NAM Newsletter 08 (2006)

NATIONAL

ARCHIVES

. . .to Preserve the collect.Ive

EE=_

memory of the Maltese nation through

the Protection and accessibility

MALTA

of all public archives . . .

EL|EE " THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES NEwsLETTEB

MESSAGE FROM THE NATIONAL ARCHIVIST

Charles Farrug.Ia

ln November 1999 the National

Archives issued the first newsletter aimed at informing the public on the

\

fu iniss­i;h ­and activi:es o;this national institution. Following the reform of

• ­ 2005, we are presenting you with ­­. arevamped layoutin linewith our re­branding policy. The publication will reach you on a quarterly basis.

A lot has happened from our last issue. The Archives Council

is now functioning effectively and the new corporate image of the National Archives is now in place. Several internal

changes are taking place in the administrative structure of the National Archives.

This year was also characterized with rapid progress in the

educational aspect of archives and records management. We now have diploma and degree courses in archives and records

management offered locally. \^le are now in the process of formulating more training opportunities.

The next challenge is the implementation of the records

management provisions set out in the Archives Act. We cannot preserve the memory of the Maltese Nation without an effective records management system throughout the Public Service.

The National Archivist, Mr Charles Famugia, gave a

detailed tour of the premises explaining the history

of the National Archives and his vision for the future.

Dr Gonzi visited an exhibrfuon \which grve an overview

of the work carried out at the archives. During this visit there was the presentation of the Linguamine Project, consisting of the digitisaton of the Consolato del rvlare documents.

Prime Minister Dr Lawrence Gonzi praised the work of the National AIchives which he called `a watchdog

against national amnesia'. He was presented with an album of historical photos from the holdings of the APS donated funds to the Notional Archives fior the

_' ,..c:rc held v.I:.'vi ';'i` i­­rances

National Archives and which are currently being

Bonnici. President of the Maltese

catalogued and digitised as part of the National Picture

Archive. The logo of this phase of the project and

Ncitional Picture Archive

Historical Association of victoria in

Mr AIfred Trigonzo cind

Australia about future collaboration

Mr Kevin Casha during

with the Natjonc]I Archives ­ 20th June

the event

2006

which was designed by rvlr joe Smith was launched.

We thank Mr Smith for his generosity.

The layout of the National Archives Newsletter has

FRONT COVER PHOTOS

been revamped. The newsletter, which gives an insight into the work of the national institution

HSBC Regionc]l Mc]nger RIchard Merciecc] c]nd Rabat Brc]nch Manger Doreen Scott shown

c]round the Archives followlng the sponsorship Presentation . Press Conference by Minister Louis Galec] cinnounclng the Nationc]I Archives Council ­ 29th Mc]y 2006 . Don Fc]ustino

responsible for the upkeep of unique documents that make up Malta's national memory, will be issued on a quarterly basis. The National Archives would like

Avclgliano c]nd the Nc]tionol Archivist during lclst yeor`s Publlc lecture ­ 28th October 2005 • The Hon. Prime Minlster signing the Visitor's book during his official visit to the Nc]tional

to thank HSBC Bank for the sponsorship of this

Archlves ­ 30th March 2006 . The audience c]t the cinnuc]I I)ublic lecture

newsletter.

THE NATloNAL ARCHIVES NEWSLETTEB EL|EE

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES LOGO C O M P E T I T I O N In May the National Archives launched a competition whereby participants were invited to create a logo which reflects the identity of the archives, as a newly established agency. The winning entry will be awarded a certificate of Merit and a cash prize of loo euros. The new logo will be featured in all National Archives of Malta material, including its website, newsletter and letterheads.

LOGO DESCRIPTION The main elements of the logo include a cross section of a hard bound archive volume touching a semi­circle representing various data storage devices. Above

the hard bound cover is a representation of a page ­the integral part of the archive.

The page has motion so as to dipict archival activity, The text: "National Archives"

and "Malta" enclose the whole motif, thus conveying that these valuable records

are being well preserved. The red and black pigments on a white background, clearly identify the Maltese national character.

GODWIN B0RG works as a Principal Officer at the Department of Corporate Services within the rvlinistry for the Family and Social Solidarity. He is also a self­

taught graphic designer and has been commissioned with various design projects since 1985 by various companies, printing presses, agencies as well as government

departments and ministries. One of Mr. Borg's recent challenges was to compile

and design a set of handbooks together with other artworks for the CHOGM 2005, He formed part of the Task Force for this international conference.

ih our reading rooms The National Archives is making available a

"I love quiet and peaceful surroundings where one can ponder on what really

microfilm reader at Santo Spirito and another

matters in life . . . art, love and God, I detest both materialism and egoism. Winning

at the Banca Giuratale section, for the use of

the Malta Archives Logo Competition may bring me in touch with the realms of preserved information, an environment which enchanted me since childhood." rvlr. Borg is married to rvlarthese nee Mifsud and has a son, rvlatthew.

researchers who borrow reels from other repositories, where microfilm readers are not available. The holdings at the National Archives

are either not microf lined, or directly available

In August the winner of the National Archives Logo competition was selected.

