Developing norms for the ecclesiastical archives of the future

Abstract

The value and importance of ecclesiastical archives extend far beyond the parameters of church organisations. Members of these organisations consult such archives for their legal and practical evidence, a wider spectrum of people conduct research for educational and cultural purposes. In many instances, ecclesiastical archives originated before parallel civil institutions and this considerably increase the value of the cultural heritage they conserve. It is imperative that ecclesiastical archives keep abreast of the steady progress in this field so as to implement developing information policy and records management. The following proposals, according to which norms for the ecclesiastical archives of the future can be developed, are drawn from past experiences as well as from recent advances in electronic record management.