Archival Professionals Research Articles

Collections: A Journal for Museum and Archives Professionals

Collections: A Journal for Museum and Archives Professionals

Bourgeois Specialists and Red Professionals in 1920s Soviet Archival Development

Immediately after the 1917 October Revolution the Bolsheviks began developing the most centralized archival system in the world, along with a new profession of “red archivists.” However, the development of archives and the archival profession in the 1920s Soviet Union was not simply the top-down implementation of Bolshevik political ambitions portrayed in official Soviet accounts and Cold War–era Western literature but an unexpectedly open negotiation of ideas and customs among actors with diverse professional and ideological backgrounds, including non-Marxist archival professionals, workers from other cultural professions, and young communists.

Emergence of a new method: The Grounded Delphi method

This paper reports on the Grounded Delphi method (GDM), a relatively new methodological extension of the Delphi method, achieved by incorporating aspects of Grounded Theory, as used in a recent doctoral dissertation. The research explored the skills, knowledge, qualities and professional education needs of information professionals in galleries, libraries, archives and museums (GLAM) in Australia, with a view to determining relevant educational requirements to enable information professionals to operate across these blurred cultural heritage boundaries. Implications of using GDM for LIS research, and for research methods in general, is that it improves the rigour of theory building in Delphi studies, while the consensus, or force ranking, aspect of Delphi assists in improving the relevant level of importance of categories derived from Grounded Theory.

Responsabilidade ética e social do Arquivista e a Lei de Acesso à Informação

A necessidade de democratização da informação culmina na busca por instrumentos, meios e estratégias que solucionem problemas informacionais. Se torna indispensável à reflexão em torno das atribuições do profissional que intermedeia o campo da informação, o arquivista. Presentes nesse contexto focalizam-se nesta pesquisaos arquivistas que trabalham diretamente com as informações de cunho público. Com o advento da Lei de Acesso à Informação (LAI), inúmeras especificidades surgem na realidade desse profissional. Em que aspectos a LAI incide nas atribuições do profissional arquivista das instituições públicas universitárias? Para respondê-la, adotou-se como macro-objetivo compreender que aspectos a lei e suas diretrizes interferem nas atribuições do arquivista, em especial no que diz respeito às questões de responsabilidade ética e social. Metodologicamente, a pesquisa se caracteriza como estudo de caso, por visualizar a realidade dos profissionais arquivistas da Universidade Federal da Paraíba. A coleta dos dados se deu através de entrevistas semiestruturadas, analisadas por meio do método de interpretação de sentidos. Constata-se real distanciamento do profissional arquivista no que toca à aplicabilidade da LAI, como nas possíveis mudanças das atribuições relativas ao contexto ético e social. É notória a necessidade de reavaliação sobre a importância dada aos arquivos da Universidade e aos seus profissionais arquivistas.Palavras-chave: Atribuições do arquivista. Lei de Acesso à Informação. Responsabilidade ética e social. Universidade Federal da Paraíba.Link: https://agora.emnuvens.com.br/ra/article/view/672

Collections of Historical Markers and Signage and Public Programming Online at Public History Institutions Such as Museums and Archives

Historical designations are communicated to audiences through interpretive signage. Historic markers as signage for outdoor interpretation constitute a body of managed outdoor collections. Implications for museum and archive professionals to represent and manage these collections, in addition to applying practices for acclimatized collections, are incorporated in this article. Beyond its location at a particular geographic location, a marker's information may be disseminated through websites of public history institutions that aim to share information about the historical markers through digitizing records and mapping these through geospatial information systems. This article examines the historical marker applications and databases of public history institutions, many of which are associated with museums and archives, in the United States as a place-based collection, where suggestions by museums and archives professionals can also take part in the committees and applications. Attention is also paid to meeting the needs of diverse audiences through reinterpretation by museums and archives professionals.

Should archivists edit Wikipedia, and if so how?

