In a 2004 article entitled “‘Contact Us’: Archivists and Remote Users in the Digital Age,” Katharine Salzmann begins by discussing a challenge facing archivists at repositories with developing web presences. As a repository’s web presence increases, patron expectations for remote, electronic access to archival material increases, and archivists must prepare to address these changing expectations. In this article, Salzmann discusses a survey of 100 web pages of university archives to gain an understanding of the impact of increased web presence.
In her analysis, Salzmann considered the availability of online finding aids, the existence of digitized online manuscripts or publications, the existence digitized photographs, and the existence of contact information to promote contact with the repository. Her results showed that while 46% of repositories provided online finding aids (this number would surely be much larger if a similar study was done in 2010), only 7% of the repositories provided digitized document content, and only 14% of repositories provided digitized photographs. Not surprisingly, nearly all of the websites (97%) provided either a general or specific email address or provided a general contact web form.
While Salzmann’s article prompts interesting questions to be asked, further research is necessary to fully understand the questions she poses. For example, a study of the impact on the number of online finding aids added on the number of reference inquiries would better allow archivists to anticipate the effects of increased web presence. Furthermore, patron satisfaction surveys which provide information about preferable means of contacting an archives would better allow archivists to understand the best ways to facilitate and initiate patron-archivist interaction.
Salzmann, Katharine A.(2004) "'Contact Us': Archivists and Remote Users in the Digital Age", The Reference Librarian, 41: 85, 43-50.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Reading Response 8: Janice E. Ruth – “Educating the Reference Archivist”
In a 1988 article entitled “Educating the Reference Archivist,” Janice E. Ruth discusses the preparation and training recommended for preparing an archivist the perform reference duties. In conducting a literature review, Ruth concludes that discussion of the reference process has frequently been overlooked in archival literature. In analyzing literature on the topic that does exist, Ruth discusses previous emphasis on the importance of creating thorough finding aids to aid reference archivists as well as the need to not overestimate the patron’s previous experience with and knowledge of archival sources.
In discussing the lack of necessary and appropriate user studies, Ruth concludes that an understanding of patron types and patron information needs is important for both the profession and for individual repositories. User studies, the article explains, can better allow reference archivists avoid making inaccurate assumptions about the patron’s knowledge of archival resources. Ruth also argues that an examination of communication theory with a focus on interpersonal interaction should be used to compliment archival science literature on the subject of archival reference. Archivists must learn to ask open rather than closed questions and must demonstrate content-based listening.
I found this article to be particularly insightful as it advocated the need for archivists to study interpersonal communication and incorporate lessons from this field into literature on archives. While this type of analysis is frequently discusses in library reference, archivists have tended to ignored studying specific aspects of interpersonal communication. However, like many articles that discuss reference in the archival repository, this article ignores the importance of answering questions by remote users. When answering this type of question, user education is of less significance, while having the ability to personally identify useful material and craft a response is critical for the archivist.
Janice E. Ruth, “Educating the Reference Archivist,” American Archivist 51 (Summer 1988), 266-276.
In discussing the lack of necessary and appropriate user studies, Ruth concludes that an understanding of patron types and patron information needs is important for both the profession and for individual repositories. User studies, the article explains, can better allow reference archivists avoid making inaccurate assumptions about the patron’s knowledge of archival resources. Ruth also argues that an examination of communication theory with a focus on interpersonal interaction should be used to compliment archival science literature on the subject of archival reference. Archivists must learn to ask open rather than closed questions and must demonstrate content-based listening.
I found this article to be particularly insightful as it advocated the need for archivists to study interpersonal communication and incorporate lessons from this field into literature on archives. While this type of analysis is frequently discusses in library reference, archivists have tended to ignored studying specific aspects of interpersonal communication. However, like many articles that discuss reference in the archival repository, this article ignores the importance of answering questions by remote users. When answering this type of question, user education is of less significance, while having the ability to personally identify useful material and craft a response is critical for the archivist.
Janice E. Ruth, “Educating the Reference Archivist,” American Archivist 51 (Summer 1988), 266-276.
Internship Reflection
Although there is still work to do on the creation and editing of the archives outreach video, since the IU fall semester is ending soon, I thought I would take this opportunity to review the many positive experiences I have taken away from my internship at the archives this fall. As filming and editing of the video progresses, I will be sure to continue to update this blog to describe my progress and share the final product.
Firstly, I have really enjoyed having the opportunity to work with all of the archival staff at the IU Archives. Working there for a semester allowed me to soak up a good deal of insight and information about the archival profession, and I have truly appreciated being able to intern in a workplace that accommodates this type of learning. The archival staff have all been very willing to share insight and have also been very willing to listen to and provide feedback regard my ideas and work, and I feel that these qualities have made my internship a very valuable one.
Processing the Ruth Engs papers was a very useful exercise, as it gave me more experience with evaluating a collection and making arrangement decisions and more experience with creating a full finding aid, including the container list, biographical note, and scope and content note. Assisting with the answering of reference questions has allowed me to further develop my reference and research skills, and I also really enjoyed getting the opportunity to help patrons with their inquiries while getting to learn a bit about the history of IU in the process. The creation of the outreach video has also been a great opportunity that has given me the chance to conceptually develop an outreach project as well as develop the technical skills needed to produce and edit video, which will certainly be a useful skill in creating similar videos in the future.
Firstly, I have really enjoyed having the opportunity to work with all of the archival staff at the IU Archives. Working there for a semester allowed me to soak up a good deal of insight and information about the archival profession, and I have truly appreciated being able to intern in a workplace that accommodates this type of learning. The archival staff have all been very willing to share insight and have also been very willing to listen to and provide feedback regard my ideas and work, and I feel that these qualities have made my internship a very valuable one.
