Original order

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Original order is a concept in archival theory that a group of records should be maintained in the same order as they were placed by the record's creator. Along with provenance, original order is a core tenet of the archival concept of respect des fonds. A primary goal of keeping records in their original order is to preserve additional contextual information about the records' creator and the environment of their creation. Original order also encourages the archivist to remain neutral as opposed to applying any interpretation to the records.

Contents

Principle

The Society of American Archivists Glossary of Archival and Records Terminology calls original order a "fundamental principle of archives" and posits two primary purposes: preserving "relationships and evidential significance" of records and facilitating use of the records by maintaining "the record creator's mechanisms to access". [1] The SAA definition qualifies that original order is not necessarily the order of the records upon their delivery to an archive; if something is received by the archive clearly out of sequence, it is expected that the archive will return an item to its original location. If the records are received without any discernible organization system, then original order may need to be created by the archivist. [2]

The order in which records were created may provide some important information about the intention of the records' creator. Original order helps to keep the context of records intact, and some records depend on their original context to tell their whole story. Researchers may use this context to better understand the records' relationship to each other, their creator, or the manner in which they were maintained, used, or transmitted prior to being received by the archives. [3]

Another benefit of maintaining original order is that it reduces the amount of time that archivists must spend processing and arranging new records as they are received into a collection. [4] Instead of creating a new organizational system, developing new metadata, or writing new descriptions, archivists can use systems and descriptions already developed by the creator, as outlined in the seminal article "More Product, Less Process". [4]

Original order is closely related to, but not the same as, provenance, which refers to the origin of a record's creation or ownership. In addition to being kept in their original order, best practice dictates that records should be grouped together according to their provenance; records created by different individuals or organizations should not be mixed together, even if they discuss the same subject matter.

History

Max Lehmann is often credited as the first archivist to write about the principle of original order, when he developed guidelines for the Prussian Privy State Archives in 1881. Original order, or the Registraturprinzip, represented the easiest way for the Prussian archivists to maintain the complicated registry systems of the State Archives. [5] [6] [7] Prior to this, many archives had organized their records according to format, content, or chronology. Many developed chronological registers, essentially a sequential list of records that grew as they were added to the archive. This often made it difficult for archivists to process and describe records, particularly in large collections or when they were faced with arranging undated documents. [8]

The first noteworthy articulation of the practice of original order was presented in the Manual for the Arrangement and Description of Archives (also known as The Dutch Manual) in 1898, where, in the chapter on the arrangement of archival documents, point #16 states: "The system of arrangement must be based on the original organization of the archival collection, which in the main corresponds to the organization of the administrative body that produced it." [9]

These principles were not meant to apply to personal papers, as the Dutch Manual did not consider an individual's collection of personal papers to constitute an archive. In the first English-language manual for archive administration, published in 1937, Sir Hillary Jenkinson argued that only "documents which formed part of an official transaction and were preserved for official reference' qualified as archives." [10] Many, though not all, contemporary archivists, though, have changed their thinking and view personal papers as archives deserving of the same treatment as government or organizational records. [11]

Critiques

Many archivists have provided critiques to the principle of original order. T. R. Schellenberg argued that the principle emerged from countries with a registry system of archival custodianship, in which registrars played an important role as intermediary between the agency or institution creating records and the archive that acquired and preserved them. The imposition of order by these registrars ensured records were logically and consistently organized prior to their delivery to the archive. By the 1960s, this registrar function no longer existed and records were instead often delivered to an archive absent any coherent or comprehensible system of organization. Schellenberg argued that, "Normally [the archivist] should try to understand the system of arrangement that was imposed on the records originally rather than to impose one of his preference. But he should have no compunction about rearranging series in relation to each other or single record items within them if by so doing he can make the records more intelligible and more serviceable." [5] Similarly, Frank Boles noted that adhering to original order means prioritizing the creators' arrangement of records over a system that best suits future users and researchers, and this may at times limit the ability of researchers to access records. [12]