The winning entry by Mr Godwin Borg can be seen on the front page of this newsletter.

in digital format. This service is being offered

at a nominal fee as it is an extra service for microfilms on loan from other archives.

Booking to use the service is advisable.

NEWS FROM OuR LEGAL DOCUMENTATION REPOSITORY (AT THE BANCA GluRATALE) Work continued on the records at our legal documentation centre in Mdina. This year we focused on the re­boxing, cleaning and listing of a considerable number of volumes. A one week practicum was organised by Ms Evelyn Pullicino, a history teacher at the

Giovanni Curmi Higher secondary. A group of students performed a number of archival tasks such as cleaning of records, re boxing and inventory collation. We thank Ms Pullicino and headmaster Mr Horace Caruana for giving us this opportunity to collaborate with their school.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT ARCHIVE

NATIONAL ARCHIVES GOZO SECTION OPENING HOURS Monday to Friday 7.30 am to I.30 pin

Wednesday 2.00 pin to 6.00 pin (from o/ October to 3` MayJ Saturday 7.30 am to I.00 pin Closed Sundays and Public Holidays

ENEE! ­­THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES NEwSLETTEB

RECORDS MANAGEMENT A prerequisite for an effective National Archives is an efficient

® arranging the material to be transferred to the National

records management system in government departments and

Archives according to archival best practice agreed with

entities. This has to apply to both electronic and traditional paper

the National Archivist;

records.

.I

(h) providing forthe safe transfer of records to be preserved The National Archives Act puts obligations on heads of departments

at the National Archives.

for the proper up keep of records. One of these is the provision to appoint records officers in departments. The Archives act

At the moment the National Archivist is in discussions with a

stipulates the following:­

number of departments and entity including the Agriculture

Department, Customs, the National Statistics Authorit)/, the Manoel Theatre, and some embassies overseas who will serve as case

studies for the change over to the new system.

ARTICLE 16 (I) There shall be in every public office a Records officer or Officers. It shall be the duty of every head of public office

to send a yearly return to the National Archivist with details

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT RECORDS MANAGEMENT

of the Records Officer and other details about the upkeep of records in their public office as may be required by the

What are Public records?

National Archivist.

The National Archives Act lists all Government bodies and (2) Records Officers shall be responsible for creating and maintaining adequate documentation of the functions and activities of their respective public offices through the establishment of good records keeping practices, including:

I

departments that are duty bound to deposit their records at the National Archives (Schedule). The documents produced by these entities form the collective memory of the Maltese nation and it is the duty of the National Archives to preserve these documents and make them accessible to the general public.

(cJ) creating and managing current records within appro­ Are all government departments obliged to abide by the National

priate filing and registry systems;

Archives Act?

(b) drafting with the National Archivist retendon and disposal schedules relating to records specific to each public

Yes, all government departments and entities are obliged to abide

by the Act. Furthermore, the National Archives are empowered "`

office: T'

Provided that such schedules shall only come into effect when

with powers of inspecting the record­keeping practices within public offices.

approved and signed by the National Archivist, and in the case of

records containing personal data, also after consultation with the

Does it mec]n we have to preserve every plece Of Paper or e­mail?

Commissioner for Data Protection; The National Archivist may certify that particular departmental (c) implementing retention and disposal schedules issued

records which are more than thirty years old do not warrant transfer to the National Archives for preservation, and any records

in accordance with article 6;

so certified shall be retained in the appropriate public office or

(d) providing access to the National AIchives for inspections of records in accordance with article 6; (e) informing the National Archivist as soon as it is known that a function or functions of the pubic office will be

transferred to another public office or organisation, or that an activity carried on by the public office or an activity of some other body connected with its work is to be wound up;

disposed of, subject to the granting of an authorisation under article 6 of the National Archives Act.

//

lt is estimated that National Archives worldwide select circa 2­

5°/o from all public records for permanent preservation due to

twar eridur"fE;veulIvf3. i I+ / /r.

what is the thlrty year rule? n Public records in the National Archives, or in any other archival

in preparing, and providing the National Archives with, lists of records to be transferred to the Archives for

permanent preservation in accordance with guidelines issued by the National Archivist;

ELfl Lt+,,:J;,S

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reposltoryunderthecontroloftheNationalArchivlst,shallbe/y///. available for public inspection after the expiration of a period of

thirty years from their creation.

