Sonderband 2. International Council on Archives. Dritte Europäische Archivkonferenz, Wien 11. bis 15. Mai 1993. Tagungsprotokolle (1996)
3. Session / Séance. Sharing of Experience and Exchange of Staff / Partage d’Expériences et Echange des Personnes - Boven, Maarten van: Scope and Aims of Mobility. A Dutch View / Cadres et Objectifs de la Mobilité. Un Point de vue néerlandais (english 293 - français 302)
more in less time about the similarities and differences between the world of archives in the three countries concerned than a large-scale, general conference or an article in ajournai. Archivists in the other Dutch provinces which border on other countries - such as Zeeland, Gelderland, Overjissel and Groningen - also organise similar cross-border schemes, which mainly take the form of symposia and seminars with their colleagues from across the border in Belgium or Germany. The links with France are of long standing. Every year at least one student from the Netherlands attends the stage technique run by the Archives Nationales. In addition, attention has been focused on foreign archives for some years now. In 1990, 1991 and 1992 the Nederlands Archievenblad published a series of articles on archives in the European Community, in which Dutch archivists examined the way in which records were organised in each of the Member States. A striking feature of these articles was that most of the writers had become acquainted with the country they described on holiday or on a short placement or research visit. Every year the Royal Society of Dutch Archivists organises a week-long visit to an EC country, during which members visit archives. Such excursions attract a great deal of interest and are extremely well prepared. All who take part are struck by the generous hospitality they enjoy everywhere they go. The expectations entertained by Dutch archivists regarding moves to other countries vary considerably. Most see them as a short-term arrangement, enabling them to see the work of their foreign colleagues at first hand. However, a survey of students at the National School for Archivists reveals that younger archivists feel the need to acquire experience in other countries, not so much of the archive side - since Dutch archivists think they have little to learn from other countries on that score - but of the business side, in other words management, problem-solving techniques, logistics, equipment, selection and destruction, and so on. A significant proportion - some thirty per cent - of the students are even prepared to work abroad on a permanent basis. However, the percentage of established archivists prepared to do so is very small. 3. Session/Séance: van Boven, Scope and Aims of Mobility. A Dutch view Attractions of the Netherlands for foreign archivists As I said, there are few jobs in the Netherlands for archivists. Supply far exceeds demand. The opportunities for archivists from other countries are therefore extremely limited, quite apart from the language problems which would face most of them - with the exception of Flemish-speaking Belgians, of course - and the mismatch between most training courses in other countries andthe requirements of archive work in the Netherlands. However, the Netherlands offers excellent opportunities to foreigners wishing to gain work experience. We have a wide variety of high-quality, professional record offices. The municipal record offices in Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Utrecht and The Hague are extensive organisations with large staffs and opportunities to specialise. 298
