Mid Sweden University

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study how the concept "middle archive" is related to the Swedish archival theory and practice, by exploring its background and its practical and theoretical implications. The overarching aim is to increase the understanding of the interrelations between the archival theory and practice, with a special focus on changes occurring in the digital environment in Sweden. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on a qualitative study of texts produced between 2010 and 2013, which were read and analyzed iteratively. The research design and analysis is inspired by Dryden (2014) who recommends taking the context into account. The three types of digital repository developed by Millar (2010) are used as a comparison to further extend the understanding of the concept of the "middle archive". Findings – The findings indicate that the "middle archive" was introduced as a solution to practical problems of managing digital records, and that there is a need to further discuss how the term relates to existing theoretical, legal and administrative contexts. Research limitations/implications – The study is limited to contemporary Sweden. The researcher did not follow the discussions and drafts which contributed to the development of the final definitions of the "middle archive". Originality/value – The study contributes to the research and development of archival concepts, with a special focus on recent developments in Sweden. The paper highlights some of the challenges relating to archives and records in the context of e- government development.

This article explores three different discourse, found by analyzing a panel discussion on digital archives held in Sweden in 2011. The aim was to identify the varying implications of different discourse on the holistic concept of the archive. The overall aim was to increase understanding of information governance within the context of e-government. To this end, discourse theory is used to compare and analyze ideas and visions connected to digital archives and then discuss whether the differences depend on different perceptions of the concept of the archive. The result shows that plans and suggestions connected to digital archives vary greatly, possibly as an effect of conflicting discourse. This article argues that the concept of the archive is multifaceted and that it is important to take into account the power of discourse when discussing and planning for archives and records creation, management, preservation and use.

Proactive records management is often described as a prerequisite for a well-functioning public administration that is efficient, legally secure and democratic. In the context of e-government, official information is seen as a valuable asset, which is why technical solutions are developed to improve accessibility and reusability. Yet how to 'capture' and preserve the information is still unclear, and adaptations of routines which have originated in a paper based administration to practices suitable for managing digital records are often lacking. This risks impeding on the work of public agencies, their services toward citizens, and the goals of e-government. This paper uses current plans for developing a national e-archive service in Sweden as a case, applying literary warrant and the records continuum model to discuss how archives management can support the goals of e-government and facilitate proactivity. A special focus is placed on 'capture' as a vital part of holistic recordkeeping. The result shows that despite regulations and ambitions supporting proactivity, 'capture' is not emphasized as a necessity for using, sharing and preserving official information. This could create archives that are incomplete, and risk contributing to a decline in governmental transparency and openness.