Arrangement and Description of TOBUNKEN Historical Papers: Utilizing Archives for Research – The 8th Seminar Held by the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems

Discussion at the seminar

Some of the materials displayed in the room

　The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) published 75 Years of the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo*, comprising of two volumes published from 2008 to 2010. Varieties of materials, mainly documents, were collected and created during its compiling and editing process. These are essential historical papers to discuss the TOBUNKEN activities. The Archive Section of the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems has been cataloging these papers as “TOBUNKEN Historical Papers”.
　The process to organize materials with arrangement and description to make them accessible and preserved for future use is one of the archivist’s important works. In the description process, material details and components are described to identify and represent the materials. Then, these data are analyzed and recorded. In the arrangement process, the materials are organized from both physical and intellectual aspects with respect to their provenance and original orders to protect their context. Through the arrangement and description, data are constructed for finding aids and ensuring usability.
　TAMURA Ayako, Research Assistant of the Department, made a presentation on the organization of archival material both in person and online at the seminar held on January 31st, 2023. TAMURA discussed the arrangement and description to enable the materials accessible and utilized for research via the application of the second edition of ISAD(G): General International Standard Archival Description set by the International Council on Archives (ICA). She also introduced the materials recently found. Some materials were displayed in the room, and the participants could take them in their hands.
　The seminar was chaired by KIKKAWA Hideki, the section head. The former editorial committee members of 75 Years of the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo participated in the seminar and shared the history and mission of the committee. Discussions pertaining to new research possibilities via the utilization of papers and the importance of recordkeeping of ongoing research projects were actively conducted. There are plans to make “TOBUNKEN Historical Papers” accessible this spring.

* The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) was called the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo at the time.

TOBUNKEN Library Stack Room Reform Completed

Installing the electrically-operated bookshelf bases on the rails

Electrically-operated bookshelves being set

　The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) maintains materials, including books and photographs, collected by TOBUNKEN’s departments and centers (the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems, the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage, the Center for Conservation Science, and the Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation) mainly in the TOBUNKEN Library. The library itself consists of the reading room and stack rooms; however, the aforementioned materials can be accessed by external researchers at the Library, which is open three days a week.

　Almost 23 years have passed since TOBUNKEN moved to its current building in 2000. During these years, TOBUNKEN has continuously been collecting materials, including books and photographs, through its research activities. Furthermore, it has recently had more opportunities to receive donations of archives from the collections of ex-employees and related researchers. Through these activities, the Library has been able to accumulate many more materials, and enhance the quality of those materials. At the same time, we foresaw that the bookshelves would be overflowing in the near future. Therefore, we reconstructed the bookshelves as part of the framework entitled “planned management of investigational research equipment.”

　During this reconstruction, the fixed bookshelves were replaced with electrically-operated bookshelves in almost one-fourth of the total floor space of the second-floor stack room. The reconstruction started on January 10th, 2023. After taking out the materials from the bookshelves, removing the fixed bookshelves, laying the rails for new bookshelves, setting the new electrically-operated bookshelves, and setting the materials back to the new shelves, the renovation was completed on the 30th. The space which was previously home to five fixed bookshelves (612 shelves, 526m in total) now accommodates nine new electrically-operated bookshelves (1,248 shelves, 1,073 in total), with capacity almost doubling.

　We apologize for any inconvenience resulting from the Library’s temporary closure during the reform. We continue to work to collect, pass down, and utilize materials valuable for research and conservation of cultural properties. We hope that the TOBUNKEN archives can well serve your research activities.