Processing the Ruth Engs papers was a very useful exercise, as it gave me more experience with evaluating a collection and making arrangement decisions and more experience with creating a full finding aid, including the container list, biographical note, and scope and content note. Assisting with the answering of reference questions has allowed me to further develop my reference and research skills, and I also really enjoyed getting the opportunity to help patrons with their inquiries while getting to learn a bit about the history of IU in the process. The creation of the outreach video has also been a great opportunity that has given me the chance to conceptually develop an outreach project as well as develop the technical skills needed to produce and edit video, which will certainly be a useful skill in creating similar videos in the future.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Preparing for Filming
Since the filming of the outreach video will take place on this coming Thursday (December 16th), I have had plenty of time to prepare for the filming of the video. This past week, I have had plenty of time to prepare for the filming, editing, and creation of the video. One of our goals for the video is to include images of student records from previous eras that have already been collected at the archives to give student groups an idea of what sort of records we collect, and to generally generate interest in the concept of archives and student records. So, over the past few days, I have identified various examples of student records that should be included in the video and scanned them onto our hard drive.
After the filming of the video, I will identify certain points in the video where the still images that were scanned will be inserted. The audio of the person speaking on camera will play while the video will be replaced by the scanned image. After searching through some of our collections at the archives, I am excited about the examples of student records that will be included in the video. For example, I scanned the cover of a 1968 edition of The Spectator, a student newspaper at IU, which featured a political cartoon. I also scanned a flyer for the Jordan River Revue, a student production, from 1959. Also featured will be a program for the IU Glee and Mandolin Club from around the turn of the century. My co-intern Amanda was kind enough to take a photo of several minute books from the IU Board of Aeons from the early 20th century.
The goal in selecting different records to include in the video was to represent the wide variety of organizations as well as the wide variety in types of records that we are interested in collecting. Photographs and posters will be represented as will minutes, publications, and more text-based records. This balance between more visual and more text-base records will demonstrate the variety of student records that are of interest.
I also spent some time this past week learning how to use the video-editing software with some hands-on practice. Since I have no previous experience with video editing, I felt that it was a good idea to use some time this week to get acclimated with iMovie so that, once the actual film has been created, I will have a better understanding of how to edit the various clips into a cleanly-produced full movie. On Thursday, I took a few sample clips using the SLIS camera up in the archives processing room. I then took the camera down to the Information Commons in the Wells Library, where many of the computers are equipped with the video editing software needed to create this movie. After a bit of trial-and-error, I learned how to export the video clips into iMovie, edit the length of clips, add transitions between various clips, and add titles and captions to the video.
After the filming of the video, I will identify certain points in the video where the still images that were scanned will be inserted. The audio of the person speaking on camera will play while the video will be replaced by the scanned image. After searching through some of our collections at the archives, I am excited about the examples of student records that will be included in the video. For example, I scanned the cover of a 1968 edition of The Spectator, a student newspaper at IU, which featured a political cartoon. I also scanned a flyer for the Jordan River Revue, a student production, from 1959. Also featured will be a program for the IU Glee and Mandolin Club from around the turn of the century. My co-intern Amanda was kind enough to take a photo of several minute books from the IU Board of Aeons from the early 20th century.
The goal in selecting different records to include in the video was to represent the wide variety of organizations as well as the wide variety in types of records that we are interested in collecting. Photographs and posters will be represented as will minutes, publications, and more text-based records. This balance between more visual and more text-base records will demonstrate the variety of student records that are of interest.
I also spent some time this past week learning how to use the video-editing software with some hands-on practice. Since I have no previous experience with video editing, I felt that it was a good idea to use some time this week to get acclimated with iMovie so that, once the actual film has been created, I will have a better understanding of how to edit the various clips into a cleanly-produced full movie. On Thursday, I took a few sample clips using the SLIS camera up in the archives processing room. I then took the camera down to the Information Commons in the Wells Library, where many of the computers are equipped with the video editing software needed to create this movie. After a bit of trial-and-error, I learned how to export the video clips into iMovie, edit the length of clips, add transitions between various clips, and add titles and captions to the video.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Reading Response 7: Chute on Outreach at the University Archives
Tamar G. Chute’s 2000 article entitled “Selling the College and University Archives: Current Research Perspectives,” provides an analysis of the importance of outreach for college and university archives and discusses specific approaches that have both failed and succeeded. The author based the analysis in this article on testimony from 8 different repositories regarding outreach efforts.
In this piece, Chute defines outreach as “anything that puts the archives and the archivist in contact with the public.” Chute also discusses the division the notion of outreach into direct and indirect varieties. Direct outreach refers to any outreach activity that involved direct contact between an individual and archival material or an archivist. Indirect outreach refers to the impact of an archival repository on a community in general, and encompasses the ability of an archives to generate interest amongst people who have not visited the repository.
In this article, Chute argues that outreach is a core function of a working archivist, and is of equal importance to appraisal, arrangement, and description, and that outreach should efforts should be steady and consistent. Based on analysis of the 8 repositories, Chute writes that students, faculty, and staff should be the primary targets of outreach efforts. With regard to strategies, Chute discusses the importance of exhibits, presentations, listservs, effective web design, the use of the media to promote a repository and its collection. Chute also identifies several strategizes for analyzing the success of an outreach efforts; archivists should evaluate the widespread impact of the effort, the ability of the effort to teach potential users how archives can be useful, the promotion of particular collections of interest through the effort, the ability of an outreach effort to provide historical information about the institution, and the ability of the outreach effort to communicate the usefulness of archival staff and material.
While this article predates the popularity of social media as a means of online promotion, the strategies discussed in this article are all significant outreach strategies which should be considered by archivist. The advice provided in this article could be improved by an expanding of the target audience to include occupational users outside of the institution.
Tamar G. Chute. “Selling the College and University Archives: Current Research Perspectives,” Archival Issues, 25.1&2 (2000), 33-48.
In this piece, Chute defines outreach as “anything that puts the archives and the archivist in contact with the public.” Chute also discusses the division the notion of outreach into direct and indirect varieties. Direct outreach refers to any outreach activity that involved direct contact between an individual and archival material or an archivist. Indirect outreach refers to the impact of an archival repository on a community in general, and encompasses the ability of an archives to generate interest amongst people who have not visited the repository.
