13576 - General Archive Administration

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student must have the following knowledge and skills: - Knowledge and understanding: distinguish the different stages of life of an archive and to highlight its constituent elements; know the operations and the archival tools used in each phase. - Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: be able to perform an analysis of an archival fund. carry out the archival description of a fund using one of the computer tools illustrated in the lesson. - Autonomy of judgment: know how to establish the criteria to follow in the phases of creation, management and conservation of archives, motivating their methodological choices. - Communication skills: know how to illustrate with logical rigor and terminological issues also techniques related to a specific topic. - Learning ability: know how to deepen independently the issues related to the discipline.

Course contents

1. Introduction to archival science. The concept of archive and the archival constraint.

2. The different ages of the archive.

3. Records management. Features. Sorting methods. The tools for records management. Protocol, classification and filing. The classification plan. The UNI ISO 15489-1 and UNI ISO 15489-2 standards.

4. The deposit archive. Features. Surveillance and supervision. From the concept of disposal to the concept of appraisal. From the disposal plan to the Conservation Plan. The transfer from the deposit archive.

5. The historical archive. Features. Preservation. The rearrangement. The tools and tools for research. International standards of archival description: ISAD (G); ISAAR (CPF); ISDIAH, ISDF, RiC.

6. The use and accessibility of the archives.

7. Archival resources on the web: the Italian and international panorama.

8. The organization of archival administration in Italy. The legislation on archives. The professional figure of the archivist between past and future. The international code of deontology of archivists.

9. Elements of history of archives.

10. Elements of archiveconomy.

NOTE: The course contents for non-attending students is the same as that for attending students.

Readings/Bibliography

In addition to the teaching materials provided by the teacher and covered in class, the following texts are sources of study for the exam:

- GIORGETTA BONFIGLIO DOSIO, Primi passi nel mondo degli archivi. Temi e testi per la formazione archivistica di primo livello, Cleup, Padova, 2010

- PAOLO FRANZESE, Manuale di archivistica italiana (seconda edizione), Morlacchi Editore, Perugia, 2018

- PAOLA CARUCCI, MARIA GUERCIO, Manuale di archivistica, Carocci, Roma, 2021

- STEFANO ALLEGREZZA, RAFFAELLA BISCIONI (a cura di), Gli archivi fotografici personali nell’era digitale: memorie private e public history, Torre del Lago (Lucca), Civita editoriale, 2021

Further readings:

- LINDA GIUVA, MARIA GUERCIO, Archivistica, Carocci, Roma, 2014

- FEDERICO VALACCHI, Diventare archivisti. Competenze tecniche di un mestiere sul confine. Editrice Bibliografica, Milano, 2015

- FEDERICO VALACCHI, Gli archivi tra storia, uso e conservazione, Editrice Bibliografica, Milano, 2020

- ISABELLA ZANNI ROSIELLO, Gli archivi tra passato e presente, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2005

- ANTONIO ROMITI, Archivistica generale. Primi Elementi, Civita Editoriale, Lucca, 2011

Teaching methods

The course includes:

- theoretical lessons;

- guided tours;

- laboratory activity on the use of IT tools for archival description.

Assessment methods

Learning is assessed through an oral test consisting of a discussion of the topics covered in class and of the assigned study texts aimed at ascertaining the knowledge and skills acquired, the exhibition and communication skills and the autonomy of judgment.

Students who will demonstrate that they have achieved a comprehensive understanding of the topics covered in the lessons, showing critical sense and using adequate means of verbal expression, will be evaluated with an excellent score (A = 27-30 with honors).
A predominantly mnemonic acquisition of the topics covered in the course, associated with not fully satisfactory verbal expression and logical skills, will be evaluated with a score between good (B = 24-26) and satisfactory (C = 21-23).
A minimum acquisition of the topics covered in the course, associated with inadequate verbal expression and logical skills, will be evaluated with sufficient score (D = 18-20).
The absence of a minimum acquisition of the topics of the course combined with inadequate verbal expression and logical skills will be evaluated with insufficient score (E).

For students attending the course, the assessment of the learning can be carried out, alternatively, through a written test, which will be held at the end of the course, and which will consist of closed questions and open-ended questions on topics covered in class.

Teaching tools

Further information on the availability of handouts, bibliographic details and resources on the web will be provided during the course. Students with specific learning disorders may contact the teacher for activation of appropriate test support tools for the exam.

Office hours

See the website of Stefano Allegrezza