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Chapter 6: Implementation proposals
In considering implementation of this report the Working Party made the following comments and recommendations:
6.1 Significance of training programmes for audiovisual archivists.
It is a matter of increasing concern that the cultural heritage is in danger of destruction and loss due to the rapid deterioration of records on many formats. Audiovisual material forms an increasingly important part of the cultural heritage of the 20th century as well as being an important information carrier. Audiovisual material requires archival treatment and preservation in the same way as any other source of information, and it is essential that this should be carried out by professionally qualified personnel if the cultural record is to be preserved.
At the present time systematic training programmes for av archivists do not exist and the Working Party consider it necessary to establish training facilities in as many centres and regions as possible as a matter of some urgency.
6.2 An appeal is made to the international organisations dealing with av archiving, FIAF, FIAT, IASA, ICA, IFLA and FID for closer cooperation to encourage and initiate training programmes with all speed due to their joint responsibilities and the recognition that they are all now confronted with similar problems. On the other hand, governmental and administration bodies at national level, ea. departments of culture, education, university and vocational education, as well as universities, colleges, polytechnics and vocational schools, national vocational associations and av institutions are invited to take up and implement the suggestions presented.
The Working Party is aware of the fact that the recommendations for the introduction of a differentiated education and continuing development will depend on numerous factors which cannot be guaranteed everywhere and at the same time.
Without being in favour of any of the various possible study forms in particular it should be emphasised that the sought-after and necessary modern teaching of av archiving requires material and financial resources.
Thus, there is a need to set up gradually, via medium-term planning by the international organisations of Unesco, national archive schools and training centres of institutions, exemplary models which may serve for individual countries, perhaps even for regions sharing similar historical traditions and a common language. It can be deduced from experiences gained in the training of foreign students in the UK, France, the USSR, GDR and other countries that it is not so much the 'transfer of technology' that is important, it is rather the 'transfer of basic knowledge' that counts. Both students and graduates should be placed in a position to be able to identify issues on their own and establish a sequence of priority for practical solutions in archives and av media, subject to different conditions prevailing in different countries and institutions. The transfer of basic knowledge and the employment of graduates as trainers in the sense of the 'snow-ball system' might contribute to the emergence of personnel, institutional, educational and didactic instruments and preconditions in the last decade of the 20th century. These in turn could serve as a basis for the expanding field of archiving av media. National and international professional qualification should be considered necessary along with a global understanding. The recommendations should be complemented with the parallel production of teaching materials, including audiovisual assisted aids.
6.3 Implementation. The report was first presented to Unesco and the Working Party recommended that a meeting of chairpersons of the various NGO training committees should take place. A further Unesco initiative was recommended, that Ministers of Education should be informed of the report of the Working Party. The Working Party also recommended that the final report should be circulated widely to all potential training institutions with a recommendation from Unesco for implementation of the recommendations. These institutions would include national archives, professional and library associations.
6.4 Training Programmes. Systematic training in av archivism is virtually non-existent and the Working Party believe that there is a need for all types of training for av archivists at all levels. This includes the full-time training course for qualified personnel in av archive practice, short courses for specialist topics and personnel, workshops, seminars and symposia to present new knowledge, hands-on experience and other updating activities and finally 'brainstorming' seminars for the updating of the trainee.
The type of courses which are required include:
a) Graduate certificate programmes for both professionals and paraprofessionals
b) Short term education opportunities - seminars, workshops
c) In-service training.
d) Distance education methods.
6.4.1 Training programmes can range from the full length professional courses of 1-2 years in addition to a first degree or basic education. The Working Party has provided a basic draft curriculum for this in the report. However this is an end goal and in view of the current situation a start can be made by including special options in full length poet graduate courses in archival sciences or librarianship. Full length professional courses are a luxury, but they are at the core of any training programme, and should be thought of as the ultimate goal.
6.4.2 Short courses have a place in updating knowledge and introducing specialised topics in depth. It is essential to get the people already in poet or in training positions educated in the subject now, and the greatest need is the provision of shorter, regular, specialist courses. The modular approach is well suited to this. It can be devised and presented more quickly than a full length course, can be presented more regularly, is flexible and can be fitted in to existing training situations as and when required.
Familiarisation programmes for managerial staff are also needed including theoretical training and practical demonstration work. This implies the provision of continuing education and must be supplemented with follow-up, refresher or up-dating courses and participation in seminars and conferences.
6.4.2.1 Training courses of NGOs. Summer schools are among the most effective methods at present and serve actual needs, but they do not give systematic education. Models are cited in Annex 2, including a IASA one week training course and short training courses such as those of SARBICA. The Working Party would encourage the continued organisation of such training and up-dating seminars which could supplement more extensive training programmes but such courses should extend to 2 or 3 weeks, not just one or two days.
Funding remains a problem, as short courses are seldom self-supporting and the NGOs would find it difficult to support the courses to any substantial degree.
6.4.3 Training of Trainers
Any training programme requires staff who are experienced in av archivism and in educational methods. While the slogan 'training the trainers' is a good one it is not possible to define methods adequately. Training staff are more likely to benefit from 'brainstorming' sessions and updating in situations such as summer schools and seminars. Training staff need opportunities to come together, to compare techniques, introduce new topics, discuss ways and means. These seminars could be held in conjunction with the various NGO conferences, or a Joint symposium on training attached to one of the NGO conferences.
6.5 Survey of Institutions with training potential.
The survey has been discussed and the main findings included in chapter 5. The conclusions are cited here as they are appropriate to the implementation of the Working Party report.
