Digital Archives Research Articles

Harmonious Heritage through the Qualitative Analysis of Northeast Folk Songs in the Evolution of Northeast Drum

This study explores the artistic and cultural significance of the Northeast Drum (Jianban), a traditional Chinese folk art characterized by its unique blend of narrative storytelling, rhythmic musical accompaniment, and audience interaction. The research focuses on the contributions of Liu Guiying, a renowned provincial representative inheritor of the Northeast Drum, and her innovative techniques that have revitalized this art form. Through qualitative methods, including interviews and participant observations, the study examines the structure and themes of Northeast Drum performances, the role of improvisation, and the integration of Northeast folk songs. The findings highlight the dynamic nature of these performances and their cultural resonance within the community. The study also discusses the challenges and opportunities in preserving this intangible cultural heritage, emphasizing the importance of educational programs, digital archiving, and cultural policies. Recommendations for future research include comparative studies, the impact of modern technology, audience dynamics, and longitudinal studies on preservation efforts. This research contributes to the understanding and sustainable development of the Northeast Drum, ensuring its relevance for future generations.

The British Digital Press Archive as a source on the history of the collective memory of the First World War participants in the interwar period

Importance. The 110th anniversary of the First World War outbreak awakens in the public and scientific community not only discussions about the causes of the conflict, but also forces us to turn to the legacy of this process. In this regard, the work actualizes the theme of historical memory of the “Great War”. The purpose of the study is to reflect the complex of the legacy of the First World War in Great Britain in the 1930s by referring to the British Newspaper Archive.Materials and Methods. For the analysis of historical memory in the Great Britain, memoirs, monumental art, works of cinema, music, and many others are often involved. Methods of working with the British newspaper Archive are considered and, based on a specific historical method, we will reflect the perception of the First World War in British society and the situation of veterans in the 1930s. The method of quantitative content analysis is used. The necessary database of source material is selected by keywords, then the selected sources are grouped according to a certain topic. Memoirs, monumental art, works of cinema, music and much more are often used to analyze historical memory in Great Britain. In this work, we will look at the techniques of working with the British Newspaper Archive and, based on a specific historical method, reflect the perception of the First World War in British society and the situation of veterans in the 1930s. Due to the free access to a huge mass of English-language sources, this digital archive is of interest to researchers. The work uses the method of quantitative content analysis.Results and Discussion. During the study of press materials, it can be stated that the following agenda has been identified in the historical memory and legacy of the First World War in Great Britain in the 1930s: 1) the presence of narratives reflecting the pride of British society for the heroism of soldiers and sorrow for the many sacrifices they made in the name of victory in the war; 2) despite the discussions’ existence about the frontline brotherhood during the war period, after the war, veterans rallied into unions and organizations engaged in a wide variety of support (from mediation when applying for a job to appeals to the authorities about pension provision).Conclusion. Thus, despite the apparent immensity of the digital database of the British Newspaper Archive, the application of the well-known methodological principle of “Occam’s razor” makes it possible to compile a corpus of sources that meet the purpose of the study. Immersion in the press materials themselves allows the researcher to immerse himself more in the socio-cultural context of Great Britain in the 1930s. Due to the complexity of the information from the studied sources.

Digital Transformation for Cultural Sustainability: The Bolshoi Theatre Experience

This paper studies the Bolshoi Theatre's digital transformation in cultural sustainability, focusing on innovation management and technology utilization, explores the critical need for cultural institutions to overcome hurdles and capitalize on opportunities provided by modern technologies, investigates the Bolshoi Theatres strategic ways of managing its digital transformation while preserving and improving its cultural history, its historical relevance and its digital projects, to reveal managerial obstacles, opportunities, and deep influences on both internal techniques and audience reviews. Key findings highlight the transformative significance of innovation management in changing market involvement via virtual performances, virtual reality reviews, and augmented reality programs. The study also emphasizes the need for knowing usage, as indicated by creating a centralized digital archive and combining device learning algorithms for customized target market interactions. This research contributes insights into managing cultural institutions in the digital age, with broader implications for strategic use of digital technology in cultural management.