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Dowitlonofholldoytrael joumals by the sister Of the late Dr. E. Aglus ( I 9 April 06)

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THE NATloNAL ARCHIVES NEWSLETTEB

MESSAGE

FROM THE COUNCIL CHAIRMAN

Joe W. Izzo I was appointed Chairperson of the National Archives Council by the Hon. Minister of Education, Youth and

Employment, on the 29th rvlay, 2006.

My initial reaction to the Minister's invitation was one of surprise, considering my Public Service background is in

Council

when Dr Galea explained and defined the challenges

On 29th rvlay 2006 the Hon, Minister Dr Louis Galea announced

facing the Council, especially with regards to the man­

administration and people management. However,

the new National Archives Council, set up in conformity with

agement of public records and the resourcing of the

the National Archives Act (2005). The Council has the following

Archives administrative set­up, I accepted to contribute

functions:

in the knowledge that my experience in the Public Service

will be put to good use.

(a) promote the National Archives and other record keeping entities;

(b) ensure and facilitate the collaboration between the different stakeholders with direct or indirect responsibility

for the protection and management of the archives sector; (c) advise the Minister on the management of archives in

It is, therefore, with pleasure and honor that I accepted

to form part of a team of dedicated persons, all experts in varied fields. \^/e are embarking on an arduous but

onerous task and I believe that in drawing on our diverse

expertise and competencies we will accomplish the task

that has been set before us.

Malta;

(d) draw the attention of the Minister or of any organisation or person responsible for archives to any urgent action

that may be considered necessary for the better management of archives and records; (e) advise the Minister on any matter arising from the

provisions of this Act and on any other matter referred to it by the Minister.

The rlch archivc]I holdings we hc]ve ln Malta c]re c]n

c]ttrc]ction to foreign scholars who need to consult

them. It is our intention to give space to these scholars to shc]re their filndings with the general Public. We c]re stcirfing with Ms Veronico Viktorio Toth who is a

The Council shall also biannually convene a National Forum

Hungcirian scholclr working on the lifie of Cardinal

about the archives to discuss the state of the archives generally

Kollonich who was a Knight of the Order of St John.

after receiving a relative report to be drawn up by the Council.

She hc]s just spent three weeks here researching

There shall be invited to attend at such Forum, among

mc]inly in the Arch.Ives of the Order. What follows

others, Departments and other Government entities, Mayors

is her account of the main folndings:

of Local Councils, owners of private archives and their archivists,

"Leopold Carl von Kollonich de Kollegrad ( I 63 I ­I 707) was born

non­governmental organisations having an interest in the maintenance and safeguarding of archives and public records, the university of rvlalta, other education institutions, specialists,

consultants, representatives of the commerclal sector, persons

who make use of the archives, and any such other party showing

into c] noble fc]mily that escaf>ed Coratja in the I 5th century from

before the Ottoman­Turkjsh ottclcks and settled down in Austria.

At the end of the 16th century they were admitted to Austric]n nobility (Herrenstand) c]nd got Hungarian notjorality (indigenatus).

Leopold himself was born in Hungary. He followed the family

to the Council in writing that it has an interest therein. The

trcldition of folghting c]gc]inst the Ottomans by joining to the Order

Forum procedures shall be published and sent to the Minister,

of Molto 27th Af)ril I 650 in Bohem.Ia. He arrived clt the islc]nd

in the second half of 1653 cind tcok Part in the battle of Candic].

The Council shall give public notice one month in advance of

Owing to his heroism in the bottle of Dardc]nelles ( 1656) he was

the meeting of the Forum which shall be chaired by the

mc]de the castellanus Of vc]lletta, Vittoriosa c]nd Senglea for c]bout

President who is to be appointed by the Council.

three years. In I 660 he returned to the Hc]bsburg Empire. After he hc]d been ordc]ined his comet­like ccireer begc]n c]nd he soon

The council has advisory and non­executive powers and its main

tasks include the promotion of the archives, encouraging collaboration between archives, and advise the rvlinister on archival issues. Mrjoe \^/. Izzo has been appointed chairperson

of the Council. The other members are Nathaniel Cutajar, Dr

becc]me one of the most influent stc]tesmcin and cleric Person in Hungciry. His life~Iong pride of his knighthood cc]n be trciced in his

letter from I 690 to the Consiglio concerning the Orders fleet c]nd his effiorts to restore the OrderJs office in Hungciry that wc]s wound uP c. 1538. Due to his controversic]I Personality, actions c]nd his

Mario Tabone, Philip Borg, Anthony j Vella, rvlgr Gwann Azzopardi,

fierce will­Power, he was fec]red c]nd hclted by his contemporc]ries therefore neglected by historians for 300 yec]rs. Hls only one

Dr Lillian Sciberras, Max Farrugia and john Cremona.

biogrc]Phy was wrltten by jospeh Maurer in 1887.

