Evolution of the principles of acquisition and selection
María Luisa CONDE VILLAVERDE
Archivo General de la Administración, Spain
It is important at the outset of this evolution to acknowledge the different traditions at the international level that will have a profound effect on the very definition of these concepts and on their implementation in each country.
For instance, with regard to acquisition, it results in most countries from a single transfer done on a case-by-case basis from the administration field to the historical archives. On the other hand, in Spain and some Ibero-American countries, the transfer of administration records to historical archives presupposes a continuous stream from the offices. This is effected through two preliminary transfers: from the office to the central departmental archives, and from that to the intermediate archives, all of which is under the control of the archive professionals.
It is in the matter of appraisal, a term that, in countries outside the sphere of influence of Records Management, includes various archival processes, that the subtle differences between the different traditions may be most clearly analysed.
The basic difference stems from the fact that in North America, and in particular in the United States, the context of a record plays a secondary role in acquisition, whereas in Europe and in Latin America, this context is precisely the essential factor in all archival processing, and especially in appraisal and selection.
Furthermore, the specific set of circumstances that pertained at the time of the birth and development of archival practice in Europe and America has determined on the one hand the identification of the archive concept with that of historical archives, and on the other, a complete adaptation of the archive professional profile to the world of History and cultural Heritage.
Subsequently, from this common origin, differences that were determined by the particular characteristics of each tradition began to take shape.
The weight of History in most European countries, intensified by the effects of the enormous volume of historical records preserved in storage, has shaped an attitude tending more towards preservation than towards selection, especially in countries with a Latin tradition.
The changes resulting from the continuous development of information technology, especially in the area of record production, have radically changed the international scene as far as forms of appraisal are concerned.
The significance of the context of an electronic record has produced an important change in the notion of appraisal, while it in turn has also influenced the environment of textual material.
This change is most clearly reflected in the way in which the Macro-Appraisal theory is formulated.
Furthermore, the lack of emphasis given to preservation in the area of electronic records will, in Europe and especially in countries with a Latin tradition, result in a considerable change in their attitude towards selection. And this, in the long run, will end up by reducing the antagonism between the different traditions.
Maria Luisa Conde Villaverde
Administrative career:
Ms Villaverde was employed on contract in the contemporary and overseas holdings section of the Archivo Historico Nacional in 1970. Having qualified as an assistant member of the Archives staff, she was appointed in 1972 to the Archivo de Indias in Seville, and in 1973 to the Archivo General de la Administracion in Alcalá de Henares as it was being established. In 1979, having taken the examination for archivist and librarian membership, she was appointed to the Archivo y Biblioteca of the Delegacion de Hacienda in Valladolid where she stayed until 1981. She then returned to the Archivo Central y Biblioteca of Ministerio de Economia y Hacienda. Since 1986, she has been director of the Archivo General la Administracion in Alcalá de Henares.
International Activities:
A former member of the current records committee, Ms. Villaverde is currently a member of the International Council on Archives current records in an electronic environment committee, and also belongs to the working group on Architecture Archives.
On the Latin American front, she has participated in numerous study days, seminars, round table discussions, courses, etc., and has collaborated on various publications including the Diccionario de Terminologia Ibericoamericano and the book Archivos Administrativos Iberoamericanos : Modelo y Perspectivas de una tradicion archivistica.
She was a member of the terminology group that was set up by the State Archives Branch to develop both published versions of the Diccionario de Terminologia Archivistica.
Teaching Activities:
She has organized three workshops on archives, and has participated in numerous courses organized by INAP (Instituto Nacional de Administracion Publica) and other institutions. She is associate professor of archival science at the Facultad de Documentacion of the University of Alcalá de Henares.
She has published articles in various journals from different countries, and she has been a frequent presenter at conferences, particularly on the subject of administrative archives.