Governance Archives Policy

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Policy status: Approved 2021-02-18 by General Committee

Mission Statement

The mission of the archive is to:

• Collect, organise, and preserve the records of the Club
• Provide access to the materials to Club members and others with a research interest in the holdings

Statement of Purpose

The aim of the archive is to document the history, functions, and development of the Tararua Tramping Club since its inception in 1919. Material in the collections includes administrative papers of the Club and select personal papers of Club members.

The archive’s role is consistent with the objects of the Club, in particular in documenting the Club’s rights and obligations as an owner of real and personal property.

Types of programs supported by the collection

Maintaining archives is a subsidiary function of the Club. In this context, the archive is not a public resource but a restricted and limited collection with use for research and publication by authorised persons only as approved by the Club Archivist in consultation with General Committee.

Clientele served by the collection

The archive’s primary mandate is to serve the requirements of the Club. The Club will make its collections available to external researchers interested in the Club, its members, and the events that have shaped its history and its contributions to New Zealand society.

Collection development

‘Collection development’ is understood to mean the selection of items for acquisition following a defined set of criteria. It aims to provide guidance for the Archivist and to inform Club members and other users as to the principles governing the development of the Club’s collections.

The main source of archival material will be from within the Club

• Records of Club administration
• Material created by Club members documenting their involvement with the Club
• Club publications

The Club has a deposit agreement with Alexander Turnbull Library (ATL), which serves as the repository of official records generated by the officers and committees of the Club (e.g. General Committee minutes, correspondence). The Archivist identifies those records and organises their regular transfer (usually at the end of a president’s term of office) on behalf of the General Committee.

Current property records are kept in the Club’s archive. Unofficial records and manuscripts with archival value pertaining to the Tararua Tramping Club may be collected and held within the Club’s archive. These may include:

• Personal papers created by members documenting their involvement in club activities
• Photographs

Once material has been deposited with the Club it becomes part of the archive collection and cannot be removed. When materials that do not satisfy the requirements of the archive’s mandate are offered, the Archivist may suggest more suitable means of disposition.

Material may be acquired from external sources

• Records of particular events or occasions where the Tararua Tramping Club was involved or commemorated
• Records of the huts and buildings built and/or owned by the Tararua Tramping Club while under its control
• Artefacts, three-dimensional objects, textiles and works of art with a special relationship between such item and the Club.

Only material, which is judged by the Archivist to be of sufficient quality for permanent preservation will be accepted. The Club will only accept material as a donation and has the right to decline acceptance. All material must come from a bone fide source and should have demonstrable provenance.

Donors must have the authority to transfer the material. All donations to the Club will be confirmed in writing by a gift agreement signed by both parties. Transfer of copyright where applicable must be included. Except for records created by Club Officers in the conduct of their roles, the General Committee, its Sub-Committees and the Social Committee, others donors, including Club members, may be asked to make a financial contribution to help defray costs of the cataloguing, storage or preservation.

Archival material will be accepted in some formats

e.g. manuscript, printed, photographic. Material requiring skills or equipment beyond the Club’s resources to preserve or interpret will not be accepted.

Artworks

The special relationship between the Club and works of art and mounted photographs should be demonstrated by depicting

• Notable Club members
• Club buildings and huts
• Significant Club activities
• Works commissioned by the Club.

Artefacts

The special relationship between the Club and the artefact (e.g. historic tramping and skiing equipment) needs to be explicitly documented or clearly identifiable such as found in Club emblems.

Books

The Club supports two book collections: the library (not covered by this policy) and a rare book collection. Several categories of published works comprise the rare book collection. These include:

• Books by and/or about the Tararua Tramping Club, both individually and cooperatively
• Serial publications produced and published by the Tararua Tramping Club
• Dissertations and theses written about the Club

Out of scope

The Club does not collect general historical material on tramping and mountaineering in New Zealand or overseas. It will not acquire records which are not primarily related to the activities of the Club.

