Archiving and digital archiving courses

DMI (Malta) Ltd will be organising Records and Archive Management Training Courses locally.

The courses will be held in February 2004 and they have invited Janet Foster a professionally qualified archivist, and Margaret Crockett, a qualified consultant in records and archives management, who between them have over 35 years of professional experience to participate as course directors for both training days.

Both guests are Co-Directors of the Archive Skills Consultancy based in the UK.

Ms Foster is a professionally qualified archivist with more than 25 years' experience in the field. For 16 years she worked in a variety of specialist repositories, including St Bartholomew's Hospital, London. Since 1990 she has been self-employed as a Consultant, providing advice to a range of organisations, from learned societies to community history groups; assistance with bids to the Heritage Lottery Fund for archival projects; and a research service to the profession.

The latter has included major reports on oral history archive provision for HLF; on a standard for subject indexing in archives for the Joint Information Systems Committee; a cross-sectoral strategy for the East of England; and an investigation of sources of funding for archive projects.

Ms Foster is one of the directors of the Archive-Skills Consultancy, an archives and records management consultancy partnership involving project work and delivery of the Basic Archives Skills Training Courses.

Recent projects include advising on the establishment of an archive service for the City of Peterborough and researching and writing an Options Appraisal for the Working Men's Library's future management and development within the regional and national context.

She is also consultant archivist at the London Mathematical Society and the Royal Statistical Society. TASC's current projects include a records survey for the National Gallery and Freedom of Information training for several government organisations.

Janet's teaching experience includes: records management for library students and professional development seminars for archive students at UCL; training for archive assistants for the Society of Archivists; and training for the National Archives of Estonia and Mongolia.

Margaret is a qualified consultant in records and archives management with over 15 years' professional experience. Since 1994 her experience has been as a manager in multi-national working environments. She has worked in a broad variety of archives and records management environments, including local government, private sector, not-for-profit and international organisations.

She has set up archives and records centre operations and managed the full range of archives and records management functions on a daily basis. She has made provision for user services, both for traditional archive research and for records management and information services. She has project experience in the automation of archive and records management procedures and more recently in projects involving hybrid paper and electronic record systems.

Ms Crockettt is Co-Director of the Basic Archive Skills Training Days: developing, organising and teaching a programme of training days aimed at those working in records and archives without formal qualifications and offering continuing professional development for the qualified. Margaret has served on the steering committee of the ICA Section for Archival Education and Training since 1996.

Current and recent projects include: advising Voluntary Services Overseas on managing electronic records and developing systems and procedures to manage them effectively; Archives advisor to Christian Aid; Records management advisor to War on Want; and developing the publication scheme to meet the FoI requirements for HLF.

Ms Crockett has been teaching and training regularly since 1996, was a temporary lecturer on the UCL Archives and Records Management course in 2000/2001 and directed the 2001 SLAIS summer school on managing electronic records.

Two courses will be held.

Basic Archive Skills Training Day

This one-day course will be held on February 2, 2004, between 9 a.m. and 4.30 p.m.

This introductory course is aimed at people working with archives and records without formal record-keeping qualifications, and who feel that they would benefit from some basic training in the principles of managing records and archives.

This course is suitable for: archives and records assistants, managers of archive staff, librarians and information managers responsible for archives and records, IT professionals seeking an overview of the aims of archives and records management, as well as anyone who has responsibility for managing archives and records.

The day includes core sessions focusing on the main areas of archives and records management. These include preservation, description, reference services, records management and automation solutions.

Sessions will differ in length as appropriate. By chairing and facilitating throughout the day, the course directors ensure that the programme is integrated and flows well. Sessions will include ample time for questions and a high level of participation is encouraged.

A course handbook will be provided, which will contain supporting notes from the speakers, a select bibliography, the BASTD glossary of archive and records management terms, useful contacts, a list of relevant Websites, info-bytes on related topics, participants list and information about other TASC training opportunities.

Participants are encouraged to prepare for the course by formulating questions or issues that have arisen in the course of their work, for consideration by the speakers and the class as a whole.

The cost of the course is Lm75 plus VAT. This includes finger buffet lunch, tea and coffee and a certificate of course completion.

Records management and digital records

This is also a one-day course, to be held on February 3 between 9 a.m. and 4.30 p.m.

This course is a more in-depth handling of the principles and practice of records management, including the management of digital records. It builds on the Introduction to Records Management session in the Basic Archive Skills Training Day and is suitable for anyone setting up a records management programme and for all staff working in records centres.

The morning focuses on records management in general and the afternoon is an overview of the challenges to managing digital records, offering solutions and strategies for successful management.

The training day has recently been reviewed and revised to reflect feedback from former participants and the ongoing experience and research of the directors. The day assumes a basic grounding in the terminology, principles and elements of records management. Its focus on case studies and workshops is intended to deepen that knowledge and understanding and to give a thorough grounding in the challenges and techniques of managing digital records.

The cost of the course is Lm85 + VAT. This includes a course handbook with supporting notes and useful sources for further information. The fee also includes finger buffet lunch, tea and coffee and a certificate of course completion.

Places are limited and are on a first come first served basis. For further information contact Gordon Foster at info@dmimalta.com, on tel: 2133-2090/1 or fax 2133-2089.

www.dmimalta.com