University of Southeastern Philippines

Obrero, Davao City

Institute of Computing
2nd Semester 2018-2019

Disembodied archives: The disconnectedness of records and archives

management practices within the Pietermaritzburg Cluster of Theological
Libraries, South Africa

A reflection paper for the course LIS 123: Introduction to Records

Management and Archives

Submitted by

Jenicel E. Tambis

Submitted to

Annacel Delima, RL
Instructor
Summary

The article discusses the result and findings of a study which is conducted
years ago to determine the inter-connectedness between records and archives
management for religious archives within theological libraries in South Africa.

It is important to note that much of our national heritage is recorded in the archives of
our religious institutions, hence the need to ensure that a continuum of care is
provided for this Christian heritage from the point of creation to the retirement of
those records with enduring value. Data for this study were obtained primarily
through a self- administered questionnaire, interviews and direct observation. The
study revealed that there is much disharmony with regards to records and archives
management-practices, which explains why documentary records in custody were
incomplete. This incompleteness threatens the corporate memory of these
institutions. An important recommendation proposed is the urgent need for archivists
within these establishments to adopt a proactive stance in order to ensure that
records should not only be properly managed for business continuity but that a
healthy and complete record should be transferred to the repository for the benefit of
posterity. Furthermore, there is a need to establish a central depository to coordinate
records and archives management-activities, thus ensuring best practices in records
and archives management.
Discussion

The article I’ve read is focuses on records and archive management practises
which focuses in theological collections in certain libraries in South Africa. It is very
important that the institution should also focus on managing records and archiving
because all the records we have is an important that could possibly become a part of
an archive in the future. Maintaining the proper management in the records is a big
challenge to the theological libraries especially in our generation because of the
influence of technology, the article stated some problems and challenges they
encounter currently and the main hindrance on making their records and archives
more effective. The religious institution like the theological library in South Africa
didn’t establish new plans and actions that would create ideas on how to manage
their records in productive and efficient manner. They don’t have systematic
approaches to make recordkeeping, and the scattered religious records are
exasperated or become worse because of the fact that there is no records
management program that provides to transfer orderly and valuable records to the
archives. Some observed also that archival materials travel through more complex
and indirect route before ending up in the hands of the specific archivist, so there are
tendency of losing the certain record and this is alarming why the documentation is
incomplete and the record is not guaranteed directly to the archivist. There is also a
journal that focuses on record management practises but they did not include the
religious institution.

For me there are some parts that I can say that the records and archives can
separated and disconnected in managing because they have different ways to
handle the information, but the other side of me believed that they are connected
with each other because records management programs guides and provide the
certain organization or institution of active records or even an semi-active records
that the archives programme will receive complete, reliable and authentic kinds of
records.

The problems and challenges stated above are some problems that the other
religious institution encounters, it is not easy to manage records but it depends on
the institution on what ways and strategy they used of managing their records,
 all agree that an intrinsic connection exists between archives and records-
management programmes, and they further note that, without a records-
management programme that guides

the organisation and a disposition of active and semi- active records, an

archives programme will not receive a comprehensive, reliable and
authentic body of records. Rather, it will host a miscellaneous collection of
varying value and usefulness, transferred on an ad hoc basis according to
individual interests, priorities and workloads.

He (Cox 1992) further observes that a full-scale inventory needs to be

completed, and the development of a records-disposition schedule should
be given urgent priority. The 1988 conference’s report on archives at risk
further emphasises the need for archivists and records managers to inform
administrators about archival needs and programmes and stresses the
importance of maintaining an active, vital archive within the evangelical
community (Billy Graham Centre Archives 2010). In a nutshell, as noted by
Stewart (2004) and Maher (1992) a records-management programme
protects the institutional memory by ensuring that the organisation’s historical
records are identified, retained and preserved.

observes that one cannot successfully preserve records if they are not
created, managed, stored and transferred properly. The enormity of the task
at hand is further compounded by the internal work processes of these
religious organisations, which is complex. This explains why records
management activities are fragmented. The proposed model to tackle this
problem might be of help (see Figure 3).

programme. ynamics of these organisations.

note that many organisations are still not aware of the value that recorded
information have for their business because they do not recognise that
records are a valuable asset. It is a proven fact that the entire programme of
a religious institution can benefit by improving control over the records it
maintains and creates.

She also refers to the records inventory which is one of the most important
component in any records-management