Agency to see how they manage their records. Through gathering and thematically analysing these data, it was discovered that Heritage Malta’s existing workflow works well and should act as the baseline of the policy should it be implemented. This workflow can be further strengthened by implementing a retention schedule, managing access levels, tackling storage problems, and practicing risk mitigation. Moreover, it was concluded that a records management procedure has to be implemented holistically; thus, the implemented records management policy must be adopted as a Heritage Malta policy endorsed by the management.