In this article, Chute argues that outreach is a core function of a working archivist, and is of equal importance to appraisal, arrangement, and description, and that outreach should efforts should be steady and consistent. Based on analysis of the 8 repositories, Chute writes that students, faculty, and staff should be the primary targets of outreach efforts. With regard to strategies, Chute discusses the importance of exhibits, presentations, listservs, effective web design, the use of the media to promote a repository and its collection. Chute also identifies several strategizes for analyzing the success of an outreach efforts; archivists should evaluate the widespread impact of the effort, the ability of the effort to teach potential users how archives can be useful, the promotion of particular collections of interest through the effort, the ability of an outreach effort to provide historical information about the institution, and the ability of the outreach effort to communicate the usefulness of archival staff and material.
While this article predates the popularity of social media as a means of online promotion, the strategies discussed in this article are all significant outreach strategies which should be considered by archivist. The advice provided in this article could be improved by an expanding of the target audience to include occupational users outside of the institution.
Tamar G. Chute. “Selling the College and University Archives: Current Research Perspectives,” Archival Issues, 25.1&2 (2000), 33-48.
Reading Response 6: Kristin E. Martin on Remote Reference
In a 2001 article entitled “Analysis of Remote Reference Correspondence at a Large Academic Manuscripts Collection,” Kristin E. Martin analyzes nearly 600 pieces of correspondence between patrons and employees of the Southern Historical Collection and General and Literary Manuscripts (SHC) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1995 to 1999.
In this article, Martin makes several insightful hypotheses about the impact on the rise of online archival content on the nature of patron interactions with archives. She states that, as archival online presence has grown, so has the popularity of the use of email as a means of contacting an archival repository. She also observes that patrons’ inquiries have become increasingly specific as more online content has been made available, and that patron bases have grown more diverse and more inclusive of recreational users. A quantitative analysis of the correspondence from this span supported all of Martin’s observations and hypotheses. Also, from 1995 to 1999 at this repository, the number of what Martin calls “personal users” doubled, while the number of non-personal users increased by 30%.
While these results are somewhat dated now, Martin’s scholarship is highly relevant for any archival repository interested in developing an increased web presence. This scholarship clearly shows that the process of answering reference inquiries can be modified to best adapt to changing patronage. Archivists must be sure that online documents contain the proper contextual information so that novice users can better evaluate and understand this content. Generally speaking, archivists also must devote more resources to the answering of reference inquiries, and the process of responding to email inquiries can be made more efficient by the development of a database which stores responses to older inquiries that can be revisited in the case of repeat or similar questions.
Kristin E. Martin, "Analysis of Remote Reference Correspondence at a Large Academic Manuscript Collection," The American Archivist, 64 (Spring/Summer 2001), 17-42.
In this article, Martin makes several insightful hypotheses about the impact on the rise of online archival content on the nature of patron interactions with archives. She states that, as archival online presence has grown, so has the popularity of the use of email as a means of contacting an archival repository. She also observes that patrons’ inquiries have become increasingly specific as more online content has been made available, and that patron bases have grown more diverse and more inclusive of recreational users. A quantitative analysis of the correspondence from this span supported all of Martin’s observations and hypotheses. Also, from 1995 to 1999 at this repository, the number of what Martin calls “personal users” doubled, while the number of non-personal users increased by 30%.
While these results are somewhat dated now, Martin’s scholarship is highly relevant for any archival repository interested in developing an increased web presence. This scholarship clearly shows that the process of answering reference inquiries can be modified to best adapt to changing patronage. Archivists must be sure that online documents contain the proper contextual information so that novice users can better evaluate and understand this content. Generally speaking, archivists also must devote more resources to the answering of reference inquiries, and the process of responding to email inquiries can be made more efficient by the development of a database which stores responses to older inquiries that can be revisited in the case of repeat or similar questions.
Kristin E. Martin, "Analysis of Remote Reference Correspondence at a Large Academic Manuscript Collection," The American Archivist, 64 (Spring/Summer 2001), 17-42.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Planning for Outreach Video
As part the process of planning for the creation of the outreach video for my internship, I have spent some time researching which audio editing software will be best for editing the film once actual recording has occurred. This research has been informative and significant for several reasons. Firstly, in order to proceed with the project, I will need to know which software program will be best suited for my needs. Secondly, it will be beneficial to have a basic understanding of how to use the software so that the interface is not completely foreign to me when I begin editing the film.
After doing some research on the web, consulting both reviews and instruction manuals, I have decided that iMovie will be the best software option to use. I also considered Final Cut Pro; but, since I have little experience with video editing, I decided that the user friendly nature and simplicity of the program would best help me complete the project efficiently.
Furthermore, iMovie has the capability to include all of the various effects and has all of the different video editing tools that I will need for my project. First, the software has the capability to insert smooth, professional-quality transitions between various film clips that have been edited together to make one continuous film clip. Since this video will feature several different "scenes," the ability to add these transitions will be critical. Furthermore, iMovie also has the ability to add text captions over video and in between video clips. This capability will be handy since it will be important to add captions providing the name and role of the speaker as well as briefly describing some images of student records that will be shown during the video. This brings me to the final important capability of iMovie; in the video, I plan on including still images of particularly interesting student records that we already have in our collection during the video. In these instances, the archivist speaking will be heard, but, instead of seeing the archivist speaking on the screen, the viewer will see the selected image. iMovie provides the capability to split the audio and video and replace the video with an image in this particular way.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Reading Response 5: Elizabeth Yakel – “Listening to Users”
In this 2002 article, Elizabeth Yakel discusses approaches to improve the communication process between archivists and archives patrons by ensuring the existence of shared common ground and understanding. In order to gain an understanding of communication barriers, Yakel analyzes interviews with archival patrons using qualitative methods. The surveying took place at the University of Michigan, where twenty-six individuals, ranging from “undergraduates to professional scholars” were interview.
