Journal of Film Preservation - FIAF

Programme, March 1928
Preparation
The user should be familiar with his or her research topic before even
making contact with the archive. This is the only way to avoid superfluous
questions and convince the archive that this is a
serious inquiry.
If an archive has published information concerning its
collection or has opened up its catalogue to the public
(e.g., via the Internet) then these should be consulted
beforehand. This reduces the time the researcher
spends waiting and frees the archivist for other duties.
An independent search through the catalogue may
also turn up films which the researcher may not otherwise
have thought of, for example because they are
not listed in reference books.
Many archives have an excessive workload and therefore
are frequently not in a position to offer an immediate
reply to inquiries. When planning a project the
user should thus be sure to allow enough time
between the initial contact and the projected visit to
the archive.
Priority Contacts and Alternatives
As described above, some archives only deal with
inquiries relating to the national production (or to the
archive’s specialist field). That aside, it is generally in
the user’s interest to begin a search with local, regional
or national institutions before making contact with
archives on an international level. Material relevant to
even the most exotic of inquiries can sometimes be found where it is
least expected.
Film museums, archives and cinematheques are not necessarily the best
places to look. It is often worth directing inquiries to different kinds of
museums or institutions.
Flexibility
When visiting an archive it is absolutely vital to set aside much more
time than is required for actually viewing the films. Disregarding technical
problems which can disrupt the session, or the late return of films
after borrowing, discussion with the staff often turns up films which
were not originally taken into account. The length of time needed to
view the required films is also frequently underestimated. Visitors then
try to rush through the whole of the programme, which inevitably
proves stressful and detrimental to the research.
Archive employees of many years’ standing know the collection inside
out and are only too happy – once the visitor has won their confidence
by demonstrating expertise and respect for the delicate film material – to
show users some of their “treasures.” A visitor’s research can benefit a
40 Journal of Film Preservation / 55 / 1997