Archival codes of ethics emphasize promoting archives and making them available to a wide audience. Literature highlights the importance of ‘participatory archives,’ often using Web 2.0 technologies. Using Archives 2.0 as a framework, this article suggests that archivists can move towards these goals by increasing their engagement with the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia. After identifying this wider context, the article evaluates in detail existing literature specifically on the subject of Wikipedia and archives. Particular scrutiny is placed on several case studies written by US university archivists who aimed to promote collections, and the issues they collectively highlight. To explore the question of how archives should engage with Wikipedia, this article uses a markedly different methodology to the case study literature. In-depth interviews were carried out with professional ‘Wikipedians in Residence’ who have worked with archivists, as well as archive professionals with relevant experience. An analysis section focuses on understanding Wikipedians’ perspectives on archives’ engagement with Wikipedia, comparing them with those of archive professionals, and ultimately emphasizing the importance of a collaborative way of working together. The conclusion makes recommendations based on this and draws out theoretical implications for Archives 2.0.

Expanding universe of Sherlockian fandom and archival collections

Since 1887, in sometimes cosmic fashion, nearly every medium and format has been used in sharing the original 60 Sherlock Holmes adventures along with their pastiche and parodying offspring. Such creative energy is evidence of a literary big bang, and an expanding universe of creative possibilities, many of them now born digital or residing on digital platforms. We trace older and newer Sherlockian enthusiasms; their points of entry; the creative manifestations of these fandoms over time and through various media; and the emerging challenges and opportunities presented to library and archival professionals by the explosive growth of creative works, especially those produced during the last decade. Curatorial actions involving acquisition, preservation, description, and user discovery of these materials are considered alongside the relationship building necessary between curator and fan in acquiring evolving, dynamic new Sherlockian expressions and insights.

Looking for Answers: A Usability Study of Online Finding Aid Navigation

ABSTRACT In a practical and user-centered model for online archival description, what navigational features are effective, efficient, and user-valued components for an academic archives' online finding aid? Using Princeton University's finding aid website as a prototype, this research study collected quantitative as well as qualitative data from ten relatively inexperienced online finding aid users as they interacted with and reacted to the finding aid interface. Major navigational difficulties experienced by users included ambiguous and/or unintuitive labeling, unclear relationships between tabs, and insufficient visual cues for certain navigational features. In contrast, user-valued navigational aids included centralized hyperlinked content, nested and hierarchical content tabs, and a collection-level search bar. The article concludes with ten pragmatic guidelines for archival professionals trying to solve the ongoing puzzle of online finding aid usability.

Desinfestação e higienização do acervo da biblioteca do instituto de química

A biblioteca do IQ foi constituída em 1968 no centro de Campinas e consolidada da mesma forma que seus laboratórios de ensino e pesquisa. Em 1970 foi instalada no atual campus e no período de 1971 e 1977 foram adquiridas importantes coleções de periódicos que deram início efetivamente a formação do seu acervo. Atualmente, figura entre as principais bibliotecas brasileiras de química e é reconhecida pela qualidade do seu acervo e dos serviços oferecidos. Para manter esta expressiva coleção e garantir o acesso às próximas gerações, vários cuidados de conservação tanto do acervo quanto das instalações devem fazer parte da gestão. Baseado nesta afirmação apresenta-se o trabalho desenvolvido para desinfestação e higienização do acervo de periódicos, obras raras e obras de referência, executado com recursos da FAPESP por meio de Reserva Técnica Institucional. A ação teve como objetivo principal o controle da infestação do ataque de pragas e fungos seguido da higienização externa e profunda deste acervo. A escolha do método de desinfestação por atmosfera de anóxia se deu por ser uma solução atóxica e ecologicamente correta e, por ser utilizada pelos profissionais de conservação de acervo. O acervo identificado com fungos foi desinfestado pelo método de radiação Cobalto-60 no IPEN/CTR, utilizado para controle microbiológico. Após, iniciou a higienização e retorno para as estantes. Os resultados foram significativamente satisfatórios, melhorando a questão de insalubridade do ambiente e 100% de satisfação em relação aos dois métodos de desinfestação concluindo que os estudos, pesquisas e planejamento desta ação foram adequados e satisfatórios.

From principle to practice: community consultation regarding access to Indigenous language material in archival records at the State Library of New South Wales

In the context of Indigenous languages, archival science in Australia continues to move from a theoretical framework of considering record subjects as third parties to a ‘participants model’. In a participants model framework record subjects are considered co-creators and custodians of the intellectual property of the record. However, the shift from theory to practice is still an under-described challenge currently facing archival professionals. This article reports on an experience of applying guidelines developed by First Languages Australia (FLA) and National and State Libraries of Australasia (NSLA) aimed at enhancing the rights of Indigenous Australians over records that contain Indigenous language material. A team of researchers from the State Library of New South Wales (SLNSW) Indigenous Services branch and Western Sydney University engaged with four Indigenous language groups to evaluate records containing Indigenous language material held at the SLNSW. On viewing the archival records of Indigenous language material members of community groups expressed a diversity of opinions and suggestions. This feedback was grouped by the authors into the following themes: painful remembrance of the provenance of the archival record, evaluations of the value of the documents, custodianship and use of the language material, and access to the SLNSW records. The authors found that participants in the study substantially shaped the process of implementing the protocols.

