Emergency management in archives: professional competence of archivists in Santa Catarina, Brazil

Abstract

National and international organizations advocate for emergency management in archives to preserve this significant portion of a nation's cultural heritage. Studies document a lack of emergency plans in archives in many countries and unpreparedness among archivists. This study identifies the professional competence of archivists to work in emergency management in archives in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. This is a theoretical-applied, qualitative, exploratory study that includes bibliographic, documentary, and field research. The results indicate varying levels of exposure to disaster risks and absence of emergency plans in the surveyed archives. In this context, archivists have an entrepreneurial competence profile, anchored in preservation knowledge, with a perspective on the protection of cultural heritage, a holistic view of the buildings, and the ability to build partnerships for emergency management in the archives.