History of Archives
Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, the first lineage holder of Shambhala, and founder of Vajradhatu and other Buddhist and Buddhist-inspired organizations, asked that his many teachings be taped. In 1971 Vajradhatu Recordings was formed to oversee the process of recording, storing, and making available his lectures. Vajradhatu Editorial became the repository for these teachings and produced edited transcripts for the use of students.
Not long before his death in 1987, Trungpa Rinpoche asked these audio and videotapes and materials be preserved. Plans were made for the establishment of an archive by Carolyn Gimian, the head of Vajradhatu Editorial. Following Rinpoche’s death, Carolyn Gimian worked with volunteers and donors on the formal establishment of Vajradhatu Archives in 1989 and served as its Director until 1998.
Vajradhatu Editorial’s materials became the initial holdings of Vajradhatu Archives, now Shambhala Archives. In subsequent years, audio and videotapes of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche’s teachings as well as other Buddhist teachers, Trungpa Rinpoche’s sacred belongings, calligraphies, and tens of thousands of photographs, have been added to the collection and archivally preserved in environmentally controlled storage facilities. This has only been possible, and is only able to continue, through donations and the skillful work of a handful of dedicated employees and volunteers.
Recording
Storing
Protecting
Disseminating
Our Facilities
In 1990, the Archives renovated its space in the headquarters of its parent organization, Shambhala , in Halifax, Nova Scotia. As part of the renovations, a low cost system for the control of temperature and humidity was installed. The physical facilities of the Archives include:
• A 400 square foot room for the storage of archival material, which is kept at 35% humidity and 18 degrees C. We refer to this room as the Vault
• A 400 square foot editing workroom that contain equipment for reformatting, editing, and digitizing. This equiptment helps facilitate the recovery of various audio and video formats.
• Two small administrative offices for the use of staff.
• A 600 square foot room that is specifically tailored to create the most stable archival environment because it contains the sacred belongings of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. We refer to this room as the Ladrang
Below are simplified versions of our policies. Click here if you’d like to read the full versions.
Acquisition Policy simplified
Things to know before Donating Records
• Whether or not the records/material are copies or originals. Copies would mostly be of recorded talks and published material such as transcripts, posters, books, or DVDs.
• The condition of the record/material. If it’s an original and you are unsure of how to maintain it then please feel free to contact someone at Archives. We can help advise you on how to properly store and preserve the record/material until the acquisition can take place. This might include moving it to a more stable environment, keeping it away from direct sunlight, etc.
Accepted Record Formats for Acquisition
• Textual – Original papers, Articles, etc.
• Documents/Records – Administrative documents, Meeting notes, Correspondences, etc.
• Photographs – Prints, Negatives, Slides or Digital
• Graphic materials – Original artwork, Posters, Stationery, and Brochures
• Moving images – Film and Video
• Audio Recordings – Analogue or Digital
• Architectural/Cartographic Records – Blueprints, Site plans, Maps, etc.
• Electronic Records – External hard drives, Disks, Cloud storage, etc.
• Books – related to Shambhala teachers and activities
• Newspapers and newspaper clippings – related to Shambhala teachers and activities
• Artifacts – Lineage holder personal belongings, Textiles, Pins etc.
*Please note that priority will be given to records pertaining to the life and teachings of Trungpa Rinpoche, Sakyong Mipham, their family, heirs, and/or successors.
Modes and Mechanisms of Acquisition
(Below are the preferred modes of acquisition)
→Transfer of original recordings, administrative records, Shambhala,l its centers and affiliates, and other records from Kalapa Recordings
→Gifts/donations of applicable records/items
All acquisitions, other than the transfer of sound and video recordings from Kalapa Recordings, must include a written legal agreement or an exchange of correspondence with the Archives to specify the rights and obligations of each party. Templates, provided by the Archives, are available for each agreement.
