Archives in Malta : a general survey

Abstract

Archival material is all that is preserved in an archival institution, be it acquired or kept, in bundles, packets or loose leaves. Strictly speaking, documents, (i) acts and office register books are archives, but as already pointed out, its meaning is extended to include maps, seals, drawings, pictures and also film reels, together with other records of administrative dealings. The term ‘archives' means quite differently to archivists of various countries; for the Dutch archivist it is more of a registry, while for the English Jenkinson, archives correspond to ancient public records. It is seen that there is no clear definition for the term 'archives' and it: is to be modified in every country to fit its particular needs. […] Thus, a collection of writings to be considered as archives must:- (a) have had its origin during the existence of a body or of a person, (b) must be kept only for history's sake, (c) must be orderly, not a mere heap of papers. From the above, the aim of the production and preservation of archives is made clear. To be archives, material must have been created to accomplish some purpose, the accomplishment of the business of the body for which it is an agency. While Jenkinson (i) stressed their production in the course of an administration, Casanova attributed I their creation to 'political, legal or cultural purposes, and Brenneke attributes their growth to the result of the 'legal or business activities'. All this proves the importance of the origin of the archives. The second most important element is the purpose for which the records themselves are preserved. Such institutions, according to Jenkinson, are mainly created for the information and reference of the founding persons. Though Jenkinson is merely concerned with the archives of the past, he claims that records may become modern archives when 'having ceased to be in current use, they are definitely set aside for preservation, tacitly adjudged worthy of being kept'. Archives are also kept for the use of others than those who have created them. Reasonable and almost infallible decisions must be made as to their very great value for such use. From the above – quoted Brenneke they are ‘sources and evidence of the past’ i.e. obviously for research use. In governmental archival institutions, the reason for the creation and preservation of archives is the accomplishment of its work; records kept there do not necessarily become archives. Preservation of such records must be for another reason, in order that they be archives. This reason must be cultural, i.e. to give some light to outsiders as to the administration of the institution. The third element suggests the custody; to be orderly, archives must be of' some unbroken custody'. To Jenkinson, a document becomes an archive if enjoying this quality. As stated in his already quoted book 'Archive quality is dependent upon the possibility of proving an unblemished line of responsible custodians’. On this point of custodianship, Jenkinson differed somewhat from the Dutch archivists, for whom documents are archives only if intended to remain in the originating office. But this element of unbroken custody is not the only element to make a make modern record fitting to be offered to an archival institution and be considered an archive. [...]