Professional ethics in building collections from oral traces of the past in Zimbabwe

The purpose of this qualitative case study is to investigate the ethical practices of oral history archivists at the National Archives of Zimbabwe when undertaking oral history interviews. Every aspect of oral history work has an ethical dimension. It is important that archivists identify and become aware of ethical issues most pertinent to them. There is a lack of knowledge regarding the ethical challenges that oral history archivists at the National Archives of Zimbabwe face when carrying out their work. Evidence from the face-to-face interviews and documents revealed that the activities of oral history archivists are not governed by a code of ethics for oral historians and they have limited ethical competence. The oral history professional association has not actively advocated a professional code of ethics. The research findings may help oral history archivists to develop ethical astuteness. Furthermore, the study will contribute to the growing body of literature about the role of archival professionals in shaping recorded social memory through their ethical responsibilities.

Building an archivist: exploring career paths in our profession since 2008 (an Irish perspective)

Since the financial crisis of 2007–2008, newly qualified archivists in Ireland have increasingly found themselves working for years in short-term contract positions, augmented in many cases by volunteering at repositories or by taking government-sponsored internships. This article explores the ways in which the jobs market has changed in Ireland for archivists and records managers from 2008 to 2014, how the lack of employment stability has impacted new archives professionals in both personal and professional terms, and what, if any, future steps might be necessary or useful to counter the effects on both.

The Artist Archives Project: David Wojnarowicz

An interdisciplinary research team at New York University recently launched the Artist Archives Project to advance research on information repositories for the display and conservation of contemporary art. The initiative responds to a growing need for museum and archive professionals to work with artists in documenting their production methods, and building knowledge for future treatment and re-activation of their work. The first undertaking of the Artist Archives Project is to create an information resource devoted to the multidisciplinary artist/activist David Wojnarowicz. Project researchers are working in conjunction with curators at the Whitney Museum of American Art who are preparing for a Wojnarowicz exhibition, along with others familiar with his work. Since the artist is deceased, most of the information comes from archives, publications, and interviews with people who knew and worked with him. The project takes a digital humanities approach by assigning equal emphasis to the content and the database/web portal design. The resource contains technical and historical information about the artist's films, video, photography, paintings, drawings, and performance work. The research team creates transcripts from interviews, annotated guides to other resources, and information regarding the challenges of exhibiting and conserving his work. In addition to artist-specific resources, the project aims to stimulate discussion on topics that underlie curating and conserving contemporary art, including authorship, authenticity, and the ethical responsibilities of curators and conservators. In this article the authors describe the goals, methodologies, and initial results of the project.

We Need These Bodies, but Not Their Knowledge: Black Women in the Archival Science Professions and Their Connection to the Archives of Enslaved Black Women in the French Antilles

Despite calls for diversity and minority participation in library and information science (LIS) and archival science, these professions have seen little change in this respect over the past two decades. This paper attempts to connect the archived, enslaved black woman of the French Antilles to the contemporary black woman in the United States. The paucity of archival materials on the first group is reflective of the low incidence of the second group in today’s archives profession. That is, the way in which black women of the Americas have been historically misrepresented or not represented at all can be connected to recruitment and retention problems in the archival profession. If black women are not recognized as worthwhile subjects in the archives, and presently not valued as knowers, how can they be accepted as library and archive professionals? If the archives are where origin stories are excavated, black women—through the profession of archival science—have a role to play in the administration and management of archival materials concerning the historical enslavement of black women. The paper will specifically discuss concepts from archival appraisal theory and highlight the ways in which power influences the collection of archival materials. Also, educational and training solutions that include black feminist thought, critical race theory, and cognitive justice are discussed.

