Words from Christine Martinez, newly elected president of SPA
July 24, 2008
What would you like to be improved during your term as president of SPA?
I wish to enhance the role of professional associations within ICA. SPA represents professional organisations, therefore SPA is an environment that gives voice to the challenges and questions that affect professionals as individuals. This is why SPA can make unique contributions to ICA. It is important that individual Archivists and Records Managers feel they belong to a wider community. SPA functions as a home for individual archivists in ICA, a place where they can voice their views. SPA has put many compelling initiatives forward. However, a closer partnership between SPA and other sections and branches within ICA could help make the realization of these projects run more smoothly.
What projects are you most excited about?
The debate on professional competencies is extremely relevant for us as it will help us to understand who we are as archivists and, therefore, aid us in developing the profession. As representative of the professional organizations within ICA, SPA is in a particularly good position to contribute.
ICA needs to think about what cooperation means. SPA can be of help. With regards to archival solidarity, I consider that SPA can have a relevant role, namely in the development of partnerships with communities in transition.
Another important project is on ethics, where we are discussing the possibility to protect archivist as an individual where his or her life is in peril.
How do you expect SPA to increase its membership among professional associations – particularly in Africa, South America and Asia?
Historically, it is true that SPA members have been overwhelmingly from European countries and North America. This is changing very quickly. Right now, SPA is the only section in ICA that uses 3 working languages: English, Spanish and French. Using these three languages has helped lower the threshold for joining SPA, especially for archivists in Latin America. Continuing this practice will help increase membership.
One major factor that dissuades organizations from becoming members of SPA is the cost. SPA is stronger when it has a strong worldwide network, so just sending organizations away because they cannot pay the fees is not the best way to go. To remedy this, SPA is seriously discussing a revision of the fee system for professional associations. We want to switch from the current system to an income-based system for membership. In addition, we are evaluating whether certain services – such as, for example, organizing SPA meetings or other events related to the mission and objectives of SPA – can be considered as form of payment to SPA in the event that the fees are too expensive for a certain member.
To improve membership, SPA must work on having a more visible offer for new members. It must become more clear to potential members how exactly they will benefit from joining SPA. I am thinking of packages of products and services on offer to members, such as access to resources and information on training and funding opportunities available to members. I support the ongoing efforts to make more efficient use of new media to make SPA more visible and to get the message out on the benefits of joining SPA. Enhancing the value of SPA in this way will keep existing members and attract new ones.
Daniel Oliveira and Louis Philippe Römer