The study on the policy of systematical management of the records collected from abroad

해외소재 한국학관련 역사기록의 정보화 방안 연구

Korea was highly successful in maintaining a strong tradition of record preservation. However, Japanese imperialism and the Korean war over this century has seen a huge quantity of these once plentiful records either destroyed or relocated overseas. Many of Korea records remain in the custody of foreign archival institutions. Additionally, many records of foreign states concerned with korean affairs, for example, records of the Department of state, in the U.S.A., are of great relevance to Korean modern history. These records which exist in foreign countries are a necessary and invaluable resource in the advancement of Korea studies. After the 1980s, as research interest in Korean modern history increased gradually, much historical material related to Korea was extensively introduced, removed, collected from the U.S.A., Japan, Russia and China etc. by the efforts of pioneering scholars and institutions. Several attempts at collating and publishing this material have been made. Despite this encouraging result, individual scholars and institutions's efforts face problems in relation to removal of records. Firstly, it is repeated nonproductively to remove and collect the same records, for we didn't establish a comprehensive information system, through which the condition of foreign record removal and management is able to be administrated. Secondly, there is no system for arrangement, preservation, use of removed records. For example, finding aids, such as inventory, register, description, isn't prepared for user. A user may usually not understand an accurate context of their creation, preservation removal. Thirdly, almost institution has arranged the removed records among other materials and books. Each institution has a different classification criteria, too. These conditions seem to make a difficulty in national management. This study investigated how the materials for Korea history which has been removed from foreign countries should be managed for effective preservation and use. For these purpose, we investigated the present conditions of removal and management of these materials. Also, we investigated examples of the foreign state, U.S.A. and Japan to have a idea for removal and management policy. Then, This study propose a establishment of information network system as management policy. To administrate removing and managing records effectively, an idea that records belong to the public should be accepted commonly. The policy for management of the record is followings. Firstly, unification of classification is necessary. The records which were removed from foreign countries had better to be classified according to their origins of states and institutions. Secondly, Finding aids should be prepared for user. There are many accession aids such as catalog, register, inventory for user in archives. This will be a efficient method for management. When a record is removed, a card for description of contents must be composed. Thirdly, a digital input and network system establishment is necessary. It will help to manage a condition of removed records. A digital input and management system establishment is not just a project of digitalizing records. At present, various finding aids need to be introduced to make a database for records and archives. An search using only 'search engine' may make a difficulty in finding materials because such method is apt to have too much or little result. So, classification, arrangement, description, response-service should be integrated in these system. The recent technical advancement give a opportunity to realize this idea. Above all, these procedure should be archival process.