Course in Archival Standards for Automotive Museums
Online 300-hour course in archival standards for automotive museums. 6 modules covering ISAD(G) (international standard for archival description), ISAAR(CPF) (archival authority records) and AtoM (Access to Memory). Assigned tutor and open enrolment.
Course in Archival Standards for Automotive Museums — studying from Malta
Malta's rich heritage, including historic buildings, vintage vehicles and maritime craft, creates a niche for restoration and conservation work. Owners of classic cars, motorcycles and boats seek specialist workshops with knowledge of period engineering and materials. Restoration of historic architecture also requires engineers and technicians familiar with traditional construction methods and conservation rules. Opportunities tend to be found with specialist workshops, heritage organisations and private restorers.
Fees for Malta: €743 (Euro), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in Malta
Typical roles
Questions from Malta
Is there a recognised professional body in Malta for restoration and classic vehicle engineering?
Malta does not have a single state-regulated profession for classic vehicle restoration. Vehicle registration and roadworthiness are handled by Transport Malta. SEIUM Institute's qualifications are private, not official state degrees, and are not accredited by any national body. Recognition is determined by employers, clients or the relevant body, so check these before enrolling.
What work could restoration engineers find in Malta?
Malta has a niche market for classic vehicle restoration, mainly through independent workshops, specialist garages and private collectors. Work is often built on reputation and practical craftsmanship. Whether a private online qualification adds value is for individual clients and employers to judge, so it is best to consider it alongside your hands-on experience.
Can I study this part-time with a workshop job, and is funding possible?
Yes. The programmes are fully online, taught in English and suitable for study from home, without needing a student visa. Hours range from 300 to 1,900 depending on the programme. Fees are payable in instalments, employer sponsorship is possible, and each student has an assigned technical tutor.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Recognise the archive as an integral part of the museum collection.
Organise and describe documentary holdings according to ISAD(G) and ISAAR(CPF).
Link documentary records with the inventory of vehicles and objects.
Apply storage conditions for media according to ISO 11799.
Plan digitisation and digital preservation in accordance with OAIS.
Manage access, reproduction and rights of documents.
Design a classification scheme for the archive of an automotive museum.
Who it's for
- Museum archivist who wants to specialise in archival standards in automotive museums.
- Collections documentalist who wants to specialise in archival standards in automotive museums.
- Heritage documentation manager who wants to specialise in archival standards in automotive museums.
- Digital preservation technician who wants to specialise in archival standards in automotive museums.
- Collections registrar who wants to specialise in archival standards in automotive museums.
- Head of an automotive documentation centre who wants to specialise in archival standards in automotive museums.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter automotive museums.
What you'll work with
- ISAD(G) (international standard for archival description)
- ISAAR(CPF) (archival authority records)
- ISO 15489-1 (records management)
- ISO 11799 (document storage requirements)
- ISO 14721 (OAIS reference model for digital preservation)
- SPECTRUM 5.0 (collections management)
- RD 1708/2011 (Spanish Archives System)
6 modules · 300 h
1.1What documents a motor museum generates1.2Institutional archive and collection archive1.3The value of the archive for research1.4Common documentary holdings1.5Applicable archive regulations1.6Archive manager1.7Link with the parts inventory1.8Typical state of an inherited archive1.9Objectives of standardisation1.10Workshop: diagnosis of an existing archive
2.1Principle of provenance and original order2.2Classification scheme2.3Levels of description2.4International standards for archival description2.5Installation units and shelfmarks2.6Description of photographs and plans2.7Controlled vocabulary and thesauri2.8Access points and authorities2.9Finding aids2.10Practice: classification scheme of a holding
3.1Record card for each vehicle and each part3.2Numbering and marking of parts3.3Object cataloguing standards3.4Linking objects and documentation3.5Standardised photography of the object3.6History of interventions3.7Movements and locations3.8Collections management databases3.9Migration of legacy data3.10Practice: complete record card for a vehicle
4.1Paper, its acidity and its deterioration4.2Chemical photography and its supports4.3Nitrate and acetate negatives: risks4.4Large-format plans4.5Magnetic media and their obsolescence4.6Inert archival materials4.7Environmental conditions of the repository4.8Handling fragile documents4.9Archive conservation plan4.10Practice: conservation assessment of a holding
5.1Digitisation priorities5.2Resolution, formats and profiles5.3Technical and descriptive metadata5.4Persistent identifiers5.5Backups and redundancy5.6Format migration5.7Media obsolescence5.8Cost of digital preservation5.9Access policies for digital archives5.10Practice: digitisation plan for a holding
6.1Consultation by researchers6.2Reading room regulations6.3Reproduction and fees6.4Copyright and image rights6.5Protection of personal data6.6Online publication of the catalogue6.7Donations and their documentation6.8Common errors in museum archives6.9Documented real cases6.10Final project: archive manual for an automotive museum
How you'll learn
Fully 100% online training on the SEIUM Institute campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetables: students progress at their own pace within the intake, which makes it possible to combine study with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is AtoM (Access to Memory), Archivematica, Collective Access, advanced Excel, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Assignments are based on real procedures: multilevel description of a documentary holding, linking documents with the vehicle inventory, and assessment of archive repositories. Assessment is continuous per module, plus the final integrating project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Recognise the archive as an integral part of the museum collection.
Organise and describe documentary holdings according to ISAD(G) and ISAAR(CPF).
Link documentary records with the inventory of vehicles and objects.
Apply storage conditions for media according to ISO 11799.
Plan digitisation and digital preservation in accordance with OAIS.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior degree is required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Sufficient Spanish to follow technical regulatory texts.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 300 hours, spread over 3 to 5 months. That is an average of 10 to 15 hours per week, compatible with a full-time job.
You will work with AtoM (Access to Memory), Archivematica, Collective Access and advanced Excel. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor will indicate the open-source alternative where one exists.
A SEIUM Institute own diploma upon passing the continuous assessment and the integrating project. It is in-house training, not an official qualification from the Ministry.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised towards the advanced programme. Please check the recognition policy when you enrol.
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