Structure of IAEA archival holdings

Central Registry records consist of about 720 linear shelf metres of paper records covering subject files of all official functions and activities of the IAEA, based on the main headings of the file plan such as ’ADM’ and ‘S’ (administration and executive management), ‘L’ (legal matters and agreements), ‘SAF’ (safeguards, nuclear verification, nuclear security), ‘SC’ (science, nuclear science, training, technical cooperation), ‘TA’ (technical assistance and technical cooperation).

These archives consist of 900,000 digital images and 20 linear shelf metres of 3,100 microfilms (master and duplicate films). Microfilms and digital versions contain all incoming, outgoing and internal registered correspondence and indexing by the CRMS from 1979 to 2007 and cover subject areas of all official IAEA functions and activities, based on the file coding system used under CRMS. This excludes correspondence with classified contents.

These records consist of 643 linear shelf metres of paper records, as well as gifts and mementos presented to the IAEA Directors General Sterling Cole and Sigvard Eklund. Among other topics, they document the IAEA Preparatory Commission and comprise correspondence on the initial stages and programme development of the Agency, including records of the Office of the Directors General Sterling Cole and Sigvard Eklund. They also contain documentation on the relations between the IAEA and the host country Austria, Member States and the United Nations; records originating from all Agency Departments that document programme activities (safeguards, technical assistance, nuclear science and research), external relations, conferences, and the IAEA laboratories in Seibersdorf and Monaco.

These records consist of approximately 6,000 linear shelf metres of paper records and cover all IAEA business areas and programme activities: governance and executive management, property and physical asset management, financial management, human resources management, information products and services, nuclear technology for development, nuclear safety and security and nuclear verification.

The Agency maintains a collection of 208 linear shelf metres of audio-visual records, which include films, magnetic audio tapes and cassettes, lacquer discs, microfilms and photographic images, as well as digitized material. The collection covers IAEA General Conferences and meetings of the Board of Governors and other events, as well as public education initiatives, IAEA scientific programmes, and meetings of the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission (1946-1952) and the Conference of the Statute of the IAEA (1956). The photographs showcase people taking part in the work of the Agency in a variety of areas of nuclear technology and science as well as historic events like the journey of the Mobile Radioisotope Laboratories in the early 1960s and the First IAEA General Conference in Vienna 1957.

The IAEA Archives is the custodian of a growing collection of more than 10,000 publications in hard-copy and digital format (saved on CD-ROMs). The collection contains volumes from the large series of IAEA Scientific and Technical publications (such as STI/PUB, STI/DOC – including sub-series – and TECDOCs) and non-published reports of various meetings and symposia, as well as internal papers. These publications are available in English and, in some cases, in other languages.

These Records consist of approximately 200 linear shelf metres of paper records that comprise agreements (originals and certified copies), ratifications and credentials; and 130 linear metres of paper records from the Board of Governors and its Committees, including the Scientific Advisory Committee, the General Conference and its Committees, the Conference of the IAEA Statute and the IAEA Preparatory Commission. This collection is constantly growing.

Files originate from the Secretariat of the IAEA’s Policy-Making Organs, its Department of Management, Division of Conference Services and Legal Division. All IAEA programme areas are reflected in these Records: executive management of the Secretariat, administration, budget and finance, nuclear power and nuclear energy, nuclear applications, research programmes, nuclear safety and security, safeguards and nuclear verification).

These collections consist of about 154 linear shelf metres of typed, handwritten and painted paper records, plans and maps, as well as electronic records, such as press releases. They include the architectural plan collection (1919/1957-1985), the Circular Letters (1957-2000), the Country Uranium Reports (from approximately 1960 to 1975), duty travel reports, the Daily Press Reviews (press cuttings and press reviews, 1969-2000), the collection of press releases (1957-1994), and the collection of Reactor Safety Manuals.