Firstly, Yakel’s study shows that some users do not have a clear understanding of the definition and purpose of an archives. Yakel’s study also shows that, similarly, users do not have a clear understanding of the definition and purpose of a finding aid. Yakel’s natural conclusion is to further emphasize the importance of user education, which Yakel suggests should be made a priority during the reference interview. The author also argues that user education should emphasize the evaluation of information instead of the “mechanics of a particular library system.” Yakel posits that many archivists working in archival reference assume that patrons know much more about the nature of an archival repository than they actually do. While elementary education teaches young students how to use a library, using an archives can often be completely foreign even highly educated patrons.
Yakel’s study should serve as an eye-opening piece to many archivists, demonstrating the need to review what may seem to be the most basic aspects of archival use when acclimating in-person users to a repository. Had Yakel also included non-academic patrons in this survey, results may have demonstrated an even greater need to review the evaluation of information sources in an archives.
E. Yakel, (2002), "Listening to Users," Archival Issues (26/2).
Firstly, Yakel’s study shows that some users do not have a clear understanding of the definition and purpose of an archives. Yakel’s study also shows that, similarly, users do not have a clear understanding of the definition and purpose of a finding aid. Yakel’s natural conclusion is to further emphasize the importance of user education, which Yakel suggests should be made a priority during the reference interview. The author also argues that user education should emphasize the evaluation of information instead of the “mechanics of a particular library system.” Yakel posits that many archivists working in archival reference assume that patrons know much more about the nature of an archival repository than they actually do. While elementary education teaches young students how to use a library, using an archives can often be completely foreign even highly educated patrons.
Yakel’s study should serve as an eye-opening piece to many archivists, demonstrating the need to review what may seem to be the most basic aspects of archival use when acclimating in-person users to a repository. Had Yakel also included non-academic patrons in this survey, results may have demonstrated an even greater need to review the evaluation of information sources in an archives.
E. Yakel, (2002), "Listening to Users," Archival Issues (26/2).
Reading Response 4: Patricia J Rettig on Outreach in Archives
The article “An Integrative Approach to Archival Outreach: A Case Study of Becoming Part of the Constituents' Community,” written by Patricia J Rettig, an archivist at Colorado State University’s Water Resource Archives, and published in 2008. In this article, Rettig discusses the importance of conducting archival outreach by entering spheres already occupied by potential patrons. Instead of having the patron attend a special outreach event, Rettig values a more proactive approach.
One method suggested by Rettig is the participation in subject-based conferences that relate to a subject matter documented in the archival repository, either through the giving of a formal presentation or by showcasing an exhibit or display. Rettig stresses the importance of brochures and business cards, so that potential future patrons can obtain contact information or other basic information about the repository. Using conferences solely as an opportunity to network and make personal contacts with potential.
In addition, Rettig suggests arranging one-on-one meetings with specialists in a field related to the subject nature documented in the archives. The use of newsletters and website features as outreach tools is also discussed.
I found Rettig’s discussion to be both intriguing and realistic. While many archivists approach outreach by creating special events that potential patrons must plan to attend, Rettig emphasizes the importance of making connections with potential users in the course of their natural setting and course of business. Rettig finds that this approach can help reach a wider base of patrons. And, while Rettig is approach these suggestion from the context of a subject-specific repository, institutional repository archivists could also find many opportunities to heed these suggestions in their own circumstances.
Rettig, Patricia J. (2007) An Integrative Approach to Archival Outreach: A Case Study of Becoming Part of the Constituents' Community. Journal of Archival Organization v.5 (3). p 31-46.
Progress on Outreach Video
As I may have discussed in a prior post, one of my tasks for my internship is the creation of an outreach video for the IU Archives designed to persuade IU student groups to donate their records for the archives. Over the past few weeks, I have spent some of my time at the archives compiling an outline for the content of the video. The video will be relatively straightforward and informative, and will feature the archives staff on camera discussing various aspects of the archives and our collections with the goal of persuading students to donate student group records. The target length of the video will be 3 to 5 minutes.
In creating an outline, a determined various objectives for the video and various ideas that should be communicated. Firstly, the video should provide a basic explanation of what an archives is and what services an archives provides as well as a basic understanding of the mission of the IU Archives. Also, the video should explain why student records are valuable in the documenting of student life, student activities, and student perspectives from various historical periods. The video should discuss specifically what types of records from student groups we are interested in collecting (minutes, correspondence, photos, publications, recordings, flyers, posters, etc) as well as various classifications of student groups and how much (or little) material has been collecting from those areas. Since the IU Archives has fewer student group record collections than it would like, one key will be to emphasize this particular collecting need in order to communicate the importance of student record collection to IU's repository. The video will also provide examples of interesting student records we already have, with an emphasis on visual records, with hopes of increasing student interest.
Yesterday, I met with Phil Bantin, the head archivist at IU, and my supervisor, Dina Kellams, the associate archivist at IU, to discuss my plans and outline for the video. Phil and Dina provided very helpful suggestions and feedback, and we also discussed which archivists would speak about which specific topics. Our plan is to do the actual filming of the video late next week. This will allow the archivists time to specifically prepare to speak about certain topics and will allow us time to identify examples of previously collected records that we would like to include in the video.
In creating an outline, a determined various objectives for the video and various ideas that should be communicated. Firstly, the video should provide a basic explanation of what an archives is and what services an archives provides as well as a basic understanding of the mission of the IU Archives. Also, the video should explain why student records are valuable in the documenting of student life, student activities, and student perspectives from various historical periods. The video should discuss specifically what types of records from student groups we are interested in collecting (minutes, correspondence, photos, publications, recordings, flyers, posters, etc) as well as various classifications of student groups and how much (or little) material has been collecting from those areas. Since the IU Archives has fewer student group record collections than it would like, one key will be to emphasize this particular collecting need in order to communicate the importance of student record collection to IU's repository. The video will also provide examples of interesting student records we already have, with an emphasis on visual records, with hopes of increasing student interest.
