Library Charter

Introduction to the Library Charter

The Trade Federation Library Charter stands as the constitutional foundation of the Federation’s archival authority. It defines its mandate, codifies its purpose, and safeguards the collective memory of the state. Issued under the authority of the Office of the Chief Archivist, the Charter exists to ensure that the Federation’s history, laws, traditions, and identity are preserved with precision and permanence. It also functions as an operational guide to ensure clarity, continuity, and integrity across all archival activity.

The Charter arose from the recognition that institutional memory is as vital to the Federation’s survival as its fleets, infrastructure, and economy. In a government where leadership changes, policies evolve and structures shift, the Library serves as the stabilizing source of authoritative record keeping.

By setting rigorous standards for accuracy, neutrality, and archival integrity, the Charter ensures that the record endures intact for those who will one day inherit the mantle of leadership. This document also establishes the Library’s role as the custodian of the Federation’s cultural code: its ceremonies, symbols, language, and values. These cultural create shared identity and continuity across eras and personnel.

This Charter also defines governance expectations, roles, accountability structures, and workflows needed to maintain consistent archival practice. Each Archivist must adhere to these standards to preserve the integrity of the record and ensure that the Library can function effectively across generations

Trade Federation Library Charter

Issued by the Office of the Chief Archivist, Year 26 Day 256
Updated by the Office of the Chief Archivist, Year 27 Day 14

Mission Statement

The Trade Federation Library exists to preserve, codify, and disseminate the institutional memory, legal doctrine, operational knowledge, and cultural identity of the Trade Federation.

It serves as the definitive source of reference for anyone seeking to understand the Federation’s past, navigate it’s present, or shape its future.

Guiding Principles

The Library is not a news feed,

Nor propaganda,

But the canon of the Trade Federation.

It speaks to the memory,

Not the moment.

It moves at the pace of consequence,

Not the speed of chatter.

It is written not for today’s officers,

But for those who will stand where they once stood,

Long after they are gone.

Strategic Goals

Preserve the Federation’s Legacy

• Document and maintain the official chronicle of the Trade Federation.

Enable Institutional Continuity

• Provide enduring documentation of the Federation’s internal charters, ranks, and customs.
• Serve as the fallback reference during leadership transitions or crises to maintain strategic alignment and organization memory.
• Act as a bulwark against internal fragmentation or historical revisionism.
• Ensure all documents include clear versioning, timestamps, and responsible editors.

Codify the Federation’s Culture

• Capture and propagate the symbols, language, customs, and values that define the Federation’s identity.
• Document ceremonies, traditions, and internal jargon that build esprit de corps and factional cohesion.
• Celebrate key achievements and recognize distinguished service through curated hall-of-fame and in-memoriam archives.

Ensure Archival Integrity

• Adhere to rigorous standards of factual accuracy, citation, and neutrality in all documentation.
• Archive deprecated materials with clear historical context and tagging.
• Maintain a living changelog to track all updates and revisions transparently.

Authority

The Library operates under the Office of the Chief Archivist. Within Library operations:

• The Chief Archivist is the final authority on archival standards, templates, and disputes.
• The Deputy Archivist manages day-to-day operations and supervises contributors.
• Editors and Curators may update pages following the workflows defined below.
• Department Leaders may request corrections to information relating to their own directorates, but cannot override archival accuracy.

Approval Processes

• Minor edits (typos, formatting, template fixes) → No approval needed
• Factual corrections → Editor + 1 reviewer
• Major structural changes → Deputy Archivist approval
• Creation of new templates, categories, or systems → Chief Archivist approval

Appeals Process

If a factual dispute arises:
1. Submit rationale + evidence to the Archivist Team.
2. Archivist reviews sources and prior entries.
3. If unresolved, the Deputy Archivist adjudicates.
4. Final authority rests with the Chief Archivist.

Content Update Workflow

1. Identify Need
Error spotted, update requested, or new content required.
2. Check Scope
Confirm page type and responsible owner.
3. Gather Sources
Federation decrees, leadership announcements, Discord logs, Combine events, etc.
4. Draft Update
Use standardized templates.
5. Internal Review

• Minor edits → self-reviewed
• Factual updates → peer-reviewed
• Major overhauls → Deputy Archivist approval
  

6. Publish
Add date and editor to the changelog. 7. Archive if Needed
If superseded, mark page with the standard archive boilerplate.

