Archive - Archival Practices and Standards

Archives: Standards, Protection, and Development <extrainfo> Historical Development of Archives Archives have been fundamental to human civilization for thousands of years. Official document keeping began in the third and second millennia BCE, with clay tablet archives discovered at ancient sites such as Ebla, Mari, Amarna, Hattusas, Ugarit, and Pylos. These archaeological finds provide invaluable insights into early alphabets, languages, literature, and political systems. As civilizations developed, so did their archival practices. The ancient Chinese, Greeks, and Romans all created well-organized archival systems to preserve their official records. The Romans even had a specific term for archives: tabularia. This formalization of archival practice reached a legal milestone when the Justinian Code incorporated the concept of a designated place for preserving records—establishing the principle that record-keeping required dedicated institutional space and oversight. </extrainfo> Standardization and Description Standards To work with archives effectively, professionals around the world need to follow consistent standards for how records are organized, described, and accessed. Without standardization, it would be nearly impossible to share information about archives across different institutions and countries. The International Standard: ISAD(G) The International Council on Archives (ICA) created the General International Standard Archival Description, abbreviated ISAD(G). This is the foundational international standard for how archival materials should be described and cataloged. The key insight behind ISAD(G) is that it provides a common framework—not a rigid requirement imposed on every country, but rather a flexible foundation that can be adapted to local needs. ISAD(G) is intentionally designed to be used together with national standards or to serve as the foundation for developing new national standards. This flexible approach recognizes that different countries have different legal frameworks, existing archival traditions, and practical needs. National Implementations Countries have adopted ISAD(G) and adapted it to their specific contexts: United States: Uses Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS), which implements ISAD(G) principles for American archival practice Canada: Uses Rules for Archival Description (RAD), which serves the same function in the Canadian context Additionally, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is currently developing additional archival standards beyond ISAD(G), expanding the frameworks available for archival work. Protection and Conservation of Archives Archives face serious threats that archivists must actively work to prevent. Understanding these threats and the international frameworks designed to address them is essential to modern archival practice. Why Archives Need Protection Archives contain irreplaceable cultural, historical, and legal information. These materials are vulnerable to: Natural disasters (fires, flooding, earthquakes) Wars and armed conflicts Other emergencies that could destroy cultural property The loss of archives means the permanent loss of knowledge and historical record. International Protection Frameworks The international community has established coordinated protection efforts. UNESCO and Blue Shield International work together under two key legal agreements: The Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property (1954) The Second Protocol to the Hague Convention (1999) These agreements establish international legal obligations for protecting archives and other cultural property, even during armed conflicts. They recognize that archives have value that transcends national borders. Practical Protective Measures In conflict zones particularly, archivists employ specific strategies: Linking civil and military structures: Coordinating with both civilian authorities and military forces helps ensure archives receive protection even during hostilities Training local personnel: Archivists and staff in communities must know how to preserve and protect materials during emergencies Standards for Secure Archiving of Electronic Health Records As archival work increasingly involves digital materials, special standards have emerged for securing electronic information. This is particularly critical for health records, which contain sensitive personal information. The ISO Standard The International Organization for Standardization published ISO/NP Technical Specification 21547-1, which specifically addresses the secure archiving of electronic health records. The term "secure archiving" here refers to preservation with active protections in place. Core Principles of Secure Archiving The standard defines secure archiving around three fundamental safeguards: Confidentiality: Ensuring that only authorized individuals can access the archived health information Integrity: Maintaining the accuracy and authenticity of records so they cannot be altered without detection Availability: Ensuring that authorized users can reliably access archived records when needed Beyond these three pillars, the standard also requires: Long-term readability: Records must remain readable across technological changes (as file formats and systems evolve) Authenticity verification: Systems must be able to prove that records are genuine and have not been tampered with Controlled access: Access must be limited and tracked through proper authorization procedures Implementation Guidance To actually implement secure archiving, the standards recommend specific technical practices: Validated storage media: Use storage systems that have been tested and verified to maintain data integrity over time Regular integrity checks: Periodically verify that stored data has not been corrupted or altered Documented audit trails: Maintain complete records of who accessed archived materials, when, and what they did—creating an accountability record These practices transform secure archiving from a theoretical concept into a concrete, verifiable process that can withstand scrutiny and demonstrate that records have been properly preserved.