Yesterday, I met with Phil Bantin, the head archivist at IU, and my supervisor, Dina Kellams, the associate archivist at IU, to discuss my plans and outline for the video. Phil and Dina provided very helpful suggestions and feedback, and we also discussed which archivists would speak about which specific topics. Our plan is to do the actual filming of the video late next week. This will allow the archivists time to specifically prepare to speak about certain topics and will allow us time to identify examples of previously collected records that we would like to include in the video.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Reading Response 3: Wendy Duff and Allyson Fox on Archival Reference
In Wendy Duff and Allyson Fox's 2006 article "'You're a guide rather than an expert': Archival reference from an archivist's point of view," the authors present a discussion of recommended approaches to the archival reference interview. In this article, Duff and Fox discuss and analyze interviews with archivists of two archivists conducted about the subject of archival reference, a topic discussed very lightly in archival literature.
The subjects interviewed suggested that the traditional library reference interview, in which a librarian seeks to understanding both the context and the specificities of a patron's information need, is significant in the archival context and is often effective. Archivists then refer the archival patron to the appropriate finding aid, database, or biography. The subjects interviewed generally stated that, when suggesting a finding aid for an appropriate archival collection, decisions were generally made based on an intuitive knowledge based on the provenance of the collection and record functions. When the decision was not intuitive, the archivists surveyed turned to online catalogs to help find related material. Archivists also stated that, when faced with difficulty in recommending material, they would often consult other archivists or consult the records of previous reference transactions.
When asked about training, archivists stressed that on-the-job experience provided important preparation for effectively answering reference inquiries, both in the context of knowledge of use of collections and knowledge of the institution. When asked about barriers to providing reference service, the subjects of the survey stated that time constraints in both in-person and remote transactions as well as poor finding aids were common issues.
Generally speaking, I find that this article provides an interesting overview and discussion of a variety of issues regarding archival reference. Duff and Fox also provide insightful advice regarding the importance of clear finding aids and of on-the-job experience for a reference archivist. However, I find that much of the discussion assumed that a majority of archival patrons visit an archives with broad research questions with the hope of gaining insight into a particular topic. The patrons who contact or visit an archives looking for a specific document or piece of information are not significantly addressed in this study. Thus, the authors paint a somewhat a biased picture of the role of the reference archivist and the type of activities he or she typically performs, as well as a somewhat biased picture of the needs of archival patrons in general.
Duff, Wendy, and Allyson Fox. 2006. "‘You're a guide rather than an expert’: Archival reference from an archivist's point of view." Journal of the Society of Archivists 27, no. 2: 129-153.
The subjects interviewed suggested that the traditional library reference interview, in which a librarian seeks to understanding both the context and the specificities of a patron's information need, is significant in the archival context and is often effective. Archivists then refer the archival patron to the appropriate finding aid, database, or biography. The subjects interviewed generally stated that, when suggesting a finding aid for an appropriate archival collection, decisions were generally made based on an intuitive knowledge based on the provenance of the collection and record functions. When the decision was not intuitive, the archivists surveyed turned to online catalogs to help find related material. Archivists also stated that, when faced with difficulty in recommending material, they would often consult other archivists or consult the records of previous reference transactions.
When asked about training, archivists stressed that on-the-job experience provided important preparation for effectively answering reference inquiries, both in the context of knowledge of use of collections and knowledge of the institution. When asked about barriers to providing reference service, the subjects of the survey stated that time constraints in both in-person and remote transactions as well as poor finding aids were common issues.
Generally speaking, I find that this article provides an interesting overview and discussion of a variety of issues regarding archival reference. Duff and Fox also provide insightful advice regarding the importance of clear finding aids and of on-the-job experience for a reference archivist. However, I find that much of the discussion assumed that a majority of archival patrons visit an archives with broad research questions with the hope of gaining insight into a particular topic. The patrons who contact or visit an archives looking for a specific document or piece of information are not significantly addressed in this study. Thus, the authors paint a somewhat a biased picture of the role of the reference archivist and the type of activities he or she typically performs, as well as a somewhat biased picture of the needs of archival patrons in general.
Duff, Wendy, and Allyson Fox. 2006. "‘You're a guide rather than an expert’: Archival reference from an archivist's point of view." Journal of the Society of Archivists 27, no. 2: 129-153.
Reading Response 2: Geoffrey Yeo on Market Segmentation and Understanding Archives Users
Geoffrey Yeo’s 2005 article, "Understanding Users and Use: A Market Segmentation Approach," should be consider required reading for all working archivists and archival students. In this article, Yeo uses a market segmentation approach, dividing up one’s customer base into separate groups based on similar characters and needs, and paints a picture of the diverse nature of archival patrons. As Yeo writes, this approach "can help records managers and archivists to ensure that the records kept, or the systems by which access is provided, are appropriate to the users’ needs."
In this article, Yeo identifies values of records, common uses of records, and common types of patrons in archival repositories. Yeo uses Schellenberg’s informational and evidential value and also adds a third type of value, the value of a record as an object or an artifact. With regards to types of uses, Yeo defines categories of business use, cultural use, and accountability. In regards to user types, Yeo categorizes prominent archives users as falling into one of the following groups: record creators, organizational employees, family members, occupational users, educational users, and self-driven users.
Without using the space to describe the importance of each type of use and value to each type of patron, Yeo's scholarship demonstrates, generally speaking, that all identified values and uses are of notable interest to a significant portion of archival patrons. These results are significant for archivists for many reasons. Firstly, with regards to outreach, Yeo’s study can help the archivist understand what groups to best target when promoting archival use. When looking to expand the user base of a repository, it is not wise to solely focus on external users and cultural uses. Secondly, with regards to appraisal, archivists cannot afford to place emphasis on evidential value and de-emphasize informational value during the appraisal process. Doing so will render an archival repository as being of diminished usefulness for many patrons.
Yeo, Geoffrey. "Understanding Users and Use: A Market Segmentation Approach." Journal of the Society of Archivists 26, no. 1 (April 2005): 25-53
In this article, Yeo identifies values of records, common uses of records, and common types of patrons in archival repositories. Yeo uses Schellenberg’s informational and evidential value and also adds a third type of value, the value of a record as an object or an artifact. With regards to types of uses, Yeo defines categories of business use, cultural use, and accountability. In regards to user types, Yeo categorizes prominent archives users as falling into one of the following groups: record creators, organizational employees, family members, occupational users, educational users, and self-driven users.
