appraisal revisionism?

[David Hearder <davidh@naa.gov.au>]

Food for thought from the NAA website:

http://www.naa.gov.au/recordkeeping/disposal/collection%5Frev.html

some information from qs posted by Anne Picot, Carl Temple and others about
NAA revising previous appraisal decisions, particular records previously
sentenced as permanent (and yes, archivists do make mistakes, but is this
NAA exercise just about correcting mistakes?  I don't think so.).
Unevaluated records (all that stuff that came into custody without some
determination of archival value) are listed separately in this web page.

Playing devil's advocate, is everything else (in NAA's custody) up for
grabs?  Can you tell from reading this web page, or absorbing NAA's
presentations to interested members of the public recently in Adelaide and
Brisbane?  And what does this mean for NAA's legislative role in appraisal
of Commonwealth records, as well as NAAs moral defence of the record on
behalf of the public?  Is legitimacy of the official appraisal role only
conferred by legislation - is there a wider responsibility at issue
here.....crikey, maybe even our professional integrity as archivists is at
stake????

As far as I know, there is nothing much else publicly available about NAAs
activities in these 'reappraisals'.  Please, anyone, update this 'awareness'
via the listserv if I am mistaken.

For myself, if past appraisal decisions are not accepted (putting aside any
blatant errors), then continual revisionism for retention periods will lead
to an empty archives, rather than doing what should be done - preserving
those records that have been deemed worth preserving at the time of their
original appraisal.  Appraisal decisions are a cultural snapshot of what
society thinks is worth preserving at the time the decision was made, and in
effect, are a manifestation of what today's society wants to pass on to
tomorrow's society, no?

Debate, debate, debate - this is one of the best ways of preventing the
construction of ivory towers , the 'we know best' syndrome.

mmm yes, does the ASA have a position on the present turmoil with the public
and NAA, and do we need one anyway?

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David Hearder
Collection Management

National Archives of Australia                    phone:   02 6212 34892
P.O. Box 7425                                                   
Canberra Mail Centre ACT 2610                 e-mail:  davidh@naa.gov.au

The views expressed in this email are the author's own 
and should not be construed as official opinion or policy
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