How to create an integrated system between libraries

How to create an integrated system between libraries and archives Building a natural and organised documental system Silvia Bruni, Cesvot ADLUG meeting: The digital world challenges library automation: guidance and projects for a new collection management Florence, 20 of September 2012

The starting point: the Cesvot experience • We will try to present a transferable model built in a inductive way and enriched empirically. • Cesvot offers to voluntary associations services of cataloging libraries materials and special collections, organization and description of archives and support management of current archives. Florence, Specola museum. Galileo tribune: Tryng again and again

Natural documental system We can define an organization, in our case a voluntary association, as a natural documental system.

Natural documental system : characteristics • System: because the documents are in reciprocal relationship among them and they have the starting or ending point of each activity • Natural: because the stream of documents is spontaneous: it’s the output of activities and exchanges. • Documental: because the system collects of each kind of documents managed by the organization.

Archive documents In case of archive the spontaneity is implicit in the definition: Archive: is a complex of documents produced or acquired during private or public subject life An image of Cold case, Tv series, 200320010. The best representation of archive utility

Documents for circulation (1) • It is observable a spontaneous sedimentation also in case of documents intended for circulation (simplifyng, books and non book materials), normally, objects of attention of libraries. BUT • In a library, the collection of documents is the aim…

Documents for circulation (2) … In a no-librarian organization the collection is the output of activities. – documents produced by the organization to promote herself and comunicate to the external (reports, leaflets, posters, publications, etc. ); – documents about the fields of action of the organization, useful for the updating, the internal training and studies, etc. – documents received by the network of organizations in which the institution is involved.

Documents for circulation (3) This collection doesn’t born by choice, but its origin is spontaneus likewise the archive documents. The collection maintains thematic interest and the independent value of each book.

We are what we document An organization is represented by the complex of documents, that produces and manages.

Our vision • In our vision it is possible to create an integrated system in which all documents managed by an organization are: – – useful and used; preserved; described; accessible.

Documental natural and organised system • It maintain the characteristics of sistematicity, spontaneity, inclusivity of documents collections. • An organized system is: – well preserved; – described: all procedures are explicated; documents are described in databases; – respectful of the characteristics of each kind of document; – maintainable during the time.

Why to do it? • Because: – an organization is more efficient if its documents are organised (good information retrieval, good internal and external communication, less spaces occupied from unuseful documents); – the organizations memory helps to build the territory memory; – the organizations leave a cultural heritage.

• How to build a natural and organised documental system (1) It is necessary to create a working group involving different professionals: librarians and archivists. It is possible to do it building a shared approach to documents and thechnical languages in each discipline. • Difficulties: librarians and archivists don’t have a long tradition in cooperation.

How we work in an integrated way • Training for archivists on REICAT (Italian rules of catalogation), regarding the form of name. Archivists create the names (entity or person called producer subject). • Librarians create the semantic descriptions for records made by archivists, using the New subject heading of BNCF. • In currents archives, after having made a map of documental stream, the librarians create subject strings, describing documents typology. It is completed in phase of registration of documents. (Docway: http: //protocollo. cesvot. it: 8080/xway/application/xdo cway/engine/xdocway. jsp Docway for associations: http: //protas. cesvot. it: 8080/associazioni 1 Madrid: Museum of the book. [Organization of archeologists, librarians, archivists, 1946]

How to build a documental system natural and organised (2) • Maintain different standards for documents description (ISBD, ISAD G), respecting differences and sharing the indexes of authority and of the string of semantic description. LINK

How to build a natural and organised documental system (3) • We used Wecat, Weare, Osee genius and a specific software to manage currents archives. • Difficulties: there is not a tradition in this sense. Softwares for libraries and archives normally born separatly. Cultural difficulties become technical difficulties.

How to build a documental system natural and organised (4) • How to maintain the system in the organization: – train the staff to manage documents stream; – supervision; – follow the historicallization of documents and the integration in the system.

New areas of work for librarians and archivists Working in this direction redefines different areas of intervention for the archivist and the librarian. As the biologists for the ecosystems, their role is to monitor that the natural and organized documental system lives in the best way.

Difficulties in transfering this model – Sustainability during the time: as much the system grows, as much costs arise; – Which institutions can accomplish these functions? BUT – Discussing possible solutions or adaptations, is important if we don’t want to lose important sources of information.

Be part of information society The information society is based on the creation, distribution, diffusion, use, integration and manipulation of information. All organizations contribute to produce information creating, distributing, diffusing, integrating and managing documents on different support.

Draw paths of access to information Creating a network beteween natural and organised documental systems linked with insituitution “documents oriented”, as libraries and archives, means to built a possible architecture, among others, of the information society.

Thank you!