Functions of archives creators on the example of state archives. Preliminary considerations

Abstract

The presentation by the International Council of Archives of the project of a new model of archival description "Records in Contexts" made the authors look for the possibility of using this model in the Polish system of archival information. They draw attention to the lack of studies or thesaurus in Poland containing systematized functions performed by various entities operating in all areas. They refer to a handful of examples from other countries, including the function thesaurus for The Australian Governments' Interactive Functions Thesaurus, which was one of the foundations for the preparation of the International Standard for Describing Functions ISDF and Access to Memory AtoM, and the later guidebook from the British Commonwealth – Strategies for Documenting Government Business: the DIRKS Manual. Then, they indicate the eight basic areas of activity of state archives specified in the Law on the national archival holdings and archives, i.e. shaping the state archival holdings, collecting, inventorying, storing, processing, securing and making available archival materials, and conducting information activities. Some regulations and documents prepared in the archives were subject to a preliminary partial analysis, i.e. the uniform substantive records classification scheme, the model report on the activities of the state archives and the Strategy of the State Archives for 2010–2020, as sources that can provide information when creating the Polish dictionary of functions, at least in the scope of the activities of state archives. As the theoretical model that can be used in these works, the Archival Thesaurus by Stanisław Nawrocki was pointed out. The study ends with questions about the possibility of applying in Poland an information system approach based on the analysis of functions and documentation produced during their performance, which are an incentive to discuss the shape of the system of information about the holdings.