Modus Operandi Overview

his section documents the operational methods, workflows, and standards used by the Library. It ensures continuity of practice and enables future Archivists to understand both the intent and the functional execution of the Library’s mandate.

Standard Operating Procedures

Dates

• If a date is recorded, it must be accurate.
• If a date is approximate, it will be prefixed with “.c” meaning “Circa”.
• If a date is unknown, it may be marked as “unknown” or not mentioned at all.

Member Pages

• Must include the standard Member InfoBox. See this Example Member Page. For artwork, see the Chain of Command.
• Must document: race, status, ministry, department, position, rank, insignia, promotion date
• May document: gender, background, timelines, commendations
• Must use Combine Galactic Time (CGT). For converting GMT dates to CGT, use the Time Converter.
• May include a Service Record section using the Service Record Table Template. For artwork, see the Chain of Command.
• Active member must include:

  [[Category:Trade Federation Members]]
  

• Members who have left the Trade Federation must include:

  [[Category:Retired]]
  

Ministry, Directorate, and Department Pages

• Must include this boilerplate Current Staff section. This ensures that we only have to update staff changes in one place, the Trade Federation Leadership page.

==Current Staff==
''(See [[Trade Federation Leadership]])''

• Active directorates / departments headed by someone of HC-1 rank must include:

[[Category:Directorate]]

• Deactivated directorates must include:

{{Archive}} <!-- Top of page -->
=Restructuring= <!-- At the bottom of the contents list -->
Explanation as to why the Ministry/Directorate/Department was archived.
[[Category:Retired Ministries and Departments]] <!-- Bottom of page -->

Trade Federation Leadership

This section is standard operating procedure for maintaining the Trade Federation Leadership page.

• Must keep all artwork (insignias, seals, etc.) up-to-date
• Must keep all appointment member names, avatars, and titles up-to-date
• Must NOT include identification of members below the level of Director.

Ongoing Initiatives

Chain of Command Project

The Library’s personnel records are being restructured into a unified Chain of Command that maps the Trade Federation’s hierarchy in real time. The top section will display all departments, directorates, and ministries, highlighting department heads, higher leadership, and official staff avatars. A secondary section will provide a streamlined reference of rank insignia and titles.

All department pages containing rank information will now link directly to the central Chain of Command to ensure accuracy and reduce duplication. Staff data will also be migrated to the Chain of Command page. Standardized member stub templates will be implemented, with calls for submission of missing biological, service, and commendation records. Rank data is being reformatted with consistent styling and updated insignia, while the existing Ranks page is being converted into the new directory hub.

View progress here

Continuity Restoration and Standardization Initiative

For nearly eight years, the Trade Federation Library has operated without a full-cycle review, leaving a significant gap in recorded history and structural consistency. During this period, departments have been restructured, new roles created, old positions dissolved or absorbed, and numerous policies revised, often without corresponding updates to the archival record.

In accordance with the Library Charter’s mandate for accuracy, coherence, and institutional continuity, this initiative undertakes a systematic restoration of the Library to its proper standard. Every article is being reviewed, corrected, and brought current; missing events and organizational changes are being documented; and outdated references are being retired or archived.

This effort also integrates the former Recategorization and Templating Initiative into a unified operation, establishing standard category trees, consistent subcategory hierarchies, and universal page templates for all major domains: Ranks, Nationalized Factions (NATs), Ministries, Directorates, Departments, Members, and more. The end state will be a fully standardized, navigable, and up-to-date archival system that preserves the Federation’s legacy and ensures future maintainability.

Library Art Museum Project

The Library Art Museum Project curates and preserves the finest artistic works associated with the Trade Federation Library. This initiative compiles the most notable illustrations, banners, seals, infographics, and commemorative designs produced throughout the Library’s history into a single, permanent exhibition page. Works are selected for their historical significance, artistic excellence, and cultural value, representing the creative legacy of the Federation’s archival tradition.

In addition to showcasing completed works, the project documents the origin, artist, and context of each piece to preserve its place in the institutional record. The collection serves as both a celebration of the Federation’s visual heritage and a reference for future archival and design efforts.

View progress here