A paper document, after all, in other words: a look from a traditional archivist

Abstract

Offices, division archives and state archives more and more frequently introduce some technical devices and computers with specialized software to streamline their work. This process is natural and should not induce any surprise or be prevented. But all technological innovations ease the everyday work on the one hand, but are a real jeopardy on the other. I believe that the biggest one is relishing the technology, sometimes even making it just for itself. Without conducting proper tests of the system earlier, without modifying current methodical regulations. To quote examples: devices and software used for mass digitalization of paper documents and providing access to them via the Web, currently used on a large scale: even with whole, large fonds and collections. But will there be any increase in accessing these documents, from all these units of a fonds or a collection, after scanning them and providing access to them via the Internet? I think that some scientifically prepared selections of sources are still handier for researchers – in a traditional form of a book or as a multimedia presentation. Also data bases need very thorough preparations. They should be friendly for both users of the state archives holdings, and for archivists – they should be a real finding aid for users. Due to that archivists should use all means of technological progress, but as some tools supporting them in their everyday work, and at the same time fully respecting archival theory and methodology of collecting, organizing and providing access to paper records. Obviously, the methodology must be properly modified, evolutionarily rather than revolutionarily, what could shatter the whole scientific legacy of many generations of Polish archivists.