Other critics have pointed out that even the restoration of a presumed original order can risk erasing evidence of the management of a group of records after their original creation and organization. [13] The malleable nature of large organizations, in which groups of records can pass through multiple custodians prior to their transfer to an archive, can make identifying an original order difficult. [14] Tom Nesmith further argued that original order is not necessarily permanent over the life of the record; as records move from one custodian to another, prior to arriving in an archive, it is likely that the order will be rearranged such that the archive is no longer receiving the records in the order in which they were created. [15] Continued use of an archival collection and ongoing processing or rearrangement may also impact ideas of what constitutes "original" order and what contextual information is prioritized for preservation. [16]

Some archivists believe that original order may be less applicable to personal papers because it is more likely that the creator of these records did not create or store the records in a meaningful way. Jennifer Meehan, for example, argues that "Archivists must conceive of original order differently to adequately understand and contextualize personal records: rather than thinking of it as an ends to be achieved, it might better serve archival purposes by thinking of it as a means for carrying out arrangement and description." [11] Others argue that keeping personal records in their original order provides important contextual information about the personality or mental state of the creator. [17] [18]

In digital archives

In the modern age, the abundance of digitized records has created some new challenges to understanding and maintaining original order.

Inscription, the way that digital files are written to a drive or disk, typically stores bits of data in non-sequential order, based on where space is available. The bits must be gathered together and aggregated into a file that has meaning to the user. Additionally, each time an electronic file is accessed, it is changed. This new information, such as a "last saved" date or the temporary files created by a software's autosave function, is also stored in new places on the disk. Digital records are more likely to have multiple versions over the course of their lifetime than physical records—more, even, than the creator may be aware of—which can make identifying original order difficult. [19]

Based upon case studies of digitized and born-digital records, Jane Zhang described several key findings about the notion of original order in digital archives. These findings include the fact that electronic records may have multiple variations of original order because they do not have a fixed system of organization; they can be reorganized based on any number of metadata at the click of a button. Additionally, metadata applied to electronic records by the creator makes automatic processing much easier and may be applied to lower levels of hierarchical organization in electronic records, allowing individual items to be found regardless of whether or not they are maintained in the original order of creation. [20]

Because the concept of original order in digital archives is so complex, some archivists have proposed developing new guidelines that apply to electronic records while still respecting the principles inherent to respect de fonds. Jinfang Niu has argued that "the arrangement of digital records is much less about maintaining the physical order of storage media, and instead is more about maintaining the conceptual relationships among electronic records because the physical order of digital records often needs to be altered for storage and preservation purposes." [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archivist</span> Professional who preserves information for long-term use

An archivist is an information professional who assesses, collects, organizes, preserves, maintains control over, and provides access to records and archives determined to have long-term value. The records maintained by an archivist can consist of a variety of forms, including letters, diaries, logs, other personal documents, government documents, sound and/or picture recordings, digital files, or other physical objects.

In archival science, a fonds is a group of documents that share the same origin and that have occurred naturally as an outgrowth of the daily workings of an agency, individual, or organization. An example of a fonds could be the writings of a poet that were never published or the records of an institution during a specific period.

Encoded Archival Description (EAD) is a standard for encoding descriptive information regarding archival records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archival science</span> Science of storage, registration and preservation of historical data

Archival science, or archival studies, is the study and theory of building and curating archives, which are collections of documents, recordings, photographs and various other materials in physical or digital formats.

A finding aid, in the context of archival science and archival research, is an organization tool, a document containing detailed, indexed, and processed metadata and other information about a specific collection of records within an archive. Finding aids often consist of a documentary inventory and description of the materials, their source, and their structure. The finding aid for a fonds is usually compiled by the collection's entity of origin, provenance, or by an archivist during archival processing, and may be considered the archival science equivalent of a library catalog or a museum collection catalog. The finding aid serves the purpose of locating specific information within the collection. The finding aid can also help the archival repository manage their materials and resources.

Archival processing is the act of surveying, arranging, describing, and performing basic preservation activities on the recorded material of an individual, family, or organization after they are permanently transferred to an archive. A person engaging in this activity is known as an archival processor, archival technician, or archivist.

