IFLA-ICA Release Joint Statement on Privacy Legislation and Archiving

From the the International Council Archives (ICA) and International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA):

There has been growing interest in and support for legislation and jurisprudence aimed at supporting the protection of personal data in recent years. This responds to awareness of the invasive nature of new ways of collecting and using personal data.

This progress is broadly welcome but does raise concerns about whether and how they impact archival operations and the integrity of institutional holdings (i.e. records, data, etc). Given the desire of those involved in managing archival materials to respect the law, a lack of clarity can lead to the imposition of overly restrictive codes of practice; which can in turn affect the acquisition and preservation of archives and, ultimately, impact access to information.

This statement aims to set out core principles for advocacy around data protection laws by libraries, archives and their associations.

Direct to Full Text Statement
3 pages; PDF.

Filed under: Archives and Special Collections, Associations and Organizations, Data Files, Libraries, News, Preservation