Information for the founding assembly of the Association of Archival Workers of Federal Archives

The development of social relations in the Yugoslav state and the changes in political life resulting from the application of constitutional amendments (1968) were also reflected in the way social and political organizations operated and were organized, including the associations of archivists. Archival organizations were incorporated into the self-management social system and sought to address their numerous problems through new forms of self-management association and agreements. Until 1968, the Federation of Archivists' Associations of Yugoslavia was comprised of six republican societies. However, due to the aforementioned changes, internal changes occurred within the Society of Archivists of Serbia, resulting in the establishment of two subcommittees: for Vojvodina and Kosovo, which in 1970 evolved into the Provincial Society of Vojvodina and the Provincial Society for Kosovo.

In line with these changes, there was a need for archivists employed in federal archives—the Archive of Yugoslavia, the Archive of the Workers' Movement, the Archive of the Military Historical Institute, the Archive of the Federal Secretariat for Foreign Affairs, the Archive of the Federal Secretariat for Internal Affairs, the Archive of the President of the Republic, and the archival department of the Service for Administrative and Accounting Affairs of the Federal Executive Council—to establish their own society. Given that constitutional changes altered their status and brought them into an equal relationship with the archival service of all republics and provinces, and considering that they were professional archivists engaged in the organization and processing of archival material produced by federal bodies and organizations of all peoples and nationalities, republics, and provinces, conditions were created for the work of the federal archives staff to develop independently from the Society of Archivists of Serbia, of which they were members.

At a joint meeting of the members of the Society of Archivists of Serbia, employed in federal archives and archival departments of federal institutions, held on October 4, 1971, an initiative was launched to form the Society of Archivists of Federal Archives and Archival Departments. The founding assembly of the Society was held on December 9, 1971, during which the Executive Board of the Society was elected and constituted, and the Statute was adopted. The Society was established as a professional organization aimed at advancing archival science as a scientific discipline; developing the archival service; ensuring the education and professional development of archivists through professional consultations; working on popularizing the archival service and raising social awareness about the importance of collecting, preserving, and using archival materials; engaging members in the application of uniform principles of modern archival science in the archival service; collaborating with republican and provincial societies of archivists; cooperating with relevant bodies of socio-political communities in preparing regulations to improve the archival service; collaborating with related professional organizations of archivists and archival institutions; publishing professional publications; and cooperating with relevant forums within the League of Communists of Yugoslavia in addressing issues of particular interest to the membership.

To enhance the professional work of the Society, sections and committees were formed, with provisions for leading the work of the sections: the section for organizing and processing archival materials; the section for work with registries; the section for documentation, informational and publishing activities; the section for work in depots; the section for microfilm; and the section for the restoration and conservation of archival materials. In addition to the establishment of sections and committees, the recommendation of the Executive Board of the Society was that the Archive of Yugoslavia and its professional staff take on a larger portion of the obligations and tasks from the Society’s work program, thereby becoming a central hub for professional work around which other federal archives and archival departments would gather.

Prepared by: Vidosava Erakovic, Senior Archivist