The Club does not normally acquire published material, as opposed to original archive material, with the following exceptions:

• Published material except where it forms an integral part of an collection and contains significant manuscript annotation
• Rare or unique publications about or by the Club. This includes published material with a significant provenance, extensive annotations or other unique features contributing to original research

The Club will not accept:

• Potentially hazardous material such as cellulose nitrate film or infested material that would pose a risk to the repository or other collections
• Archives damaged beyond repair or beyond budget, unless the continuing historic value is judged to be significant
• Records of a low informational value or which do not contribute to an understanding of the aims and objectives of the Club
• Artefacts, three-dimensional objects, textiles and works of art with no special relationship between such item and the Club
• Material which does not relate to the Club unless that material is integral to a collection or dividing the collection would result in loss of archival value
• Non-paper media (e.g. film, audio cassette, digital, glass slides) and/or artefacts for which the Club has no facilities for the provision of adequate long-term preservation and/or access
• Records not judged to be of permanent historical value
• Photocopies or duplicates of material held elsewhere or already by the Club (unless they are appraised to be of particular significance)
• Oral histories
• Photographs with no identification of people, location

The Club reserves the right to refuse any item which does not meet the criteria of the collecting policy.

Resource-sharing

Copies of archives which are considered to be of regional, national or international importance may be offered to an appropriate institution (eg. Wairarapa Archive, National Library of New Zealand).

Deaccessioning

Deaccessioning is an important collections management tool that is employed for a variety of reasons. Procedures for the deaccession or disposal of materials will be at least as rigorous as those for accessioning and should be governed by the same basic principles. The process of deaccession will be carried out in as open a manner as possible.

Deaccessioning is the process of permanently removing accessioned archival collection material from the Club’s ownership. The sole purpose of deaccessioning any item within the Club Archive is to refine and strengthen the overall collection. This should be achieved by deaccessioning an item of no value in order to make it possible to give appropriate space and conservation care to the remaining material.

Once selected and accessioned, the material will be preserved permanently; however, the Club reserves the right to conduct a periodic review of material acquired prior to the adoption of this collection management policy and, where necessary, to recommend de-accessioning. This may be for the following reasons:

• Material has been acquired by the Club in the past which belongs more properly in another repository, in which case it may be transferred there.
• The item does not meet the criteria defined previously for purpose and scope.
• Duplicate, ephemeral or non-archival material which in the past has been incorrectly deemed suitable for permanent preservation.
• Non-archival material (eg books and artefacts) currently stored in the Archive room.
• The material is in a format that the Club cannot support (e.g. film, audio cassettes, CDs) and has been (or cannot be reasonably) converted to another format.
• The item is unduly difficult or impossible to care for or store properly.
• The material has been extensively damaged or presents a risk to other materials in the collections, or to people working therein.
• The material has not retained its identity or authenticity (e.g. unidentified photographs).
• The Club is unable to preserve or manage the material properly.
• The item was lost or stolen and has been missing for more than three years.
• The item was given by a donor with the express understanding that it may be sold or given away.
• The Club becomes permanently unable to provide proper care for the collections, in which case they should be transferred to another appropriate repository with similar overall objectives.

Archival processing includes weeding and disposal of material on a regular basis. Material discarded as a part of this normal process is not subject to the same rigor of deaccession procedures that accessioned collection material is.

Deaccessioning Undocumented Material

If material is undocumented, the Archivist must make a serious, diligent and documented effort to learn more about it before considering it for deaccession. This process may include:

• Consulting any documentation such as old inventories and lists, correspondence, newsletters, etc. in an attempt to reconcile the material with some documentation.
• Determining the material’s status as much as possible – any record whatsoever of its documented history, even if incomplete.
• Recording all additional information that is known about the material.

If undocumented objects are deemed to have deteriorated beyond repair, if disposal is required to protect the objects themselves or other objects in the Archive room, and/or if they have become a hazard to health and safety, immediate action may be taken. The Club may wish to obtain the recommendation of a conservator in this event.

Methods of Deaccession and Disposal

Materials which do not meet benchmark requirements for permanent preservation as set forth in this policy will be returned to the donor, transferred to more suitable repositories, destroyed in keeping with normal archival practice, or, in the case of artefacts, sold.

Any income from the sale of such items will not be used to defray ongoing operating expenses but will be used by the Club to fund the conservation care of other items in the collection unless otherwise designated by the General Committee. The method will be determined on a case-by-case basis for each deaccessioned item.

