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Archives Management Group

A & D | Context Control | Digital Preservation | Preservation

The Archives Management Group is responsible for managing all aspects of the records transferred to Archives New Zealand’s custody. Key areas of activity are:

  • transfer of archives and management of the repositories
  • documentation of the records and their context
  • development of descriptive systems and standards, and
  • preventative and remedial conservation work.

The group develops strategies and processes for dealing with all media and formats that Archives New Zealand has or will have custody of, including paper files, photographs, maps, film, video, artworks, and electronic records.

Archives Management Group comprises the following four sections.

Arrangement and Description (A & D)

is responsible for:

  • management of the transfer of records into Archives New Zealand’s custody
  • documentation of Archives New Zealand’s holdings, and
  • repository management.

Context Control

is responsible for:

  • development of descriptive standards
  • documentation of government functions, and
  • overall management of Archives’ electronic documentation and finding aids project.

Digital Preservation

is responsible for:

  • development of a digital preservation strategy
  • growing capability to manage digital records, and
  • a business case for a fully operational digital archive.

Preservation Services

is responsible for:

  • providing the physical care of the holdings in the four repositories of Archives New Zealand.

This includes ensuring that the environmental, storage and handling conditions are maintained to preserve the archives, and providing preventive and remedial conservation treatment to stabilise damaged and deteriorating archives. Preservation Services also contributes to the outreach programme by preparing archives for exhibition. Specialist film preservation includes copying from nitrate to safety film.

Services to organisations and the public include conservation advice, building and collection surveys, training in preservation management, disaster planning and preparation, and salvage assistance, as well as coordinating access to emergency facilities such as vacuum freeze drying equipment.

Freeze drying informationPDF Document (18 kb)