Archivists 2.0: redefining the archivist's profession in the digital age

Abstract

PurposePublic organizations are investing in e‐government development and e‐services to improve the interaction and services to the citizens. Archivists need to act more pro‐active to capture and manage records in order to be accessible both in the present and in the long‐term. Archivists need to understand the conceptual context and business processes in which the records are created. This study aims to focus on an ongoing process within a specific context, which may have direct, but also future implications for archivists' professional identity. Professional identity is understood as a sense of shared understandings and skills, experiences, common way of perceiving problems and their possible solutions. The study is meant to answer the overall research question and sub‐questions: What is the status of archivist professionals' positions and practice within public organizations? What organizational effect has the change from paper‐based to electronic record keeping had on archivists' professional positions and practice within organizations? How do archivists perceive themselves in their professional roles, i.e. identity? Are there any critical competence issues that need to be solved that are connected to new requirements in working methods related to electronic record keeping? and How do archivists define their skills and working performance?Design/methodology/approachThe data presented and analyzed in this article are based on a literature review and an empirical study. The literature covers areas related to archivists' professional practice and future role. The empirical study is based on interviews with nine municipality archivists at nine different Swedish municipalities identified by the Swedish Association of Local Government and Regions as “good example” e‐government municipalities. All interviews were undertaken during January and March 2011.FindingsThe findings provide information on how archivists define their current and future professional role in relation to the organization and the development of information technology: the status of archivist professionals' positions and practice, for example, within public organizations. It explores the importance of strategic approaches to managing electronic records – from their creation throughout their whole existence, including long‐term preservation – and considers necessary changes to the professional image of archivists and the skills they need.Originality/valueThis article will be of interest to record keeping practitioners working in the shift to e‐government in local contexts and also to educators, as there appears to be a shift in the skills and knowledge required by those working in local government.

Archive Management in the Digital Age: Development of Village Administration Systems

“…Based on the results of the validation, it can be concluded that some of the advantages of e-SiAdes, including the recording of incoming and outgoing mail archives not using books (Fenwick & Brownstone, 2003), Archive serial number entry automatically (Habiburrahman, 2016), Archive search using five archiving systems (Walker, 1996), There are features for uploading and downloading archive files (Kallberg, 2012), Archive reports are already available in the application (Latif & Pratama, 2015), Village electronic administration system is offline (Rifauddin, 2016), increase effectiveness and speed in managing records (Firmansyah, 2014).…”

Pengelolaan Arsip Di Era Digital:Mempertimbangkan Kembali Sudut Pandang Pengguna

“…suatu institusi yang disebabkan tuntutan untuk beradaptasi dengan lingkungan maupun memenuhi kepatuhan pada kebijakan (Harries, 2009, p. 18). Kemunculan informasi elektronik memungkinkan penggunaan informasi dalam banyak tujuan yang berbeda yang sebelumnya belum pernah mampu dicapai (Kallberg, 2012). Sehingga, institusi lebih banyak menciptakan maupun saling berbagi informasi, tak terkecuali arsip dalam format elektronik.…”

Information technology, change and information professionals’ identity construction: A discourse analysis

“…As stated earlier, the influence of ICTs on the identities of librarians and information professionals is not well understood or studied. Kallberg () examined the attitudes of archivists towards their professional positions and practices with the advent of increased electronic information. Her findings primarily focused on the skills archivists will require to manage both print and electronic records in the future.…”