arhiiviülevi

Arhiiviülevi is a term used in Estonian-language discussions about national archival architecture to describe an envisioned nationwide, integrated archive system that would unify discovery, access, and preservation of records held by state institutions, universities, and cultural organizations. The concept imagines a single discovery layer and a common metadata framework that allows researchers to locate materials across disparate repositories without navigating separate platforms.

Key components would include centralized metadata schemas that blend Dublin Core with preservation metadata (PREMIS), persistent identifiers, and open APIs for programmatic access. Such a system would support interoperability, allow aggregated search results, and enable efficient preservation workflows, including format migration and authenticity checks. Access controls would balance openness with privacy and copyright considerations, using role-based permissions and audit trails.

Governance would lie with a national archival authority, complemented by regional partners and institutional owners. Policy areas would cover privacy, data protection, intellectual property, and long-term sustainability, with a tiered access model for public, restricted, and confidential records.

Implementation remains theoretical in most contexts. As of now, arhiiviülevi exists as a proposed concept rather than a deployed nationwide system; several countries explore related approaches such as unified discovery layers, interoperable archives, or shared preservation platforms, but no universally adopted solution bears this name.

Supporters argue that such integration would improve transparency, research efficiency, and preservation resilience, while critics warn of high costs, governance complexity, and potential risks to sensitive information. Related topics include digital archives, archival interoperability, and metadata standards.