YOGYAKARTA-Archive is the most valuable asset of all existing state assets. It is a national heritage from generation to generation that needs to be nurtured and preserved. In fact, the level of civility of a nation can be seen from the maintenance and preservation of archives. This was stated by H.M. Asichin, S.H., Head of National Archives of the Republic of Indonesia (ANRI), in the Seminar on Integrated Archives with Information Technology Development, organized by Archival Student Association of UGM Vocational School, on Saturday (9/7).
On that occasion, Asichin explained about developing patterns of archives, ranging from textual records, audio-visual, cartographic to architecture, micro to electronic archives. "So, now it’s time to do with computers and ICT (Information and Communication Technology). A diary or a control card is out of date, even if it’s about archives going to village," Asichin said.
Asichin also talked about the dynamic archival management, namely managing dynamic archives since they are created/made, used, and maintained up to being reduced effectively and efficiently. On that occasion, Asichin reminded participants that in ICT-based archival management, the impact of automation use needs to be considered. Human dependence on computers is high, the problem of security of the system and to access information, the issue of legality proof, use of computer technology which is vulnerable to its media, environmental storage conditions, technology development, as well as human action. "Well, the paper media remains important in addition to electronic media because of the authenticity of evidence in the trial, for instance," Asichin said.
Archive still has the nature of openness despite the existing Law on Information and Electronic Transactions (ITE) and the Public Information Disclosure Act (KIP). The principle of archival openness, according to Asichin, is used in accordance with the place and the legally authorized institutions that use it. "Both laws already include anything that is confidential, so, in principle, the file remains open in its nature," he explained.
Another speaker, Head of UGM Archives, Drs. Machmoed Effendhie, M. Hum., said that electronic archives have various functions, such as ensuring efficiency, capable of reducing or developing needs of duplication, while shipping, processing, storage, and retrieval of information can be done through a system that works automatically. "In addition, certainly we can classify the complex and various archives in a variety of formats and storage media by machine," Machmoed said.