From the History of Keeping Records

Records and archives have been in existence since mankind acquired the ability to record information in writing. The earliest keeping of records and archives can be traced to the Ancient Civilizations when records of birth, property, law, money, tax and official and private transactions began to be kept to facilitate the conduct of government business, and for education, religion and family purposes. The medium on which this information was recorded differed from society to society as well as from age to age ranging from the clay tablets of the Assyrian and Babylonian Empires of the third millennium to the wooden tablets that found their way into Greece, the papyrus scrolls of Egypt and the parchment and vellum of Medieval Europe.

The reasons why records and archives were kept were very much clear. To prove your right to the possession of a certain piece of land you needed title deeds; to determine the size of population being governed and therefore the taxes that should be collected you required records of birth and death; to enforce government laws and regulations it was necessary to keep a record of the laws, decrees and edicts. The keeping of records and archives was therefore not a luxury but a necessity on which depended one’s ability to continue to rule and to have rights and privileges. The records and archives were also preserved in order to prove the rights and privileges of those who were being governed. In Roman Egypt, for instance, every provincial capital had a central record office known as a “demosia bibliotheke” where officials were required to deposit certain records relating to census, tax, land and other official transactions.

II. Answer the questions:

1. What time can the earliest keeping of records be traced back to? 2. What were the ancient times media on which information was recorded? 3. What were the reasons for keeping records? 4. Why was the keeping of records and archives a necessity? 5. What was known as a “demosia bibliotheke” in Roman Egypt?

III. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct form (Active or Passive).

1. This year the Records Management Society (to develop) its own training programmes. 2. He (to serve) in the Public Record Office of the United Kingdom for thirty-three years before he retired in 1992. 3. Governments, organisations and individuals (to create) records in the course of their daily work. 4. In ancient Greece the word “arheion” (to use) to refer to government records belonging to an office. 5. When the rate of usage of records (to decline) from the occasional to the once in a blue moon, they were transferred to a Records Centre. 6. Since 1996 Michael (to be) Honorary Secretary of the Association of Commonwealth Archivists and Records Managers.

IV. Identify the type of clause in the following complex sentences. Translate the sentences into Belarusian/Russian.

1. In order to provide high-quality service, the records centre should be adequately staffed. 2. The capability to keep records and archives was attained first by those societies that learned to write and record. 3. Records professionals must rethink the way that records are created, managed and preserved. 4. To extend her knowledge, she carried out a study of record-keeping in 30 English speaking countries. 5. When she was teaching at University College London she developed a teaching programme for international students. 6. In Roman Egypt record offices were open to the public who could come and inspect the records. 7. The Trust was established to support the need for innovative and strategic solutions.

V. Use the correct form of the verbs in brackets in the following conditional sentences.

1. If the records centre (to provide) transport to bring records to and from offices, it would need accommodation for the vehicles. 2. If an office wishes to borrow a record, it (to send) a completed records centre request form to the records centre. 3. If the storage area of the records centre hadn’t been protected, an unauthorised person (to gain) access to secret records in the records centre. 4. If records are no longer used regularly but must still be kept, they (to retire) into some storage area. 5. If our company (to have) a low-cost storage away from our offices it would be much more economical. 6. If the records had been transferred from the office to a record centre they (to be kept) securely.

VI. Underline verbals (infinitive, gerund, participle I, II) in the following sentences. Translate the sentences into Belarusian/Russian.

1. The term ‘records’ includes all information materials produced in the course of administrative work. 2. It is the responsibility of the records offices to manage records and to see that they are available when needed. 3. There is no point in transferring records to a records centre if it is not completely secure.
4. Staff of a records centre should wear a card carrying their photograph. 5. The main purpose of the records centre is to hold records for the agreed time. 6. The records centre manager is responsible for controlling the keys to the building.

VII. Underline and identify the type of verbal construction in the following sentences. Translate the sentences into Belarusian/Russian.

1. The Director of Archives wants the work done immediately. 2. At the creation and through the active usage, the records are said to be current. 3. He insisted on the statistics being compiled as soon as possible. 4. The manager allowed the records to be transferred to the archival institution. 5. I noticed the staff preparing records for destruction.

TEST II

I. Read and translate the text into Belarusian/Russian. Do the translation in writing.

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