At the request of a donor, a monetary appraisal of the Fonds or Collection may be obtained for the donated materials. Covering the appraisal cost is the responsibility of the donor. The appraisal and any accompanying receipts will be issued following the signing of a written agreement respecting the gift.
Areas of Specialization
Below are areas that the Archives specializes in regarding the preservation and cataloging material regarding the Shambhala.
• Sound and Moving Image equipment for recording and documenting Lineage Teaching. These are described in the Shambhala International Policy Handbook for Documenting Dharma Talks.
• Records relevant to the Archives mandate, such as oral history interviews conducted by researchers, journalists, historians, and others.
• Photographs and other archival materials created by private individuals, relevant to the mandate of the Archives and its priorities.
• Records related to the functions of the departments of Shambhala and its affiliates.
Acquisition Principles
• Preservation of records and materials will be given the highest priority at Shambhala Archives.
• The acquisition, arrangement, description, and preservation of the records in any media pertaining to the life and teachings of Chogyam Trungpa and Sakyong Mipham take precedence over any other activities.
• An accession record of all archival acquisitions will be kept and made available to archival staff, donors, depositors, and other users of the Archives.
• The Archives will periodically re-evaluate all acquisitions in order to either preserve or deaccession them as the case may be. When a record is deaccessioned then it may be returned to its owner or to other repositories. In the event that there is no one to return an item to then it will be deaccessioned.
• All material is acquired with consideration for the acquisition mandates and best practices of other institutions and archival repositories, namely those mentioned in the mandate of the Archives and archival institutions within Nova Scotia and Canada as a whole.
• The acquisition is provided in conformity with the capabilities of the Shambhala Archives to manage acquired material; these capabilities depend on:
→ The physical condition and volume of documents under consideration
→ The mode of acquisition and the financial, human, and material resources that are available for arrangement, description, preservation, and access.
Definition of Terms
Acquisition: An addition to the holdings of the Shambhala Archives. The most common modes of acquisition are Deposit, Gift, Bequest, Loan, purchase, and/or transfer.
Bequest: Transfer of custody and title to documents by last will and testament.
Deposit: The mode of acquisition by which an individual or corporate body temporarily places records in the custody of the Archives without transfer of ownership rights and titles. A deposit may become a loan or a gift
Gift: The mode of acquisition by which an individual or corporate body transfers, freely and without charge, the full ownership of records to the Archives.
Loan: Temporary acquisition that can be renewed or converted into a gift.
Transfer: Transfer of custody and responsibility for records generated within or belonging to the organization Shambhala or its affiliates. Transfers are made when active records become archival.
Provenance: Archival principles stipulate that the records of a person or corporate body should be kept together in their original order in the Fonds in which they were created.
Territoriality: Archival principles stipulate that archives should be preserved within the territory in which they were created.
Preservation Policy simplified
Scope
The Archives preserves records in the following media and formats: (Copy of what’s written in the Acquisition form, when we add the examples both will need to be updated)
• Textual – Original papers, Articles, etc.
• Documents/Records – Administrative documents, Meeting notes, Correspondences, etc.
• Photographs – Prints, Negatives, Slides or Digital
• Graphic materials – Original artwork, Posters, Stationery, and Brochures
• Moving images – Film and Video
• Audio Recordings – Analogue or Digital
• Architectural/Cartographic Records – Blueprints, Site plans, Maps, etc.
• Electronic Records – External hard drives, Disks, Cloud storage, etc.
• Books – related to Shambhala teachers and activities
• Newspapers and newspaper clippings – related to Shambhala teachers and activities
• Artifacts – Lineage holder personal belongings, Textiles, Pins etc.
Shambhala Archives Record Preservation Information
• At present, the financial and human resources available to the Shambhala Archives are limited. Therefore, low-cost but effective preservation measures for large groups of records are being temporarily implemented until resources are available to upgrade to more permanent preservation measures.
