Some additional notes on the possibilities of setting up regional training in archival science

Abstract

One of the most urgent problems faced by the National Archives in its current development program is that of recruiting archives personnel. The management of archives as a profession in Indonesia is new and almost unheard of, and thus, is a much less popular field of specialization. It is, therefore, very difficult to attract candidates to this kind of work. As a consequence, there is at present no institute in the country which produces professional vorkers in the field of archives management. In other words, if we succeed in employing people for the National Archives, they almost certainly do not have the expertise and skill required to cope with the tasks they are entrusted with. In the entire country -- a country which is not small -- there are only four people who have the benefit of receiving formal training in archival matters: three were trained in the Netherlands, and the fourth graduated from Germany. This number is certainly far from sufficient to meet our extensive and enormous needs. A much greater number of Archivists is needed not only to occupy the many vacant positions in the National Archives in Jakarta, but also to assume posts in the different provinces. We will have to start establishing Provincial Archives in the immediate future. The need to establish Provincial Archives, as stipulated in Government Act No.7/1971, has become more and more pressing since Government activities and bureaucratic routine have multiplied in quantity and variety, resulting in more Government paper vork as compared to the situation before our independence. Only by having centers for public records in every provincial capital shall we be in a better position to continually safeguard, supervise and preserve local documents and public papers.