GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums)/Archives

Definition

The term archive has up to twelve definitions depending on the context of use. It may be a physical space such as "an organization that collects the records of individuals, families, or other organizations" or a "division within an organization responsible for maintaining the organization's records of enduring value." The term can also refer to the actual records themselves housed in an archive. A person can consult an archive in the archive.

Archival Theory / Archival Science

• Arrangement and description
• Provenance
• Respect des fonds
• Original order
• Custody

• Post-Custodial Archives

Special Collections vs. Archives

In North America, it is common to find "archives" in university libraries. Archives in this context can refer to:

• The archives or fonds of significant people or organizations collected by the University Library. For example, "The Robin Skelton Fonds" (SC0114) comprises "records produced by Skelton during the course of his life and career."

• The archives of the organization called "The University of Victoria." The university archives contain the important records that document the operations of the university, such as student records, governance decisions, etc.

Archives are described by archivists in "Finding Aids" which may or may not be a part of a university library catalogue. Access to archives depends on the agreements made during the appraisal and acquisition process.

Special Collections tend to fall more under the library profession (as opposed to the archival profession) and are comprised of items that are catalogued and accessible to readers. These tend to be rare or unique material that are not part of general circulation.

Professional Identity in Archives and Libraries

In Canada, Archival Sciences and Librarianship are two distinct professions with different professional degrees. An archivist tends to have an Master of Archival Science (MAS) degree while a Librarian may have a Masters of Information and Library Science (MLIS) degree. Terminology around what makes an "archivist" or a "librarian" differs by country as well as professional standards and collective agreements.

Institutional Archive of the University of Victoria

The unit called Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA) at the UVic Libraries serves as the institutional archive, preserving the 'organizational records of enduring value' at the University of Victoria.

References

Author: Jmhuculak (talk) 12:50, 10 April 2025 (PDT)

Editor: Christian Schmidt (talk)