Fairness and Biases in AI Algorithms and Interfaces

This workshop will explore various biases embedded in AI algorithms and interfaces across online platforms, including digital archives and libraries, social media, search engines, and AI-powered services like ChatGPT. Participants will critically engage with issues surrounding information credibility, transparency in content selection and appraisal, the accuracy and integrity in representation, and the intricate dynamics of information authority, format, and editorial oversight. The workshop aims to equip participants with practical strategies to identify, assess, and address biases inherent in various media, empowering them to navigate and evaluate online information across platforms with informed judgment. The workshop will begin with a 10-minute introduction, welcoming participants and outlining the goals of the session. The workshop will kick off with an interactive introductory lecture focused on various potential biases in AI algorithms. The first part, which will last about 10 to 20 minutes, will address recognizing biases in social media. Participants will analyze these biases by identifying fake news in provided articles and reflecting on their own everyday information practices on social media. After this informative segment, participants will engage in hands-on workshops aimed at applying their knowledge to recognize the types of biases they may encounter during their online information-seeking activities. They will participate in hands-on activities lasting 20 to 30 minutes, using different online tools to help identify such biases. Following the interactive hands-on workshops, participants will have the opportunity to share their insights and findings regarding the biases they discovered. The second section, which will explore biases in digital archives, digital libraries, and search engines through case studies, will last approximately one hour. It will include a 40-minute lecture that covers different types of biases in digital archives, libraries, and search engines, illustrated through case studies. After the lecture, participants will reflect on the biases presented for 10 minutes in a group discussion, sharing their thoughts and insights. Following participants' reflections on these biases, the last part of the session will focus on potential biases in ChatGPT. It will begin with a 30-minute lecture on how ChatGPT generates responses, emphasizing potential biases that could arise at each layer or step of the process. By examining a step-by-step analysis of how ChatGPT generates its answers, participants will deepen their understanding of the biases and errors inherent in the information generated by ChatGPT and its complex operational dynamics. Following this lecture, participants will engage in discussion for 20 minutes, working in small groups to identify biases and discussing necessary educational changes for themselves and their students. The workshop will conclude with a final reflection, where participants will share insights gained throughout the session and discuss how to apply their learning moving forward. The workshop will be wrapped up in a brief 10-minute summary of key points, encouraging participants to implement the strategies discussed in their own information evaluation practices. This workshop is designed for beginner-level students and researchers, as well as those interested in incorporating critical digital literacy principles into their teaching. It is open to people with diverse backgrounds and levels of expertise. No prior knowledge is required, allowing participants to embark on their learning journey with a fresh perspective and receptive attitude. The goal of this workshop is to enhance critical thinking skills related to the credibility of information while unpacking the complexities of information curation, representation, and editorial control in today's intricate digital landscape. Participants will gain a more nuanced understanding of how information is selected, represented, and potentially biased across various platforms, including social media, digital archives and libraries, search engines, and AI-powered services like ChatGPT. Through this workshop, participants will learn to effectively navigate the complexities of their information practices and develop the ability to critically assess the credibility of the online information they consume. Through engaging lectures and hands-on activities, participants will learn to identify and evaluate the inherent biases present in various media channels. They will explore practical strategies for assessing the credibility of information, recognizing potential mis/disinformation, and critically analyzing the content they encounter in their everyday information-seeking activities. By the end of the workshop, participants will be equipped with the necessary tools to navigate the digital information landscape safely and effectively, empowering them to make informed decisions not only for themselves but also in guiding others, such as children, students, or peers, in developing their own critical digital media literacy skills. This comprehensive approach aims to enhance participants’ ability to engage thoughtfully with information, ultimately fostering a more informed and critically aware community.