Editorial

Archives have traditionally been the result of individual or collective decisions taken on political, institutional or business grounds in order to preserve documents and make these accessible for use. In the current digital ‘era of plenty,’ which enables an unprecedented creation of, and access to archival content, it seems that the very definition of an archive and its usage is being challenged. As a journal that aims to bring together archival expertise and academic knowledge on television history and culture and the role of archives in mediating the past, VIEW is proud to present an entire issue dedicated to ‘Archive Based Productions.’ Unlike other issues, this issue features the most contributions written by archive professionals, which can be found in the Discovery section of our journal. These archival discoveries complement the more scholarly explorations, which offer a broader perspective on archives as ‘launch pads’ for new productions.

Job satisfaction and work values: Investigating sources of job satisfaction with respect to information professionals

Job satisfaction and work values: Investigating sources of job satisfaction with respect to information professionals

Correspondence as a documentary form, its persistent representation, and email management, preservation, and access

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to construct a systematic way of thinking about correspondence as a documentary form and discuss the role its persistent representation features play in management, preservation and access of email correspondence. Design/methodology/approach – Using the method of diplomatic analysis as a guiding theory, the paper conducts a historical review of correspondence recordkeeping and email systems in the American context, analyzes the evolution of its persistent representation features and discusses the implications on current email management and archival practices. Findings – Correspondence as a document form and its persistent representation features have played an important role in traditional correspondence recordkeeping and electronic mail management. The design of systems to manage, preserve and access email records should reflect the characteristics and functionality of email records, capable of retaining email correspondence as a documentary form supported by its persistent representation features. Research limitations/implications – The research in this paper mostly covers secondary sources with a regional focus. The analysis covers important historical developments in correspondence and email recordkeeping and archival practices. The study uses examples of email archives available online, and further research can be developed when more email archival collections are processed and constructed. Originality/value – A systematic analysis of persistent representation of traditional correspondence and electronic mail provides a useful perspective to reflect on the characteristics of correspondence as a document form and offers some food for thought for records management and archival professionals and assists them in developing systems to better manage, preserve and provide access to email correspondence.

Another Wood Between the Worlds? Regimes of Worth and the Making of Meanings in the Work of Archivists

Through interviews of Nordic archives professionals, this article explicates the transformation and complexities of the worth and meaning of archival records and archival work. The analysis shows how the worth and meaning of archival records and the work of archivists are constituted in a complex interplay of quasi-institutionalized orders of archival work, their associated but often conflicting regimes of worth and information, and changing local intermediary practices.

The unbearable lightness of participating? Revisiting the discourses of “participation” in archival literature

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to investigate how archivists, records managers and scholarly literature in the field(s) analyse how “participation” is discussed in the context of archives and records management, and to explore practical and theoretical implications of the disclosed discursive practices.Design/methodology/approach– The analysis is based on a discourse analysis of a body of archival literature and a sample of posts collected from the archival and records management blogosphere.Findings– The analysis shows that instead of discussing one notion of participation, the archival science literature is referring to nine different and partly conflicting types of participation from three broad perspectives: management, empowerment and technology. The discourses have also conflicting ideas of the role of engagement and enthusiasm, and of that what do the different stakeholder communities see as real options.Research limitations/implications– The analysed material consists of a limited sample of mainly English language texts that may not capture all the nuances of how participation is discussed in the archival literature.Practical implications– A better understanding of how different claims of the benefits and threats endorsing “participation” in archives helps to develop effective and less contradictory forms of collaboration between different stakeholders.Originality/value– In spite of the popularity of the notion of “participation”, there little, especially critical, research on how participation is conceptualised by archives professionals and researchers.

The Strange Career of Jim Crow Archives: Race, Space, and History in the Mid-Twentieth-Century American South

Jim Crow practices touched every aspect of southern life in the middle of the twentieth century. As surviving documentary evidence attests, archives and archivists in the South, particularly in the University of North Carolina system, were deeply implicated in upholding segregation. This article probes that dynamic relationship, stressing the courage of those African American scholars who challenged Jim Crow on quotidian and organizational bases. The history of segregation in archival repositories illuminates four themes. First, it underlines the agency and power wielded by archival professionals; the archives is never a neutral space. Second, it suggests how archival professionals conducted—or failed to conduct—outreach to attract users and to promote use. In this way they betrayed their professional mission by providing lesser forms of access and service to African Americans. Third, the story of Jim Crow archives shows the need for archivists to be held accountable in their record-collecting and recordk...