Dear readers,

While the newsletter had expanded in the last few issues as regards the number and length of articles, it was, of course, precisely for this reason that it failed to announce forthcoming initiatives and events – which accumulate very quickly indeed in certain periods – with the necessary promptness. Comments on events and accounts of initiatives also appeared occasionally with considerable delays due solely to the time required for composition, printing and dispatch. As a result, for example, in the avalanche of legislative provisions regarding the cultural heritage and hence archives, measures actually approved and implemented by the time the newsletter reached its subscribers could still be presented as proposals under discussion. Our efforts to make the publication more streamlined and immediate are connected at the same time to the decision to devote space to the in-depth examination of professional issues of a less contingent nature, as well as scientific and technical questions, in Archivi, ANAI’s four-monthly magazine, which will no longer be limited to the publication of conference proceedings but become a journal of scientific inquiry and debate.

It is therefore precisely in order to give greater immediacy to what we want Il Mondo degli Archivi to be – above all an up-to-date channel of information and debate – that efforts will be made after an initial trial period to make some sections updateable in real time. Our pages will host discussions on issues regarding archives and the profession proposed precisely by you, our fellow members and colleagues, so that all subscribers will become potential contributors.

Two editorial boards, one appointed by ANAI and one by the General Directorate for Archives, will provide liaison with the various Italian or foreign correspondents in order to gather items of the greatest respective interest. You will be able to find their names and e-mail address by clicking on the horizontal bar at Chi siamo (Who we are). It will be possible to read previous issues of the online newsletter by clicking on Numeri precedenti or going directly to the individual thematic sections, where the articles will be marked with the issue and date of publication. While we have decided for the present to allow all those interested free access to the first two issues, passwords will then be introduced and Il Mondo degli Archivi will be made available on a subscription basis, as in the past. The subscription will of course be included in the annual fee for ANAI members and the General Directorate will allow access for all its local offices.

As you will have seen by scrolling down the bar on the left, our newsletter is divided into sections addressing current events and developments, legislation (as commented on by our expert Otello Pedini), and issues regarding policy, the profession, preservation and promotion. There will also be sections on training and ongoing or future European projects. Vital importance attaches to the Estero (Foreign affairs) section, not least because one of our aims is to offer colleagues in other countries information about our activities, which are sometimes ignored due to language problems, also with a view to fostering dialogue at a distance. At the same time, we hope to organize a network of foreign correspondents so as to keep abreast of the issues currently regarded as crucial in other countries and to foster exchanges of views on the various problems.

For this reason, we shall endeavour, as in this issue, to present a part of the newsletter in English by translating the most significant articles or items that may be of particular interest also to foreign colleagues. There is also a section devoted to the International Council on Archives and its initiatives as well as the projects carried out by its various sections and regional branches. The last two new sections are of a more “practical” character, one being devoted to travel for archival and other purposes and the other to accommodation exchanges.

On the model of the cycle of “archimeetings” held by the ANAI section in Tuscany, the section Viaggi archivistici e non is designed to organize archival tours and study meetings at the national or regional level, combining professional interest with a little sightseeing. To this end, colleagues living in the area will offer advice on what to see, what hotel or bed and breakfast to book, what restaurants to try, what characteristic local products and handicrafts to buy and where. The result will be a sort of “travel agency” for archivists and all other interested parties.

Last but not least, the section Scambi o offerte di ospitalità is largely modelled on the system already in use among foreign university lecturers and seeks to create a site for accommodation in cities and resorts in Italy and other countries, fostering exchanges between archival associations at the European and international level. Those seeking or offering accommodation can register and give details by completing a special form. These last two sections are designed to offer all of us as archivists more opportunities for travel, sightseeing, contact and new friendships. We sincerely believe that it would be a fine thing if our newsletter could also achieve this.