Blessed Collections Newsletter of the Religious Collections Special Interest Group of the Australian Society of Archivists Inc

Transcription

1 ISSN (Print) ISSN (Online) Blessed Collections Newsletter of the Religious Collections Special Interest Group of the Australian Society of Archivists Inc Number 11 March 2005 New Convenor I qualified as an archivist via the Graduate Diploma in Information Management - Archives Administration, at the University of NSW, during I undertook my field work at the Australian Museum, Sydney, where I co-authored the first published guide to the Australian Museum Archives. As I returned to the University of Sydney in 1987 to continue my postgraduate studies I worked part-time as an archivist to 1996 at the NSW Department of Corrective Services; the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (Kensington, Sydney); Sancta Sophia College, at the University of Sydney; Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association; and the Sydney Diocesan Archives Anglican Church Diocese of Sydney (since 1990). In November 1996, after completion of my PhD, I was appointed as the first full-time professionally qualified Sydney Diocesan Archivist for the Anglican Church Diocese of Sydney. I look forward to using my experience to assist other archivists working in religious archives, and also to learning as much as I can from the experience of others. Many of us are 'lone archivists', in organisations for which the provision of archival services is a marginal activity (compared with ministry); and we are obliged to occupy many roles and provide a range of services, often with minimal funding, and we can only benefit from helping and drawing inspiration from each other. Dr Louise Trott Convenor, Religious Collections Special Interest Group Blessed Collections, Number 11 I welcome Louise to her new role and wish her well. I have enjoyed my term as Convenor. I am remaining on the Committee as the Newsletter Editor. I would like to thank Denis Connor for his contribution for this issue on sessions at the ICA in Vienna in September 2004 of interest to Religious Collections. Included with the Newsletter is the Audio-Visual Survey. I would appreciate your completion of the survey and return to me at Locked Bag 4 Chester Hill NSW 2162 or by to fiona.burn@naa.gov.au Fiona Burn Newsletter Editor

2 Page 2 Annual General Meeting Minutes of the 2004 Annual General Meeting prepared by Denis Connor are included at the end of this newsletter. This meeting noted the selection of Dr Louise Trott as Convenor for 2004/2005. The meeting also appointed a committee to assist in the running of the SIG. Convenor: Louise Trott (Sydney Diocesan Archives, Anglican Church Diocese of Sydney) Committee members: Fiona Burn (National Archives of Australia, Sydney), Denis Connor (National Archives of Australia), Robin Radford (Anglican Archives, Adelaide), Steve Stefan (Provincial Archivist, Blessed Sacrament Congregation & St. Francis Church Heritage Centre), Contact details for the committee are on the back page of the newsletter. Discussion of Preservation Issues relating to Audio-Visual records The 2004 Annual General Meeting of the Religious Collections Special Interest Group was held at the National Archives of Australia, Queen Victoria Terrace Parkes in Canberra. Following the Annual General Meeting Robert French, national Director of Audio- Visual Preservation with the National Archives gave a general presentation and discussion on preservation issues relating to audio-visual records held in small archives. Members of the Religious Collections Special Interest Group and the School Archives Special Interest Group were present. Robert used examples from the National Archives and overseas archives to illustrate his presentation. Robert began his presentation by gauging the types of audio-visual holdings held in the archives of those present. These ranged from Pathe Film, 8mm film, Video 8 and Betamax video for moving images and to open-reel audio tapes, audio cassettes and audio micro cassettes Audio formats In relation to audio formats he made the point that there are particular problems with micro-cassettes that can be very unstable. The National Archives has a project to copy micro-cassettes found, for example, in personal records collections of Prime Ministers. If they had been stored appropriately and not played often the

