Archival collection

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Archival collections are holdings that have been compiled by an archive from the point of view of content, sometimes without taking into account the context in which it was created, and acquired to supplement the official holdings. Collection items can be individual items or larger holdings that come to the archive as part of a regulated takeover, purchase, gift, deposit or loan. As a rule, collections are not closely related to the filings taken over from the archive carrier, but usually have a strong content-related relationship to the history of the Sprengels or the area of ​​responsibility of the archive.

Differentiation between collection items and selections

Collection items often come from foreign origins , e.g. B. associations, private individuals or parties, in the relevant archive. The quality and quantity of a collection depends on the respective documentation profile and the collection focus of the archive. Since the collection activity is usually continued on a permanent basis, archival collections only rarely make a claim to completeness. While the taking over and indexing of the archives' documents is the duty and main task of the archive, according to the Archive Act of North Rhine-Westphalia, the creation of collections is merely a voluntary activity of the archive for its users Data collections) are created and permanently updated for the archivists and their users.

Many archival collections have arisen from selections, i. H. Above all, certificates, maps and plans as well as photos were taken from the files due to their special storage requirements (oversize, special climatic requirements) and combined in a new collection. By inserting placeholders and creating cross-references in the subsequent list, there is an interlocking with the original tradition in order to be able to show the context in which they originated. With the addition of documents from other provenances to such selections, over the course of time these took on an ever larger collection character.

Examples of collections

Posters

Posters can be witnesses of political propaganda or ideas of the design principles of their time and are therefore of interest as exhibition objects and for the public relations work of an archive. However, due to their size, the storage of these collections is not straightforward. Due to the hanging up and the poor manageability, posters often come into the archive already slightly damaged and are prone to damage when the archive staff dig them up. That is why many archives have started digitizing these collections in recent years. Posters get into the archives mainly through targeted advertising and voluntary donations by the producing bodies (e.g. associations or parties).

Indexing the individual posters with archive software makes it easier to use, but in many archives there is a lack of staff and time. Therefore, poster collections are often only stored sorted by subject area or publisher.

photos

Storage of the photo collection in drawer cabinets

Even photos are popular exhibits and archive users much demanded evidence of the past. Similar to posters, they rarely get from the administration to the archives, but are mostly part of bequests, occasional donations or solicitation.

When using photos, reference should be made to various rights such as exploitation and usage rights , copyrights or the right to one's own image .

When storing, especially photos from the early days of photography , compromises often have to be made between optimal climatic and tolerable working conditions.

The content indexing and classification of photo holdings is usually carried out on the basis of locations, people and events and is already carried out in most archives using archive software.

Newspapers

Newspaper collections are a simple, prepared source and present the user with fewer reading difficulties than handwritten notes, but a review must be considered when working scientifically.

The complete copies or newspaper clippings are normally collected in archives.

Due to the poor paper quality of newspapers (thin paper, acidic ), they are usually filmed or scanned on microfiches or microfilms in order not to damage the originals further through use.

Storage of bound newspaper volumes as well as loose copies in archive boxes in the magazine

Estates

In estates the personal actions and motives of Nachlassers significantly. They therefore offer the user a very different approach to research than administrative files. Since bequests are always personal documents, they are subject to protection periods and usage restrictions depending on the agreement with the owners.

In particular, documents from influential and well-known personalities in the region or the area of ​​responsibility are of interest for archives. The acquisition or acquisition of legacy documents is a very difficult task that requires knowledge of human nature and a sure instinct. Often the handover is not expressly requested or intended by the heir himself; Heirs or descendants are usually not aware that the documents left behind can represent a significant enrichment for the existing archive material. In addition, documents left behind privately can help to close existing gaps in the records of the responsible archive (war or environmental disaster). As a rule, the structure and internal order of the estate are retained during the development process, if available and recognizable. The indexing of an estate takes place in the archive area according to the formal rules for inventory indexing.

Other collections

There are a number of other possible collections in archives, e.g. B. Document and card collections, printed matter, leaflets, sound and film recordings, autographs , medals and seals.

literature

  • Norbert Reimann (Ed.): Practical archival studies: a guide for specialists in media and information services; Specializing in archives. Ardey-Verlag, Münster 2008, ISBN 978-3-87023-255-9 .
  • Dieter Kastner (Red.): Photos and collections in the archive. With contributions from Friedrich-Wilhelm Henning et al. Rheinland-Verlag et al., Cologne et al. 1996, ISBN 3-7927-1687-9 , ( Landschaftsverband Rheinland, Archivberatungsstelle Rheinland Archivhefte 30).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ - Archive Act NRW . Website of the Ministry of the Interior and Local Affairs of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia Retrieved May 30, 2012.