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This paper is premised on the observation that mainstream archival activities are the main cause and source of the "absences and silences" of the voices of the minority and the underrepresented in the archives. The aim of the study is to explain the context and documentation strategies of archiving and preservation of Historical Manuscripts (HM) of the white community in post-colonial Zimbabwe. In particular, the study seeks to: (a) Determine the legislative, regulatory framework for the management of HM in selected cultural heritage institutions in Zimbabwe; (b) Assess the acquisition policies and practices of mainstream cultural heritage institutions in Zimbabwe; (c) Describe the usage, purposes, and accessibility of both pre-archival and archival HM of the white community. The findings of the study revealed adequate provisions in the National Archives of Zimbabwe Act (2001) for the archiving of HM of the white community in Zimbabwe, although there were limitations of outdated policies for the institutions studied. The study also addressed the issue of limited funding and shrinking budgets which impeded on the operations of both selected cultural heritage institutions and white community associations. This resulted in failure to adhere to archiving/records management standards, and the upgrading of equipment and facilities, as well as the recruitment and retention of requisite and qualified staff. Overall, this endangers the HM collections to neglect and decay. HM were migrated from Zimbabwe to other countries regionally and abroad into private hands, and their extent, nature, condition of storage and status of preservation are undetermined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As of the creation of the Historical Memory Program in 2007, the legal framework for Cuban archives was updated in order to contribute in an official and organized way to the creation and development of archives in Cuba. This has favored the establishment of new archives in the Ministries, organizations, business groups, companies, etc., with the intention of preserving the documentation that is generated in these institutions and that are essential for their management and internal control, but they constitute part of the Historical Memory of the country, for this reason it has been necessary to design new archive spaces that have consisted, fundamentally, in the adaptation of existing premises that were assigned to it. The objective of this work is to show the adaptations made to two spaces granted for archives to two Cuban institutions. A descriptive study was carried out using direct observation, interview and documentary analysis as methods. For this purpose, it was not only necessary to visit the assigned properties, but it was also necessary to work with their dimensions and plans, as well as to propose actions related to the conservation of the collections. Two feasible proposals were made for the adaptation of the assigned spaces in which the investment works began immediately. Both institutions were able to have the essential architectural requirements for a correct adaptation of these premises for the respective archives, as well as a proposal of materials, supplies and furniture necessary to preserve their documents correctly according to the legal regulations established in Cuba. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with materials and data on the manuscripts that were present in the personal archive of Martin Ludwig Rhesa (or Ludwig Jedemin Rhesa, 1776-1840) - professor at the University of Königsberg, scholar of folklore, editor and researcher of the Bible, Church historian, publisher of Kristijonas Donelaitis's "Metai" and his fables. These manuscripts are traditionally referred to in Lithuanian literary historiography as the Rhesa Archive. The history of the manuscripts' preservation after 1840 is described: relocation to the Royal Secret Archive in Königsberg, the placing of a part of the archive in the State Archive of Gdańsk in 1903, and its appearance in Lithuanian libraries after the Second World War. The principal aim of this study is to determine the manuscripts that had belonged to Rhesa's personal archive in the 19th c., i.e., to reconstruct his previous archive. It is sought to determine the current location where it is being kept (the library or fund). In evaluating Rhesa's attempts to collect sources on the Lithuanian language, literature, history, and folklore, the scholarly and cultural interests that these writings attest to are demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research aim was to determine the effectiveness of disinfection methods: thyme essential oil microatmosphere (TEO), silver nanoparticles misting (AgNPs), and low temperature plasma (LTP) by culture-dependent method and RNA analysis. In addition, we examined the influence of disinfection on mechanical and optical properties of paper from historical books with different levels of microbial contamination. All disinfection methods were generally bacteriostatic and fungistatic. The AgNPs misting method was more effective for bacterial inhibition ( R = 60–100%), than LTP ( R = 25–100%) and TEO ( R = 12–100%); all tested methods were less effective for fungi ( R = 0–99.8%). TEO exhibits a broader spectrum of fungicidal activity compared to AgNPs and LTP. The antimicrobial effectiveness depended on the area from where the microorganisms were isolated and their sensitivity to the active agent. A higher disinfection effectiveness was observed for books with higher levels of microbial contamination. RNA concentration was a good marker of antimicrobial activity of disinfection. RNA amount decreased by 95–100% after disinfection with LTP and TEO, and by 29–89% after AgNPs disinfection. Disinfection of paper from historical books with LTP, AgNPs and TEO did not significantly influence or have a positive effect on the mechanical and optical properties of paper from tested historical books. We show that LTP, TEO, and AgNPs can be used as microbiostatics, alternatively to the currently available methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In "Archiving Paul," the author attempts to "think archivally" about what has come to be called the corpus Paulinum - a collection of 13 (or so) letters attributed to Paul of Tarsus, who is commemorated as one of the founding figures of Christianity. This article looks to archiving practices associated with ancient letters, primarily Paul's letters, in an effort to expose how such practices employ different editorial strategies with the effect of producing varying construals of authenticity and originality. After arguing that the textual history of the corpus Paulinum can be considered as an archive, the author generalizes three modes by which editors have shaped that archival material: collection, corpus, and canon. While these modes are not necessarily meant to be applicable for all archival study, their relevance specifically to the corpus Paulinum facilitates an awareness of the different forms that archival alteration can take and the way in which such shaping mediates the engagement of subsequent users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers the author's insights on the song, memory, power, and archive of South Africa. Topics include the song "Thula Baba," the preservation of cultural patrimony such as music archives, and the protection and restoration of collection of ancient African manuscripts and artifacts. Information regarding South African jazz pianist Bertha Egnos is also provided.