3 Page 3 information was retrievable but generally micro-cassettes are likely to last less than 5 years and audio cassettes about 10 years. Generally the better quality of the tape the better preservation. Poor quality audio tapes and video tapes can also be subject to Hydrolysis if not stored properly. This occurs when the binder holding the magnetic particles on the tape absorbs moisture and a chemical reaction occurs. High temperature and relative humidity can accelerate the hydrolysis process. Treatment involves baking the tapes in a low temperature oven in the lab for over 48 hours, and then transferring to a new media before they hydrolyse again. Film Robert also discussed the various types of moving image formats and distributed examples of these formats to assist in identifying them. Film, a very stable medium, can however be subject to vinegar syndrome that leads to shrinkage and colour fade. Vinegar syndrome results from the deterioration of the acetate film base after contact with molecules of moisture and the chemical reaction produces a vinegar smell. This deterioration is not reversible but storing the film in low temperature can slow further deterioration until copying can occur. Copying programs and strategies He discussed the benefits of a copying program and formats suitable for access purposes. To minimise deterioration due to handling and use, copies of important and frequently used tapes should be made for reference and preservation purposes. Ideally, a preservation master copy, a distribution or duplicating copy and a reference copy should be produced but, given the costs, at least a reference copy should be made and the original then not used. The reference audio copy could be on CD. The National Archives uses Mitsui Gold CDs as the audio Master copy which would last for 10 years and cost about $40. The Platinum CD would be the duplicating or distribution copy and normal audio CD as a reference and exhibition copy. The expense, however, could be prohibitive for most small archives. Again, at least a reference copy should be made and the original then not used. The copying of film also can be expensive at over $60 an hour to copy film. The National Archives currently produces master videos of its film material and only makes copies film to film for significant items. NAA copies to both analog and digital video format. This is because there is no accepted international digital standard as yet and there is a higher chance of loss of information in the digital formats stored on tape than the analog format. The analog format, if deteriorated can always be enhanced digitally in the future. Reference copies can be made to DVD but there currently are still two formats vying for the industry standard. NAA still uses VHS cassettes for reference purposes though this technology now has a limited life. Storage arrangements In terms of storage the more stable the storage the better. The general rule is cooler and drier. Heat and high relative humidity are the great dangers. Optimum

4 Page 4 temperatures would be less than 20C temperature and 50% humidity but above 14C (which is about dew point) for most small archives otherwise condensation can occur when items are moved in and out of storage which then raises difficulties. The National Archives working vault is 18C and 35% relative humidity. The Low Temperature master film vault is set at 10C and 35% and the National Archives Isolation Cold Vault for vinegar affected film (and photographic negatives) is set at 8C and 30% humidity. All audiovisual media should be in a container. Albox can provide appropriate storage containers for audio-visual material, acid free and suitable for CDs etc. Laser printed labels are suitable and mark the labels with pencil or goo dink. The label should be placed on the top of the container. At the end of the presentation Robert distributed copies of National Archives Archives Advice sheets and the standards for storage of audio-visual material. If anyone has any questions regarding audio-visual preservation they can contact Peter Shaw of the National Archives at (02) Fiona Burn Newsletter Editor At left: Glenda Murrell accepting the 2003 Mander Jones Award at the ASA Conference on Thursday 16 September Congratulations!!! The Mander Jones Awards for 2003 were announced at the ASA Conference in Canberra at the Welcome Reception on Thursday 16 September I would like to congratulate Glenda Murrell, Archivist for the Anglican Church of Australia, Diocese of Brisbane who accepted the Award for the best finding aid to an archival collection held by an Australian institution or about Australia produced by an organisation deemed eligible for Category B institutional membership. Category B institutional membership includes Schools, religious organisations and historical societies and other such small societies.

5 Page 5 Glenda accepted the award on behalf of everyone who had contributed to the Records & Archives Centre website, Anglican Church of Australia, Diocese of Brisbane. To have a look at the award winning website visit Included on the website is the Anglican Records and Archives Centre Guide to Records. Congratulations Glenda on your great work! Community Heritage Grants 2004 Fifty-five community groups around Australia, including museums, libraries, archives and historical societies, received funding to preserve their documentary heritage collections with the assistance of the 2004 Community Heritage Grants Program announced on 17 November The program is jointly funded and supported by the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, the National Library of Australia, the National Archives of Australia, the Australian Film Commission and the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs. Grants of up to $8 000 are awarded annually to community organisations to preserve locally owned, but nationally significant, documentary heritage materials. Grant winners for 2004 included Southern Cross College of the Assemblies of God in Australia - Pentecostal Heritage Centre in NSW which received $3000 towards a preservation survey of its collection which illustrates the history of the Australian Pentecostal and charismatic movements in Australia. The collection contains the largest single set of Pentecostal and charismatic journals in Australia as well as slides, reel to reel and cassette audio sources, motion pictures, oral history tapes and original paper records. The Corporation of the Diocesan Synod of North Queensland received $4000 to conduct a preservation survey of its collection relating to the Goongange Tribe at Yarrabah and Palm Island Missions dating back to The organisation, which commenced in 1871, serves the Anglican diocese in a vast area stretching from Mackay in the south, north to Thursday Island and west to Mount Isa. The Corporation of the City Tabernacle received $4400 for a preservation survey of its collection, which provides extensive information on the development of the Baptist Denomination in Queensland over the last 150 years. The collection consists of books such as an 1880 members registry, photographs, pamphlets, correspondence, press cuttings and plans. Trustees of the Christian Brothers in Western Australian Inc. received $3,135 to undertake a preservation survey of its archive which contains material documenting the Christian Brothers activities in Western Australia and South Australia from This includes child migration, agricultural schemes, educational institutions and refugee and Indigenous welfare support and education. The archives also administer a computerised index detailing the location of records held in Australia for former child migrants to Catholic Homes between 1938 and 1965.

