From mission to citizens' expectations : the experience of the National Archives of Malta

Abstract

National archives have one distinctive feature which distinguishes them from the large number of archival institutions that work side by side with them in most countries. This element is the legal basis which strenghtens the institution in terms of legitimacy and authority. At the same time this same legal instrument might hamper the institution by narrowing its possibility of being flexibile in its strategic goals to catch up with the rapid changes in the demands of society. As part of my doctoral studies I compiled information about the EU national archives structures and functions. The study analyzed both the legal basis and the mission statement of each EU national archives. This paper will not go into detail on each and every mission statement but will outline the preliminary findings of this study.