There is no doubt that for work we need numerous amounts of data and information and at the same time space or place to store them, be it physical or virtual.
Both are just as important in any office as a computer, a cell phone, a work table or a chair. Not as important as breathing, eating or sleeping, but: how much we depend on USB sticks, external hard drives today…
Let’s check our everyday bags, even the luggage we travel with; We will certainly find some of these carriers capable of protecting our most valuable information, which can be very different: photos, music, films, books.
This brings together, among others, archivists, librarians, documentation center specialists and researchers from more than 135 countries in this capital for the International Council of Archives (ICA) Congress.
Without a doubt, “save” is one of the most used commands on machines, and “archive” is no longer one of the verbs swallowed by modernity, plagued by the overabundance of paper documents and lacking the necessary resources to protect them.
On the contrary, overnight necessity and science, as united as ever, have found the digital formula to process and store the most important of the large amounts of information generated.
Likewise, with digitalization, society began to sleep more peacefully, finding a way to better protect and preserve its memory, which is a global problem given the gradual deterioration of many historical documents.
It is no less true that many archive holdings are currently at risk from the effects of climate change, such as sea level rise and strong meteorological phenomena.
Also, due to the difficult economic situation in which many countries, especially the poorest, find themselves, there are constraints that limit the funding needed to ensure the sustainability of conservation programs and access to archives.
The 75th Congress of the ICA takes place in a world marked by crises, conflicts and major challenges that are intensifying in this post-Covid-19 pandemic period, challenges that also affect archives, both national and regional as well as on a personal level.
Pillars of peace and international tolerance
These days in Abu Dhabi, experts from all over the world are drawing attention to the importance of archives and documentation and information centers, which are considered pillars of peace and international tolerance.
In her welcoming remarks, ICA President Josée Kirps emphasized the role that archives play in preserving and providing access to each country’s government and institutional records and multimedia documents.
“These archives represent reliable evidence of the decisions and achievements and are part of the memory of our society,” he emphasized at the meeting attended by delegates from more than 135 countries.
In many parts of the world, national archives are considered the memory of the nation. However, such repositories are neither silent nor passive; they represent the voice of knowledge and therefore contribute to the enrichment of societies and countries.
According to the experts at the event, it is a public truth that over time all documentation will be digital. Just as parchment replaced stone as a means of written expression, digital media will replace vast mountains of paper.
However, it is no less true that there are still doubts among scientists about what technologies are required to create authentic, reliable, immutable, durable and usable digital documents.
Its proponents assert that tools for creating authentic digital documents already exist and implementing them is therefore just a matter of choice and budget. However, not a week goes by without the media talking about global disruptions to one digital service or another.
Nevertheless, more and more people see promising prospects in this large-scale metamorphosis towards digitalization, which they consider inevitable and necessary.
Whether we like it or not, the change to this world began a long time ago and whether through artificial intelligence, blockchain or machine learning, the potential contribution of new technologies to documentation, data sets and archives is undeniable.
Will new technologies be a source of solutions or new headaches? Archivists and documentation managers also discussed this topic at the meeting in the Emirati capital.
The event is undoubtedly a comprehensive space for the exchange of testimonials and various examples of good practices, experiences and insights on the use of new technologies in the field of archives and document management.
Sustainable knowledge, sustainable planet
Without sustainable knowledge there is no sustainable development. And the latter cannot be promoted and achieved without modernization strategies to expand the reach of the archives.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, for example, recognizes that the achievements of this ambitious global action plan depend heavily on the continued availability of reliable and accessible information that supports public debate, teaching, scientific research and the development of government policies.
Their importance is even more important in times of constant questioning of the integrity of the information generated and received, considering the avalanche of fake news, hackers, disinformation and cyberattacks that we receive every day.
The need for reliable evidence (documentary records, information, data, etc.) is becoming more and more relevant. And in this new “war,” archives have a duty to maintain public trust.
On the other hand, the evidence preserved in the archives has great intergenerational value, and the institutions that preserve them must continue to be able to faithfully transmit the documented memory of the past into the future.
Congress warned that the evidentiary value of archives was continually threatened by technological obsolescence, administrative negligence, intentional destruction, conflict, looting, and illicit trafficking.
For Josée Kirps, also director of the National Archives of Luxembourg, the information challenges of the 21st century affect not only archives and document management professionals, but everyone.
No wonder access to archives is a right, not a privilege, and it is their duty to preserve existing knowledge and play a social role in sharing collective memories necessary for creating more powerful communities.
And despite difficulties such as misuse and non-recognition of their use in a variety of formats, especially on digital platforms, access to files, whether electronic or physical, is one of the most important tools for enriching societies.
(Text and photo: taken from PL)