Archivists and Historians: A View from the United States

Considers the debate about the relationship of history and archives and archivists by examining the mission of the archival profession, the nature of archival theory and knowledge, and, as a case study, the career of Lester J. Cappon (1900-1981) as both historian and archivist

Assessing iSchools

Over the past decade, iSchools have emerged to educate the next generation of information professionals and scholars. Claiming to be edgy and innovative, how can and should these schools function in the spirit of assessment that now drives so much in the university? This essay, which explores how well we can assess iSchools, emerged from a doctoral seminar. Academic Culture and Practice, taught by Richard Cox and including four doctoral student participants and the Dean of School of Information Studies at the University of Pittsburgh, Ronald Larsen. The doctoral students, among other activities, were required to work on assignments to support a self-study for the University of Pittsburgh's reaccreditation by the Middle States Association. As we proceeded through the course, we found ourselves increasingly drawn to questions about how iSchools, in their nascent state, can assess themselves. Four major areas—reputation, evaluating productivity in scholarly publishing, student evaluation of teaching, and student satisfaction with their academic programs—that emerged based on student interest as the seminar proceeded are discussed

Teaching Advocacy

This essay discusses the use and value of case studies in teaching students about archival advocacy. It also considers why and how educators need to rethink how advocacy fits into the curriculum and how students can produce case studies

Digital Curation and the Citizen Archivist

The increasing array and power of personal digital recordkeeping systems promises both to make it more difficult for established archives to acquire personal and family archives and less likely that individuals might wish to donate personal and family digital archives to archives, libraries, museums, and other institutions serving as documentary repositories. This paper provides a conceptual argument for how projects such as the Digital Curation one ought to consider developing spinoffs for archivists training private citizens how to preserve, manage, and use digital personal and family archives. Rethinking how we approach the public, which will increasingly face difficult challenges in caring for their digital archives, also brings with it substantial promise in informing them about the nature and importance of the archival mission. Can the Digital Curation project provide tools that canbe used for working with the public

Technology’s Promise, the Copying of Records, and the Archivist’s Challenge: A Case Study in Documentation Rhetoric

Discussion of implications of electrostatic photocopying on archival appraisal, with particular attention to the macro-appraisal and collaborative models offered by Helen Samuels

On the Value of Archival History in the United States

Although there is increasing interest in American archival history, there has been no precise definition of its value. This essay is an effort to provide such a definition, arguing that the study of archival history is important for the following reasons: it addresses contemporary concerns of and issues facing the archival profession; it is an important tool to be used in self-evaluation and planning by archival programs; it can be used to develop a body of case studies that could facilitate a better understanding of the life cycle of cultural institutions such as archives; it is an excellent means of introduction for graduate students preparing to be archivists; it is a gateway through which to examine some fundamental questions about the nature of records and information; and the study of archival history provides an outlet for the scholarly interests of individual archivists

Writing for Professional Development and for the Profession

The records and information management (RIM) field needs its professionals to write and contribute to the field’s knowledge, but many do not do so because they are not aware of many basic, helpful tools available to them. This brief essay reviews the tools that RIM professionals can draw on for professional writing

The Failure or Future of American Archival History: A Somewhat Unorthodox View

The quality of research on American archival history has been uneven and the quantity not very impressive. This essay reviews some of the highlights of American archival history research, especially the growing interest in cultural and public history that has produced some studies of interest to scholars curious about the history of archives. The essay also focuses more on why such research still seems so far removed from the interests of most archivists. The essay will consider some hopeful signs, such as the re-emergence of records and record-keeping systems as a core area for study, for a renewed emphasis on American archival history. While much needs to be done, I am optimistic that the golden age of historical research on American archives lies ahead

Stories of a Pleasant Green Space: Cemetery Records and Archives

The places and methods for burying the dead have always been a concern of human civilization. Many histories have been written about our changing views of memorials and remembrance, often based upon tombstones and statuary in cemeteries. Often overlooked, however, are the written records associated with cemeteries. This article provides an overview of some of the issues that lead to irregularities in recordkeeping, difficulties with access to and preservation of many of these records, and serious problems that result from poor maintenance of records. Suggestions are offered to begin efforts to address some of these issues, and a call for assistance from the professional archival community to advance the preservation of these vital records is put forth. It is important to recognize that cemetery records are a rich source of historical information that are not recognized as such, and, as a result, are not being protected as they should be

Appraising the Digital Past and Future

Archivists, and others working in the digital realm, need to reconsider archival appraisal approaches and concepts as a means of exercising rational and strategic control over what they select for digitization and select from the digital documentary universe. Control has been a defining aspect of the contemporary Information Age, and it is not something archivists and digital curators should shun. This paper briefly discusses the notion of archival appraisal and several contributions it might make to the digital curation schema