Digital Language Archiving: Reuse and Adaptation of Non-LIS Learning Materials in LIS Education

As a digital repository type that is gaining prominence, language archives are in need of information professionals to maintain and provide access to. Yet, awareness of digital language archives among the US LAM professionals and educators is currently low. Our project’s analysis of available relevant training materials for linguists and community members informed development of a graduate course that prepares LAM professionals to effective and ethical stewardship of digital language archives. This paper provides a brief literature review of the latest relevant research and publications. Next, results of examination of three sources of language archiving learning materials are presented and discussed. This discussion’s focus is on the ideas for reuse and adaptation of these materials in LAM education and on implementation of some of these ideas in our project-developed course at the University of North Texas.

Digital Language Archiving: Reuse and Adaptation of Non-LIS Learning Materials in LIS Education

As a digital repository type that is gaining prominence, language archives are in need of information professionals to maintain and provide access to. Yet, awareness of digital language archives among the US LAM professionals and educators is currently low. Our project’s analysis of available relevant training materials for linguists and community members informed development of a graduate course that prepares LAM professionals for effective and ethical stewardship of digital language archives. In this paper, following a brief literature review of the latest relevant research and publications, results of examination of three major sources of language archiving learning materials are presented and discussed. This discussion’s focus is on the ideas for reuse and adaptation of these materials in LIS education and on implementation of some of these ideas in our project-developed course at the University of North Texas.

Digital Language Archiving: Reuse and Adaptation of Non-LIS Learning Materials in LIS Education

As a digital repository type of growing prominence, language archives need qualified information professionals to maintain and provide access to their rich collections. Yet, awareness of digital language archives among the US LIS professionals and educators is currently low. Our project’s analysis of available relevant training materials for linguists and community members informed the development of a graduate course that prepares LIS professionals for effective and ethical stewardship of digital language archives. In this paper, following a brief literature review of the latest relevant research and publications, results of examination of three major sources of language archiving learning materials are presented and discussed. This discussion’s focus is on the ideas for reuse and adaptation of these materials in LIS education and on implementation of some of these ideas in our project-developed course at the University of North Texas.

Documenting the War: American Library Community Supports Ukrainian Colleagues

This project shares experiences of a multi-institutional team of library scholars to document the crimes of Russo-Ukrainian war. It highlights construction of a community archive of Ukrainian libraries affected by the war. The project employs participatory archiving with the Ukrainian partners engaged in collection, appraisal, and description and the U.S. researchers create platforms to preserve, classify and disseminate the knowledge, via digital archive in two languages. The project brings experiences of the war to American audience seeking to end the war and prevent future violence.

Developing Graduate Curriculum for Digital Language Archive Stewardship

Our interdisciplinary team including information and language scholars and educators and practicing information professionals at University of North Texas (UNT) and Indiana University (IU) is developing an evidence-based practice-oriented online curriculum to train library, archives, and museums (LAM) professionals in the archiving, curation, and ethical dissemination of resources that provide the means to revitalize community memory and language. During this 2-year project, over 30 LAM students will complete the project-developed UNT graduate course INFO 5385 Community Language Archiving and Curation for Information Professionals, and additional estimated 100 students at UNT and IU will complete individual project-developed learning modules integrated into other courses. Development of the learning materials is informed by digital language archive practices, research, and existing training materials for archive depositors. Resulting open-access adaptable learning resources are expected to be widely used by academic programs and educators for training LAM students and by participatory archives as continuing education resources.

Design of a Guest Face Detection Tool Using ESP32-CAM Based on Internet of Things (IoT)

This research develops an Internet of Things (IoT)-based guest face detection tool using ESP32-CAM to create a digital guestbook archive. The device distinguishes between guests and employees, with employee face data stored in a GitHub repository. When the device detects an unfamiliar guest face, a notification and photo are sent to a Telegram bot. If an employee's face is detected, a notification of the employee's name is sent to the Telegram bot. The method used is prototyping and the test results show that this tool is effective in detecting and digitally archiving guest visits.

