NEWSLETTER
2015 No.1
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Word of the SPA President

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SPA Bureau meeting

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ICA Strategic Implementation Plan 2014-2018

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News from SPA members

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Next SPA meetings

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SPA Bureau Contacts

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Welcome to this edition of the SPA Newsletter. The purpose of the Newsletter is to keep SPA
members up-to-date with news on Section activities and projects and to strengtheninternational cooperation and collaboration between professional records management andarchival associations.
1Word of the SPA President
The PERSIST Project
I would like to draw your attention to a very special project that started last year in cooperation withIFLA and UNESCO: PERSIST (= Platform to Enhance the Sustainability of the Information SocietyTransglobally). This project was initiated by our former president, Martin Berendse. The aim of PERSIST
is to foster a high-level policy dialogue between heritage institutions (in the broadest sense of the term),
government and ICT-industry on digital preservation under the aegis of UNESCO’s Memory of the World
Programme.
Archives and libraries want their voice to be taken into account when the industry creates the digitalformats for the future.
Three task forces have been established, one to work on content (how to select and appraise digitalmaterials), another to work on technology (with plans for a global register of legacy software) and athird one with a focus on policy that build on the work done by the other task forces.
Our president David Fricker is a member of the steering committee of PERSIST, I myself function as aliaison officer between ICA and the project leadership.
The involvement of UNESCO is welcomed, it has an outreach to 195 governments in the world.
The outcomes of this project are very important for our work I think.
During the annual ICA conference in Reykjavik, Iceland, we will present an update on this project. Ofcourse I hope to meet many of you there!
Fred van Kan
President of ICA SPA
SPA Bureau meeting
During the meeting held in Girona, Catalonia, on October 12, 2014 the SPA articles were updated
because of recent updates to the ICA Constitution. The updates include the following changes:•The SPA Steering Committee is replaced by a SPA Bureau.
•SPA reports to PCOM.
In addition, during the meeting, activities connected to the 2012-2016 SPA Strategic Objectives andBusiness Plan were discussed. These projects include the development of an advocacy brochure,Advocacy works! distributed to each ICA member attending the Girona Annual Conference, and thecompilation of a list of movies on archives to be used for advocacy.

2Bureau of the Section of Professional Associations, Girona meeting, October 12, 2014

Do you know any movies on archives? Please let us know by emailing Claude.roberto@gov.ab.ca
We need your help to hold a festival of movies on archives during the 2015 Reykjavik 3rd ICA AnnualConference.
ICA Strategic Implementation Plan 2014-2018
ICA has set three key objectives approved in October 2014 in Girona, as well as a detailed Plan toimplement them. Progress in relation to objectives will be monitored every year and presented to theGeneral Assembly. For the period 2014-2018, the ICA will work on the following three key objectives:•Repositioning Archives as essential in good governance, administrative transparency anddemocratic accountability•
Monitoring and influencing the development and use of new technologies.
•Building capacity (in particular new competencies and skills) in the records and archivesprofession, so that it can handle the twin challenge of managing digital records and archives on
traditional media.
This Plan, developed by a working group, includes a new outward-looking vision where ICA spends moretime on understanding and responding to the wider environment in which it operates. The focus will beboth inward (network and profession(alism)) and outward (advocacy/lobbying), both on process(network and advocacy/lobbying) and content (profession(alism)). The Plan was circulated at theGeneral Assembly in Girona, where members had the opportunity to ask questions.
News from SPA members
Association des archivistes du Québec (AAQ)
The AAQ Communication committee has been working since December 2013 on an electronic guideoffering to members of AAQ information on the important role played by archivists and ideas on how
to increase their visibility. This book holds more than 100 pages on the archival profession and archival
trends. It is now available on line at no cost to the AAQ members. Non-members can purchase it for$12,99 (plus taxes). To access the book, you go to the Member Space at www.archivistes.qc.ca3