• Archives staff monitor the temperature and humidity of the environment to ensure the proper preservation of all records.
• Each record medium presents unique preservation challenges. In particular, the audio and moving image records in the Archive require extensive conservation processes if they are to be preserved.
• When the accessioning and/or arrangement of records takes place, the Archives begins the preservation process, for example, rehousing media into archival enclosures, removing any materials that could potentially be harmful to the object.
• Handling of records is one of the main causes of damage. Therefore, educating staff and users in these procedures is of great importance and a high priority.
• Preservation priorities are set by the staff of the Archives and are to be reviewed systematically and periodically, in consultation with archival experts. Budget priorities reflect the funds available to the Archives.
Digital Media Preservation Policy
Preservation Goals
• The provision of environmentally appropriate storage in archival containers for all media.
• Training in, and implementation of, proper care and handling of all archival media.
• Digital remastering of all analog audio records deemed to have sufficient value for future research/use.
• Completing transcripts of selected audio recordings to preserve the recorded contents.
• Scanning/preserving endangered photographic records
• Digital duplicates of all archival records at multiple Centers to ensure that no information is lost in the event of an environmental disaster.
• Providing appropriate access to copies or originals of records, while respecting the unique preservation needs of each record.
• Training in, and implementation of, disaster preparedness and prevention.
Accessibility Policy simplified
Access Procedure Information
• Requests for access to materials may be made on the website, or via email to the archives at archives@shambhala.org or by phone at 902-420-1118 ext 118. Those making requests must fill out a form provided by the Archives either through email or in person. This allows the Archives to keep up-to-date records of all requests received and completed.
• Requests for access to restricted records must be approved by the Archives Specialist who will make these decisions in consultation with the creators of the records or other copyright holders.
• The Archives will inform users of possible restrictions based on copyright etc. It is then the responsibility of the user to obtain permission prior to reproduction or use of the material. The Archives can help inform the user who to contact and how to request permission.
• The Archives will provide to all users a schedule of fees and timeline for receipt of services and items provided, such as duplication of photographs, audiotapes, transcripts, etc.
• Please know that the Archives are limited by the layout and organization of the catalog and how records have been described. This can mean that a request may take longer or be turned down due to the complexity in locating the requested record.
Access Principles
• The Archives strives to provide equal access to all interested persons.
• The Archives recognizes that certain types of records are created under the assumption of privacy. The Archives will strive to strike a balance between researchers’ need to know and respect for the records creators’ expectation of confidentiality.
• Due to limitations in funding and staff, the Archives may need to prioritize the order in which it will respond to requests and provide access. Such decisions will be made on the basis of the following factors:
→The order in which requests are received
→The complexity of the request, the number of records requested, and complications in obtaining permission to use or access a record.
→The use of the materials will be published, such as the inclusion of a photograph in a book or a clip used for a broadcast. Such requests may take precedence over requests for individual study or use.
• If an original record is too deteriorated to be handled, providing access may be denied. In some instances, users may be asked to pay a fee for conservation treatment, such as a digital transfer, if they desire immediate access.
• Access is provided in conformity with the capabilities of the Shambhala Archives to manage acquired material; these capabilities depend on:
→The physical condition and volume of documents under consideration.
→The mode of acquisition and the financial, human, and material resources that are available for arrangement, description, preservation, and access.
• The Archives’ ability to provide access relates to the description and organization of its database. This is achieved by eliminating or lessening its accession backlog and the continued development of its databases.
Types of Access
Access: An archival term for the authority to obtain information from or perform research with archival materials.
Open Access: Records, groups of records, and fonds that are available to any member of the public, with no restrictions.
Restricted Access: Records that require written permission from the Archival Specialist or the copyright owner. Some records may also be restricted because of preservation concerns or Buddhist practice or study prerequisites.
Closed Access: Records that are not available to the public. In general, there is a time limit on closed access. In the future, these records may be available, either for restricted or open access.