Without using the space to describe the importance of each type of use and value to each type of patron, Yeo's scholarship demonstrates, generally speaking, that all identified values and uses are of notable interest to a significant portion of archival patrons. These results are significant for archivists for many reasons. Firstly, with regards to outreach, Yeo’s study can help the archivist understand what groups to best target when promoting archival use. When looking to expand the user base of a repository, it is not wise to solely focus on external users and cultural uses. Secondly, with regards to appraisal, archivists cannot afford to place emphasis on evidential value and de-emphasize informational value during the appraisal process. Doing so will render an archival repository as being of diminished usefulness for many patrons.
Yeo, Geoffrey. "Understanding Users and Use: A Market Segmentation Approach." Journal of the Society of Archivists 26, no. 1 (April 2005): 25-53
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Recent Happenings at the Archives
Over the last few days at the archives, I have spent some time working on reference questions and I have also put some of the finishing touches on the Ruth Engs finding aid.
One patron I assisted asked for some information about the history of the Lilly Library. The patron asked for a list of previous directors as well as some information about George A. Poole and C. Lindsay, two collectors of rare books and manuscripts whose collections were essential to the development of the Lilly collection. Here is a brief biography of Poole from the Encyclopedia of Chicago. Poole, who was born in Chicago, also served as a trustee on the boards of both the University of Chicago and the Newberry Library. The Gutenberg Bible New Testament that is held at the Lilly Library came from the Poole Collection, as did many examples of early printing held at the Lilly Library that can be found in this guide. The Ricketts collection, which also contains many of the Lilly's most treasured items, is documented here on the Lilly Library Manuscripts Collection site.
As for the Ruth Engs finding aid, I have spent some time adding detail to the scope and content note in order to best describe the organization and nature of the collection in a way that best communicates its structure and usefulness to the patron. This step is one of the final steps in the processing of the collection, and it should be entirely complete relatively soon.
I have also begun to plan and brainstorm for the outreach video I will be creating. This video will be used to help persuade student groups to donate their records to the IU Archives. Stay tuned for a forthcoming post that will describe the plans for the project in greater detail!
One patron I assisted asked for some information about the history of the Lilly Library. The patron asked for a list of previous directors as well as some information about George A. Poole and C. Lindsay, two collectors of rare books and manuscripts whose collections were essential to the development of the Lilly collection. Here is a brief biography of Poole from the Encyclopedia of Chicago. Poole, who was born in Chicago, also served as a trustee on the boards of both the University of Chicago and the Newberry Library. The Gutenberg Bible New Testament that is held at the Lilly Library came from the Poole Collection, as did many examples of early printing held at the Lilly Library that can be found in this guide. The Ricketts collection, which also contains many of the Lilly's most treasured items, is documented here on the Lilly Library Manuscripts Collection site.
As for the Ruth Engs finding aid, I have spent some time adding detail to the scope and content note in order to best describe the organization and nature of the collection in a way that best communicates its structure and usefulness to the patron. This step is one of the final steps in the processing of the collection, and it should be entirely complete relatively soon.
I have also begun to plan and brainstorm for the outreach video I will be creating. This video will be used to help persuade student groups to donate their records to the IU Archives. Stay tuned for a forthcoming post that will describe the plans for the project in greater detail!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
More Thoughts on Archival Reference
Last week, I had the opportunity to do some more work assisting with answering reference questions. I always enjoy getting the chance to work on reference questions because it gives me the opportunity to learn a bit more about the history of the university and a little bit more about our collection. The more reference questions one answers, the more one gets a grasp on which collections and resources are most useful for documenting which types of information.
I helped one patron last week who was writing a dissertation and needed to find some basic factual information about several employees, both faculty and staff, who worked at IU during the 1960's. For some individuals, he had the full name and needed to know that person's full title and position at the university in a certain year so that he could properly describe and contextualize the person in the paper. For other individuals, he had part of a name and needed the individual's full name and title.
In answering these types of questions, I used a variety of ready reference archival sources to find the information the patron needed. One such resource is our collection of university bulletins and registers which contain, among many other things, an alphabetical listing of faculty members by department with corresponding information about individual faculty member titles. Some departmental staff members are also included. IU Phone books from the era can also provide similar information. The phone book listings provide less detail about an individual's role or title at IU, but they include listings for more staff members than the bulletins and registers.
The IU Archives has also kept one-sheet biographical files on many faculty and prominent staff. These sheets typically include some basic biographical information and provide a CV that documents the individual's career and accomplishments. Finally, the archives also keeps clipping files on certain prominent faculty and affiliates.
I used all four of these sources in the process of helping this patron find the answers he needed about the individuals he is discussing in his research. Working on this question helped develop my understanding of the collections and resources at the archives that are best suited to provide different levels of basic information about IU staff, administrators, and faculty from previous years. These collections are essential to the running of a repository as they provide well-organized and easily accessible information that patrons often need.
I helped one patron last week who was writing a dissertation and needed to find some basic factual information about several employees, both faculty and staff, who worked at IU during the 1960's. For some individuals, he had the full name and needed to know that person's full title and position at the university in a certain year so that he could properly describe and contextualize the person in the paper. For other individuals, he had part of a name and needed the individual's full name and title.
In answering these types of questions, I used a variety of ready reference archival sources to find the information the patron needed. One such resource is our collection of university bulletins and registers which contain, among many other things, an alphabetical listing of faculty members by department with corresponding information about individual faculty member titles. Some departmental staff members are also included. IU Phone books from the era can also provide similar information. The phone book listings provide less detail about an individual's role or title at IU, but they include listings for more staff members than the bulletins and registers.
The IU Archives has also kept one-sheet biographical files on many faculty and prominent staff. These sheets typically include some basic biographical information and provide a CV that documents the individual's career and accomplishments. Finally, the archives also keeps clipping files on certain prominent faculty and affiliates.
