The archivists of the local authorities in the Kleve district met at the Kleve district archive in Geldern. The biannual meetings serve to network and exchange information on current topics.
In order to be able to react quickly in an emergency - e.g. in the event of water damage - and save valuable cultural assets, eleven municipal archives in the district of Kleve have now joined forces to form an emergency network. District archivist Dr. Beate Sturm provided information about the work in this area at the conference.
Another topic at the meeting was the introduction of electronic files in administrations, in which the municipal archives are actively involved: They advise on the creation of file plans, introduce a digital long-term archive and provide advice to employees in the administration on issues relating to records management. "As the administrations are breaking new ground here, a good exchange between the archivists is particularly important," emphasized Dr. Sturm. The latest developments at the Kommunales Rechenzentrum Niederrhein (KRZN) were also on the agenda. The focus here was on the Niederrheinportal, which is currently being planned. In future, digital reproductions and electronic files will also be presented on the portal in addition to information on the content of archive records. "Part of the portal will be a digital reading room where research can be carried out around the clock, seven days a week, and selected archive material can be viewed directly," said the district archivist.
Dr. Manuel Hagemann from the Archivberatungs- und Fortbildungs-Zentrum (AFZ-LVR) was a guest at the district archive. As an area consultant for the district of Kleve, Dr. Hagemann advises the archives on all questions relating to the archiving of their holdings and the operation of the archives. The day was rounded off with a tour of the district archive's storage building.