Source Publication Creation Using Internet Applications to Enrich Archives ^†

Abstract

Source publications are an important part of archive publication as mandated by the Act Archives Number 43 2009. The principle of good record management must be upheld in the manufacture of source publication so that the results are in accordance with applicable regulations. The steps that must be taken include determining the theme, tracing the archives in various archival institutions, and designing them into source publication books. Internet applications for creating books make source publication creation easier and more efficient. The results of this study indicate that the manufacture of source publications in the form of books is relatively easy and can be achieved using resources at archival institutions. Challenges include adaptation to internet applications and the ability to browse relevant archives.

1. Introduction

1.1. Background

In accordance with Article 1 of Act Records and Archives Administration Number 43 of 2009 [1], archives are defined as collections produced by archive creators because they have historical value, have exhausted their retention, and provide permanent information that has been verified either directly or indirectly by the National Archives of the Republic of Indonesia, and/or other archival institutions. This is where the challenge lies: determining how people can easily access archive services so that archives can be used for various purposes ranging from education and history, to photographing a past event.

Shaffady [2] (1–2) explains that records management—including the use of archives—is a matter of discipline. Records managers should pay attention to systematic analysis and monitoring of how information is created, received, maintained, and used to meet the organization’s objectives, operations, business processes, and activities. This means that a number of archival management principles must meet standards regarding accountability, transparency, integrity, protection, compliance with rules, availability, retention, and disposition. These principles must be adhered to so that the overarching principles of record management can be fulfilled.

Nationally, the public can take advantage of the archives in the National Archives of the Republic of Indonesia (ANRI). This institution regularly releases archive exhibitions and publishing source publications as a means of facilitating public access to archives. A number of archives with certain themes become archive objects that are later repackaged in archive publications in the form of archive exhibitions and source publications.

For example, the ANRI has published source publications in the form of books with the theme of Spices in Indonesia dating back to the kingdom, colonial, and post-colonial times. This information is useful for people who want to study about the history of Indonesia as a spices country. The book entitled “Rempah Nusantara Abad 17–18” or “Spices of The Archipelago 17–18th Century” [3].

It is interesting to observe how other archival institutions, such as level 1 and level 2 regional archive institutions and university archive institutions, publish source publications in a way that ensures they are easily accessible to archive users, so that the archive function can be an efficient, valid, and reliable source of information. This research focuses on how internet-based applications can be used as tools to create source publications using a creative narrative approach, combining publication with pictures or tables and interesting info graphics so that they become information in the form of books. These source publications can act as references for people who want to obtain certain information from archival institutions.

1.2. Theoretical Foundation

Shaffady [2] (12–13) adds that the principles of records management—including in the use of archives—must be followed properly. Accountability, records management policies and procedures to guide program personnel, and ensure that the program can be audited for compliance.. Transparency makes the process honest. As such, filing activities must be openly documented and verified. Integrity means that an organization’s records must have a guarantee of authenticity, while protection ensures the security of records that are private or confidential. Compliance with the laws and regulations of records management means that organizational records must be managed efficiently and accurately, and in accordance with the required information. Meanwhile, retention requires organizations to keep files in a timely manner to meet requirements, regulations, operations, and history. At the same time, the organization performs safe and appropriate archive shrinkage for records that no longer need to be stored.

Hadiwardoyo [4] states that archival publication is an act and procedure for compiling publications/documents related to archives in any form or format for general distribution. Kurniatun [5] emphasizes that archive publication is an activity used to disseminate information about archives to the wider community. Archival publications can be in the form of print, or electronic, or audio-visual media. Archival publications can be created by publishing books, photos, archival documents, archived magazines, websites, sound recordings, and compact discs online for virtual access. This publication activity must comply with requirements such as personal privacy and racial, land, border, and national interests to state security.

There are at least two forms of archival publication: first, archival exhibitions, i.e., those showing original publications or archival copies for educational purposes and cultural development, and thematic ones, especially those related to history or actual cases. These archive exhibitions usually contain publication archives and cartography, with the support of dioramas, films, and discussions. An example of this form of archive exhibition is the Jogja Archives Diorama, which describes the long history of Jogja from Panembahan Senopati to the present day [6]. The archival exhibition aims to increase public knowledge, disseminate organizational functions, grow public awareness, and educate the nation.

The second form of archival publication is source publication. The manufacture of archival source publications is an effort to preserve the heritage of the nation’s noble values, so that conditions and publications of a particular topic or theme can be known and can provide new knowledge and lessons for those who access it. Hapsari in Kurniatun [5] (5–6) mentions that source publication aims to reduce archive damage, help the user community, increase knowledge and awareness of archives, and educate the nation. Source publications can be in the form of books, magazines, loose sheets, and audio-visuals but must comply with the conditions for borrowing archives.

The use of archives is mentioned in the Act of Archives Number 43 of 2009, namely in Article 1 (11). Access to archives denotes the availability of archives as a result of legal authority and legal authorization, and the existence of legal means to facilitate the discovery and use of archives. The concept of archive management is discussed in Article 59 (1) of the Act of Archives Number 43 of 2009, which states that the management of archives is carried out to ensure the safety of archives, which is a national responsibility for the life of society, the nation, and the state. The management of archives encompasses acquisition, processing, preservation, and access to archives. Kurniatun [5] (8–9) mentions that the use of archives is an activity intended to facilitate the use of archives both by managers and users of archives. In the service of this goal, there are four elements, namely officers, users, finding aids, and access to archives.

2. Research Methods

This study used qualitative research with a literature study approach to existing archives. Creswell [7] (18–20) explains that a research method is a research plan and procedure that includes many steps, ranging from assumptions to detailed methods in data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Meanwhile, qualitative research is a method used to describe, explore, and understand the meaning of a number of individuals or groups that are considered to be social or humanitarian problems.