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES NEWSLETTEB ENET

THE FRIENDS OF THE

NATIONAL ARCHIVES On 30th March, during a visit to the National Archives by the Hon Dr Lawrence Gonzi, President Mr rvlax Farrugia presented a donation by Friends of the National

Archives of Lm5,500. These funds came from the Vodafone Malta Foundation and

other fundraising carried out by the organisation. The funds went towards the

Friends President Max Farrugia donc]tlng a

purchase of showcases, counter and exhibition boards at the Banca Giuratale, as

cheque sponsoring the new uniforms for the

part of the National Portrait Archive. Part of the donation will be used for the

archives staff

purchase of a planetary scanner for the National Archives.

The Friends Committee made arrangements for the presentation of the private papers of Mr Anthony Valletta. The collection of Lepidoptera came through the initiative of the Friends Committee, in particular the secretary, Mr Steve Borg, who selected the material and is cataloguing the collection.

uNivERsirv cOuRSEs IN ARCHIVES & RECORDS MANAGEMENT

The organisation held a number of committee meetings, the Annual General Meeting, and also submitted a proposal for funding for a digitisation project. Apart

from this, the organization is one of the partners in the on­going Leonardo Project.

The fllrst group of students studying archival

science at the university of Molto. Also in I)icture Dr Ljllion Sciberras who retired from her Post as Director Of the Division Of Hbrc]ry and lrformc]tjon

Studies. We thank her for fourteen years Of hard work in this department c]nd lots Of c]chievements.

We clugur her a hcippy retirement.

Students attending Universfy courses leading to a Diploma in Archives and Records Man­ agement and a Bachelor in Library, Archive and Information Studies finished their first

year of studies this june. We wish the students success in the year ahead and look

forward to their graduation in two years' time.

I_h_e_?rjEa_n.:Sja:ion,==tupt.o.suPporttheNationalA.rchives_,isintheprocessofupdatingmembership r.e.c?rds and launch.ing a drive to attrac_t new members. If you would like to irelb us pr­eserve Malta.'s P:st_o:_I,_!?.u ca.n..join our organisati.on. fior a r.ere Lm2 a ye­ar or a lifie­members.hip fi5r Lm25. J;Si­hlil

i: : n:?Tb?rsrip. .fern: yo! .car ask for at_the National Archives and send by po:t ­to: Maj. F;eder;ck

C.a.uc[i ln?I?tt., .!eTber3hip Secretary, Friends of the National Archives of inalta, c|o `[a V=iiii:', Triq Sant' Andrija, Son Gwann.

Pll TeTbers are entitl?q to updates of the organisation's news and events, invitations to exhibitions, invitation to an annual lecture and other activities.

ARCHIVE AWARENESS WEEK 2006 13­18 NOVEMBER

GOING DIGITAL

National Archives Annual Public Lecture Reconnecting the Past: The role of digitization in

the creation of virtual archives The lecture will be delivered in Eriglish by Ms Gc]briella lvacs

(Chief Archivist and Records Manager of the Open Society Archives ­ Hungary) c]t the head offllce of the National Archives Santo Spirito, Hospitc]l Street, Rabat,

I 4 November 2006 ­6.30 P.in.

BEHIND THE SCENES IOURS

Archives Awareness \^/eek Exhibition at the Gozo Section

Saturday 18th November 2006 Take this opportunity and tour the reserved areas

of the National Archives ­What we do? Why? Are we succeeding?

Religious Aspects of Life in Gozo

TOURS. National Archlves Head Office Rabat

I 6 to 30 November 2006

& Mdina Legal Documentatlon Section

The exhibition will be open during offllce hours

Tlme: 9.00,10.00,11.00,12.00

Around thniy documents preserved at the National

Please book on customercare.archives@gov.mt

Archives and directly related to various aspects of

or phone on 21459863

religious life in Gozo will be put on display. These

Places on the tours are llmited and booking ls on a

wlll include, among others, the report of an Apostolic

first come first served basls

Visitation carried out in 1575, a meeting related to the Santa Marija horse races in 1587, permissions

EXHIBITION

for the building of new churches with plans attached,

The National Archives Over the Years

certlficates authenticating relics, papers related to

A History of the National Archives of Malta up to

several confraternities in Gozo, a Latin­Italian­rvlaltese

the present day

version of the Gospel of St john, and many other

Monday to Friday 9.00 am to 4.00 pin

Interesting Items.

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