BETWEEN THE PAST AND THE FUTURE: THE ROLE OF THE PAPER ARCHIVE IN THE MODERN UNIVERSITY ECOSYSTEM

ABSTRACT

The article deals with the actual problem of paper archives in modern universities in the context of digital transformation of education and science. The article analyzes the key role of the paper archive as an integral element of the university ecosystem, ensuring the continuity of scientific knowledge, legal authenticity of documents and preservation of the historical heritage of the university.

Special attention is paid to the practical functions of the paper archive in the current activities of the university: from confirming the qualifications of graduates to providing accreditation procedures and scientific research.

The article highlights the categories of documents for which the paper format remains indispensable and discusses modern methods of preserving archival materials. The article also identifies the main challenges facing university archives and suggests promising solutions for their modernization.

In conclusion, it is concluded that the paper archive in the modern university environment is not a relic of the past, but is a vital component that ensures stability, legal security and continuity of academic tradition.

Keywords: university archive, paper document management, digitalization, heritage preservation, legal credibility, university ecosystem.

The article discusses the current problem of paper archives in modern universities in the context of the digital transformation of education and science. It analyzes the key role of the paper archive as an integral part of the university ecosystem, ensuring the continuity of scientific knowledge, the legal validity of documents, and the preservation of the university's historical heritage.

Special attention is paid to the practical functions of the paper archive in the university's daily activities, from confirming the qualifications of graduates to ensuring accreditation procedures and scientific research.

The article identifies the categories of documents for which the paper format remains indispensable and discusses modern methods for preserving archival materials. The article also outlines the main challenges facing university archives and proposes promising solutions for their modernization.

In conclusion, it is concluded that the paper archive in the modern university environment is not a relic of the past, but rather a vital component that ensures the stability, legal security, and continuity of the academic tradition.

The traditional image of the archive-a windowless room filled with shelves with long-term accumulations of paper arrays of information-is increasingly perceived as a relic of the past. In the digital age, it is widely believed that the future belongs to electronic storage: it is supposedly enough to digitize documents and place them in the cloud to solve the problem of compact and convenient storage.

However, the reality is much more complicated. The process of digitizing university documents is a long-term, resource-intensive task that requires more than one year of hard work. At the same time, paper archives still play a key role in the life of the university.

The archives of universities contain a huge array of documents that are critical for management: personnel and administrative documents; materials regulating the educational process; legal documentation; results of research activities; financial and economic reports; information and reference materials; sources for preserving institutional memory.

The paper archive performs a set of functions: it guarantees the legal security of the university; ensures the continuity of administrative and educational processes; provides access to reliable historical data; allows you to comply with regulatory requirements.

Despite the large-scale digitalization, a number of documents must be kept in their original form: strict reporting papers; legally significant acts with authentic banking details; documents with handwritten elements that cannot be digitally reproduced; materials with secure printing and security elements; archival sources that have historical and scientific value; documents that must be presented physically; papers that can be used for storing documents on the Internet. whose digital copies are not fully legally binding.

University archives, and archives in general, face the challenges of our time. Here are the key ones:

First, the physical security of documents. Paper media are subject to natural aging, environmental influences, and mechanical damage. We cannot exclude the risk of emergencies that can cause irreparable damage to the archive.

Secondly, the regulatory framework. The variety of regulations requires constant updating of knowledge and procedures. There are conflicts of interest between adherents of traditional and electronic documentmanagement. It is necessary to quickly adapt work processes to changing standards.

Third, digitalization and technological challenges. The transition to electronic formats involves significant hardware and software costs. Digitizing large amounts of documents is a time-consuming process. There are risks of data loss due to technical failures or cyberattacks. In addition, there is a shortage of qualified specialists who combine knowledge in archival affairs and digital technologies.

Fourthly, personnel restrictions. The archive staff is often insufficient to handle the growing volume of documents. At the same time, continuous training of new employees is required, which takes up additional resources.

Fifth, limited access and low awareness. Many users are unaware of the available archive resources. Access to original documents is often difficult.

In the modern world, the only solution fordigitizing archives is a hybrid storage system. In other words, digitization of certain categories of documents provides prompt access to copies, while paper originals retain their legal and historical value. Also, electronic catalogs make it easier to find the right documents.

It is worth noting that the paper archive does not slow down digitalization, but complements it; it does not duplicate electronic systems, but performs unique functions described earlier; it does not require replacement, but needs to be properly combined with digital tools.

Thus, the paper archive is a vital element of the university environment, guaranteeing legal protection, continuity of management, preservation of historical memory and resistance to technological risks. The value of the traditional method of storing information arrays should not decrease with the development of technology, it should be transformed: from a " document warehouse "to a" key element of the university ecosystem", where traditions and innovations complement each other.

References:

1. Degtyareva I. A.Digitization of archival documents: a solved problem or a problem of the future // History and archives. 2022. No. 4. pp. 122-135.
2. Ermolenko V. V., Stefanovich I. K. Problems of digitalization and innovation in archival activities // Information society and the digital economy: the global transformation: proceedings of the IV National scientific and practical conference. Krasnodar: Kuban State University, 2019, pp. 198-211.
3. Lanskaya D. V., Ermolenko V. V., PydykV. S., Astafyev L. V. Organizational and technological innovations in the archival industry // CyberLeninka. 2025.https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/organizatsionno-tehnologicheskie-innovatsii-v-arhivnoy-otrasli/viewer (дата обращения 20.01.2026)