This study maintains a publication of the literature, namely, the relevant archives, which will be used as source publications. After conducting a search in the existing archive data, then described as a source publication to make it easier for people to use it. As such, the original archive can be well maintained because what is used in the source publication is a copy of the original.

3. Discussion

Archival publications in which there are source publications can be made by archival institutions to enrich the treasury of archives. With large human resources and well-maintained archive sources, the ANRI regularly produces source publications with certain themes. For example, they produced the source publication for Rempah Nusantara from the 17th–18th century, published in 2021, and the source publication for the 1955 General Election archive, which was published in 2019.

In fact, the making of source publications can also be achieved by archival institutions outside the ANRI, as was conducted at the Department of Archives and Libraries Sumedang Regency, West Java. As a district with tourism potential, a source publication in the form of a book about Sumedang tourism is something that the community has been waiting for. With a well-structured source publication, valid information can be properly obtained. To compile the source publication, there are several steps that must be fulfilled, namely:

• Determining of the theme of the source publication
• Searching for archives owned by the Sumedang Archives and Library Office, both in the form of publication archives and relevant photos from the existing publication.
• Compiling publications obtained from various sources, such as direct interviews, to describe colonial archives according to the publications of photos/images that have been used
• Noting the archive number, which will later be used in the photo caption
• Alternatively, searching the archives at the ANRI online: order photos to the ANRI database and pay for the photos for research and study use
• Investigating other sources, such as the Leiden University Library in the Netherlands, which contains photographs of Sumedang in colonialism era.
• Beginning to design using internet-based applications. The example in this study uses the Canva application
• Combining it with interesting info graphics so that the appearance of the source publication is more dynamic and pleasing to the eye.

3.1. Determination of the Theme of the Source Publication

This stage is important because the theme of the source publication must consider the availability of archival materials at archival institutions or through paid access to other archival institutions. Therefore, prior agreement is needed to determine the theme of the source publication so that it can later be achieved and arranged properly.

3.2. Archive Search

Sumedang is known as the Paradise of Java because it has a long history and is an area rich with tourism potential. Many archives from the kingdoms of Galuh and Sumedang Larang can be excavated as the nation’s collective memory (MKB) according to the ANRI Regulation Number 20 of 2021 [8], concerning the Implementation of the Archives Registration Program as a Collective Memory of the Nation. The MKB is an archive of the history of the nation’s journey, which is a national asset that describes the identity of the nation.

For archive searches, the Sumedang Archives and Library Service has an archive information system at sisemar.sumedangkab.go.id. There, we can see the archives of various related agencies can be traced. If this is not successful, you can directly access the ANRI archive list at https://anri.go.id/sekitar-arsip/arsip-statis/sarana-temu-balik-arsip/daftar-arsip (accessed on 25 September 2022) (Figure 1) and download the list according to the source publication plan.

Photo archives can also be searched for through the digital collection at KITLV, Leiden University, Netherlands, which stores historical archives dating back to the Dutch East Indies https://digitalcollections.universiteitleiden.nl/imagecollection-kitlv (accessed on 25 September 2022) (Figure 2).

From searching photos in the ANRI KIT West Java 1930, there are some photos can be used as material of source publication in accordance with the theme of Sumedang Regency in the past. For example, Cadas Pangeran road in 1955, which was built during the Dutch colonial era, is passed by public buses.

From searching photos in the ANRI KIT collection there are photos that can be used as source manuscript material in accordance with the theme of Sumedang in the past (Figure 3). We have to pay one photo for Rp. 50.000 or USD 3,5 for reproduction of the photo collection. For example, Jalan Cadas Pangeran in 1955, which was built during the Dutch colonial era, is passed by public buses [9] (39).

3.3. Source Publication Design Using Internet Applications

After the photo and publication materials have been stored properly, the design of the source publication can be arranged using an internet-based application such as Canva. Canva is a graphic design application used to create social media graphics, presentations, posters, documents, and other visual content, and it provides a variety of design examples for paid users to use. Zukermenn and Lancet [10] ensured that from the start, Canva brought simple design tools into the process.

Unlike other means of desktop publishing, source publication design using Canva is simple and efficient and can be achieved even by beginners. What differentiates it from other source publication content is the flexibility to create info graphics that can enrich the appearance of the source publication.

Info graphics has three parts: visual, content, and knowledge. The visual consists of colors and graphics. Data visualizations are often used in infographics and may make up the entire infographic. There are many types of visualizations that can be used to represent the same set of data. Therefore, it is crucial to identify the appropriate visualization for the data set and infographic by taking into consideration graphical features such as position, size, shape, and color. There are primarily five types of visualization categories—time-series data, statistical distributions, maps, hierarchies, and networking [11] (7–11). Info graphic combine text, image or visual combine text, and related information in the image. This visual type is increasingly popular and is widely used as a medium in providing unique information to the general public (Figure 4 and Figure 5).

4. Closing

4.1. Conclusions

Creating source publications requires the readiness of relevant themes and archives owned by archival institutions. The ability to search archives that are relevant to the theme is the key to a well-structured source publication. The technical problems of making source publications in book form can be dealt with using internet-based applications such as Canva. The addition of a few info graphics can enrich the appearance of the source publication.

4.2. Suggestion

Internet-based applications such as Canva are only tools that help in compiling source publication. What is more important is to the ability to search archives that are relevant to the theme so that the principles of archive management can be adhered to properly. Free internet applications such as Scribus can also be used while still considering the content of the source publication, with the support of archive collections that are still relevant.