PROFESSIONAL AND SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY ACTIVITIES
One of the forms of continuous professional and scientific development of archival staff in the People’s Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Macedonia was the organization and participation in professional and scientific archival gatherings. Expert consultations were organized at national, inter-republican, federal, and international levels. Over the past 50 years (1954–2004), approximately 90 professional and scientific gatherings of archivists were held, organized by the State Archives of the Republic of Macedonia and the Associations of Archival Workers of Macedonia and Yugoslavia.
During the period 1968–1990, 20 republican consultations of archival workers from Macedonia were held. Archivists from the State Archives, the historical archives in the Republic, as well as members of the Association of Archival Workers of Macedonia (DARM), participated by presenting papers and professional reports. Most of these consultations focused on the implementation of archival legislation and regulations (laws, decrees, instructions, and other acts), as well as on specific thematic issues, including cooperation with records creators, arrangement and processing of archival materials, and the protection of records in emergency situations and during wartime. The proceedings from these consultations were published in the journal Makedonski Archivist.
Between 1969 and 1990, 20 inter-republic consultations of archival workers from Macedonia and Serbia were held. Most of these meetings addressed specific professional and thematic issues, including the application of regulations, exchange of experiences, and other matters of common interest. The proceedings were published in the journals Macedonian Archivist and Archival Review.
Regular federal consultations (1968–1990) were organized under the auspices of the Union of Archival Workers of Yugoslavia, where participants presented professional papers and reports. Their proceedings were published in the federal journal Archivist.
The State Archives of Macedonia and DARM also participated in the work of the Congresses of Archival Workers of Yugoslavia, which were held every four years during the period 1954–1990. They participated with professional papers and presentations. SDARM and the State Archives of Macedonia were the organizers of the First Congress of Archival Workers, held in Ohrid in 1954, as well as the Ninth Congress, held in Struga in 1980. The proceedings of the congresses were published in special editions.
In June 1996, the State Archives of the Republic of Macedonia organized the International Round Table entitled “Archives in the Time of Transition”, held in Ohrid. The proceedings of the round table were published in a special edition of the State Archives.
A special form of cooperation with records creators in the Republic was the organization of regular professional consultations aimed at improving the knowledge and skills of staff responsible for records management within institutions and organizations. During the period 1968–2004, 20 consultations were held with representatives of records creators. These were organized either as general consultations for all records creators (covering the application of new archival regulations, classification plans, retention schedules, and other issues) or as consultations for specific sectors of activity, including state administration, local self-government, economy, healthcare, education, defense, and others.