1. It is stressed that the survey was only an initial attempt to elicit the level of interest. The low return rate (37.2%) of the survey indicates that some key organisations did not respond, due perhaps to the fact that the survey had to be conducted within a short time and also during a vacation period. There is a need to repeat the exercise, with special attention given to those organisations known to be involved with archives.
2. Overall, from the returns received, shore is some interest in the further development of courses, but the general feeling is that unless there is some financial support, little can be achieved.
3. 96 organisations indicated a desire to provide and develop courses related to av archive studies. Of these, 23 were concerned with archive studies only. The remaining 73 were interested in both av librarianship and archive studies, and the majority would be concerned with management aspects.
4. Very few training establishments have adequate facilities and equipment for the teaching of audiovisual archive studies. Many rely heavily on shared av resources on the campus and a few have access to local av archives. Most have access to basic teaching equipment (audio, video) and a few have film projectors, but the general level of provision is poor.
5. Some returns indicated a willingness to consider short courses during vacation periods. If this were to become a reality, consideration should be given to the identification of key organisations where, for practical reasons, it might be possible to hold courses and make use of a range of archival facilities in the locality.
The Recommendation of the Working Party is that there is sufficient interest in developing courses for av archives, and a further, more in-depth survey should be conducted to identify those organisations which have the greatest potential for such development, as well as to what extent they would need help to achieve an adequate standard of training.
6.6 Distance learning
The Working Party recognised that the training for av archivism could be an ideal subject for distance learning because of the relatively limited number of candidates in many countries in which establishing training centres cannot always be justified. It is also a useful method for updating professional staff already working in archives. Distance learning however does not stand on its own, it requires the backup of tutors, but the techniques can also be used to train the tutors, as well as providing them with training materials which they can use.
The Working Party examined one distance teaching system for both graduate and continuing education (the Open University in UK) and noted that as this method relies on part time studies, it will extend the time needed to qualify. Distance teaching provides opportunities for additional training after a first degree and also the Continuing education technique could be used with people already in the av archives. Although the Working Party dose not wish to give one method priority over any other, in cane this disallows the case for other methods, the Open University system is described in Annex 1 as an example. The Working Party also suggested that Unesco consider financing a feasibility study and a pilot project for av archive training using the Open University method as an existing example.
The Working Party also recognise that national initiatives are often easier to obtain funding for than international, especially in countries with currency exchange problems.
6.7 Priorities
Where are the greatest demands for education and training? The Working Party agreed that there was a basic need for training staff already working in archives, especially those working at senior level. Certain regions or countries have particular needs but these needs are not necessarily the same for the different 'media'. ea. Film education has a low level of development in Africa, whereas sound archives hardly exist South America. Other areas concentrate on production rather than collection. In very general terms moving image training is most needed in African countries and sound preservation in Latin American countries.
6.8 Teaching materials
The Working Party considered that there was little in the way of teaching material available for av archivism available at present and proposed consideration of the production of some essential teaching materials.
6.8.1 There is an obvious gap in the literature of detailed but basic manuals for archivists, as well as a series of short, direct pamphlets for librarians. In discussing an outline for a basic manual She Working Party suggested that it should be expanded to cover both Technical and Non-technical parts, possibly in more than one volume. Non technical parts would include the theoretical aspects of appraisal, purpose and aims of archives; cataloguing; access and legal aspects; organisation and management of archives; related materials; public activities. This project has already been discussed by the NGO Round Table on Audiovisual Records and a draft outline is being produced. External funding would have to be sought for publication, and a commercial publisher has already expressed interest.
6.8.1.1 A series of short, basic handling, pamphlets for distribution to every relevant library for use was also recommended.
6.8.1.2 The Working Party also recognise that there is a notable gap in the provision of av teaching packs, and recommend that ways and means should be devised to fill this gap with the assistance of the NGOs. The Working Party went one step further and recommended several topics which could be usefully produced as av teaching material. These topics include:
i) AV archive buildings, including those necessary for hot and humid climates
ii) Care and handling. Damage prevention
iii) Disaster control/preparedness
iv) Preservation/Conservation
v) Use of computers
AV teaching packages would be useful for exemplary purposes and have a wide application if produced effectively. Most of the material in existence describes the work of particular archives, rather than practical teaching material. The Working Party believe that encouragement should be given to the production of teaching packages which could be distributed widely.
6.8.1.3 A bibliography of the literature already available is an essential teaching tool, and although there are some bibliographies available for individual media and also archives there is none in the specific area of audiovisual archives. A select bibliography is appended in Annex 4, which represents only a small proportion of the material which has already been collected, by a member of the Working Party. The Working Party recommended that a bibliography of av archives might be considered as a project in the RAMP studies. It was noted that such a bibliography would need constant updating, and that any publication should make provision to maintain the bibliography.
A list of available audiovisual teaching materials for use in av archives is also needed and it is recommended to Unesco that this list should be compiled, perhaps by a project connected with the av bibliography.
6.9 Publicity. The Working Party recommended that the report and its recommendations should be publicised widely in several professional journals, indicating the need for training in av archivism.
Further publicity could be given at national and international archive and library meetings. The Working Party recommended the production of a short leaflet detailing the main findings and recommendations which could be distributed for publicity purposes.
6.10 Financing
The Working Party discussed possibilities, including support from the NGOs, but concluded that the smaller NGOs were not in a position to assist, although the larger ones such as ICA and IFLA may be able to help 'in kind' if not with funding. The Working Party suggested that bilateral agreements might be pursued and that Unesco could request the training of archivists be included in national or international programmes Nationally there are bodies such as the British Council or Overseas Development Agency in UK who might consider the introduction of av archive training programmes into their own programmes.