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Micrography in Archives

By: Yulianti L. Parani  

Background

Nowadays, micrography in archives has been considered as one of the solution in facing archival complexity in our country. There are two groups supporting this based on their interests, namely the producers who wish to market their products and the consumers who need to solve the archival problems.  Assuming from the simple principles of marketing, sellers will always promote their products related to the buyer needs. However, if we look more deeply, it needs to be implemented the feasibilities of the approach or usually well known as “Cost Benefit Analysis”.  Provided that the consideration is delivered to the producers, then the results will tend to be subjective towards the related products purchased. Nevertheless, the recommendation and consideration from the producers can be accommodated, providing that consumers themselves firstly need to do a study and analysis on matters dealt with their various conditions and to determine the way out by themselves after taking those various considerations (including from the producers).

For the instrument, we then need to highlight what is micrography and its benefit in archival matters.

Micrography as reprography

Basically, micrography is a reprography in the form of a micro. The function of reprography is in communication intended to deliver information recorded, if it is related to the scope of officials’ administration. Simply, reprography in officials’ administration connected to typing, duplicating, printings, photographs, microfilms, and other graphic skills involving official management.(1)

(1)       Lecture material of Jim Keene, from Public Records Office in England, at the National Archives of the Republic of Indonesia, December 1978

If we compare from the original text, the reprography materials have functions as means of communication utilized in a shorter period. Whenever legality and authentication appears as matters, original text will be the first priority and obtain higher values.

The advanced technology and communication in the future might bring new atmosphere for the denomination of the reprography. This has been started from the invention of photocopy machines and other tools by which have emerged new progress in the administration of companies and offices.

Likewise, the discovery of numerous types of micrography as reprography, The excitement of grasping “miracle” from the plentiful new innovations has brought us in “blindness” of seeing the real problem and negative effects of the products. On behalf of analyzing the advantages of micrography for administration in general and for archives in specific, we need to acknowledge first the superiority of micrography for unraveling troubles in administration in offices and companies and compare it with other reprography tools.

Micrography and Office Administration

Generally, as one of the instruments in office administration and archives, micrography holds functions as:

1. Information security from calamity or hardship

2. Information security from retention and deterioration

3. Saving storage space and practical usage in distribution

Information security from calamity and hardship has a connection with the creation of shadow archives (schaduwarchief). The purpose of the shadow archives is to preserve archives in different places apart from its original script to secure the information.( 2 )

Normally, the policy is implemented for archives having high informational and evidential values in a relatively long period of time. Information security from retention is slightly different from the first function of the micrography, if it is recognized from the material arrangement point of view. In this function, the policy of using micrography is associated with the information security of archives having high informational values for the creators’ institutions. Yet, it can be disposed prevailing to the formal procedures in Indonesia namely, Government Regulation Number 34 Year 1979 once it is observed from its significance role in the offices.

The challenge when applying micrography for information security from deterioration is based on the apprehension that physical archives preservation will damage the information recorded on the archives, and then it will be unreadable.  The procedures employing micrography is derived simply from saving the space. Since the records volumes increase so high that it cannot be controlled makes so perilous.( 3 )

We cannot solve problems of the inability of managing the overwhelming volumes of archives by using micrography in the first place. We initially need to handle it conventionally or manually because what really matters on this situation is the lack of personnel. Basically, micrography requires a large amount of more money than increasing the number of employees with their various trainings.( 4 )

Considering the archival techniques, disorder microfilm of archives can add troubles of retrieving information; thus, we cannot discuss on strengthening the information security. Disorder archives need to be administered before being microfilmed, so that we can implement the organized, well-planned, and well-evaluated micrography. We will dig a hole and cover the hole back up and add more troubles if we do not do the complete steps.

In relation with retention of records micrography will be useful for a long-term storage. The micrography procedures will be useful for saving spaces in record storage only if it is connected with archives disposal. First step, it can be demonstrated through the records which have been disposed. The next level, we will then see from M.I.S and the dissemination of information on a network planning related with corporate planning, corporate improvement and state administration monitoring.

Micrography in Archives

Obviously, the demand of micrography in archival world is irrefutable. For the reference service, microfilm has emerged new vision concerning research and development of sciences. Microfilm in the term of materials exchange and archives collection among archival institutions result in a dynamic relation towards the improvement of archival functions.

(2,3,4) Drs. B.J. Slot & Drs. H. Bordevyk, Nederlandse Archievenblad, 81e jaargang/1977. alf. 5.

The new advancement though brings delight, assigns dilemma that cannot be simply ignored. As one of profession, archives cannot be separated from four factors, namely:

1. Scope of archival condition
2. Government policy
3. The Advancement of Science
4. Appreciation of the society

Each factor carries its own problems which eventually become a responsibility for archival functions. The poor records management will deliver another responsibility for archival functions to put them orderly. It is needed to consider that various government regulations and should be noticed and executed by archival institutions functioned as a channel and interception of the interests of both state administrators and societies.

As one of aspects in archival functions, microgaphy turns out to be the liability of archival institutions for conducting archival development. Thus, before discussing on technical matters such as “hard ware”, it is better to talk on mental ware” and “soft ware” especially in preparing the use of microfilm and its equipment.