Establishing a university archives: the case of Moi University, Kenya

Abstract

University records are a vital resource that if well managed and preserved are of immense value to present and future administrators, lecturers, students and researchers at Moi University . The Moi University community can use such records for administrative, financial, legal, research and historical purposes. As a result of the increasing day to day operations at Moi University, records are being created in large quantities in both paper and electronic formats. These records need to be well managed at the current, semi-current and non-current stages. Records that have attained non-current status ought to be appraised in order to determine those to be preserved in a University Archives. The establishment of a Moi University Archives is therefore important in this regard. Although a room has been set aside in the University Library to house the proposed archives, not much has been done. Recommendations based on previous studies carried out by lecturers and students on the establishment of a University Archives have not been implemented. One objective of this paper is to establish why such recommendations have not been effected. This study therefore tries to establish the factors that hinder or justify the establishment of an Archives at Moi University.