The Archival Image

Almost from the day he started working for the Dutch State Archives Service, international work has been part of the professional life of Eric Ketelaar. So it was no surprise that, when asked what type of book he would like for a present at his departure as General State Archivist, he suggested a collection of the articles he published in foreign journals. Most of these are based on the speeches Ketelaar made abroad throughout the past ten years: at conferences of professional archival associations in Australia, South Africa and the usa, during professional visits to neighbouring countries, and as part of the various positions he held within the International Council on Archives (ica). In the years that Eric Ketelaar was General State Archivist, the Dutch State Archives Service underwent a process of transformation. The service became an agency, a modern client-oriented organization preparing to meet the challenges of the information era. Electronic records, computerization of finding aids, conservation and preservation of paper are spearheads of archival policy. More than one of the ideas from this book has found its way to everyday practice.