ARCHIVES COMMUNICATION: MUTATIONS OF A FUNCTION

Objective: The objective of this article is to examine the evolving communication function of archives in the context of new information and communication technologies. It aims to identify the impact of digitalization on archival practices, focusing on how these changes enhance the accessibility and usability of archival materials for the public and researchers. By exploring the emerging practices of archivists and their role in facilitating effective communication, this article seeks to highlight the significance of communication in the archival profession and to provide insights into the best practices for ensuring a positive user experience in the consultation of archival documents. Theoretical Framework: This article explores the communication of archives in the digital age, focusing on communication theory, digital archive science, user-centered design, social constructivism, and information behavior. It emphasizes the importance of understanding historical and cultural contexts, user needs, and information behavior to design effective communication strategies. Method: This article uses a qualitative research approach to examine the evolving communication function of archives in the context of digital technologies. It uses literature review, case studies, interviews with archivists, user surveys, and content analysis to understand the impact of digitalization on archives and identify best practices for archivists. Results and Discussion: The literature review, case studies, interviews, user surveys, and content analysis reveal a significant shift in archival practices towards digital communication. Key themes include accessibility, user engagement, and the role of digital technologies in transforming traditional functions. Successful examples include digitization of collections, innovative outreach strategies, and collaborations between archivists and technology experts. Key themes include a user-centered approach, balancing digital and traditional practices, ongoing training, and collaboration between archivists, technology professionals, and user communities. Research Implications: This study highlights the need for further research in archival science and communication to explore digital practices, user experience, collaboration models, social media's impact, training for archivists, ethical considerations, and long-term impact on research outcomes. It emphasizes the need for in-depth studies on user experience, collaboration models, social media's role, and the impact of training on professional development and broader societal impact. Originality/Value: This article explores the evolving communication function of archives in response to digital advancements. It integrates theoretical frameworks with practical insights from case studies, interviews, and user surveys. The research emphasizes user-centered approaches, empirical evidence, and best practices for archivists. It contributes to ongoing discourse on the future of archives and raises ethical considerations, addressing challenges faced by archivists.

Digital group archives in residential childcare: an investigation into memory responsibility

This article discusses phase two of the ARCH project (Archiving Residential Children’s Homes), and in particular, the development of a co-designed ‘digital archive’ that stores everyday, shared events and experiences for care experienced young people who live in residential children’s homes. We present research with young people living in residential care, care workers and care experienced adults about the types of everyday information or records they would like to be able to store, share and access in the future. There was a desire for the digital archive to have a different feel and purpose to content recorded in individual case files, with easy access to the archive deemed important. There were mixed views about the representation of events and experiences and whether these should contain mainly ‘light-hearted’ events and experiences. Our research gives an insight into memory-keeping practices within a residential children’s home and invites questions about whose responsibility it is for gathering, filtering and treasuring childhood experiences.

Integrating Jun Porcelain Culture into Modern Information Management Systems: A Study on Expanding Cultural Diplomacy Through Innovative Symbol Reconstruction and Digital Communication Techniques

This study explores the relationships between Jun porcelain cultural heritage, modern information management systems, and cultural diplomacy in the digital age. The purpose is to understand how these variables intersect and influence contemporary cultural dynamics, shedding light on the complexities of tradition, innovation, and technology in shaping cultural practices and identities. Through qualitative interviews with 13 experts from cultural institutions, information management professions, and diplomatic spheres, and a comprehensive literature review encompassing databases such as JSTOR, ProQuest, and Google Scholar, this research seeks to elucidate how these variables intersect and influence contemporary cultural dynamics. The choice of qualitative interviews and literature review was made to provide a nuanced understanding of Jun porcelain cultural heritage, information management systems, and cultural diplomacy, leveraging the strengths of qualitative inquiry in capturing rich insights and contextual nuances. These methods offer advantages in uncovering the multifaceted nature of cultural practices, identifying key themes and patterns, and providing new insights into the dynamics of cultural heritage preservation, communication, and diplomatic exchange. The qualitative interviews and literature review revealed several key insights into the relationships between Jun porcelain cultural heritage, modern information management systems, and cultural diplomacy. Themes such as democratization of cultural access, digital inequalities, and cross-cultural dialogue emerged from the analysis, shedding light on the complex dynamics at play. The study builds upon existing research by offering nuanced perspectives on the intersections between tradition, innovation, and technology in shaping cultural practices and identities in the digital age. This research provides recommendations for cultural institutions, policymakers, and information professionals, including developing ethical frameworks for digital preservation, promoting inclusive cultural access, and fostering cross-cultural dialogue through digital diplomacy. Future studies should explore social media's impact on cultural diplomacy, the role of digital archives in preserving intangible cultural heritage, and emerging technologies' implications on cultural heritage interpretation. These efforts will advance understanding in cultural heritage preservation and information management in the digital age.

