Archives of Information Technology Division, IT
Identity Statement | Context | Content and Structure | Conditions of access and use | Allied materials | Description control | Database
Identity Statement [Top]
Reference code(s)
CERN-ARCH-IT
Title
Archives of Information Technology division, IT (Scientific and Technical division, STS, Data handling, DD, Computing and Networks, CN)
Date(s)
~ 1959 - 1991
Level of description
Sub-fonds
Extent of the unit of description
136 boxes, 15 linear meters
Context [Top]
Name of creator
Scientific and Technical division (STS), Data Handling division (DD), Computing and Network division (CN) and Information Technology division (IT)
Administrative history
During the period covered by the documents held in this collection the IT division went through many changes.
1955, start of the Scientific and Technical division (ST) First named the Scientific and Technical Services division (STS), it is the direct successor to the Laboratory group of the interim Organization. This group originally also had the responsibility for starting construction and for administration. These responsabilities were transferred on October 1954 to two other new divisions: the Site and Buildings Division and the Administration Division.
The first leader of the Scientific and Technical division was L. Kowarski (from 1955 to 1963).
1957, the Main Technical Workshop leaves STS and rejoins the Site and Buildings Division. The Electronics Workshop leaves STS for the Synchrocyclotron Division.
1959, end of the Scientific and Technical Services Division.
1960, continuation of the mandate as the Data Handling Division (DD); L. Kowarski is still the leader.
1964, G.R. MacLeod becomes the new leader of the division (from 1964 to 1975).
1963, the Operational Control and Operation staff is transferred to the TC division.
1966, the DD Division becomes part of the new Applied Physics Department. This department is under the direction of Mervyn G. N. Hine.
1975, P. Zanella becomes the new leader of the division (from 1976 to 1988).
1982, the Scientific Information Services and the Publications group are detached from DD to the newly created Documentation department.
1987, two new groups are attached: the Telephone, Telex and Telefax Services (from PE Division) and the Management Information System unit (MIS). This unit contains the new Office Computing Systems group (OCS) and together with the existing the Administrative Processing group (ADP) from Office and Services of the Director of Administration (DA).
1988, the Advanced Computing group (AC) is attached to the DD Division.
1989, D. O. Williams becomes leader of the division..
1990, End of the DD Division and continuation of the same functions as the Computing & Networks Division (CN). The leader of this new division is still D. O. Williams until 1996. The User Service section is transferred to the CO group. The name of the Operations group changes to "Consultancy and Operations" and keeps the CO acronym. The group ED changes its name to CE (Computing and Engineering). The division has approximately 150 full-time equivalent staff, plus associates, fellows, VSNAs and students, divided into 6 groups.
At this time, CN's divisional objectives consist of:
- "Provision of computing infrastructure for the laboratory. This includes batch, timesharing, workstation server and mass storage (magnetic media) services; distributed computing support, including onsite and offsite networking, central and remote printing, and workstation services; CERN Program Library and related software."
- "Provision of applications-related hardware and software services, in collaboration with the divisions concerned. This includes applications oriented towards experiments, the accelerator and technical sectors, engineering, and management information."
1993, a restructuring of the CN Division.
1997, end of the CN Division. The mandate continues with the Information Technology Division (IT) with the addition of the Mac/PCShop (from AS Division) and the Web Office (from EC Division).
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
There are three distinct parts in this collection.
The first part was organised and donated by the Divisional Records Officer (DRO) Jacques Spalter from the DD division. He gathered a series of CN files. He was the person in charge of the 12-10-1993 transfer and he established the classification plan for this part of the collection.
Brian Carpenter, from the CN division, succeeded J. Spalter as DRO. He donated the second part of the collection. He was responsible for the transfer of 2.12.1996. He collected these archives just before the end of 1996 and of the Computing and Networking (CN) division.
The third part was been donated by Verkek, C in June 1996.
In 2022 and 2023, the Archives Service received the files of Maria Dimou, Ben Segal and Sverre Jarp.
Content & Structure [Top]
Scope and content
The documents were created successively by the Scientific and Technical division (STS), Data Handling division (DD), Computing and Network division (CN) and Information Technology division (IT). They include memoranda, letters, reports, minutes of meetings etc.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information
All items have been kept in the order in which they were received. Nothing was destroyed.
Accruals
Further accruals are expected from the current IT division.
System of arrangement
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* Archives provided by J Spalter:
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CERN-ARCH-IT-01, STS Computer reports + memo, 1956 - 1958, CERN-ARCH-DD, T1001
CERN-ARCH-IT-03, DD Internal reports, 1969 - 1978
CERN-ARCH-IT-04, Computer Seminars and Conferences
CERN-ARCH-IT-05, Data Handling Policy Group: CN - DHPG: Joint Planning Committee (CN - JPC), High Energy Physics Co-ordinating Committee (CN - HEPCCC), Archive, 1955 - 1990
CERN-ARCH-IT-06, DD Committees : (1974 - 1990)
CERN-ARCH-IT-07, Computers: 1959 - 1975
CERN-ARCH-IT-08, DD groups
CERN-ARCH-IT-09, DD projects
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* Archives provided by Brian Carpenter:
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CERN-ARCH-IT-10, DD-CS:
CERN-ARCH-IT-11, CN-CS:
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* Archives provided by Verkerk, C:
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CERN-ARCH-IT-12
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* Archives provided by the IT Secretariat:
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| CERN-ARCH-IT-13 : Management files 1970-2001 |
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* Archives provided by G. Erskine:
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| CERN-ARCH-IT-14 : CERN's Ferranti Mercury computer |
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* Archives provided by Dimou Maria:
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| CERN-ARCH-IT-15 : Files of Maria Dimou |
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* Archives provided by Ben Segal and Maria Dimou:
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| CERN-ARCH-IT-16 : Files of Ben Segal |
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* Archives provided by Maria Dimou:
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| CERN-ARCH-IT-17 : Files of Sverre Jarp |
Conditions of access and use [Top]
Conditions governing access
See file level description and the CERN operational circular No 3: rules applicable to archival material and archiving at CERN. In general, records on any subject that are over 30 years old, and all records of a purely scientific nature, may be consulted.
Conditions governing reproduction
Copyright is retained by CERN, no reproduction without permission.
Language / scripts of material
Most of the material is written in English.
Finding aids
The Information Technology division records, IT, are listed to item level in the CERN Archives database.
Allied materials [Top]
Publication note
CERN Archives. - The Evolution of the Information Technology division (IT) / Kieran Pavel. - CERN, Geneva, 2000. - 3p. - Portable Document Format - [71'680 bytes]
Description control [Top]
Archivist's note
Description prepared by Kieran Pavel. Revised Sandrine Reyes
Date(s) of description
Geneva, September 2001, Revised 2007, Revised 2022/2023