Arhivski vjesnik, Vol. 47 No. 1, 2004.
Professional paper
Macro-appraisal: a Canadian method of functional appraisal
Silvija Babić
Abstract
The paper gives a presentation and an analysis of the macro-appraisal project, a process used by National Archives of Canada starting from 1990. The project is based on the method of functional appraisal that has emerged in several countries ever since the beginning of the 20th century, but has been given intensive theoretical and practical consideration only since the second half of the eighties.
A detailed elaboration of the theoretical terms of macro-appraisal has been given by Terry Cook, archivist of the National Archives of Canada, in his paper "Macro-Appraisal: New Theories and Strategies of Acquisition in the National Archives of Canada". The basic methodological process promoted there is to determine the value of the "location" of archives' creation, as well as to determine the circumstances and the function of their creation. The practical use of this proposition was a compilation of procedures that at the given moment best suited the prevalent conditions and needs of the National Archives of Canada.
The project started by creation of the Government Records Disposition Program, whereby all federal institutions were grouped into four categories defined by temporal priorities of disposal or transfer to the National Archives. In fact, they defined the whole project's schedule, up to the transfer of government bodies' archives in the period 1991-1996.
In 1991 Terry Cook also compiled "Appraisal Methodology" that defined a sort of an archival protocol for appraisal consisting of three levels of analysis of the creator and his archives.
It should be noted that, in spite of all the problems and occasional theoretical inconsistencies, the ultimate goal of the Government Records Disposition Program – rationalization of making decisions on transfer of archives on the institutional level – was completely realized and appropriately documented.
Keywords
appraisal; functional appraisal; National Archives of Canada; acquisition policy; Government Records Disposition Program; appraisal methodology; functional classification
Hrčak ID:
7220
URI
Publication date:
1.4.2004.
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