A meeting of librarians and archivists of the Vincentian Family will take place in Paris in November 2017. Here is the information:
Dear Responsible for Congregations and Movements of the Vincentian Family, visitors, presidents, superiors, archivists and librarians:
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ always accompany us!
We are convinced that libraries and archives help missionary life and service to the poor. This is how history shows us how much time the missionaries spent reading in the library of St. Lazarus. And it is thanks to archival work that has been “rescued” to the true Saint Vincent.
Some time ago two agencies of Vincentian study (SIEV and CIF) wanted to make a meeting of Librarians and Archivists working in the great Vincentian Family. Only by knowing ourselves can we multiply our intellectual wealth and our pastoral techniques that sometimes sleep on shelves. Likewise, we can learn how to make these places serve more people.
We want this week to be a specifically formative space. Meditating on the role of Librarian and Archivist. Through a series of conferences and visits we want to see how we can do better, what are the new trends and advances in this field.
The archives and libraries can be “great deposits” or be modern units of information, inserted in the evangelizing and missionary work. Some compare them with the nervous system, vital for making timely and prompt decisions.
Recall that for the Church cultural heritage also includes archives and libraries. They have documents that testify to the life and the pastoral action. We would do poorly not to take care of them. They must have competent people “so that these testimonies are not lost” (see Pastor bonus 101 §2). As Pope Benedict XVI pointed out today the people seen less temples … but more the museums, libraries and archives … How to make them a place of evangelization?
Fr. Andrés R. M. Motto, CM.
CIF Director.
RECIPIENTS: Laity, Priests, Brothers and Sisters members of the great Vincentian Family.
DATE: Monday, November 13 to Monday, November 20, 2017.
PLACE: Mother House of the Congregation of the Mission, Paris.
COST OF THE COURSE: 430 euros
LANGUAGES: The course will be taught in Spanish, French and English.
TO REGISTER: send an e-mail to andresmotto@gmail.com
Program
SUNDAY 11/12 Reception of participants.
MONDAY 11/13 Morning. Welcome Mass. Reason for the meeting.
The value of the Historical Archives and the Provincial Libraries for the CM. Its value for training.
Afternoon: The role of Archives and Libraries in relation to Vincentian spirituality.
TUESDAY 11/14 Morning. Church Regulations on Archives and Libraries.
Afternoon: File Conservation and Classification Techniques.
WEDNESDAY 11/15: Tomorrow. 10:00 Visit to the Archive of the Mother House of the Daughters of Charity.
Afternoon: Visit to the Historical Archive of Paris.
THURSDAY 11/16. Morning. The main archives of the Vincentian Family. How to work the archives to make the history of the Congregation of the Mission.
Late. Round table. Each one will speak half an hour. Theme: Archives and Libraries in the service of the researcher. Procedures. Your experience. Then you ask.
FRIDAY 11/17 Morning. 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. to pay the course.
10:30 The SIEV proposal for the organization of the Vincentian Libraries.
Late. Sample file and library of a nearby congregation (Jesuits).
SATURDAY 11/18. Morning. Mission of the Archivist and the Librarian. Knowledge of a community through its library. Creation of groups.
Afternoon. Computer program for the management of the Vincentian Library.
SUNDAY 11/19. Morning. Mass with the Community of the Mother House. Rest of the morning free. Afternoon: visits for the Vincentian Paris (optional).
Night. Dinner at a restaurant in the Latin Quarter.
MONDAY 11/20 Morning: Evaluation and Final Document. Afternoon: Presentation of Final Document with suggestions for Vincentian archives and libraries. Farewell Mass.
This sounds like a marvelous opportunity. I worked in digital archives and preservation, as well as presentation of resources via the internet for many years and have long felt that this has been a missing link for the Vincentian Family. Facilitating access to primary source materials and curating/cataloging the information while preserving the original documents is a complex task requiring cooperation among many archivists and librarians as well as a dedication and belief in the value of doing this work.