But I Do Not ♥ Genocide

Abstract A short and personal reflection on “liking” Instagram posts during the early months of the genocide in Gaza that addresses the platform limitations of social media. While the reasons for “liking” posts include attempting to inform the algorithm, combat shadow-banning, build a (limited) digital archive, and communicate support, doing so also demonstrates the built-in constraints of tech-platforms, shortcomings of digital resistance, and the inability to stop the violence.

Recovered History: Chicanx Representation in the Dual Credit Classroom

Abstract Recent legislation in Texas effectively prohibits K-12 educators from addressing issues of racism and explicitly prevents teachers from discussing the place of racism in Chicanx relations across Texas history. University educators, and dual-credit instructors especially, must intercede if future generations of learners are going to encounter the true and complete history of border culture, colonialism, and the complex relationship that Chicanx people have with the Southern region of the United States. I argue that the use of digital archives and recovered history like the internet project Are We Good Neighbors? Mapping Discrimination Against Mexicans in 1940s Texas, which catalogs racial discrimination through individual testimony, the Library of Congress database of Mexican American documents, and Chicano! History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement offer educators an opportunity to incorporate key research skills into the classroom while also establishing a linear context for liminality as a feature of identity formation in contemporary Chicanx literature. The combination of research and critical inquiry is vital to instructing students on the realities of Chicano relations and introducing them to the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement, a key element of American history that is not only conspicuously absent from most K-12 curricula but also an inescapable influence on identity formation and contemporary discussions around Mexican American relations. The use of digital archives to recover and center Chicanx history is actionable on a small scale and serves as an important opportunity to resist anti-ethnic legislation in real time, a vital act of subversion that sidesteps prolonged challenges to censorship at the legislative level.

From Arab-Israeli Conflict to Arab-Israeli Integration: A New Curriculum for Understanding the Contemporary Middle East

ABSTRACT This proposition paper introduces a novel curriculum designed to explore the trends of normalization and integration transforming the Middle East. The curriculum includes a comprehensive textbook and an accessible digital archive for scholars, students, and individuals seeking to deepen their understanding of this subject. The study investigates how academic politicization, biased content, and limited accessibility have contributed to a significant gap in comprehending Israel’s integration in the Middle East, particularly within US Middle East Studies. Our methodology involves a comparative analysis of the academic approaches of the Edward Said and Bernard Lewis “camps,” representing contrasting perspectives within US academia. Additionally, we assess the divergence between academic and state-led approaches to Middle Eastern integration in the United States. By identifying and analyzing six critical factors – impact on the field of Middle East Studies, impact on academic freedom, impact on religious tolerance, impact on regional stability, fresh research on the US Peace to Prosperity Plan and Arab Peace Initiative, and Israeli-Palestinian peace – this research underscores the necessity for the proposed curriculum and its resources. This curriculum aims to bridge the existing knowledge gap and provide a more balanced and comprehensive understanding of Middle Eastern dynamics.

