MEMORY, POWER, SILENCE AND RECORDS MANAGEMENT
AMAZON CAPUCHIN ARCHIVE
Keywords:
records management, religious archives, institutional memoryAbstract
This research addresses the management of the archival collection of the Capuchin Museum of Amazonas and Roraima, which holds records produced by the Franciscan Custody since the beginning of the 20th century. The problem researched is how the absence of an integrated management plan compromises the control, preservation, and access to the collection, due to the fragmentation of records’ types and the disconnect between archival standards and institutional practices. The general objective of the ongoing research is to develop a records management plan for the archival collection of the Franciscan Custody of Amazonas and Roraima, based on the principles of Archival Science and articulated with Canon Law; this paper presents the partial results of the first two stages of the study -- diagnosis and characterization of the collection -- which underpin the plan's elaboration, still underway. The methodology is qualitative, in a single case study, with participant observation, document analysis, and data triangulation. The diagnosis revealed a collection of 10.03 linear meters, with environmental vulnerabilities, inadequate materials, and organization without the application of archival principles; the characterization identified five functional groups and proposed an arrangement according to the Brazilian Standard for Archival Description, classifying documents into three categories of conservative stability. The partial results confirm the technical feasibility of organizing the collection and underpin the elaboration of the Management Plan, scheduled for completion in 2026, a stage not yet reached.