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Chapter 1: Introduction

1.1 The study 'Curriculum Development for the Training of Personnel in Moving Image and Recorded Sound Archives' is the result of joint initiatives and endeavours by Unesco and the NGOs involved in the archiving of audiovisual material: ICA, IFLA, FIAF, IASA and IFTA.

In 1980, the General Unesco Conference passed the Recommendation, 'For the Safeguarding and Preservation of Moving Images'. In 1981 representatives of international organisations engaged in audiovisual archives came together for the first time and resolved to hold annual Round Table meetings. Since the fires gathering of this group, education and training of AV archivists has been recurring on the agenda of their meetings. This has started an exchange of information on the various national, regional and international efforts geared to the education and training of av archivists. It soon became evident, that although in-house training, summer schools, seminars and symposia can impart knowledge to participants and also the know-how and skills needed for certain jobs, they will never be a substitute for professional education based on scientific methods.

1.2 At the 6th Round Table hold d Unesco Headquarters, in March 1986, representatives of ICA, IFLA, FIAF, IASA and IFTA recommended conducting a special meeting dealing with training aspects of av archivists. Unesco took up the proposal of NGO representatives and supported the convening of a Round Table of experts on 'Curriculum Development for the Training of Personnel in Moving Image and Recorded Sound Archives' which was held in Berlin (West) in May 1987.

1.3 The Round Table on Curriculum Development included representatives of FIAF, FIAT, IASA, ICA, IFLA, IFTC and CILECT, in an analysis of the current situation regarding the education and training. of personnel of film, television and sound archives. The meeting reached the following conclusion: the lack of professional education is often compensated by in-house training in film, tv and sound archives. occasional international workshops, seminars or training courses run by the NGOs concerned. As a result of their specific orientation, these training methods cannot be a substitute for fundamental professional education: they specialise in selected problems, address limited target groups, are very limited in terms of time, primarily related to practice with only a very general imparting of theoretical knowledge, and their function is more often restricted to enable participants to carry out specific, limited tasks more effectively. participants of the Round Table made the following recommendations: professional archive education is considered particularly necessary for top and middle management people in the various fields of work conducted by audiovisual archives. At present there is no provision made for this at archive and library schools, film schools, universities, polytechnics or other institutions of higher education.

It is strongly recommended that special courses or long-term training programmes be introduced in existing training institutions, dealing with the treatment and handling of audiovisual material. These programmes are considered to be necessary not only to skilled specialists in audiovisual archives, but also to impart knowledge about how to boat audiovisual material in public archives and libraries.

The training and education of audiovisual archivists should take place in existing archival institutions and institutions of higher education, supported and stimulated by the NGOs concerned. The demand for now institutions at national or international level to teach the staff of film, tv and sound archives is not regarded as realistic nor financially feasible at present.

1.4 Assessment and recommendations for the education and training of av archivists were confirmed at an international Unesco meeting of experts, in June 1988. The participants of the meeting assessed the results achieved since the adoption of the Unesco Recommendation on the Safeguarding and Preservation of Moving Images. Based on a worldwide enquiry the situation of film and tv archives was summarised as follows:

"One of the moat frequently cited needs of both the developed and the developing countries was that of training now - archivists. While university education for traditional library and archive careers is possible in many developed countries, no university, film or tv school specialises in av archive operations. There is also a need for training in highly technical operations for restoration and preservation tasks, and this would inevitably require sophisticated and often expensive technical facilities."

Recommendations made by the participants of this meeting include:

"-a worldwide study of training needs and resources of moving image archives the study should include areas of training, educational levels, a quantitative estimate of needs; a review of existing in-house training schemes (of both archives. and archive federations) and how these might be made available at least on an ad hoc basis to trainees of other archives; suggestions, whore appropriate, for the integration of technical aspects of moving image archive operations into existing university curricula for library and archive management; proposals for continuing and reinforcing the professional education of archivists at regional level; elaboration of an integrated modular curriculum and education methods for archive trainees. "

1.5 The 10th International Congress on Archives (Bonn, 1984) noted inadequacies in the professional education and training of av archivists. The 11th International Congress on Archives (Paris, 1988) dealt with the role of new archival media and urged archives to include the operating and handling of novel archival records in the professional training of archivists.

1.6 Education and training of av archivists is considered a key issue for the further development of sound, film and television archives. In many countries the safeguarding of the audiovisual heritage, working off the backlog. in this field, depends primarily on the mobilisation of human resources, the knowledge of tasks, objectives, the management and structure of av archives. In taking up the references of various international bodies, Unesco offered to conclude a contract (no. 354060.8, 1988) with the Stiftung Deutsche Kinemathek in Berlin (West), to the following effect:

"Prepare a universal programme for the education of audiovisual archivists, seeking to harmonise all major endeavours in this field and to integrate related aspects of training for the specific media involved. The programme shall include:

a) Definitions of key archive staff positions and the expected standards of qualification

b) Compilation of all existing institutions which already train AV archivists or have the potential to do so, together with a description of their programmes

c) Harmonisation of the proposals for the education of AV archivists (general, film, television, sound, related disciplines).

d) Recommendations on specific modalities for launching this educational programme with suggestions for co-financing schemes and international cooperation."

In addition:

e) The Working Party, while carrying out the contract, provided a listing of necessary topics to be covered in curricula for education programmes.

f) The Working Party also provided a select bibliography of basic handbooks for training purposes.

1.7 The Stiftung Deutsche Kinemathek has invited the cooperation of all NGOs involved in past initiatives. An international Working Group was formed including the following:

The working group held 3 meetings in Berlin (West): 17-18 October, 1988; 8-10 May 1989; 11-12 September 1989.

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