AUSTRALIAN ARCHIVISTS ADOPT MISSION STATEMENT

At its recent meeting in Perth the Council of the Australian Society of Archivists adopted a mission statement, the main purpose of which is to convey to non-archivists what it is that archivists do and why we are important. The secondary purpose of the mission statement is for it to be a unifying force within the profession itself. At the ASA 'Future Directions' workshop held in 1995 the point was made that the profession could benefit from a unifying vision. The mission statement was developed in partial response to this expressed need. The endorsed statement is as follows:

THE ARCHIVIST'S MISSION
Archivists ensure that records which have value as authentic evidence of administrative, corporate, cultural and intellectual activity are made, kept and used. The work of archivists is vital for ensuring organisational efficiency and accountability and for supporting understandings of Australian life through the management and retention of its personal, corporate and social memory.