6 Page 6 The Churches of Christ Federal Aborigines Board Inc in WA received $5,500 to continue to digitise its photographic collection. The organisation was founded in 1942 to provide physical and emotional support for Indigenous people in Australia. The collection is a permanent record of the Indigenous families, children and communities associated with the Churches of Christ Federal Aborigines Mission between 1942 and The International Congress on Archives August 2004, Vienna Prompted by a statement by one of my colleagues lucky enough to attend this year s ICA congress in Vienna who made the comment that this congress featured many, many more presentations than in previous years, I checked out the program (it is on the congress website: to see if any of the papers might have covered issues relating to religious collections. It was pleasant surprise to see that within the conference stream Archives and Society / service to society there were 3 sessions, each of which featured a number of speakers, that dealt with religious archives collections and issues. Not all of the papers have been placed on the website and unfortunately, while the names of the speakers whose papers do not appear are provided in the program, the titles of their papers do not. An overall session summary is provided that gives an inkling of what the missing papers might have covered. What follows is the name of the congress session and the session summary from the program, the names of the speakers and where I have been able to establish this the titles of papers Archives and society service to society International collaboration in preserving church archives Program statement: This session will present papers focussing on the relationship between archives and international organisations, international networking, mentoring and fundraising and church and mission archives. Of particular interest are the efforts of these institutions in preserving church archives Papers Rosemary Seton Co-operative efforts to promote and secure the archives of Christian Missionary Societies with special reference to the Third World Godfried Kwanten Eccelsiastical archives in Flanders Dennis Daily (Library, New Mexico State University, USA) paper not provided New religious movements collections: development and access issues Program statement. Cultures throughout the world attract alternative religions that are often controversial. Documenting these groups can be a fascinating and also frustrating experience for archivists. Issues such as appropriate collection development policies, legal problems, and particularly access will be discussed. The session will examine these issues in relation to particular collections, including the Peoples Temple Collections at the California Historical Society, the New Religious

7 Page 7 Movements Collections at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the Rajneesh collection at the University of Oregon. Papers Linda J Long paper not provided David Gartrell paper not provided Mary Morganti When Tragedy Informs History: the challenges of administering the Peoples Temple Collection at the California Historical Society Marion s Goldman paper not provided Religious Archives and Society Program statement. This session explores the challenges and different solutions for the organisation and preservation of archives of religious minorities. The current project to collect, process, preserve and render accessible the documentary heritage left by the Protestant Church in Sibiu, Siebenburgen (Transylvania, Romania), following the mass exodus of Germans from this region, will be presented by Helmut Baier. Hanna Krajewska will describe a spectrum of archives of religious minorities in Poland (Orthodox, Protestant, Jewish, Muslims); she will also comment on problems connected with nationalization of church archives after World War Two. The methodological, legal, and ethical issues posed by the archives generated by the Jewish Diaspora over the centuries, and the more recent endeavour to reconstruct the documentary of Jewish communities throughout the world in one place in Jerusalem, will be explored by Hadassah Assouline. Lastly, Thomas Aigner will highlight the role of Austrian ecclesiastical archives as information providers, giving access to cultural heritage using the tools of the third millennium Papers Helmut Baier Preservation of the cultural heritage of religious minorities such as Siebenburgen (Transylvania/Romania) or how insistent expertise from outside can ascertain facts. Hanna Krajewska paper not provided Thomas Aigner Austrian ecclesiastical archives providing information in the third millennium Hadassah Assouline Rescuing the memory of the people: The raison d etre and genesis of the Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People, Jerusalem Denis Connor Newsletter by Are you able to receive the SIG newsletter by ? It certainly saves on copying, stapling, folding and postage if you can. Let me know your address ( me at fiona.burn@naa.gov.au) and I will add you to the distribution e-list. Fiona Burn Newsletter Editor

