The purpose of the analysis is to demonstrate the effectiveness of Piql technology data storage for long-term preservation. This technology has been confirmed by certified laboratory tests. The article presents a unique and effective technology for perpetual storage of data on physical media and a detailed description of data recording methods, including the equipment needed for this process. It also presents the conditions of packaging, storage, transport and protection of piqlFilm media, based on the experience of durability of this medium over the past several decades. The idea behind the creation of this technology, in addition to permanent storage, is the ability to read the stored data in the distant future. The data is stored in an open format, allowing read access without temporal or technological limitations. Piql has also, taking advantage of the unique geo-climatic conditions on the Arctic island of Svalbard, established a specialized archive called the Arctic World Archive or the End of the World Library, to store the most valuable data of international institutions and companies as well as the world’s cultural heritage.

Thanks to the technological evolution, analog methods of archiving information (paper, film, image) have been almost entirely replaced by digital storage. Currently, the need for storage of generated and processed information is growing at an exponential rate. The so-called clouds are becoming increasingly popular. Scientific advances suggest yet another solution, inspired by the oldest but also incredibly durable information carrier, i.e. a sequence of nucleic acids: DNA. Moreover, DNA is very durable, and preserved in appropriate conditions, almost indestructible in relation to human lifespan. Further, the information contained in nucleic acids is very condensed. This means that in a scant few test tubes we could store servers’ worth of information. Scientists have been thinking for years about replacing digital data carriers with information stored in the genetic code. Thanks to new scientific developments, this prospect is becoming attractive.

This article is an attempt to build a quantitative panorama of the Polish country code top-level domain (ccTLD) in the years 1996–2001 on the basis of data generously provided by the Internet Archive. The purpose of analyzing over 72 million captures is to show that these resources have limited potential in reconstructing the early Polish Web. The availability of historical Web resources and tools for their easy exploration in no way determines their potential value and usefulness in research, even if we do not have access to alternative sources.

Even 10 years ago, the idea that historical manuscripts, regardless of time of creation and origin, could be „read“ and searched using automated processes seemed unrealistic. However, thanks to modern machine learning methods and the use of artificial intelligence, it is now possible. Following the development of Transkribus platform (http://transkribus.eu/), a tool has become available that allows free open access to this technology. Handwriting recognition permits automatic conversion of large numbers of historical manuscripts into fully legible texts. This development will influence and change the work of archives over the next several years, especially with regard to how their collections are made accessible digitally. Using the example of a Polish-German cooperation project, the article presents the use of handwriting recognition technology in the context of an archival digitisation project and discusses the technical requirements, technological work input and results of using Transkribus in an archive.

A state archive building is a place that serves primarily the long-term preservation of archival materials. It must also meet the requirements of a friendly public institution, which include serving and satisfying various user needs in the field of archival activity. The archives’ functions determine the construction, equipment, installation and technology considerations at the very conceptual stage and later in the design documentation. In case of a state archive, storage facilities used for the storage of archival materials are of particular importance. In case of the new building of the National Archives in Kraków, a concept involving passive climate control has been developed for the eight-storey storage segment. The storage segment is a separate structure, with no permanent workstations. The largely passive stabilization of the microclimate was ensured by well-thought-out construction solutions: good thermal insulation, high-performance external partitions and installation of architectural surfaces made of porous materials with good water vapor exchange capacity. Temperature inside the storage facility follows the annual cycle of external emperaturę changes, and relative humidity remains spontaneously at the optimum level of approximately 50% throughout much of the year. During the warm season, the air is dehumidified. Dry conditions and low temperatures in the cold season reduce the rate of degradation of archival materials.

Life in society shows that we are made up of several elements that shape us and associate us with the world. Thus, it is necessary to study theoretical perspectives that are able to highlight the role played by a diverse range of actors, configuring themselves as an assembly of things. However, it is quite common to consider that in archival practices, humans are generally perceived in a hegemonic way, whose objects/things, documents, are always passive to the action of these humans. I bring performativity and post-qualitative research to the theoretical debate, because I understand that objects/things must also be included in the analysis of a phenomenon, as they make up the process by which a given phenomenon unfolds. Methodologically I presented post-qualitative research, based on a non-anthropocentric view, unmasking the ways in which we are rooted in humanist ideologies, post-qualitative research offers a way of being in the world that fits and can engage the tangle that the world is. I believe that non-humans can be carriers of practices and have performances, just like humans. We need to show how the things that people do, make people do things. I do not intend to place objects/things above humans, or vice versa, but between them and vice versa. These objects/things can be used by us humans, but they can also use humans and influence, change an archival social practice, which then is no longer particularly human.

This article attempts to introduce and popularize in Polish academia the theories and assumptions, which have so far been presented mainly in the Anglo-Saxon literature on the subject, of the affectivity (or emotional aspect) of archives. Through a qualitative analysis of existing research and theoretical texts, four thematic areas were identified that offer particularly interesting perspectives for researchers and archivists: affect and archival selection; affect and archival use; affect and archival description; and archives and trauma. Particular attention has been given to appraising documentation and positioning the archivist in this process. An attempt is also made to relate this type of research to the concept of new humanities.