Association des Archivistes Français and National Association of Italian Archives
The national French (AAF) and Italian (ANAI) associations wish the European Union Council, Parliamentand Commission will consider concerns submitted by professionals working on personal data, found inactive, semi-active and historical archives in private and public institutions, to be covered by upcoming
legislation. The two archival associations agree there should be a legal way to stop abusive use of
personal information by organizations collecting and preserving this data to develop individual profiles
for commercial use by these organizations. However it is not acceptable for archivists to systematicallydestroy this personal data or make it anonymous in a short length of time.
Association pour le Développement des Activités Documentaires au Bénin
Benin has just celebrated the 100th anniversary of the foundation of its national archives. This
commemoration, entitled “Archives: Development, democracy and good governance tools”, gave
professionals in Benin and from outside the country to get involved in a symposium in order to reflect
on the role and importance of archives and archivists in this developing country. During the symposium
the ADADB President, Mr Abdel Kader Kpadonou, gave a presentation on appraisal challenges in recordmanagement.
Australian Society of Archivists
The Australian Society of Archivists (ASA) will hold its annual conference in Hobart between 18 and 21August. It is 40 years since the ASA was established and the association is taking this opportunity toexplore some of the most pressing issues facing the profession today. ‘Archives on the Edge’ is thetheme of the conference and will look at questions such as —what is our value and core business, whoare our partners, how can we build better connections and partnerships, what tools, techniques andresearch and other innovative ways can we explore to keep, protect, share and interpret records andarchives in a rapidly evolving technology landscape? Further information about the conference can befound at http://www.archivists.org.au/learning-publications/2015-conference/2015-conference
Japan Society for Archival Science
The Japan Society for Archival Science (JSAS) celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2014.
During the first 10 years of its existence, the JSAS gradually enhanced its presence among the archival
community in Japan by publishing its journal biannually, holding academic conferences andcollaborating with related organizations. In 2012, the Society established a registration system forprofessional archivists after years of deliberations. Since then, the total of 50 archivists with academic
credentials and practical experience has become Registered Archivists of the Japan Society for Archival
Science, and the new applications are now under review. In 2014, the harshly criticized Act on theProtection of Specially Designated Secrets, the law on classifying national security information, has
become effective. The review of the Public Records and Archives Management Act may also start in2015. The JSAS is committed to take up these challenges and use them as a leverage to promoteunderstanding on the values of records and archives.

Next SPA meetings

4The SPA Bureau will meet on May 19-20 in Warsaw, Poland, to plan activities in 2015-2016.
The title of the 2015 Reykjavik 3rd ICA Annual Conference is Archives: Evidence, Security andCivil Rights. This Conference will take place on September 28-29 and the SPA General Assembly
will meet during the Conference. For more information: http://www.ica2015.is/The SPA Bureau will hold a movie festival on archives during the Conference.
SPA Bureau contacts
President:
Fred van Kan
Koninkijke Vereniging van Archivarissen in NederlandC/o Gelders ArchiefWestervoortsedijk 67-D
6827 AT ArnhemNetherlands
E: f.vankan@geldersarchief.nl
T: + 31 26 352 16 00
Vice-President:
Dr. Bernhard Post
Verband Deutscher Archivarinnen und Archivare
Thüringisches Hauptstaatsarchiv Weimar,
Marstallstraße 299423, Weimar
Germany
E: bernhard.post@staatsarchive.thueringen.de
T: +49 (0) 3643/ 870-103

Joint Secretaries:
Cristina Bianchi
Newsletter translation Coordinator and Translator
Association des Archivistes Suisses / Verein Schweizerischer Archivarinnen und Archivare (AASVSA)
Archives de la Ville de Pully, Avenue du Prieuré 21009, Pully
Switzerland
E : cristina.bianchi@pully.ch
T: +41 21 721 3552

Dr. Claude Roberto
Newsletter Editor and Translator
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Association des Archivistes du Québec
Provincial Archives of Alberta
8555 Roper Road
Edmonton, Alberta T6E 5W1Canada
E : claude.roberto@gov.ab.ca
T: +1 780 427 0669

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