Archival Practicum Concluded Considering Malta's outstanding archival heritage and relatively vast collections, courses in archival management in Malta are hard to come by. Saturday 29th January saw the conclusion of a much needed practice-based course in Archives conducted by Fulbright Professor Theresa Vann, with the presentation of certificates by Professor Saviour Chircop, Director of the Universityís Centre for Communication Technology. The course was the first run by the Centre's Division of Library & Information Studies in conjunction with the National Archives of Malta, on whose premises the sessions were held.

The participating students learnt the current best practices for processing archives and for providing access by working with the original materials.  They experienced the types of decisions archivists make regarding questions of conservation and privacy issues. They also had the opportunity to discuss the creation and dissemination of microfilm and/or digital surrogates in an informal combination of lectures and workshops. During January Dr Vann also concluded a short theoretical evening course on the university campus entitled "Modern Issues Affecting Historical Archives".
 

Caption to photo: Professor Chircop presenting attendance certificate to participant. From left, Dr Lillian Sciberras, Head of LIS Division, Prof. Chircop, Prof. Theresa Vann who conducted the course, and Mr Charles Farrugia, Head of the National Archives of Malta, who assisted her.