The aim of the article is to initiate a discussion about the potential for the development of business archives in Poland in the light of the achievements and annual conferences of the International Council on Archives Section on Business Archives (ICA SBA). The article includes summaries of 14 conferences organized between 2010–2021, as well as 4 publications containing conference proceedings published by ICA SBA. Additionally, the article discusses in detail the monograph entitled The International Business Archives Handbook, which to this day constitutes one of the most important achievements in the international community of business archivists. The review of literature and debates during individual conferences cover a wide range of topics including: definition and characteristics of the business archive; diversity of business archives models functioning around the world; the role of business archivists and their relations with internal and external stakeholders of the organization; potential use of archives in marketing and increasing the value of companies; organization of anniversary projects and corporate history writing; the relationship between the world of archives and the world of innovation, social media and new technologies; the role of business archives in promoting sustainable development; and the fundamental importance of ethics and trust in the business archives activities. The last part of the article is devoted to diagnosing the situation and potential for the development of Polish business archives and ends with an open invitation to a wider discussion and active participation of Polish archivists in the international forum of ICA SBA.

The purpose of this paper is to attempt to determine the number of actual EDM system implementations in institutions subject to the provisions of Prime Minister’s Ordinance of 18 January 2011 and to interpret the results of research conducted so far by selected institutions using heterogeneous research methods. The aim of the study is to demonstrate the phenomenon of overinterpretation of the functionality of IT tools supporting administrative work by their manufacturers and often also by the officials themselves. The article attempts to provide evidence for the causes of this phenomenon. The analysis uses data collected upon the order of the Ministry of Digitization for the years 2012–2015, the Central Statistical Office data for the years 2015–2019, two completed student projects (concerning the implementation of EDM systems in offices countrywide and in Małopolskie Voivodship), and audit reports regarding compliance with the regulations on the national archival resource and archives (reports from audits of company archives) for the years 2011–2019, concerning public administration units from the area placed under archival supervision of the National Archive in Kraków.

The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic has caused unprecedented global crises in the areas of health, politics, society, and economics and has affected all aspects of human life. We are witnessing unprecedented events that undoubtedly have long-term consequences and will affect the image of the modern world for years to come. The new reality requires unprecedented crisis solutions, but it is also  worthwhile to pay attention to those practices that can positively influence the surrounding reality. One of such areas may be pandemic-related office practices and accelerated digitization of the activities of public administration. The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the work of local government units, introduction of new, unprecedented solutions, technologies and possibilities, allow us to pose questions about their quality, lasting consequences, ways of handling administrative matters and performing clerical activities, as well as interest of citizens in electronic provision of services by public administration offices. This article - as part of the deliverables of research conducted under a grant entitled „Office practices in times of pandemic. The impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on digitization of office work in public administration” – aims to summarize actions taken so far in the field of computerization of office work in Poland and to provide answers to the above questions in context of operation of local governments where clerical activities were carried out by means of the traditional system.

The article is based on research conducted under the project „Office practices in times of pandemic. The impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on digitization of office work in public administration”, and its main objective was to determine the role and importance of the use of EDM system during the COVID-19 outbreak in local and central government administration units in the field. The article comprises – besides the introduction and summary – the following parts: Electronic Document Management System (where the history and legal framework of the use of EDM systems in Polish administration is outlined), About the study (describing the different stages of the above mentioned research project implementation and the collected data), EDM system in the surveyed units – general observations (this part discusses the implementation process and selected aspects of the use of the EDM system in the surveyed units), Organization of work during the COVID-19 pandemic (presentation of practical aspects of operation of the units in the new reality, changed by the pandemic strictures), EDM system during the pandemic (definition of the role of the EDM system during the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus epidemic), Technical preparation (assessment of technical preparation and approximation of the investments made in IT equipment necessary for office work), and Substantive preparation (this section presents the needs of officials for additional training).

In the academic literature so far there was no synthetic study presenting evolutionary processes in the field of custody of municipal records, therefore this article aims to fill this gap. It shows the process of gradual delegation of responsibilities concerning safekeeping of town records to various officials, which finally led to establishing the position of an archivist in one of the municipal offices (in Chełm). This ended the process of separation of the archive from the municipal office. This was an important fact in the history of both Polish judicial institutions of the Old Polish period and archives as such. In other municipal offices, a formal separation of archives did not occur, probably due to the imminent collapse of Polish state. This article describes in detail the phases of passing the archival competences to various office clerks, using the information contained in previous publications and sources not covered so far.

The article presents the issue of digitization of archival materials, which is the transformation of their traditional form into a digital one. Currently, more and more archival materials are born in digital form. In the past, however, they were created especially as copies of printed books, written documents, etc. Due to the development of technology a large part of archives is digitalizing their traditional collections in order to make access to archival materials more efficient. Once the archives have been digitized, they can be made available on a large scale via the Internet. However, such activities are often not indifferent to the copyright law of a particular country. Sometimes these regulations provide certain rules under which digitization may take place. The problem addressed in the article is very broad. That is why the analysis covers the most important aspects of the issue which have practical value for archival policy. Some topics have been excluded. The article discusses, among others, the problem of making the materials available to the public in digital form. Reference is made to the new legislation, including that concerning orphan works. 

The reviewed monograph gives a description of the history of the State Archives in Szczecin (Staatsarchiv Stettin) from the beginning of the First World War to the end of the Second Word War. Within that period the Archives had following directors: Hermann Hoogeweg (1913–1923), Otto Grotefend (1923–1930), Erich Randt (1930–1935) and Adolf Diestelkamp (1935–1945). During the Second World War Fritz Morré (1939–1941) and then Hermann Gollub (1941–1945) deputized for Adolf Diestelkamp when he did military service. The monograph take a look at how the Archives performed its typical functions (collecting, preserving, processing and providing access to archival materials) in the context of the political and social transformation in Germany. The author puts a lot of emphasis on professional working in the Archives and their academic research to show the emergence of a new type of politically engaged archivist who joined the studies on Eastern Europe (deutsche Ostforschung).