Access to documents accumulated at state-owned archive repositories is a topical area of scientific research in archivistics. When the paradigms of archivistics shift, the meaning of access to records as well as its place in archival research undergo changes. In the late 20th - early 21st c., archivistics have been moving towards the stage of a post-modern science, and in vigorous discussions of researchers on archivistics paradigms access is reflected as one of the key phenomena of the archival science. When examining access to records, a synonymous term "accessibility" has been established, meaning a granted right (en-forced by relevant legislation) to get acquainted with records and availability of the finding aids. Theo Thomassens post-preservation or post-modern archivisties, Angelica Menne-Haritz's access paradigm, Ivano Szekely's four paradigms of the archives history provide a basis for the access phenomenon in archivistics. Since the object of the archival science has shifted towards archival information, its goal becomes a quality access to information. Access is the mechanism enabling to reach information. Access to docu-ments means the possibility, assured by legisla-tion, of access to information contained within the records, and the existence of appropriate finding aids. At present, following Ivan Szekely's view-point, Lithuania's state archives could be as-cribed to the Public Paradigm, because the In-ternet access to the documents at state archives is not widespread and not well developed. Therefore, we could state that we are moving to the period of the Global Paradigm. Access to documents may be examined in physical, intellectual, and social aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the cataloguing, digitization, and conservation on the papers written by Father Luke Wadding at University College Dublin regarding his activities as historian, theologian, and Irish agent in Rome. It mentions that four of his manuscripts were kept by Paul Grosjean of Society of Jesus at the Merchants' Quay in 1920 in a catalogue of hagiographical works. It states that his written and received were preserved at the Vatican Library, Biblioteca Landiana in Piacenza, and Archives of the Bollandists in Brussels. It adds that majority of his letters were sent from Saint Isidore, few from Naples, and others were from the friaries of San Pietro and Aracoeli in Montorio, Rome.

The article presents an analysis on the fire that destroyed the University of Georgia Libraries on July 23, 2003. The University of Georgia (UGA) was designated the federal depository since 1907, holding United States government documents including historic information and rare and endangered documents. The main library complex is composed of old building and the Annex, housing collections of social sciences, humanities, as well as government documents. A fire in main library that housed government documents was hit by fire in 2003, damaging important and rare articles.

The article offers information on the nature and purposes of the Federal Depository Library as mandated by the United States Congress. The Depository Library Act of 1962 paved way to the creation of depositories in every state. It is argued that the equitable geographic distribution of depository libraries would ensure the preservation and educational importance of permanent collections of publications. A total of 1,253 federal depository libraries have been recorded, 729 have been created through representative appointments and 171 through senatorial appointments.

The article discusses the context of preserving cultural records. According to the author, the most significant change in the cultural record is not scholarship, government records, and music and visual art but audio and video recordings. Cultural record is composed of the scholarship that gathers, sorts and analyzes what people know or think they know. He asserts that culture has become a weapon of mass distinctions of the social sort, and in the U.S. the reaction of some people to the word is a product of egalitarianism and populism.

