International Archives Day, celebrated annually on June 9, was established by the International Council on Archives (ICA) in November 2007 at the General Assembly in Quebec, Canada.
The date for the holiday was not chosen by chance – it was on this day in 1948 that the ISA was founded by decision of UNESCO and under its auspices. The date of formation of this organization was determined as International Archives Day, and this first holiday, held in 2008, simultaneously became the 60th anniversary of the founding of the ISA.
International Council of Archives – is a professional organization of the global archival community that promotes the preservation, development and use of the world's archival heritage. It is a neutral non-governmental organization funded by its members from many archives around the world. Today, the ISA has about 1.5 thousand members from more than 190 countries.
The organization's activities are aimed at addressing issues of effective management of archives and the preservation, processing and use of archival heritage in the world through the establishment of international standards and advanced training of archivists, as well as ensuring access to archives through dialogue between archivists, politicians, entrepreneurs and ordinary users of archives.
It is not surprising that high demands are placed on the archivist; in addition to professional knowledge, he must have a number of business and human qualities. After all, he was given the right to preserve historical and cultural monuments of enduring significance. Throughout the life of the document, archivists carry out its scientific, technical, conservation, and restoration processing in order to ensure the safety of information and its medium.
In addition, in the modern world of high technology, in order to rationally use documents for scientific, cultural, social purposes, ensure prompt search for the necessary information, save data, accurately interpret it and ensure targeted use, archivists must also have the skills to work with various storage media and modern technologies, continuously improve their knowledge and working methods.
For the life of society, the role of archives cannot be overestimated. As a kind of information centers, they provide access to retrospective document information, assist in solving the problems of the country's socio-economic development, effective public administration, and also provide scientific knowledge of the past.
But – archives are not only a serious information resource of cultural and historical heritage. In the life of each individual, archives sometimes play no less a role. After all, it stores individual information about each of us, about any legal transactions, financial transactions, etc. The variety of archival sources and formats is enormous. Therefore, archival data is valuable evidence of the economic, political and social development of humanity.
Preserving documentary heritage, giving people the opportunity to get acquainted with unique documents – is the main task of archivists.
Therefore, Archives Day – is not only a professional holiday for all workers in this industry, but also a memorable date established to attract the attention of the general public and decision makers to the achievements and problems of archival affairs.
Traditionally, various festive and educational events are timed to coincide with this Day in different countries in order to promote the role and significance of archives, as well as the profession of archivists, when I would like to note the responsible work of people of this important profession. In most cases, events are organized by ISA members, who also encourage employees of all archives to demonstrate their successes and achievements, regardless of their regional and national affiliation.
It must be said that many countries also have their own national archive days, which were established even before the adoption of this common date. Let us remind you that in Russia the professional holiday of archive workers is celebrated annually on March 10.