Documentation of Deaccession and Disposal

Responsibility to the needs and reputation of the Club requires that, in preparing for and accomplishing any deaccession, the Archivist will take care to define the purpose of the deaccession and the intended use of monetary or other proceeds of the deaccession, to avoid any procedure which may detract from the Club’s reputation for honesty and responsible conduct, and to carry out the entire process in a way which will not detract from public perception of its responsible stewardship.

The complete procedure of deaccessioning any item should be recorded, including the following information as appropriate:

• date of deaccession
• method of deaccession
• item ID number (if applicable)
• detailed physical item description, including measurements, materials and condition at the time of deaccession
• item’s monetary value – as appraised or estimated (if applicable)
• photograph of object

All documents related to the deaccessioning process should be deposited in the relevant collections files and retained there permanently. Deaccessioning purpose and date should also be recorded on any object records, physical or electronic.

Access

This section applies only to the archival material held in the Clubrooms. Refer directly to the Alexander Turnbull Library for the access conditions for the records held there.

Priority for collection use

The Club has limited resources to provide access to their archives and thus must prioritise their use by the following user communities:

• Club Officers
• Club members
• The general public

Anyone wishing to use material held in the Club Archive must complete an access form and make an appointment with the Archivist to visit. Users who are not Club members may be charged a fee to access to cover costs.

Restrictions

The Club strives to balance openness and confidentiality in serving users. The Club will inform users of the conditions governing access to its collections.

• The General Committee may specify whether records transferred to the archive may be freely used or restricted.
• Club members may impose reasonable restrictions with specific time limitations on personal papers when deposited before death.
• Restricted records are closed for research purposes and will not be redacted to facilitate use.
• In normal circumstances, unprocessed collections are closed for research. However, the Archivist will make every effort to expedite initial processing of unprocessed collections of interest to users.

Communication

The Club facilitates access to its collections by informing users about their existence via its website, its entry in the Community Archive website, its inventory and the assistance of the Archivist.

Personal Information

Requests for access to personal information regarding current and former living Club members are processed according to the principles of the Privacy Act 1993.

Use

To protect the integrity of the collections, all material must be used in accordance with the rules for the Archive.

• Archival stacks are not open to browsing by users. Only key holders (see 8.9) are authorised to enter the Archive Room.
• The Archivist may limit or deny access to users who have endangered the integrity of the collections.
• The Archivist may require users to consult paper or digital copies of records when the originals are in fragile condition.
• The Archivist may deny access when the condition of the record is too fragile to make a surrogate.

The Archivist may provide users with photocopies or digital images of materials from the collection. All copying and scanning is staff-mediated; the use of a personal camera is allowed. All copies made using either Club-owned or personal equipment must be made in accordance with copyright law and archival policies, as well as concern for the physical condition of the records.

Fees

The Archivist may also conduct research on behalf of users for a fee. The research needs of Club Officers take precedence over the research needs of other users. Fees are charged for photocopying or scanning.

Citations

If the use of archival collections results in formally or informally published work, users are expected to cite their sources, credit the Club, and provide it with a copy of the completed work. A suggested citation form will be made available to users.

Removal of Archives

Materials may be temporarily removed from the Clubrooms under the following conditions:

• Materials may be removed for copying and scanning purposes by the Archivist.
• Materials may be removed from the Clubrooms for conservation work upon authorisation of the General Committee.
• Materials may be removed from the Clubrooms for outreach and instruction activities when custodial arrangements have been negotiated and arranged. The General Committee decide whether or not such a loan is approved.
• Materials may be loaned to another institution for exhibition. The General Committee decide whether or not such a loan is approved.

Key Holders

Archives are unique and valuable collections and for this reason there is restriction upon the number of keys for the Archives Room. There are four key holders:

• the Archivist,
• the General Committee Member with responsibility for Archives,
• the Clubroom Officer and
• the New Zealand Fire Service.

All entries into the Archives Room will be logged by key holders in the archives logbook.

Policy review

This policy will be reviewed after one year’s implementation, then every five years. The policy may be assessed before that time as necessary to reflect organisational or physical changes or any change required by law.

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Policy