Model for Business Archives – Present Scenario and Challenges Conference 2015 Paper A... · Model...
Transcript of Model for Business Archives – Present Scenario and Challenges Conference 2015 Paper A... · Model...
Planning and Prioritizing
Organizing business archives from scratch is very difficult and challenging
Piecemeal approach
Acquisition of records
Determine type of facilities require
Availability of resources
Framing of policies – Acquisition of records, Archival and Records Management policy and Preservation policy
Planning and Prioritizing (cont.)
Survey of records – transfer to Archives Facilities and services for Archives and
Researchers
Alteast 5 or 10 years development plan Assessment of budget and staff and
infrastructure requirements
Formulation of Policies
Acquisition Policy
• Reluctance of departments to transfer records
Short Film or PPT
On the Spot Appraisal of Records
Archival and Records Management Policy (ARMP)
• ARMP is regarded as the Bible of Archives
Minimum Records
• Business houses keep minimum records relating to the laws of limitation and regulatory compliance purposes
Formulation of Policies:
Establishment Policy Objectives
• Objective of setting up Business Archives, activities, and functions it would perform
• Authority of Business Archives
• Range of service offered
• Type of records it would require
Final Authority
• In the field of Records Management, Business Archives would be the final authority
Streamline Records Management Process
• Establishment policy empowers the Archives to streamline the Records Management processes
Record Access Policy
Access to records are available or not
Terms and conditions required to be fulfilled
Whether photocopies or scanned images are available
What type of records are available for research
Do’s and dont’s in the Research room
Requisition and restoration processes
Clarification on copyright issues
Preservation Policy
Objective: Obviate potential damage to records
Preventive Conservation
Curative Conservation
Restoration of Documents
Preservation of Records: Responsibility of Entire Staff
Periodical Surveys: To Prevent Damage and Deterioration
Archives should have integrated Pest Control Programme
Access and Reference Policy
Access Policy: Differ from country to country
Access normally includes three types of records – Open, Restricted, and Closed
Reference Services denotes the facility provided to the Research Scholars to facilitate their research
Brochure containing introductory information about Archives proves useful
Archivists working in the Research Room should have adequate knowledge of the Research Room
Archives Building and Storage Area
Archival repository can be a building, a floor, a room, or cupboard
Material in Archives can be of diverse nature and requires different sorts
of environment
Archives should have working environment that are safe, secure, healthy,
comfortable, aesthetically pleasing and accessible
Archives area should be conveniently divided into units
Shelving should be functional, easy to clean, and secure for records
Temperature 21-23 degree Celsius relative humidity level be 45% to 55%
Smoke detection and fire suppression system should be installed
Advocacy and Outreach Take Initiatives
• For image building, the Business Archives should take initiative in organising works in workshops, lectures, in-house programmes, press releases, exhibitions
Sensitize Internal Staff
• Before targeting external people, it would be necessary to sensitize the internal staff
Involve People
• Involve scholars, donor of papers, administrators, and volunteers in organizing events
Close Liaison with Media
• Need for maintaining close liaison with media
FAQs
• FAQs can be put on website
Attitude of Staff
• Attitude of staff should be positive and helpful
Selling Souvenirs
Staff Training
Short duration programme for staff covering all cadres
Such training programmes create archival awareness and sense of involvement
Training should be arranged for Archives staff to update their knowledge and skills
Business Archives: Indian Scenario
Business Archives in India is in its nascent stage
Many companies (even 100 years old) are without Archives
India has a strong tradition of establishing Public Archives but not Business Archives
Even new companies established after India’s independence showed no interest in establishing Archives
Indian Scenario: Delhi Cloth Mill
The first Business Archives was established in India in 1983
The objective was to write biography of its Founder Sir Shri Ram
In controlled economy of those days, DCM was to Delhi what Tata Sons was to Mumbai
After biography was written, the DCM Archives fell in oblivion and records so meticulously collected remained neglected and languished
So, the first Business Archives succeeded in its objective but failed in preservation of heritage of the company for future generations
Tata Steel & Tata Central Archives
The house of Tata is 137 years old Industrial conglomerate.
150th Birthday of Jamshetji Nusserwanji Tata ((Founder of group)
prompted the need the establishing Archives
JRD Tata had huge collection of personal records.
For History project, taken up in 1978, Important records were collected
The holding of Archives are huge and diverse
Archives have fully functional building with latest equipment
Godrej Archives
Located in Mumbai, Godrej is one of the well-equipped Archives in India
The idea of establishing was taken in 1995, two years prior to the centenary
celebrations
Sohrab Godrej, the then Chairman of the Godrej Group, envisioned Archives to
be a heritage centre.
