Archival practicum concluded

Considering Malta's outstanding archival heritage and relatively vast collections, courses in archival management in Malta are hard to come by. A much needed practice-based course in Archives conducted by Fulbright Professor Theresa Vann, with the presentation of certificates by Professor Saviour Chircop, Director of the University's Centre for Communication Technology, was concluded last month.

The course was the first run by the Centre's Division of Library and Information Studies in conjunction with the National Archives of Malta, on whose premises the sessions were held.

The participating students learnt the current best practices for processing archives and for providing access by working with the original materials.

They experienced the types of decisions archivists make regarding questions of conservation and privacy issues. They also had the opportunity to discuss the creation and dissemination of microfilm and digital surrogates in an informal combination of lectures and workshops. Last month, Dr Vann also concluded a short theoretical evening course on the university campus entitled "Modern Issues Affecting Historical Archives".