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20 April 2016Ngā Tapuwae, the Footprints, is the newsletter of Archives New Zealand. It tells the stories of our people, our work and achievements. |
In this issue...
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EditorialIt is a significant moment for Archives NZ as we re-launch the Ngā Tapuwae newsletter. Thanks for taking the time to read it! If you work closely with us you will have seen much progress since 2014 to strengthen our work in the archives and record keeping sector. But others who have less frequent contact may not be aware of detailed work we are doing in the interests of archives stewardship. I regard stewardship as much more than simply the administration and management of our national archives. It requires me, as Chief Archivist, to steer this institution through major challenges facing our people, our projects, our repositories, our buildings, and our finances. We are thinking and planning for the long term, as far ahead as the 2057 centenary of the Archives Act. Yes, it’s a big strategic exercise! We’re planning for the future of our digital and physical storage, the safety of our buildings, the conditions of our repositories, and importantly, the skills of our staff. It is important that the archives sector, and all of you who rely on our services and facilities, knows about this work. In this quarterly issue Ngā Tapuwae focuses on how we are improving our regulatory role, improving access, improving our repositories, and improving our storage. Nāku noa ngā Marilyn |
Marilyn Little FeedbackYou may have ideas for how we could improve this newsletter. Please send us your feedback. |
Government Recordkeeping DirectorateOptimising Archives New Zealand’s Regulatory RoleWe are working on improvements to the way we operate under the Public Records Act (PRA). Archives NZ has initiated a work programme to optimise the effectiveness of our regulatory role. We want to ensure we are making best use of the processes and tools available under the PRA. Optimising our regulatory performance presents an opportunity to provide greater assurance that the purposes of the PRA - enabling Government accountability and enhancing public confidence in the integrity of the records of government - are being achieved. The core package of changes is scheduled to be launched in mid-2016, based on a new Records and Information Management Standard, currently out for consultation. Interim Response for Born-Digital Records and Archives |
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The majority of government information nowadays is created and managed digitally. Some of this information will need to be managed and remain accessible over very long periods of time. This poses many challenges due to the variety, complexity and speed of change of digital recordkeeping systems and formats. Archives NZ is undertaking a foundational programme of work named the Interim Response to Born-Digital Records and Archives. It will build on our ability to manage and support born-digital records, and to prioritise ways to reduce risks to digital records across the public records system. The focus of the work is on the immediate and medium-term. Longer-term solutions will be informed by the findings of the interim programme. The work will also allow Archives NZ to fulfil its regulatory role across the public records system and support agencies in their obligations under the PRA. |
The computer room in the head office of the Social Security Dept, 1969. Photo: W. Cleal. Archives NZ ref: R24747958. A ‘Live Transfer Pilot’ is underway with records from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, which we received in early 2016. Already, we have a number of findings which are being tested as we progress through the programme of work. |
Unlawful disposal of records
It is an offence to sell a public record, archive or local authority protected record, without the authorisation of the Chief Archivist. A record that is disposed of without this authorisation is called an estray record. The creation of public records is made possible through legislative authority and public funds, amongst other processes. When records are sold without authorisation, the public can be deprived of their right of access to public information. Buyers and sellers should ensure that all government records have left government control lawfully. Only then may they lawfully be bought and sold. A recent case where several items were listed on Trade Me was resolved after many months of correspondence and after we enlisted the help of local police - always a last resort. The items have now been returned to Archives NZ. We are grateful also for the assistance of Trade Me administrators. Please help us to minimise the risk of unlawful disposal by ensuring that any records unlawfully offered for sale, whether on Trade Me, catalogued by an auction house, or picked up at a garage sale, are safely returned to Archives NZ, or to the local authority of origin. |
Holdings & Discovery DirectorateDigitisation |