In archival science and archive administration, appraisal is a process usually conducted by members of the record-holding institution in which a body of records is examined to determine its value for that institution. It also involves determining how long this value will last. The activity is one of the central tasks of an archivist, to determine the archival value of specific records. When it occurs prior to acquisition, the appraisal process involves assessing records for inclusion in the archives. In connection with an institution's collecting policy, appraisal "represents a doorway into the archives through which all records must pass". Some considerations when conducting appraisal include how to meet the record-granting body's organizational needs, how to uphold requirements of organizational accountability, and how to meet the expectations of the record-using community.

The Australian Series System is an archival control or metadata system, used primarily to describe records in the custody of archival institutions. It was developed at the Australian Archives and forms the basis for the Australian Society of Archivists' committee on descriptive standards guide ″Describing archives in context″.

Preservation metadata is item level information that describes the context and structure of a digital object. It provides background details pertaining to a digital object's provenance, authenticity, and environment. Preservation metadata, is a specific type of metadata that works to maintain a digital object's viability while ensuring continued access by providing contextual information, usage details, and rights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archival research</span> Type of research using evidence from archival records

Archival research is a type of research which involves seeking out and extracting evidence from archival records. These records may be held either in collecting institutions, such as libraries and museums, or in the custody of the organization that originally generated or accumulated them, or in that of a successor body. Archival research can be contrasted with (1) secondary research, which involves identifying and consulting secondary sources relating to the topic of enquiry; and (2) with other types of primary research and empirical investigation such as fieldwork and experiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hilary Jenkinson</span> British archivist (1882–1961)

Sir Charles Hilary Jenkinson was a British archivist and archival theorist, regarded as the figure most responsible for bringing continental European concepts of archival theory to the English-speaking world.

Respect des fonds, or le respect pour les fonds, is a principle in archival theory that proposes to group collections of archival records according to their fonds. It is one of several principles stemming from provenance that have guided archival arrangement and description from the late 19th century until the present day. It is similar to archival integrity, which dictates that "a body of records resulting from the same activity must be preserved as a group." It is also closely related to the idea of original order – the idea that archivists ought to maintain records using the creator's organizational system. However, respect des fonds differs from that other foundational sub-principle of provenance in its concern with the integrity of the collection or record group as a whole rather than the organization of materials within that collection or record group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T. R. Schellenberg</span>

Theodore Roosevelt Schellenberg was an American archivist and archival theorist. Schellenberg's publications and ideas are part of the foundation for archival theory and practice in the United States. In particular, Schellenberg is known for pioneering American archival ideas about appraisal.

"More Product, Less Process: Revamping Traditional Archival Processing" is a 2005 archival science article written by Mark A. Greene and Dennis Meissner that first appeared in the Fall/Winter 2005 issue of The American Archivist. The paper argues that traditional archival processing is too slow, and advocates for the use of minimal processing in order to reduce backlogs and provide access to archival collections as quickly as possible. The ideology presented in the article, abbreviated as MPLP, has since been widely adopted in modern archival theory with subsequent praise directed primarily towards the ability to increase user accessibility without prohibiting the option for future processing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Records continuum model</span>

The records continuum model (RCM) is an abstract conceptual model that helps to understand and explore recordkeeping activities. It was created in the 1990s by Monash University academic Frank Upward with input from colleagues Sue McKemmish and Livia Iacovino as a response to evolving discussions about the challenges of managing digital records and archives in the discipline of archival science.

Hugh Alexander Taylor was an English-born Canadian archivist, archival theorist and educator.

Heather MacNeil is a professor at the Faculty of Information of the University of Toronto, Canada. She teaches archives and record keeping related topics. She is a former General Editor of Archivaria (2014-2015) and helped develop the concept of the Archival bond.

Sue E. Holbert was an American archivist with the Minnesota Historical Society and the Minnesota State Archivist (1979–1993). She is now the owner of Booklady Used and Rare Books in Chicago, Illinois.

Jennifer Douglas is a Canadian archivist and academic who researches the creation of personal archives and their place within with traditional archival practice.

Michelle Caswell is an American archivist and academic known for her work regarding community archives and approaches to archival practice rooted in anti-racism and anti-oppression. She is an associate professor of archival studies in the Department of Information Studies at University of California, Los Angeles and is the director of the school's Community Archives Lab.

