Mitteilungen des Österreichischen Staatsarchivs 39. (1986)
Archive Buildings and the Conservation of Archival Material. An Expert Meeting, held in Vienna, Austria October 30 - November 1, 1985 - STEWART, William J.: Summary of Discussions
Summary of Discussions 269 mostly by scholars criminal activity was quite rare. Now, having done what we have, what do we get in return? In a way we almost have to blame ourselves for this theft and vandalism. This is the price you pay. Duchein:I was thinking while listening to you about the meeting we had last week in Austin, Texas, where all the stress was laid on opening archives. There was even a resolution or something, I don’t remember, about having an open day, an open archives day, a thing which I personally, absolutely, oppose. Under no circumstances should the public be admitted to the repositories. It seems that among our colleagues in Texas many were in favor of the resolution. I remember very well about fifteen years ago or even ten years ago the architectural fashion in France for archives was openness and glass everywhere, even on the ground floors. Nobody seemed preoccupied with security. Recently we had a serious theft, not on the ground floor, but on the sixth floor, thanks to the fire escapes. We didn’t think to protect the windows on the sixth floor but using the fire escapes, thieves broke the window on that floor and entered the building. These thefts occur to steal documents, of course, but in more and more circumstances thefts occur to steal expensive equipment, computers, electric typewriters, and electronic appliances. Allow me to put a question to Mr Benoit as an architect. Are glass windows and doors, which are currently fashionable, sufficient as a means of security or should we return to rails and bars? Benoit: If glass is used in your building additional protection may be obtained by installing security foil around the windows. If the foil is broken an alarm is sent to the police station. Architects favor glass because it is attractive and generally shows a building off to advantage. Now the conservation of energy is the dominant concern in France and elsewhere and the use of glass is much restricted. But, yes, there is a place for glass even in archives. Intervention by Mr Araujo: With reference to the discussion as to whether to construct a new building or to adapt an existing one, I should be pleased to describe our experiences in Brazil. In Brazil it is generally accepted that archives are the most suitable institutions to occupy old buildings. This opinion, even when true, can often impair or delay the development of archives. In developing countries, Brazil among them, it is increasingly difficult to obtain funds for new construction. In this situation existing buildings can be renovated in one or two ways. One, the adaptation can be carried out as cheaply as possible without attention to air conditioning, air pollution, or security. Alternatively, there can be extensive renovation, along with the purchase of sophisticated equipment to control temperature, humidity, building access, etc. Obviously the latter approach is more expensive but it promises solutions for our archival problems. Because funding is so difficult to obtain at this time, the best approach is to focus on simple, economical buildings, which are in harmony with the environment.
