Samipya 2006 Vol 23 Ank 03 04

SR No.: 535841
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: R P Mehta, R T Savalia
Publisher: Bholabhai Jeshingbhai Adhyayan Sanshodhan Vidyabhavan
Publication Year: 2006
Total Pages: 110
Language: Gujarati
Classification: Magazine, India_Samipya, & India
File Size: 9 MB

Page 16

The Mission of Archivist*
Dr. Pankaj T. Desai*
This is not a Seminar paper in the traditional sense. It should be rather treated as the tour d' horizon envisaged by a traditional archivist of a developing country. The mission of the archives as enshrined in the Declaration of Principles is indispensable to society and no other institution may be substituted for it in its task.
As the time has passed this has proved absolutely and indisputably accurate in full sense. But the mission of the traditional archivist as a professional in charge of making possible the fulfilment of the objectives of archives, namely conservation, organisation and service to the public of documents, either public or private in nature has undergone a sea change with tremendous advancement in science and technology. His role today is no more restricted to the four walls of the repository. The communication technology has elevated him to an exalted position of no return while raising the status of the archives. Now he can no longer remain in isolation since he is cast in an enviable role of a vital part of a cultural environment without which the humanity cannot survive. Therefore, he has to play more positive and dynamic role to be the communicator who should impart the assembled memory from generation to generation thereby developing the capacity of the receiver.
This action of his will lead to the propulsive interaction of human involvement more and more. That is the reason why, whatever assignment the archivist tries to take up will be a helpful service to the user directly or indirectly. With the fast changing world, even the bureaucracy cannot take a chance of becoming lethargic and passive. The unimaginable pressure from the wide range of media of the post-literate age is forcing bureaucracy directly today can be easily guaged by the evidence of records it is producing. It is indeed necessary therefore to broaden the role of archives to the extent of involving it in the life cycle of a record, right since its creation till it is relegated to the archives for preservation or to be disposed of for ultimate destruction.
While the post-industrial age followed by the post-literate period have brought such an immense change in social, economic and political life of the world that to keep pace with the advance of the communication technology the archivist must educate himself now with all media of records in vogue today. He should no longer be a mere custodian but a consultant who should be in a position to give his views on the nature, confines and thrust of records. He should be well abreast of the research going on in the world and should be in a position to render necessary help to the scholars and researchers to save their time.
With the automation, the archival activities will rise manifold and the role of the archivist as well as profession of archives will undergo a revolutionary evolution. Machine + Dilivered the lectures at Refresher Course, 1992, Goa University. * Retd. Principal and Prof. & Head, Dept. of History & Culture, Gujarat Vidyapith, Ahmedabad-14. The Mission of Archivist
૧૧