ARHIVSKI VJESNIK 40. (ZAGREB, 1997.)

Strana - 87

M. Carassi, A few Remarks about Professional Training of Archivists in Italy, Arh. vjesn., god. 40(1997) str. 83-87 were organised by their creators. Teaching how to restore and to handle archives whose original order was lost is not easy. Worse still is if the restoration proves to be impossible. Some help comes from studying the creator institution and an additional help from the study of the documents themselves, in order to discover the main functions they were designed to fulfil. - Arrangement of archives is considered a priority, so description comes later, once the original shape of the fonds has been restored. By this process the structure and the relations among individual documents is not hidden from researches. Schools have to devote attention to archival technology as it is no use to be able to read a medieval parchement if one cannot keep the physical decay under control. Heat, humidity, fire, radiation, pollution, biological infection and theft are sources of dangers the archivist often can quite easily prevent provided he doesn't lack the relevant knowledge. - An important aspect of teaching concerns the fact that often in contemporary administrations an archive and a documentation center coexist, possibly inside the same computer. Although data could be shared, the key question is which function they serve. Two different agencies can share a unique information system but the archivist has to recognise that there are virtually two archives in one. - An archivist should also be aware of costs and benefits evaluation. For exemple even new technologies might be and unadvisable investment, when not fully understood and carefully dominated. - Schools whould also have to consider the role of deontology, as even in a country provided with a good archival law, many doubts or conflicts can arise in the course of ordinary archival work. The recently approved code of ethics of the Internationa Council on Archives offers a background for the solution of ethical dilemmas, which will play an important role in archival education. A short comment on the up-dating of professional knowledge will serve as a conclusion to this note. The schools offers professional training which will have to be specialised in the two main directions of historical archivists and records creators, but much still needs to be done in the field of permanent training. Local administrations sometimes have recourse to private schools, although their quality is not always appreciable. The Society of Italian Archivists is making an effort by organising seminars on special topics and by setting up working groups on controversial issues such as selection and disposition, reform of archival legislation, ISAD-G standard for archival description, etc. 87