I used all four of these sources in the process of helping this patron find the answers he needed about the individuals he is discussing in his research. Working on this question helped develop my understanding of the collections and resources at the archives that are best suited to provide different levels of basic information about IU staff, administrators, and faculty from previous years. These collections are essential to the running of a repository as they provide well-organized and easily accessible information that patrons often need.
Friday, November 5, 2010
"Hail to Old IU" Lyrics
This week, I helped a patron answer a question related to the writing of one of Indiana University's songs, "Hail to Old IU." For those of you unfamiliar with the song, here is a link to an IU Athletics Department page that includes the lyrics to "Hail to Old IU," a short history about the writing of the song, and a recording of an IU Band performance of "Hail to Old IU."
This particular patron's question related to the verse "Gloriana Frangipana, E'er to her be true." Specifically, the patron was looking for an explanation as to why the word "Frangipana" was included in the lyrics and if it had any special meaning or significance.
For starters, "Frangipana" is a misspelling/mispronunciation of "frangipani," a flower defined as "any of a genus (Plumeria) of shrubs or small trees of the dogbane family that are native to the American tropics and widely cultivated as ornamentals." The changing of pronunciation was intended to make the word rhyme with "Indiana."
As to why this particular word was chosen, here is an IU Fast Facts page which provides an explanation.
This particular patron's question related to the verse "Gloriana Frangipana, E'er to her be true." Specifically, the patron was looking for an explanation as to why the word "Frangipana" was included in the lyrics and if it had any special meaning or significance.
For starters, "Frangipana" is a misspelling/mispronunciation of "frangipani," a flower defined as "any of a genus (Plumeria) of shrubs or small trees of the dogbane family that are native to the American tropics and widely cultivated as ornamentals." The changing of pronunciation was intended to make the word rhyme with "Indiana."
As to why this particular word was chosen, here is an IU Fast Facts page which provides an explanation.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Ruth Engs Finding Aid
Now that the processing of the Ruth Engs collection is finished and the container list has been compiled and completed, one of the last steps of my work on the collection will be to complete some of the additional elements of the finding aid. Aside from providing a list of the archival materials that are contained in a particular collection, a finding aid should also provide the proper amount of contextual and background information about a collection. This information allows an archives patron to better contextualize the information contained within the collection and both archivists and patrons alike to more easily identify which collections may contain material related to a certain subject, trend, event, person, or organization.
This past week, I spent some time working on completing this contextual information for the Ruth Engs finding aid. The sections of this part of the finding aid (for collections of an individual) that are typically the longest are the biography and scope and content notes. The biographical section provides a thorough account of the professional activities of the individual, and, for an academic, should provide a summary of his or her notable publications, professional activities, education, and teaching career. Providing details and dates is important; someone reading the biography should be able to get a basic understanding and outline of the person's professional career. Some information about the personal life of the subject should also be provided.
The scope and content note should provide a description of the collection itself. Someone reading this section of a finding aid should gain an understanding of the various types of records that can be found within the collection as well as an understanding of the organizational structure of the collection.
For some collections, writing a biography can be quite challenging, while for others, it can be a much more straightforward process. If the collection contains CV's, resumes, autobiographical or biographical write-ups, or obituaries that are clearly marked and well organized, compiling biographical information can be relatively simple. If a collection does not have a wealth of this sort of material, the processing archivist must to considerably more synthesizing in order to produce a detailed, helpful biography. Thankfully, the Ruth Engs collection contains a subseries dedicated to resumes and CV's as well as a short autobiography that is several pages in length that she wrote near the end of her career.
This past week, I spent some time working on completing this contextual information for the Ruth Engs finding aid. The sections of this part of the finding aid (for collections of an individual) that are typically the longest are the biography and scope and content notes. The biographical section provides a thorough account of the professional activities of the individual, and, for an academic, should provide a summary of his or her notable publications, professional activities, education, and teaching career. Providing details and dates is important; someone reading the biography should be able to get a basic understanding and outline of the person's professional career. Some information about the personal life of the subject should also be provided.
The scope and content note should provide a description of the collection itself. Someone reading this section of a finding aid should gain an understanding of the various types of records that can be found within the collection as well as an understanding of the organizational structure of the collection.
For some collections, writing a biography can be quite challenging, while for others, it can be a much more straightforward process. If the collection contains CV's, resumes, autobiographical or biographical write-ups, or obituaries that are clearly marked and well organized, compiling biographical information can be relatively simple. If a collection does not have a wealth of this sort of material, the processing archivist must to considerably more synthesizing in order to produce a detailed, helpful biography. Thankfully, the Ruth Engs collection contains a subseries dedicated to resumes and CV's as well as a short autobiography that is several pages in length that she wrote near the end of her career.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Keeping Busy at the Archives
Things have been quite busy over the last few days at my internship at the archives, so I have taken a brief hiatus from working on the Ruth Engs collection to complete some other small projects at the archives and assist some patrons who are currently working on research. While working on the Engs collection is enjoyable, it is also nice to have a bit of a change of pace and to also have the opportunity to assist patrons in person.
Yesterday, I helped locate relevant materials for a patron conducting some research about the history of Finnish Studies and scholarship related to Finland at Indiana University. Dina had done the actual research on the question, and had identified boxes with folders related to the topic, and it was my job to physically find the folders, present them to the patron with some basic contextual information about the collection to which they belonged, and generally attend to any questions or requests that the patron had. I was glad that I got asked to help in this way because I enjoy attending to patrons. For any department of a library that interacts with patrons, it is absolutely essential, I feel, to establish a friendly, attentive, and accommodating manner of service, and I was glad that I was able to contribute in this way at the archives.
Additionally, I have been working on creating a basic folder list for an accession of papers donated by Denis Sinor, a former professor of Central Asian Studies at IU. The term accession refers to a set of records received from one individual or organization at one specific time. At an archival repository, records are organized according to accession number prior to their being processed. Since backlogs of unprocessed records often exist, it is important to create some sort of record of the material contained in an unprocessed collection. That way, archivists can identify records that are useful to a specific topic even if they belong to an unprocessed collection.