8 Page 8 Religious Collections Special Interest Group Committee Convenor Dr Louise Trott Sydney Diocesan Archives, Anglican Church Diocese of Sydney Tel: Fax: archives@sydney.anglican.asn.au Committee members Denis Connor National Archives of Australia PO Box 7425, Canberra Mail Centre ACT 2610 Tel: Fax: denis.connor@naa.gov.au Robin Radford Anglican Archives, Adelaide 18 King William Road North Adelaide SA 5006 Tel: RRadford@anglicare-sa.org.au Steve Stefan Provincial Archivist Blessed Sacrament Congregation & St Francis Church Heritage Centre 326 Lonsdale Street Melbourne VIC 3000 Tel: Fax: sstefan@blessedsacrament.com.au Fiona Burn National Archives of Australia Locked Bag 4, Chester Hill NSW 2162 Tel: Fax: fiona.burn@naa.gov.au

9 Page 9 Lyons Room National Archives of Australia Parkes, ACT ASA Religious Collections Special Interest Group Annual General Meeting 16 September 2004 Present: Fiona Burn (National Archives of Australia, Sydney) (in chair), Jenny Pearce (St John s Anglican Parish, Parramatta, NSW), Lee Davy (National Archives of Australia, Canberra)), Tracy Bradford (NSW Dept of Lands, Sydney), Claire Sadler (Canberra Girls Grammar School, Canberra), Sarah O Neill (Barker College, Hornsby, NSW), Josette Mathers (Integrated Records Information Systems, WA), Glenda Murrell, (Anglican Diocese of Brisbane), Lyall Kupke (Lutheran Archives, SA), Anne Warren (Little Company of Mary Archives, NSW), Kim Eberhard (Loreto, Normanhurst, NSW), Alexis Horsley (Presentation Archives, Wagga Wagga, NSW), Michelle Lillico (Sisters of Mercy, WA), Patricia Jacobsen (Congregational Archives, Sisters of Charity of Australia, Potts Point, NSW), Lia van Haren (Good Samaritan Archives, Glebe, NSW), John Waddingham (New Norcia Archives, WA), Anne Hughes (St Stanislaus College, Bathurst, NSW), Carol Anderson (St Stanislaus College, Bathurst, NSW), Louise Trott (Anglican Church Diocese, Sydney NSW), Elisabeth Wilson (Christian Brethren Assemblies, Hobart, Tas), Patricia Egan (Brigidine St Ives, NSW), Vanessa Finney (SCEGGS, Darlinghurst, NSW), Denis Connor (National Archives of Australia, Canberra) Apologies: Steve Stefan, Robin Radford, Sheena Hesse, Christina Garnett, John Nimmo, Emma Buckley Thanks: Thanks were expressed to the National Archives of Australia for providing the meeting venue. Introductions: Each of the attendees introduced themselves and spoke briefly about the institution they worked for and its collection and / or their interest in religious archives issues. Minutes of 2002 Annual General Meeting: Approved. Business arising: 1. The question Did the ABC keep copies of the program Divine Service? Fiona Burn advised that she had not been able to establish this, but did advise the ABC did not have an approved disposal authority to destroy any of its records. 2. The survey of audio/visual records did not occur last year, but Fiona with assistance from Robert French has developed the survey modelled on an international survey developed by UNESCO. A draft was circulated for comment. Newsletter: Issue No. 10 of Blessed Collections was recently issued and is available on the ASA website.

10 Page 10 Election of Office-bearers for : The meeting elected the following officebearers for the coming year: Convener: Louise Trott Committee members: Fiona Burn, Steve Stefan,, Robin Radford, Denis Connor The meeting congratulated the convenor and committee members on their election. General Business ASA mentor scheme Fiona Burn spoke about the revamped ASA mentor scheme which was devised to offer support in professional development to new archivists, and to encourage an ongoing and outgoing professional approach from existing members of the society. Fiona emphasised that the scheme s emphasis was to be on professional development and was not to be seen as a job-finding exercise, and there would be an attempt to match mentor and mentee. There was widespread support for the proposal, with a number of SIG members speaking of their formal and informal experiences as mentee or mentor. Fiona advised that the scheme needed to hear from potential mentors by October Anglican Archives network Glenda Murrell advised the meeting that an Anglican Archives network had been established to offer support to those working with archives in Anglican institutions and communities. There were 40 members across Australia. Details were provided on the General Synod website. It was agreed that ASA application forms would be forwarded to all members of the network. Glenda was to prepare a brief item about the network for Blessed Collections AGM. The 2005 ASA conference will be held in Wellington, NZ. The conference convenor, John Roberts, will be asked to suggest likely hosts for the Religious Collections SIG meeting. The meeting asked that in selecting a time for the SIG meeting could the conference committee choose a time that did not clash with the School Archives SIG or Indigenous Issues SIG meetings. Conclusion: The meeting concluded with morning tea. This was followed by a workshop on management, care and preservation of audio-visual records presented by Robert French (Director, Audio-Visual Preservation, National Archives of Australia.