The holdings of the Archives are varied and divided into 6 sections – manuscript
collection, photographs, audio-visual, oral history, memorabilia, and printed material
Godrej Archives has undertaken in-house digitisation of records
Records are kept in ambient storage condition; acid free boxes are used to
store records
Records are open for access purposes
RBI Archives, Pune The first Business Archives to be established in India in 1981
For over 34 years, the Archives has been engaged in identifying, acquiring, preserving records, and making them accessible to Research Scholars
Ambient storage conditions exist in the Archives
Has microfilming unit, preservation facilities including vacuum fumigation chamber, and offsite backup centre for microfilms
Training programmes are conducted for staff at all levels
Archives and Records Management Policy issued in 2012
Oral History Project
Permanent Exhibition on ‘Evolution of RBI – 1935-2010
State Bank of India, Kolkata The influx of the European merchants into the Indian subcontinent resulted in altering the prevalent banking system
Europeans established managing agency houses which combined banking system with their commercial and trading activities
The earliest progenitor of SBI was erstwhile Bank of Calcutta established in 1806 with objective to stabilise interest rates and mobilise credit
SBI was established in 1955
State Bank of India, Kolkata (cont.)
SBI formed the History department in 1975 to unearth, identify, locate and collect records of historical interest
The records collected pertained to the minutes and proceedings of the meetings of the Board of Directors of Presidency banks and their successor bodies
SBI Archives and museum were inaugurated in 2007 in a heritage building
The holdings of the Archives consist of records from 1806 to 1955
More Than a Century Old
Companies Without Archives • Established in 1838
• Involved in newspaper publication business
• Exposure to Archives is limited to microfilming of newspaper
Bennet and Coleman
• Engaged in timber, tea, and textile business
• Was established in 1879 by Nowrosjee Wadia
• Initial business of the company was ship building
Bombay Dyeing
• Established in 1892 in Calcutta with an investment of Rs.295
• During the World War II, it shipped biscuits for the British soldiers
Britannia Biscuit Company
• Established in 1897 by Nowrosjee Wadia and engaged in textile business
Century Spinning and Manufacturing Company
• Registered in London in 1897 to supply power to Calcutta
Calcutta Electricity Supply Company
More Than a Century Old
Companies Without Archives
(cont.)
• Established in 1884 by Dr. S.K Burman in Calcutta t make ayurvedic medicines
Dabur India
• Oldest business entity of Indian subcontinent
• Established by Welshman Thomas Parry in 1788 in Madras
• 4 billion dollar company engaged in multi industrial and commercial activities
EID Parry
• Established in 1910 in Calcutta
• Engaged in business of cigarettes, hotels, consumer products, packaging, and apparels
Imperial Tobacco Company (ITC)
• Has a 227 years history which very few can match
• Established in 1788 as Breen & Company
• Claims to be the oldest engineering company in the East of Suez Canal
Jessop & Company
More Than a Century Old
Companies Without Archives
(cont.) • Established in 1888 in Belgaum, Karnataka
• Engaged in agricultural tools, pumps, and machine tools
Kirloskar Brothers
• First banks established with Indian capitals
Punjab National Bank (PNB) (1895)
and
Bank of Baroda (BOB) (1906)
• Established by two British nationals, A.W. Turner and A. N. Wright in 1902 in Calcutta
• First company to manufacture paints in South East Asia market
Shalimar Paints
• Established in Madurai, Tamil Nadu in 1911
• Engaged in automobile parts TVS & Sons
Managing Agency Houses
Names like Assam Tea Company, Andrew Yule, William Magar, Harrison Malayalam, Bengal Chemicals and His Master’s Voice (HMV) were very popular
Andrew Yule established in 1863 managed 37 companies
Assam Tea Company is the world's oldest tea company
With passage of time, may agency houses were taken by the Marwaris (Indian business community)
Calcutta gradually faded as political and commercial capital of India
Reasons for Non-Setup of Business
Archives Business houses were not aware of benefits that can accrue with establishment of Archives
Traditional habit of looking at all new initiatives from profit-and-loss motive
Lack of space and infrastructure
Preserve records only for audit and regulatory compliance
Fear of espionage from competitors
Cover up their malpractices; things shrouded in secrecy
Challenges Ahead
Electronic and paper records have to be dealt by the Archivists (who need to upgrade their skills)
Need for setting priorities to deal with core and allied activities
Need to create archival consciousness
Systematic approach towards developing Archives
Mythological Conclusion
Janus
Lord Brahma
The Ancient Romans worshipped a deity called
Janus, who had opposing heads: one looked at the
past and the other looked at the future.
Present day Archivists need to be like Janus for
looking at the past for records which would be used
not only for writing history but support business
houses by providing requisite information as and
when required and save heritage of the company for
future generations.
Similarly, Brahma, the Lord of creation in the Hindu
mythology, is depicted with four heads. For the
present day Archivist, the four heads should work
for archives administration, records management,
preservation of records and assimilation of new
technologies in archives.