Services for archive donors

Anyone who manages archives with cultural-historical value should ensure that the archives are not damaged by moisture, mold, pests, water, or fire.  The regulations set forth by the National Archives of Norway  describe the requirements for special rooms for archives. The majority of our archives are stored at VID Specialized University’s campus in Stavanger. The archive repositories, which were newly built in 2022, are secured in accordance with the National Archives’ regulations. 

We also have an archive repository at VIDs campus i Oslo.

Photographs, films, and audio tapes are stored at Arkivenes Hus at Ullandhaug in Stavanger. 

Depositing or Submission 

Historical archives can either be deposited or submitted. Depositing means that the Mission and Diakonia Archives takes on the responsibility of managing the material, while the organization retains control. Submission, on the other hand, means that the archive is transferred to the Mission and Diakonia Archives, thereby transferring both control and management to us. 

Please contact us if you wish to deposit or submit archival material. We offer site visits, preservation and appraisal assessments, as well as general guidance. 

Arrangement and Cataloging 

Finding your way through unorganized archival material is, of course, challenging. We can take on the work of arranging and cataloging the material. This involves cleaning and archival restrictions, new archive boxes and folders if the old ones have a high acid content, cataloging according to the General archive schema, and registration in Asta. The catalog is finally published on the Arkivportalen, where you can gain an overview of the archival material. 

Organized archives will be available in our reading rooms in Stavanger and Oslo, but the material can also be scanned and sent digitally. 

Digitization 

The Mission and Diakonia Archives has digitization equipment, and we can take on the digitization of photographs, protocols, letters, and similar materials. We publish digital material on the Mission and Diakonia Archive’s website, on Fotoweb and on Digitalarkivet, which is the publishing channel of the National Archives.x

Retrieval of Documentation and Sharing Stories from the Archives 

The Mission and Diakonia Archives follows up on inquiries from organizations and entities that have submitted their archival material and need assistance in locating documentation. 

We are active in promoting the archival material to Norwegian and international students, researchers, journalists, and others interested in the history of Norwegian mission, diakonia, Christian churches, and organizations.