Two proposals for the administrative placement of the University Archives have been discussed (see Report to Vice President K.D. Srivastava) . These two options would include moving the Archives into the President's Office or leaving it within the Library. In the report to Dr. Srivastava I recommended that the Archives remain within the Library for logistic, financial and practical reasons. I further proposed that the reporting structure should be improved to facilitate the effective operation of the University Archives program.
Under the current circumstances, the University Archivist reports to the Head of Special Collections who reports to the Assistant University Librarian (Public Services) who reports to the University Librarian. This situation is not conducive to the development of the University Archives program. The problem is that the Archives offers a campus wide administrative service. Unfortunately, the more levels of bureaucracy under which the Archives is buried in the Library decreases its effectiveness. Such an arrangement increases the possibility of people at various levels within the Library imposing their priorities on an administrative program that should operate on a campus-wide basis.
The other major drawback of the current situation is that as part of the Special Collections Division, the University Archivist is expected to provide reference services on the whole collection. This means that there is in fact not even one full time professional in the University Archives. Now that the Division has lost a librarian the demands of non-University Archives reference will increase and reduce the time available for the primary function of the University Archivist. Previous reports have indicated the inadequate staffing levels of the University Archives.
In fact, the University Archives operation is quite unique in the Library. It exists to identify and acquire the permanently valuable records of the University primarily for administrative purposes. Its mandate also includes the collection of the private papers of significant individuals at the University. In other words the University Archives exists to document the full range of activities of the University of British Columbia. As a measure of its uniqueness the University Archives is the only unit listed as a separate line item in the Library's budget.
In order to operate effectively the University Archives must not be subsumed within any other unit in the Library. The University Archivist should report directly to the University Librarian. This will assume even more importance if the scope of the University Archives is to be expanded to include records management. This will provide enhanced credibility and visibility for the University Archives.
Back to the UARMAC Minutes of 17 July 1991