Establishing Osaka University Archive Repository
The Archive Repository Establishment Examination Committee set up under the General Planning Board in January 2005 compiled results of considerations as the second report and reported at the Education and Research Council meeting in March 2011. The report contents are noted below.
Based on this report, it is planned that the Archive Repository Preparation Office will be set up in the academic year of 2006-2007 and the Archive Repository will be open in the academic year of 2010-2011 when the second mid-term goals period starts.
February 10, 2006
2nd Report on the Establishment of the Osaka University Archive Repository *
To SUZUKI Naoshi, Director & Vice President; Director, General Planning Board, Osaka University
From ABE Takeshi, Project General Manager, Osaka University Archive Repository* Establishment Committee
Deliberations on establishment of the facility functioning as an archive (hereinafter referred to as Archive Repository) at Osaka University have been conducted since July 2010. At the 5th meeting in August 2010 it was determined to set it up. The first report on this matter was submitted to the General Planning Board in September 2010 and basic policies were approved.
The second report was approved at the 9th meeting that was held today. The second report will be submitted to the General Planning Board. We would appreciate your consideration for this matter.
1. Purposes of establishment
Purposes of the Archive Repository are:
- Select documents to be kept as archives from university's official documents whose retention period has passed such as account ledgers and records, and organize and publicize them.
- Collect, organize, and release other historical materials regarding Osaka University.
For these two purposes, the Archive Repository will conduct research activities such as surveys on aforementioned materials and the publication of surveys, provide students with education about the history of Osaka University, and make social contributions by holding exhibitions and courses open to the public.
Purpose 1 is related to the Information Disclosure Law that was enacted in 1999 and took effect in April 2001. Purpose 2 is related to the conservation of materials collected for editing the history of Osaka University, work that has been suspended but that will be resumed in the near future. Some materials can be categorized as both Purpose 1 and 2, but technologically they are required to be handled separately by professionals.
In order to ensure the storage and release of official documents of Osaka University and promote editing a 100-year history of the university by setting up a new organization of editing committee* (separately from the Archive Repository), the Archive Repository should be established as soon as possible.
*The 100th anniversary of the founding of Osaka University is 2031. Therefore, a 100-year history editing committee and its editing room must be realized 10 years prior to that, that is, around 2020.
2. Organization
We will set up the Archive Repository Preparation Office (hereinafter referred to as Preparation Office) in 2006 and the Archive Repository by 2009 when the mid-term goals period ends. We aim to set up the Archive Repository in 2010 beginning a new mid-term goals period.
The Preparation Office will collect and organize official documents and historical materials of Osaka University and comply with related laws for the establishment of the Archive Repository.
The Archive Repository should be in the hands of the Administration Bureau. Therefore, an administrative staff member should join the Preparation Office from the stage of preparation for its establishment.
3. Facilities
The Preparation Office will be set up in the Museum of Osaka University, but the first Archive Repository will be on the Toyonaka Campus. After the flow of documents from schools to the Archive has been established in the future, a depository of official documents will be separately set up near the Administration Bureau.
4. Personnel
A professor heads the Preparation Office. And, a full-time lecturer will be placed at the room. The lecturer's term is from the academic year of 2006-07 to the academic year of 2009-10.
In many university archives, an assistant serves as a full-time faculty staff member. Unlike university archives at a university with a tradition of a university history editing room, because Osaka University does not have such a tradition, for us to develop our archive repository in a short period of time, it's important to place an excellent archivist in the repository. Since this person is also required to give lectures on general education subjects such as the history of Osaka University as soon as possible, the teaching position should be secured.
The full-time faculty member to be placed in the repository should be an archivist who has strong interest in and knowledge of collection, organization, restoration, and publication of paper materials. Therefore, it is desired that an individual whose specialty is modern Japanese history, especially that of universities, education, and the legal system. These fields are thought to be work that will be reflected in the archivist's education and research at the Archive Repository. This position is important from the standpoint of the university as a whole, so the position should belong to the Administration Bureau. Under the full-time faculty member, two office work assistants will be assigned; one who collects and organizes official documents and the other historical materials. Other than these staff members, as I mentioned above, an administration bureau staff member will also be appointed.
Organization of the Archive Repository Preparation Office
- Head, Preparation Office: Professor
- Full-time lecturer
- Office assistant handling official documents
- Office assistant handling historical documents
- Administration staff from the Administration Bureau
* The name " Osaka University Archive Repository " is tentative.