After a ‘breather’ following the completion of the WW1 military personnel files in late 2014, the pace of digitisation work has picked up again. We used the time to develop a programme of work for in-house digitisation initiatives based on clear priorities. Current projects include the digitisation of the British Military Occupation Samoan Village Files and the New Zealand Police Gazettes, both of which represent major resources for researchers. Archives NZ will also continue to explore partnerships with third parties to complete major digitisation projects. Film Preservation Laboratory
When Park Road Post Production’s film lab closed in 2013, Archives NZ took the opportunity to establish a custom-built film laboratory in our Wellington premises. The lab has continued apace with film-to-film preservation of the most valuable and at-risk items from the National Film Unit (NFU) collection, around five percent of the total. We are focussed on around 1100 NFU titles, based on nitrate and acetate film stock which has a very limited shelf-life. Copying the existing master material onto polyester based film stock ensures longevity of up to several hundred years. The film laboratory went into production in May 2015, and the current programme of preserving the most high priority films is scheduled for completion in December 2017. Newly Listed ItemsItems newly made available through Archway, our online finding aid, include:
Other changes and improvements mean that Government agencies with alternate te reo Māori names can now also be displayed in Archway. |
Click to orderWe introduced a ‘Click to order’ functionality for Archway in January 2016. This function allows users to send an enquiry about specific records directly through Archway using the Enquire About This Item field. This provides the public with a more direct pathway for enquiring about records within our holdings, reducing some of the need for back-and-forth correspondence. It makes the research experience smoother for our clients while also freeing up archivists’ time. As a measure of its initial success, all Archives offices throughout New Zealand have experienced a significant increase in the enquiries they have been receiving since the launch date. Keep an eye out for more features that will be added to Archway in the near future! |
Constitution Room
The Constitution Room was re-opened to the public in February 2016 after an extended period of closure. The closure allowed us to upgrade the environmental control mechanisms. The forthcoming Archives Exhibition will see the Treaty of Waitangi - Te Tiriti o Waitangi, He Whakaputanga - The Declaration of Independence, and the 1893 Women’s Suffrage Petition housed in a new purpose-built exhibition space. It is on track to open in the National Library Building on Molesworth St in Wellington in early 2017. The archival documents in the exhibition will remain under the control and care of the Chief Archivist, who will be supported by both Archives NZ and National Library staff. The exhibition will offer onsite and online learning experiences to share knowledge about the historical significance of the documents in our development as a nation. |
Strategy & Operational NewsArchives Strategy to 2057We are busy developing the long term strategy for the national archives. The project’s working title reflects the importance of the year 2057, the centenary of the passage of the Archives Act 1957, our founding legislation. Some of the drivers for change include the transformations in the public sector in New Zealand over that time, and the shift from in-person to digital interactions. The strategy will look at the challenges and opportunities for the national archives over the 40 year time horizon. Next steps will see staff and stakeholders involved in workshops and discussions. Buildings & RepositoriesThe building housing our Christchurch Regional Office in Peterborough St. was damaged in the Canterbury Earthquakes. A project to build a new repository and office facilities is well underway. A fulltime project manager is in place and procurement and contractual tasks are largely completed. The new office and repository will be in Wigram, near the Air Force Museum. The next milestone is to bring the building contractors onboard, likely in May 2016. We are looking forward to sharing the space with Ngā Taonga Sound and Vision. The new facilities are expected to open in late 2017. |
About UsArchives New Zealand has four offices; Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. View this diagram as a DOCX (83KB) or PDF (78KB) file. |
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Using a phone in the ‘underground city’ under the West Arm of Lake Manapouri hydro-electricity project, 1967. Photo: Mr Neill. Archives Ref: R24730669 |
FeedbackDo you have feedback on this newsletter? Drop us a line at ngatapuwae@dia.govt.nz For further information or advice about functions relating to government recordkeeping, please contact rkadvice@dia.govt.nz To make an enquiry about access, preservation, or digital copying, please contact general.enquiries@dia.govt.nz Do you know someone who may wish to subscribe? Send them this link. |
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