The nexus between digitization, preservation and access in the context of selection of materials for archives

Abstract

Records of enduring value are archived for the purpose of long-term preservation and for easy retrieval and access for future use. Archival materials are generated by an individual, establishment or family and this may be private or public. Archival materials have enduring value and due to this, they are preserved and used as evidence of the affairs or responsibilities of the agent which created them, especially certain records maintained using the principles of original order, collective control and the principle of provenance (ISO 16175-1:2010; ICA, 2012). Some of these records deteriorate after a period of time due toexternal causes likepoor handling or storage, theft or vandalism, fire and flood, pests, pollution, light, incorrect temperature and relative humidity. Preventive measures should be taken in order to considerably extend the lifespan of collections (Eden, 1998).Previous studies (Conway, 2010; McKay, 2003; Bishoff, 2007; Hedstrom, 2001) have shown that advanced countries likeUK, USA, Canada, AustraliaandNew Zealand among others have invested in digitization and digital preservation of archival materials. Webb and Jones (1998) cited in Woodyard (2000: 1) also supports this by pointing outthat “Australia has been seriously examining digital preservation issues since at least 1994”. To a large extent, the progress made in preserving digital resources in Australia has been achieved in the Archival and Library sectors. The reason being that these sectors have firm background in preserving traditional documentary records on a long-term basis, which is responsible for providing a strong foundation for continuing work with digital resources(Singh, 2008: 119). According to the findings of athreeyear study conducted by the World Bank and the International Records Management Trust (IRMT) on legal and judicial records in Singapore, digitization of records management facilities for legal and judicial purposes helped toreform and simplifycriminal and civil procedures (IRMT, 2002).This proves that countries that have completely digitized their records management procedures are reaping the enormous benefits from records in terms of the storage, retrieval of information, accessibility, among other actions taken on records on a daily basis.