ICA-AtoM:
‘AtoM’ is
an acronym for “Access to Memory”: is an open source
archival description tool developed by the International Council on Archives
('ICA'). ICA-AtoM is multi-lingual and provides public and institutional access
to the holdings of archival repositories.
Why ICA-AtoM?
is a free and open source software;
the database would be online, accessible from our website and searchable on internet;
it was based on the ICA descriptive standards and provided the opportunity to bring our documentation up to that standard;
it facilitated multiple repositories.
Researchers
can find in this software information about Fonds and Items: biographical
history of record’s creator, description of scope and content, physical
characteristic, languages of the record, general notes and in some case also
the digital format of the documents.
Click here to search our online collections
What is the difference between an archive and a
library?
Although both are concerned with managing information, the occupation of archivist is quite distinct from that of librarian. The two occupations have separate courses of training, adhere to separate and distinct principles, and are represented by separate professional organisations.
Archives differ
from libraries in the way that libraries hold published material (books and
other printed publications), and archives hold published and unpublished
material, in any format, which sometimes includes objects as well. The purpose
of a library is to make material available to people, and access to
publications is available through visiting the library, checking items out and
reading them at home, or online. When a book is lost or has deteriorated, it is
replaceable. An archive makes material available for research, but the material
within an archive is rare and unique, and therefore cannot be replaced if it is
lost or damaged. For this reason, archivists strive to protect and preserve
their collections for current and future research, which means that there are
stricter guidelines in place for accessing material. Original archival material
is never taken home, for example, and some items may be unavailable for viewing
in the search room if they are very fragile or unsorted/uncatalogued. Unlike in
a library, digital copies (surrogates) or facsimiles may be substituted for the
original.
Below is a list
of the general differences between an archive and a library*:
Archive
|
Library
|
Unpublished
materials e.g. records, letters, diaries, posters
|
Published materials e.g. books, periodicals
|
Request materials from staff
|
Browse & retrieve materials yourself
|
Unique materials
|
Individual items
|
Collections of materials
|
Items with covers
|
Boxes and folders
|
Organised by subject and genre (facilitates browsing)
|
Organised by creator (keeps
materials in context)
|
Every item has a brief catalogue record
|
Descriptions can be none, brief, or
in-depth
|
Multiple copies exist
|
Materials irreplaceable
|
Lost or damaged items can be replaced
|
Must view items onsite
|
Can borrow materials
|
Higher security
|
Lower security
|
*University of Wisconsin-Madison
Libraries
There is much overlap
between archives and libraries, as an archive may form a section of a library
e.g. “Special Collections” (common in academic/university libraries), some
archives contain small reference libraries, and some public archive and library
services in cities are combined e.g. Liverpool Record Office, which is held
within the Central Library & Archive.
What are catalogues and why are they important?
Archives need to
document their collections, and cataloguing is a major part of that. A
catalogue is a finding aid: a tool that is used by both archivists and
researchers to know what is in the archive, what condition it is in, how it
relates to other material within the archive, and (for archivists) where it is
located and its conservation/preservation needs. A complete, detailed catalogue
includes contextual information on a record’s creator, such as a biographical
history if it is an individual, and may also include information on where the
records were before they arrived at that particular archive. Accurate
descriptions allow a researcher to quickly identify which records they would
like to view, and, as each catalogued item has its own unique reference number,
citing records correctly is made much easier.
Within an
archive there are fonds. These are
collections of records that have originated from the same source. At the National
Archives there are 82 collections of records which have been created by the administration
of Malta over approximately the last 500 years. Catalogues for these fonds
exist in both paper format and electronic format.