This article is an account of what happened when a vandal irreparably damaged an original copy of the Proclamation of the Constitution Act, 1982 at the (then) Public Archives of Canada while it was being shown to him. The writer of this piece, who was the victim of this malicious act, traces events in chronological order and shows how the document was created, its purpose~ how it was stained, steps taken to restore it. and its value. As a result of the disaster, the Public Archives reevaluated procedures for handling prestigious documents in order to better protect them from harm. It also had to deal with an important ethical question -- to what extent should conservators go to restore a document without affecting its authenticity and integrity? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A survey of the condition of documents in the National Archives of Ghana was conducted. A stratified proportionate sampling technique was used to select 600 documents from five repositories for examination. The results of the survey show that 63 per cent of the documents had pH values of below 5, 31 per cent were brittle, 77.3 per cent had fading texts, 94.3 per cent had turned brownish and 85.6 per cent had indications of fungus infestation. In all, 51.5 per cent of the documents were in need of urgent treatment. The study established that the situation resulted from a combination of factors, paramount being the unfavourable storage conditions. The implications of the findings of the study for Ghana were highlighted. Recommendations put forward include among others, mass deacidification of documents, sustained programme of fumigation, purpose-built archives for the regions, environmental monitoring and control measures, staff recruitment strategies and the institution of a comprehensive preservation and conservation policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article seeks to identify the major issues in the management of music manuscripts within the UK. With knowledge of current practice gained through the investigation of five case study repositories, from both archive and library domains, aspects of management are explored and considered within an archival context. Three major aspects of management are identified—collecting (collecting policies, storage and preservation), describing (finding aids, standards) and providing (access, outreach)—and each of the five case studies is tailored to fit these key areas. Exploration of these issues facilitates the ultimate aim of producing an approach to better, more consistent methods in this neglected area. Suggestions for improvement include the development of specific standards or guidelines for preservation and description, and the establishment of a specialist, cross-domain working group, prompting formal networking between the music library professional body, the International Association of Music Libraries, and representatives from other domains. The continued development of collaborative music resources such as Cecilia is also found to be key to the unified provision of user access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the conservation and restoration of the manuscript of Bahai teachings "The Station of This Day," written by calligrapher Miskin Qalam. Since the Station of this Day was on permanent display for a long time, in an uncontrolled environment it was expected that it would be in poor condition. The examination revealed that the surface of the paper was slightly brittle and in many areas of the paper surface and inks hazing was visible. The most noticeable damage was a long line of surface losses along a diagonal area through the first 6 lines in the top left quadrant. A large portion of the border was also missing at the top right corner and small losses were visible throughout the object.

We suggest a new class of metrics for measuring distances between documents, generalizing the well-known resemblance distance. We then show how to combine distance measures with statistical smoothing to develop techniques for imputing missing features of documents. We treat in detail the case where these features are continuous variates, but we note that our methods can be adapted to settings where the features are ordered or unordered categorical variates (e.g., the names of potential authors of the documents). The results of applying our ideas to the dating of medieval manuscripts are briefly summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on efforts taken by the U.S. government and the U.S. Secret Service for their help in protecting their national artistic and cultural treasures, with reference to letters written by the U.S. Congress librarian Archibald MacLeish. Reason behind transferring these document to a safer place; Overview of letters written by MacLeish to secretary of the U.S. Treasury Henry Morgenthau; Proceedings of transferring these documents.

The article presents information on a project called "The Digital Atheneum: New Techniques for Restoring, Searching, and Editing Humanities Collections." In this project, researchers are attempting to reverse some of the damage done to manuscripts in the infamous Cottonian Library fire of 1731, and to make them accessible again through electronic editions. They have chosen to confine their research to heavily damaged manuscripts, because they would presumably master easy problems while striving to solve difficult ones, and they would also make available some currently unusable material for new research. In this group of manuscripts one of the biggest challenges for Anglo-Saxon scholars and computer scientists alike is Cotton Otho B. x, once a large Old English miscellany dominated by saints' lives written by an eleventh century monk.

Discusses the effort of the National Preservation Office (NPO) to adopt a planned approach to preservation by libraries and archives in Great Britain and Ireland. Information on NPO Preservation Assessment Survey; Developments in digital preservation in Great Britain since 1996; Examples of a potential collaborative projects which could be taken forward with project funding drawn from a variety of sources.

Presents several archives and manuscripts collection in the Fiji Museum. Preservation of microfilm copies of archives and manuscripts by the Pacific Manuscript Bureau (PMB); Procedure for the storing of microfilm copies; Lists of documents microfilmed by the Bureau of PMB.

Discusses difficulties in preserving South Africa's archival heritage. Purposes of archives; Paradigm shift in the preservation of records; Metadata or meta-integrity; Technological obsolescence; Preservation initiatives by the National Archives of South Africa; Features of the Victoria Electronic Records Strategy.

The article offers information on various political and economic documents related to the European Union. The European Union studies at the University of Pittsburgh determined the contents and importance of European Union, as well as the role of Archive of European Integration. A collection containing documents by all the institutions of the EU since 1951 is named as the European Union Delegation Collection (EUDC). The Archive of European Integration (AEI), is an online repository for full-text materials on the topic of European integration.

Focuses on news and developments related to archives, current as of April 1989. Launch of the periodical 'Alexandria: The Journal of National and International Library and Information Issues'; Establishment of a National Manuscripts Conservation Fund in Great Britain.