FOREWORD

The Bureau of Canadian Archivisits is pleased to endorse Rules for Archival Description for use by Canadian archivists. RAD establishes for the first time a national set of rules for the description of archives, a goal the profession has sought for so many years.

Standards are not new to the work of archivists. Technical standards have existed for some time in the field of archival conservation. Records management guidelines have resulted in a more coherent and consistent approach to information management. Now the profession has a set of rules that will enable archival institutions to produce more uniform descriptions of their holdings.

Descriptive standards are important for several reasons, not the least of which is improved service to our users, who stand to benefit the most from their implementation. Applying agreed upon standards to our descriptive practices will facilitate the exchange of information between archives at the local, national, and international level.

The Bureau of Canadian Archivists is committed to the ongoing development, use, and maintenance of RAD, in cooperation with the Canadian Council of Archives.

André Martineau,
Secretary General
Bureau of Canadian Archivists