DAMPAK PENERAPAN DIGITALISASI ARSIP DI DESA CIBOGO KEC.CIBOGO, KAB.SUBANG TERHADAP KEGIATAN PELAYANAN MASYARAKAT

The ever-increasing development of digitalization has made village governments begin to apply it in the process of providing services to the community and in the process helps facilitate the work carried out by employees, thereby making the service process fast and easy. Digital archives are used to simplify the process of searching for archives that have been created and reduce physical archives that require space for storage. By using observation and interview research methods as well as system development methods using waterfall, the results obtained from this research are that the digital archive system can run well and can be used by users. If a digital archive system is compared with conventional archives, the result is that digital archives can improve service quality, making it easier for employees to manage archives. Digital archives can reduce paper use by 50 percent, thereby reducing environmental impacts caused by paper use, such as cutting down trees and pollution from the use of chemicals

Researching Informational Technologies of Trust: From Blockchain to Paradata and Digital Archives

ABSTRACTInformation science research has a long‐time interest in diverse informational means of codifying, communicating and maintaining trust as an antecedent and outcome of information, and a central constituent of information practices. While the landscape of the gatekeepers and guarantors of access to trustworthy information for a long time remained relatively stable, since the turn of the millennium, it has evolved rapidly with several new and repurposed social and digital technologies developed and repurposed for mediating and preserving trust. The purpose of this panel is to engage in exploring from theoretical, practical and empirical perspectives such technologies across the information field. The panelists present research conceptualizing, documenting, developing and describing informational technologies of mediating and preserving trust specifically addressing: 1) what different approaches to mediating and maintaining trust exist and can be identified in information science and technology research and practice; 2) how different information technologies of trust influence the understanding and conceptualisations of trust and trustworthy information; and 3) what novel insights from the current state‐of‐the‐art research can be drawn for helping practitioners to empower and put people first when interacting with informational technologies of trust in different areas of the information field, including knowledge organisation and information behaviour and practices, records management, digital preservation, and and development of information systems and services.

Digital Mini-Archives: Social Media Users as Curators of an Architectural Utopia

This paper explores the importance and meaning of a new concept of architectural archives – digital mini-archives in the form of social media profiles (Instagram profiles), whether they are public or private. The paper's interpretation of digital architectural archives is based on Jacques Derrida's interpretation of archives. The aim is to analyze the relationship between archivists and users in the context of social media platforms, and the structure and content of digital mini-archives. I tried to select examples of different Instagram profiles whose content (photos, videos, and quotes) relates to architectural history and architectural design presented in an innovative manner. The hypothesis emphasizes a curating role of social media users as interpreters of architectural history references and their (new) meanings, as well as curators of the future of architecture. Also, the concept of architectural utopia concerns Nathaniel Coleman's theory of utopia in architecture and its contemporary interpretations. There is a strong bond between architectural utopia and digital mini-archives which enable architecture's utopian potential because of their flexibility, openness to change, and transformability. Thus, experimental projects with utopian potential are created based on digital mini-archives. However, do these digital mini-archives contribute by deciding which (part of) architectural history ought to be forgotten or remembered in collective memory and translated to another temporal context through experimental architectural design?

Tracing the Contours of Archival Silences: A Case Study of Critical Collection Building on the Rock Springs Massacre

ABSTRACTArchives can reinforce silences of marginalized communities, further erasing their stories and voices. This study aims to understand the contours of archival silences, focusing on experiences of Chinese people in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. We are building a digital archival collection that centers Chinese peoples' voices around the Rock Springs Massacre of 1885, an incident of racial violence that killed at least 28 Chinese people and displaced hundreds more. As we selected items, we wrote structured reflections to critically examine each item's content, source, presentation, arrangement and description in their original context, as well as any absences and silences that we encountered in the search and assessment process. Based on a praxis of radical empathy, ethics of care, and slow archives, we engaged with our positionalities, past experiences, professional training in Library and Information Sciences (LIS), and affective responses throughout the research process to reflect on how they shape our decisions and hesitations in item selection and contextualization. Three main themes emerged from a preliminary thematic analysis of our reflections: complexity of archival silences and silencing, challenges of inclusive representation, and problematizing and going beyond primary sources.