Hrefna Róbertsdóttir, National Archivist of Iceland, opened the Research Day and, in her address, discussed the administrative and cultural role of public archives and the importance of the secure preservation of records for future generations. She also presented the objectives of the publication, which aims to highlight the practice of records preservation and records management in Iceland.

Helga Jóna Eiríksdóttir, archivist, lecturer in archival studies, and editor of the publication, delivered a presentation entitled The Development and Implementation of Oversight by the National Archives of Iceland. In her presentation, she discussed, among other things, the statutory role of public archives, the development of records preservation and records management, and the purpose of oversight.

In her presentation, The Reorganization of Records Preservation in Iceland, Kristjana Kristinsdóttir, former archivist and Professor Emerita of Archival Studies, reviewed changes in records preservation following the enactment of Act No. 66/1985 on the National Archives of Iceland and the efforts undertaken to improve the organization and practices of records management within the public sector.

Public Archives and Data Protection Legislation was the title of the presentation by Þórður Sveinsson, Chief Legal Counsel at the Icelandic Data Protection Authority and external examiner at the University of Iceland. He discussed the interaction between data protection legislation and the laws governing public archives, including the preservation of personal data and the rights of data subjects.

Following a break, District Court Judge Þorsteinn Magnússon delivered the presentation The Significance of Historical Documents in the Resolution of Common Land Cases. He discussed the importance of historical documents in resolving common land disputes and how such records have, in some instances, proven decisive in determining outcomes.

Njörður Sigurðsson, Deputy Director General at the National Archives of Iceland, delivered the final presentation of the day, Transfer Obligations and the Alþingi. In his presentation, he reviewed changes to the Alþingi’s record transfer obligations in 2014 and 2019, as well as the purpose and objectives of these obligations.

The programme concluded with a panel discussion chaired by Kristín Benediktsdóttir, Parliamentary Ombudsman of Iceland. The discussion generated lively debate and engaging questions concerning the presentations and issues related to records preservation and public administration.

Following the Research Day, the publication Public Administration and Archives: The Practice of Records Preservation and Records Management was formally celebrated.

The moderator for the day was Brynhildur Ingvarsdóttir, Head of Media and Publishing at the National Archives of Iceland.

Further information about the Research Day programme can be found here.