Continuum, continuity, continuum actions: reflection on the meaning of a continuum perspective and on its compatibility with a life cycle framework

Abstract

Archival concepts are grounded in cultural traditions and often difficult to translate because equivalent terms do not exist. This may lead to misunderstandings which may impact on intercultural understanding and international collaboration. This article looks at how the Records Continuum Model, which was developed in Australia in the 1990s in response to the perceived deficiencies of the life cycle model to deal with digital records, is understood by francophone archivists and records managers. Misunderstandings can be attributed to problems of translation and transposition of Records Continuum ideas in other archival contexts, as well as to the specific terminology, which in itself is confusing because the terms used—in particular records, recordkeeping and continuum—have meanings that differ from their meanings in everyday language or in other cultural contexts. Through interviews with francophone archivists in Switzerland, the author explored their understanding of the model and the measures they were trying to put in place to encourage the creation of records and their preservation for as long as they would be needed by various stakeholders. The author shows that although the interviewees were all working within a life cycle framework, some of them were taking small “continuum actions” that can have a significant impact on the creation, management and preservation of records and on their ability to meet the needs of various stakeholders.