References

  1. ↑ "Original Order". Glossary of Archival and Records Terminology. Society of American Archivists. Archived from the original on June 10, 2020. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Restoration of Original Order". Glossary of Archival and Records Terminology. Society of American Archivists. Archived from the original on February 6, 2019. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  3. ↑ Theimer, Kate (June 26, 2012). "Archives in Context and as Context". Journal of Digital Humanities. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  4. 1 2 Greene, Mark; Meissner, Dennis (2005). "More Product, Less Process: Revamping Traditional Archival Processing". The American Archivist. 68 (2): 208–263. doi:10.17723/aarc.68.2.c741823776k65863. ISSN   0360-9081.
  5. 1 2 Schellenberg, T. (1961). "Archival Principles of Arrangement". The American Archivist. 24 (1): 11–24. doi: 10.17723/aarc.24.1.l330351406231083 . ISSN   0360-9081.
  6. ↑ Douglas, Jennifer (2013). "Original order, added value: archival theory and the Douglas Coupland fonds". In Lisa Stead; Carrie Smith (eds.). The boundaries of the literary archive:reclamation and representation. Farnham, Surrey, England: Ashgate. ISBN   978-1-4094-4323-0. OCLC   855019740.
  7. ↑ Sweeney, Shelley (2008). "The Ambiguous Origins of the Archival Principle of "Provenance"". Libraries & the Cultural Record. 43 (2): 193–213. doi:10.1353/lac.0.0017. ISSN   1932-4855. JSTOR   25549475. S2CID   161988493.
  8. ↑ Horsman, Peter; Ketelaar, Eric; Thomassen, Theo (2003). "New Respect for the Old Order: The Context of the Dutch Manual". The American Archivist. 66 (2): 249–270. doi: 10.17723/aarc.66.2.452235k813568872 . ISSN   0360-9081.
  9. ↑ Muller, Samuel; Feith, Johan Adriaan; Fruin, R. (2003). Manual for the arrangement and description of archives. Chicago: Society of American Archivists. ISBN   978-1-931666-01-5. OCLC   53082856.
  10. ↑ Jenkinson, Hilary (1937). A manual of archive administration. London: Percy Lund, Humphries & Co.
  11. 1 2 Meehan, Jennifer (2010-10-20). "Rethinking Original Order and Personal Records". Archivaria. 70: 27–44. ISSN   1923-6409.
  12. ↑ Boles, Frank (1982). "Disrespecting Original Order" (PDF). The American Archivist. 45 (1): 31. doi: 10.17723/aarc.45.1.94g0502t2g81053g .
  13. ↑ Barr, Deborah (1989). "Protecting Provenance: Response to the Report of the Working Group on Description at the Fonds Level". Archivaria. 28: 141–145.
  14. ↑ Duchein, Michael (1983). "Theoretical Principles and Practical Problems of Respect des fonds in Archival Science". Archivaria. 16.
  15. ↑ Nesmith, Tom (2006-09-25). "Reopening Archives: Bringing New Contextualities into Archival Theory and Practice". Archivaria. 60: 259–274.
  16. ↑ MacNeil, Heather (Fall 2008). "Archivalterity: Rethinking Original Order". Archivaria. 66.
  17. ↑ Hobbs, Catherine (2001-02-21). "The Character of Personal Archives: Reflections on the Value of Records of Individuals". Archivaria. 52: 126–135. ISSN   1923-6409.
  18. ↑ Hobbs, Catherine (2010). "Reenvisioning the personal: reframing traces of individual life". In Terry Eastwood; Heather MacNeil (eds.). Currents of archival thinking. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Libraries Unlimited. ISBN   978-1-59158-656-2. OCLC   422757095.
  19. ↑ Bailey, Jefferson (2013). "Disrespect des Fonds: Rethinking Arrangement and Description in Born-Digital Archives". Archive Journal. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
  20. ↑ Zhang, Jane (2012). "Original Order in Digital Archives". Archivaria. 74: 167–193. ISSN   1923-6409.
  21. ↑ Niu, Jinfang (2015-01-02). "Original order in the digital world". Archives and Manuscripts. 43 (1): 61–72. doi: 10.1080/01576895.2014.958863 . ISSN   0157-6895.
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