Archifacts Dec 1988-4 Mar 1989-1
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ARCHIFACTS Bulletin of the Archives and Records Association of New Zealand 1988/4 It 1989/1 December 1988 March 1989 Archifacts is the official bulletin of the Archives and Records Association of New Zealand Incorporated. It continues the bulletin of the same title., previously published by the Archives Committee of the New Zealand Library Association, 9 issues of which appeared between April 1974 and October 1976. The successor "new series" contained 24 issues (nos. 4 & 5, 7 S Β were combined) with consecutive pagination from February 1977 to December 1962. From March 1983, issues of the bulletin are numbered sequentially within the year of publication, with the pagination commencing ¿ifresh with each issue. Currently, Archifacts is published quarterly, at the end of March, June, September and December. Subscriptions to Archifacts are through membership of the Association at the current rp.tes. Copies of individual issues are available at NZ $6-00 per copy, plus postage. Reprints of issues 1974-76 are available at $7-50 per copy. The membership year begins with the June issue and ends with the March issue. Enquiries concerning the content of Archifacts (including advertising), non-receipt of an issue (or receipt of an imperfect copy), and requests for back or single issues, should be addressed to the Editor. All members (and others) are welcome to submit articles, short notices, letters, etc. to the Editor. Copy deadline is the 15th of the month preceding publication (i.e., 15 May for the June issue, etc.). Book reviews should be sent directly to the Reviews Editor; details of accessions directly to the Accessions Co-ordinator. Apologies are offered to members and subscribers for the late appearance of this double issue of Archifacts, The lack of an editor during late 1988 and early 1989 and the ongoing administrative problems precluded Council from securing publication at an earlier date. Arrangements (announced to members and subscribers in June 1989) are now in hand for the regular publication of Archifacts. This issue 1988/4 and 1989/1 has been edited and compiled by Messrs S. Strachan, B. Patterson and M. Hoare in Dunedin and Wellington. Copyright for articles Sc. in Archifacts rests with authors and the Association. Permission to reproduce should be sought, in writing, from the Editor. ISSN 0303-7940 ARCHIVES AND RECOROS ASSOCIATION OF NEW ZEALAND ANNUAL REPORT 1987/88 COliNCII There were some notable changes in the composition of the Council elected at the Annual General Meeting in Christchurch on 28th August 1987, and as a result of retirements through the year Stuart Strachan was elected unopposed for a third and final term as President, but for the two Vice-President positions there was a three-way contest with Brad Patterson running out the loser to Caroline Etherington and Michael Hodder Brad's departure marked the end of a long and unstinting periods of service on Council from 1977 to 1980 and from 1984 to 1987, including terms as Vice-President and President, and during my first two years as President he was the crucial Wellington sheet anchor It has been a remarkable record of service for which the Association has good cause to be grateful Michael Hoare and Marlene Sayers were elected Secretary and Treasurer, but both found it necessary to resign during the year, and they were replaced by Nicola Frean and Kay Sanderson respectively Michael's retirement also closed a major contribution to the business of the Association stretching back to 1978, during which he uniquely held the offices of President, Vice-President, and Secretary Michael will be particularly remembered for his hospitality to Council meetings at Boys Brigade HQ in Wellington For ordinary membership of Council there was also a contested election with nine nominations for seven vacancies The successful candidates were Alison Fraser, Nicola Frean, Jan Gow, Richard Hill, Mary Reid, David Retter and Ken Scadden During the year Kay Sanderson was co-opted as a member of Council to fill a vacancy by the elevation of Nicola Frean to the Secretaryship, and similarly Sheryl Morgan was recruited to replace Kay, when Kay took over the Treasurership To complete the slate of office-bearers, Cathy Marr was confirmed as Editor, and David Green was appointed Membership Secretary The pattern of more regular meetings which had developed over the previous two years was continued and Council met at approximately two-monthly intervals, on 29 August, 8 October, 30 November, 20 February, 15 April, and 22 July Our regular meeting place was the Committee Room of the Historical Branch Mention must be made at this stage of an unfortunate difference which developed between the Director of National Archives and Council over the role and responsibilities of National Archives staff who are also members of Council This difficulty, which arose out of the collapse of the Archives and Records Training Review, led to the effective withdrawal of the four National Archives members from the business of Council for much of 1988 and had a generally stullifying effect on its work A delicately balanced accord was reached with the Director of National Archives which should allow National Archives staff once again to participate at Council level in a way which preserves the independence of the Association, yet recognizes the normal obligations of Public Service staff to their employing authority It was a crisis for the Association, given the predominant position of National Archives as an employer of archivists, and in future it will be necessary for the Association to watch its relationship with^National Archives very carefully COHF~, Tver A most successful eleventh annual conference was held in Christchurch, 27 to 29 Ajgust 1987 at the Canterbury Public Library on theme of "Off the Beaten Record Usual and Unusual Archives" A strong Canterbury/Westland branch organising committee comprising Caroline Etherington (Convenor) Jo-Anne Smith, Rosemary O'Neil, Michael Purdie, Grant Hughes, Max Broadbent, Janette Nicolle and Margaret Thompson produced an imaginative programme and devised excellent local arrangements Altogether they succeeded in attracting 122 registrations Proceedings were given a good stai t with Elsie Locke's opening address, and the papers were generally excellent Finally ^he conference produced the very satisfactory profit of $2,126, which was a most welcome addition to the Association's funds MEMBERSHIP After last year's increase, the number of members as at 31st March 1988 showed a small decline on that at the same date for the previous year with 389 personal members compared to 410 in 1987 The number of institutional members remained the same at 146, making a total of all members 535 as against last year's of 556 While this drop is not a cause for major concern, it is obvious that the next Council must at an early stage turn its attention to the need to increase the size of our membership base This, along with the cost of Archifacts, is the major element in the Association's finances, and any further fall in membership would very quickly have an adverse effect on the Association's activities As a first step towards improving the situation the membership application form has been reset and reprinted in upmarket colours ARCHIFACTS It has been a year of very mixed fortunes for Archifacts Cathy Marr edited the September issue and substantially the December issue Unfortunately at that stage a limbo developed with the difference between the Director of National Archives and Council, Cathy being a National Archives staff member The next issue, March, was seen through the printers by a team consisting of Kay Sanderson, Nicola Frean and David Retter Finally, Michael Hodder temporarily took up the reins again and produced the March issue By the time of the Annual General Meeting he will have produced the June issue also, and he is now gathering material for the September Issue Unfortunately Cathy Marr has now moved into private enterprise, and is not able to resume the Editorship So an Immediate major task for the new Council will be to find a new Editor Despite these vicissitudes Archifacts is still a journal we can all be proud of, and gives members very good value, four times a year, for the subscription paid BRANCHES Five branches Auckland, Central Districts, Wellington, Canterbury/Westland and Otago/Southland continued to function in their various ways throughout the year with talks, seminars and various activities being arranged throughout the year Central Districts has shown itself especially bold by undertaking to plan this year's annual conference barely eighteen months after being formed, a near record for a new branch Separate newsletters have been issued by Central Districts, Wellington and Canterbury/ Westland branches It is apparent that branches show greatest vitality and evoke most local interest from members when they do not confine themselves to straight talks Visits and activities, such as the seminar on the use of archives arranged by Otago/ Southland branch and the archives book order scheme organised by Wellington branch, gain a much livelier response A special case was- presented by the largely Wellington based Records Management Group, which also produced its own newsletter and had regular meetings The members of this group have decided to separate and set up their own association While a certain sadness always attaches to a division of this kind, there was an inevitability to this outcome Overseas almost everywhere separate associations exist for the historical