Reform of libraries sector planned

A bill for the setting up of an organisation responsible for the national archives has been given a second reading by the House of Representatives.

During his winding up speech Dr Galea said that once the new structure for national archives was in place, the government would embark on a similar process for libraries.

Libraries and archives currently form part of the same government department.

Dr Galea again denied that Gozo archives would be moved to Malta, or that the Minister for Gozo was not involved in the preparation of this bill.

The minister stressed the importance of having well organised national archives, adding that the government should set an example to the private sector.

Replying to questions on what documents would be preserved and who would take the decision, Dr Galea said such matters would be left to the professionally qualified archivists.

He also defended the government's decision to set up an organisation for national archives which will be outside the civil service, saying it could be more flexible and efficient than a government department. Moreover, the revenue of the newly set up National Archives would go specifically to the archives and not to general public funds.

Dr Galea said he wished to thank those who were working in the national archives, who often went beyond the call of duty in difficult conditions. He augured that the governemnt would in the near future be in a better position to provide new funding to the sector.

Concluding, Dr Galea insisted that the new law was not restricted to the protection of documents but also covered audio-visual records.

Earlier in the debate, Carmelo Abela, opposition education spokesman, complained that the national archives had not been given enough importance over the years. It was worrying that records of the past 30 years were not gathered in one place but spread in different locations.

He observed that Malta currently had a Department of Libraries and Archives. If a Department of National Archives was set up and a national archivist appointed, the reform would take place without the need for the setting up of another structure which would be more expensive to run.

He said the need for the National Archives Council was not clear and it seemed that the powers of the council would overlap those of the national archivist.

Mr Abela said it was important for students to become more familiar with the national archives and teachers should consider them as an essential part of the country's historical heritage.

He hoped the national archivist would be able to keep a record of what was held in non-national archives, such as those held by the Church. Confidentiality had to be respected in the case of items held privately.

Mr Abela said the bill did not discuss non-government organisations, such as those involved in sports, which were also part of the country's written history.

One also needed to ensure that there was no conflict between the Data Protection Act and this bill, especially as Malta did not have a Freedom of Information Act.

Labour MP Helena Dalli spoke against the fact that the government was setting up a new structure to take over work which could be handled by a properly resourced government department. The new structure would involve the government in a greater outlay, when the government's financial problems were well known.

Ms Dalli questioned whether this law only covered documents about the government or also documents concerning the social life of the Maltese.

Audio-visual archives, she insisted, should also be preserved in terms of this law. In this context she praised officials in the PBS archives department who had helped preserve and broadcast historical material, notably Charles Flores and Anna Bonanno.