slim:classes:li809_introduction_to_archives
Table of Contents
LI809 Introduction to Archives
Canvas link | https://canvas.emporia.edu/courses/19974 Instructor Bio|http://www.emporia.edu/slim/about/people/sheila-ohare/
Students are introduced to the archival profession and to archives and manuscripts in multiple formats. The course explores the functions of selection, appraisal, acquisition, arrangement and description, reference services and access, preservation and protection, outreach, advocacy, promotion, management, and professional ethical and legal responsibilities.
Course Syllabus | http://www.emporia.edu/slim/documents/syllabi/201730/809XI.pdf?language_id=1
Text Books
| Author(s) | Title |
|---|---|
| Millar, Laura A. | Archives_Principles and practices |
Classwork Schedule
| Assignment | Description | My Work | d |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repository Site Visit and Report | Make an in-person visit to an archival institution on your own, review a finding aid (online or at the repository), and request access to a physical collection (or portion thereof) for your examination. Do NOT take a tour; the point of the assignment is to replicate the experience of an archives user. Summarize your experience in a report, with a particular focus on patron services. Examples of the types of details to include: If you were able to consult a website before your visit, how easy was it to find the information you needed? Which procedures were necessary to gain access to the collection? What security measures did you observe? Was the finding aid sufficiently detailed, accurate, helpful? Did you speak to an archivist? (approx. 8 pages) | repository_site_visit | |
| Exam | An open-book exam in Canvas will cover key concepts in archival practice. You will have one week to complete the exam. | exam | |
| Curation | Working in groups, students will complete a curation project designed to provide a concrete application of best practices covered in the course. Further instructions will be provided. | curation_project | |
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Recommended Readings
| Link | Description |
|---|---|
| Week One | |
| Developing and Maintaining Practical Archives | Hunter, Gregory S. Hunter is my favorite textbook for this course. Unfortunately, he has been very, very slow in putting a new edition together. It should have been out last year, then this spring, then summer, now 2018. For that reason, I went with the newer Millar book for this term. However, if you want another view of the concepts Millar discusses, you can take a look at Hunter’s chapter. |
| 2006Jimerson | Embracing the power of archives. Archivists may aspire to be neutral and objective, but – with a nod to postmodernism – we are not, and we can’t be. This makes the role of the archive and the archivist even more important. He describes three modalities: the archive as temple, or prison, or (yes) restaurant. What does this mean? |
| Enduring Paradigm, New Opportunities | Gilliland-Swetland, Ann Comparison chart (LAM). |
| From Polders to Postmodernism A Concise History of Archival Theory | Ridener (2009), From Polders to Postmodernism, Ch. 7 If you want more historical background, this chapter is well-written and interesting. |
| 2005Greene | More product, less process - This is one of the most influential articles in archival scholarship…ever. If you didn't live through it, you can't imagine how massive the processing backlogs were, even in reputable, well-financed, and well-staffed repositories. Greene & Meissner fired the proverbial shot across the bow. I agree with the article's premise (though this is not to say that I agree with every statement in it.) I’ve seen way, way too much time being devoted to the micro-level writing and re-writing of finding aids, while numerous equally worthy collections sit inaccessibly in untouched boxes. Ironically, it’s often not the “best” collections, or even the ones at greatest risk, that receive the most attention. As a matter of policy – when you have to choose – I side with Greene and would rather see more product, less process. Others, of course, disagree, and would prefer to get the finding aids for a few collections in impeccable order before moving on to the next chunk… I always think about an archivist who laughed and told me, “That box has been under my desk for 25 years.” |
| 1993OToole | The symbolic significance of archives. What are the parallels between archives and symbolic modes of recordkeeping (e.g., Bibles, diplomas, ledgers)? |
http://journalofdigitalhumanities.org/1-2/archives-in-context-and-as-context-by-kate-theimer/
https://www.thoughtco.com/provenience-vs-provenance-3971058
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