Original Research

Collection stewardship constrained by resources: The management of religious archives in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal region

Francis Garaba
Verbum et Ecclesia | Vol 34, No 1 | a788 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/ve.v34i1.788 | © 2013 Francis Garaba | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 07 September 2012 | Published: 16 September 2013

About the author(s)

Francis Garaba, School of Religion, Philosophy and Classics, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Abstract

A survey using questionnaires, observation and interviews was conducted in 2011 to ascertain the collection stewardship strategies of archival repositories with religious archives in Pietermaritzburg. The study concluded that there was a need to establish a religious archives group in order for the voice of ecclesiastical archives to resonate across South Africa. Through this group, it is hoped that there will be greater coordination and networking amongst the archival repositories. The help of associations such as the South African Society of Archivists, the Oral History Association of South Africa and the South African Preservation Group could greatly assist in fostering best practices in archival management. To champion this worthwhile cause, it would be ideal to come up with an Open Day on religious archives to serve as an advocacy platform. These recommendations are made against a backdrop of the poor state of religious archives in Pietermaritzburg, resulting from acute underfunding and which threatens the survival of this record in the long term.

Keywords

Religious archives; Pietermaritzburg Theological Cluster; archives management; Religious Archives Group

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Crossref Citations

1. Disembodied archives: The disconnectedness of records and archives management practices within the Pietermaritzburg Cluster of Theological Libraries, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Francis Garaba
Verbum et Ecclesia  vol: 36  issue: 1  year: 2015  
doi: 10.4102/ve.v36i1.1357