This story from suburban Melbourne (below) highlights several issues that we as archivists should be concerned about. Hopefully the archival community can offer support to the school, the students and the organisation which takes over the responsibility for these archives.
Sigrid McCausland
Fears Preston Girls Secondary College's historical archives will be lost
From: Preston Leader
17 December 2013
Preston Girls Secondary College year 8 students Huda Al M and Al J didn't want the school to close. It will be handed over to the Education Department on December 31. Source: News Limited
THE future of almost a century of education history is under a cloud as Preston Girls Secondary College closes this month.
It is unclear what will become of an archive containing photos, awards, yearbooks and other memorabilia spanning 85 years. The archive occupies a room at the Cooma St campus.
Principal Judi Benney said the buzz the material generated when displayed at the school's recent farewell event showed it was an important community resource that should not be lost when the Education Department assumed responsibility for it on December 31.
"I'm hoping some can go to Preston Library, there's clearly a lot of interest here," Ms Benney said.
"I would hate to think it's all just destroyed. Maybe a historical society (would take it)."
Ms Benney said the fact more than 1500 people turned out to the farewell bash last month was a poignant reminder of the important role the school played in the community since 1928.
The day of laughter, nostalgia and story swapping included a performance of the school song, unearthed from the archive and taught to students who sang alongside the class of '57.
Past students also addressed the crowd.
Department of Education spokesman Simon Craig said it was up to the school to locate a new home for the archive.
"Historic memorabilia is usually taken to the school that the closed school is merging with or donated to a historical society or library," Mr Craig said.
"Preston Girls Secondary College should liaise directly with the historical society to arrange pick up of historical memorabilia."
Darebin Libraries research and information librarian Leo Mullins said the archive could potentially be stored at Preston Library or Bundoora Homestead.
"We'd definitely be interested in documenting what they've got," Mr Mullins said. "We need to document the school, its existence and the role it played in the community.
"If you don't document something like that, down the track someone says, "My grandma went to Preston Girls and there's no history of it'. The tangent of people's lives is somehow interrupted."
Replies
While Graeme's comments may have appeared stumbling to some, what he says is true.
Indeed true I would think for every State school in Australia, certainly it is in Tasmania. Coming from an aging state in the Commonwealth with schools closing, permanent records must similarly be transferred from the school to the Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office via the Dept of Education. However, if any record deemed to be temporary was to leave the custody of the state this must be approved by the State Archivist. I'm sure the same would be true in Victoria. However, this does not cover memorabilia objects, the kinds of things that a local library or history society may be particularly interested in taking custody.
I hope that the principal take on this advice as, without an archivist on site or committed volunteers, this is the crucial period where the records will be put somewhere with little documentation and tracking happening for future reference.
A second attempt.
Documentation must be drawn up as to where the materials are allocated/stored etc. The next thing is that they must be accessible when they are needed.
A school no matter its age, needs to be recorded in as many forms as necessary.
I assume that this school came under the Dept of Education and if so it should be the responsibility of that Dept. and I would assume PROV.
If a non-government school, the storing of material can be more complex and I might say tenuous. As I am writing this in the new year, my suggestions are to construct a foundation or Trust which takes on the overall responsibility but then place them under the management of a local library or university system. This might include arranging storage facility with PROV. Ownership has to claimed and fought for.
Having just read this item, let me agree with others that there must be some 'continuance' of the keeping of documents etc but more importantly some clear documentation of what and where archival, but also temporary materials are sent/stored/destroyed. This documentation itself must be available.
In the tasks that I have in my role is the searching out and in some way documenting what went before.
One place where i failed to locate what I wanted was when a school closed and in effect merged with another, but under a new name. No records of an even older incarnation could be found, and it was those that were needed.
Typical bureacratic stumbling, especially from the Dept of Ed spokesman..."up to the school'
But really how often does such stumblung/bungling occur when the left hand not knoweth what the right hand doeth, and perhaps the journalist not knowing the reality of the situation as opposed to just an adhoc story. Tis all too easy to tell a story
The Department has procedures in place to provide guidance on the proper disposition of closed school records. Correct procedures for processing closed school records will be followed in the case of the closure of Preston Girls Secondary College. The Public Records from the school will be processed and removed to the Department pending eventual transfer to the Public Record Office Victoria of the permanent value records.
The disposition of non-record memorabilia will be discussed with relevant parties such as local RSLs and libraries and historical societies.
Regards,
Graeme Tucker
Archivist. Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
Of course, it is the primarily the responsibility of the Public Records Office of Victoria (PROV) and/or the Education Department to take control of this material. However, it is sometimes preferable to keep material like this local. Quite often, a conversation took place been the local historical society and the PROV to ascertain where such material should be stored. Items in the collection can be separated if necessary, but recorded where the items came from.
It is expected that the PROV should obtain the material, but if not, the local historical society should take control on of all photographs, magazines and "non-personal material". In other words the PROV must control all student individual records and staff records; but there is naturally a place for the local historical society to accept 'safe' items.
Be wise, consultative and do not place individual records in public places.
Regards,
Glen Turnbull
School Archivist
Absolutely agree with you, Steve and Paul. Am surprised that the Dept of Ed spokesman would say it is the school's responsibility!
My recollection is that (if a government school) records of a closed school need to be delivered to the Public Records Office in accordance with legislation.