1. Training Programs Implemented in the Past by the National Archives

(1) Training Seminar for Staffs of Archives

Since 1988, the National Archives of Japan has been hosting a seminar every year for staffs working for the archives of municipal and prefecture governments, various ministries and agencies, and local public bodies. Objectives of the seminar are to enhance their understanding of the concept of the public Archives Law (enacted in June 1988) as well as their important role as a staff responsible for preserving important official documents and records of historical value and providing services for the public who desire to see those materials. The seminar is held annually over a period of five days, during which lectures on the preservation, management and organization of official documents and records are given by experts in various fields, and seminar attendees also visit archives and relevant facilities for practical training. The accumulated number seminar attendees has now reached 433 persons for ten years.

(2) Study Conference of Senior Staffs

In addition, a study conference of senior staffs has been held annually since 1993. Objectives of the study conference are to develop the expertise of senior staffs (whose responsibility is to preserve and manage important historical materials, provide services for the public who desire to see those materials, or conduct research to improve the functioning of the archives) and to promote the exchange of information among those professionals. The sixth of these conferences, held last year, saw the accumulated number of conference attendees reaching 112 persons. During the 3-day conference, attendees make presentations and exchange opinions on predetermined issues in the fields of preservation, management and use of archival materials. Lectures are also given by experts.

2. Deliberations on and implementation of the training program for archivists

(1) Deliberations by Study Group

The Public Archives Law provides in its Article 4, Section 2 that "There shall be in a public archives Director-General, professional personnel who make investigations and researches into official documents and others which are important as historical materials, and such other personnel as may be deemed necessary. "The above-mentioned" professional personnel who make investigations and researches into official documents and others which are important as historical materials" (named "Kobunshokan-Senmonsyokuin" in Japanese) are the ones who play the central role in a public archives as researchers with the important responsibility of determining which documents or records should be preserved in archives as important historical materials to be passed on to succeeding generation. (hereinafter referred to as "Archivist")

The Prime Minister's Office, which has jurisdiction over the national Archives and the Public Archives Law, considers it important that an official training course be established for archivists, and has organized study groups consisting of experts from various fields to discuss the effective implementation of a new training program. First, in 1989, the "Study Group on Training and Qualification of Archivists engaged at Archive Institutions" was organized. The group proceeded with its deliberations until 1993, when the conclusion of the first stage was reached and a successor group named the "Study Group for Establishment of a Training Institute for Archivists" was organized. The group finally ended its deliberations in 1996. Both groups have submitted their respective reports on the conclusions of their deliberations. In these reports, it is proposed that a new type of training program be established to develop archivists with expertise, under the management of the National Archives of Japan. The report submitted by the "Study Group for Establishment of a Training Institute for Archivists" (hereinafter referred to as "the Study Group") states that the ultimate goal is to establish an advanced training program for university graduates or incumbent government officials who have been posted to the National Archives or the archives of a local public organization, and that the program curriculum should consist of high-level education (equivalent to a master's degree) and research designed to foster the expertise of archives staffs and to develop future leaders in this field. The report also suggests that, the above notwithstanding, it is desirable that incumbent senior archives staffs be chosen as trainees for the newly implemented training program, for the moment, from the point of view of a smooth start up for the new program and the importance of senior staff training. In addition, it is pointed out that establishment of the advanced training program for archivists is urgently needed and that measures should be implemented as quickly as possible to realize its establishment.

(2) Implementation of the training course for archivists

In response to the proposals of the study groups, the national Archives of Japan is implementing a training course for archivists this year (starting from late November). Taking into consideration the fact that the majority of public archives staffs are government officials, not specialists but generalists when assigned to the position, careful attention was paid to the options of the public archives from which trainees will be chosen (with regard to required expertise, appropriate period for training, position to which trainees are to be assigned upon completion of course, archives' personnel placement and employment practices, etc.) when the training course was designed, where the principal objective was to develop archivists who could play a central role in operation the archives. Also, it has been decided that those who are eligible to be trainees shall be incumbent senior staff who have been in office for a long period of time and are responsible for the core activities of archives.

The curriculum of the 1998 training course has been drafted by the Committee for Establishment of Curriculum of the Training Course for Archivists, the majority of whose members are study group members. Based on its draft, which is now a definite plan, the National Archives is currently preparing to implement the training course.

In the curriculum, emphasis is placed on learning the skills needed to manage contemporary rather than old documents. This is because it is more important for public archives today to manage a barrage of newly arriving official documents (i.e. would-be important vestiges of the present day), and to promote the well-organized accumulation of scholarly experiences about them.

The curriculum, designed with reference to the established studies in the relevant fields, consists of lectures, discussions, practical training and a dissertation, with the common theme being the management of archival documents. More specifically, there are five main subjects in the curriculum; "General Responsibilities of Archives," "Study of Archival Materials & Information Providing Services," and "Final Research." The course is composed of 4-week lectures by experts (2 two-week sessions) and home study where each trainee researches on his or her own theme. (see the attached for the Subjects of the Training Course for Archivists.)

Due to the importance of this program as a measure to train archivists under the Public Archives Law, determination of the principle of the training course is the responsibility of the Prime Minister as head of the Prime Minister's Office which has jurisdiction over the Public Archives Law.

(3) Issues for future deliberation

In Japan, the study of archives is not established systematically and scholarly, and there are few universities or educational institutions which introduce the study of archives in their curriculum. The training course for archivists, to be implemented this year under such circumstances, is designed, for the moment, specifically for incumbent senior staff who are responsible for core activities of archives. It will probably be necessary to improve and revise the curriculum in the future in the light of experiences yet to be accumulated. Furthermore, we need to consider implementing a training course for newly employed officials or those who have been posted to archives for the first time, as proposed by the Study Groups. We hope for a concerted effort to accumulate managerial and scholarly experiences necessary for this.

And, the Administrative Information Disclosure Law has been drafted at the Parliament and it is expected that it will be approved at the Parliament no later than the end of next year. The Law will define the framework of administrative documents management, and in accordance with the enactment of this law the demands on the national archives will be growing especially with regard to accession of historically invaluable documents, and appraisal, preservation and public access and use of them. And, the establishment of the standards for accession, appraisal, preservation and public access and professional training and education for archivists have been urgent issues that we have been tackling as top priorities.

(Attachment)

Subjects of the Training Course for Archivists

1. General Responsibilities of the Archives - the basics of an archive's responsibilities and functions

(1) Laws and Ordinances concerning Archives

(2) The Role of the Archives in Local Society

(3) Related Organizations (Library, Museum, etc.)

(4) Archival Systems and the Profession

(5) Archives in Foreign Countries

(6) Archives in Japan

2. Study of Archival Materials - the methods for identifying important historical materials for preservation and the basic skills needed to appraise them

(1) Historical Materials

(2) Records and Archives Management

(3) History of Modern Laws and Administration

(4) Records Management by Government Bodies

(5) Selection and Acquisition

3. Study of Management of Archival Materials - the skills needed to manage important materials in good conditions to be passed on to subsequent generations.

(1) Arrangement and Description

(2) Automation

(3) Information Science

(4) Conservation Science

4. Study of Archival Materials & Information Providing Services

(1) Archival Public Services (publications, exhibition, etc.)

(2) Relevant Laws and Ordinances regarding Access to Archives

5. Final Research - Submit a dissertation on one's own research theme