Access to information in public archives: From theory to practice in the archive of the University of Coimbra, Portugal

Archives have always been a fundamental resource for the State, institutions and citizens. In these information systems and services (Gomes, 2019), the availability of any information support for consultation always depends on two elements: legal authorisation and the existence of archival finding aids (International Council on Archives, 2000). This study analyses the current archival legislation in Portugal, regarding access to information in public archives, and describes its applicability in the Archive of the University of Coimbra (AUC). The methodology adopted comprised the analysis of the legislation and a case study (Stake, 2005; Yin, 2014). The AUC is “the depository of the invaluable documentation produced and received by the University”. As a service, it was created organically in 1901 and, as an information system, it dates to 1290, the year that the king D. Dinis created the "Studium Generale", today the oldest University in Portugal. It also integrates the documental resources of the Coimbra District Archive, created in 1931 (Archive of the University of Coimbra, 2022a, b). The current legislation in Portugal determines the limits on the access and communicability of archival information, namely the following legal diplomas: Decree-Law No. 47/2004 and Act No. 26/2016. All documentation in the AUC is available to any citizen since the general principle of Free Access to documentation in public archives applies. However, we must point out the limitations on the access to certain documentation, resulting from the need to guarantee the preservation and conservation of the originals. In these circumstances the user is referred to the consultation exclusively in digital format, which is the case of the Catholic Church records - 1459-1911 (baptisms, marriages, and deaths), created by parishes in the district of Coimbra. At the AUC there are communicability restrictions on documentation from the following fonds: Criminal Police, Forensic Medicine and Notarial Archives (wills). All in all, this study allowed us to identify limitations to the communicability of information on which there are legal restrictions due to the existence of personal data, nominative data, and compliance with certain legal deadlines. Therefore, knowledge of the applicable legislation is essential for the information professionals / archivists.