Practical classes in the Central Laboratory with future historians-archivists studying by correspondence

The state institution «Central Laboratory for Ensuring the Preservation of Documents of the National Archival Fund of the Republic of Belarus» pays close attention to the development of professional guidance and improvement of the organization’s personnel potential.

Not so long ago, as part of the ongoing «Archives for School» campaign and the agreement reached with the Department of Source Studies, practical classes were held on the basis of the laboratory in the academic discipline «Fundamentals of microfilming and restoration of paper-based documents» with 4th year students of the History and Archives Department of the Faculty of History of the Belarusian State University.

And just the other day, on January 16, regular practical classes in this discipline were held in the laboratory, but with 5th year students of the same department receiving education via correspondence courses.

Considering that correspondence students are given much less hours to study this discipline than full-time students, practical classes conducted at the laboratory provided future historian-archivists with a unique opportunity to receive individual consultations on issues of interest from qualified laboratory specialists.

The greatest interest on the part of students was shown in the issues of restoring the physical integrity of archival documents and the restoration materials used in this case.

Photo 1 – Director of the laboratory V.L. Klyuiko (left) introduces students to the history of the laboratory and the main directions of its activities.

Photo 2 – Head of the department E.N. Kokhanova (in the background) shows techniques for disinfecting affected documents.

Photo 3 – Head of the department V.I. Kulak (on the right) introduces the principle of operation of the planetary scanner.

Photo 4 – Head of the department I.V. Patekina (left) introduces the types of restoration papers used.