Yesterday, I helped locate relevant materials for a patron conducting some research about the history of Finnish Studies and scholarship related to Finland at Indiana University. Dina had done the actual research on the question, and had identified boxes with folders related to the topic, and it was my job to physically find the folders, present them to the patron with some basic contextual information about the collection to which they belonged, and generally attend to any questions or requests that the patron had. I was glad that I got asked to help in this way because I enjoy attending to patrons. For any department of a library that interacts with patrons, it is absolutely essential, I feel, to establish a friendly, attentive, and accommodating manner of service, and I was glad that I was able to contribute in this way at the archives.
Additionally, I have been working on creating a basic folder list for an accession of papers donated by Denis Sinor, a former professor of Central Asian Studies at IU. The term accession refers to a set of records received from one individual or organization at one specific time. At an archival repository, records are organized according to accession number prior to their being processed. Since backlogs of unprocessed records often exist, it is important to create some sort of record of the material contained in an unprocessed collection. That way, archivists can identify records that are useful to a specific topic even if they belong to an unprocessed collection.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Week 7: Finding Aid Progress
When I wasn't spending time working on the student records project last week, I was making progress towards the completion of the container list for the Ruth Engs finding aid. While the creation of this list may sound like a relatively simple process (and it is), a great amount of attention to detail is required. For any file that contains the name of a published article, essay, book, or document, it is always important to check to make sure that the file name in the container list contains an accurate transcription of the proper title. Secondly, the creators of archival collections often use shorthand or abbreviations when naming files that would have served as a useful description for the donor when he or she used the files but would be confusing to an outside user. Therefore, it is sometimes important to decipher these abbreviated titles and create a clearer title for the file. Finally, it is important to include a date or date range for every file or item in the container list. When dates are not included on the folder, the processor should browse through the file to obtain a date or date range.
The purpose of taking these steps is not to nitpick, though. Creating a finding aid that describes files accurately and in a reasonably detailed manner assists users in finding files that pertain to topic of interest. If a container list is created in a haphazard or sloppy manner, it will likely not communicate its contents and usefulness very well.
I have also been ensuring that all restrictions placed by Ruth Engs on her collection will be honored accurately and thoroughly. Folders that are restricted in an archival collection are usually placed in this category because they contain sensitive information of a personal, legal, or business nature. Also, donors may want to restrict materials related to ongoing, unpublished research if they wish to publish on the subject in the future. In order for an archives to maintain a trusting relationship with faculty and administrative donors, it is extremely important to ensure that donor wishes regarding restrictions are honored.
To do this, it is important to clearly communicate which materials are restricted and include information about the conditions of the restriction and the end date of the restricted period (if applicable, some files or restricted permanently). In the last week, I have been taking this step by closely reviewing the collection to make sure that every file labeled "restricted" is described as such in the container list. Furthermore, I have been removing the restricted files and placing them in a separate box that goes at the end of the collection. Although the restricted folders are physically moved, they will still remain in their original intellectual order and structure within their series and sub series in the finding aid.
The purpose of taking these steps is not to nitpick, though. Creating a finding aid that describes files accurately and in a reasonably detailed manner assists users in finding files that pertain to topic of interest. If a container list is created in a haphazard or sloppy manner, it will likely not communicate its contents and usefulness very well.
I have also been ensuring that all restrictions placed by Ruth Engs on her collection will be honored accurately and thoroughly. Folders that are restricted in an archival collection are usually placed in this category because they contain sensitive information of a personal, legal, or business nature. Also, donors may want to restrict materials related to ongoing, unpublished research if they wish to publish on the subject in the future. In order for an archives to maintain a trusting relationship with faculty and administrative donors, it is extremely important to ensure that donor wishes regarding restrictions are honored.
To do this, it is important to clearly communicate which materials are restricted and include information about the conditions of the restriction and the end date of the restricted period (if applicable, some files or restricted permanently). In the last week, I have been taking this step by closely reviewing the collection to make sure that every file labeled "restricted" is described as such in the container list. Furthermore, I have been removing the restricted files and placing them in a separate box that goes at the end of the collection. Although the restricted folders are physically moved, they will still remain in their original intellectual order and structure within their series and sub series in the finding aid.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Collecting Student Records
Aside from processing the Ruth C. Engs papers for my internship, I will also be spending a significant amount of time working on a project to collect the records of IU student groups. The student records project is a collaboration between the IU Archives and the IU Student Chapter of the Society of American Archivists that gives SLIS students the opportunity to get first-hand experience in seeking out records, participating in records appraisal, and processing collections. Since I am also the Outreach Chair for the IU SAA chapter, the archives has asked me to spend some of my time at my internship organizing this project as well, and this has been especially helpful and convenient, considering that the project is a collaboration between the student chapter and the IU Archives.
Yesterday, we held our first general meeting for the project. Students who expressed interest in participation met with me, Amy Jankowski (our student chapter president), Dina, and Phil Bantin, the head archivist at IU. Dina spoke to all of us about some of our general objectives and more specifically about what types of records we are most interested in collecting. Then, we established that our first goals would be to revise our form letter used for contacting student group representatives and to identify a list of student groups that we would like to contact first. Focusing on smaller groups of organizations at one time makes the project more manageable. We also got a chance to brainstorm and discuss a variety of organizations we would be interested in approaching. We have an enthusiastic group of students interested in working on the project and it promises to be a successful year of student record collecting!
I will also be creating a video that will be used to help students understand and become familiar with the concept of an archives and to persuade members of student organizations to consider donating their records. After discussing the video at the meeting yesterday, we have established that the video should be relatively short (3-5 minutes), show students the repository itself, show students interesting records of student organizations and student life from the past, and explain to viewers the value of student records in general. If any archives friends or general readers have any further ideas or suggestions about any aspect of the video project, feel free to comment on this post. It would be great to have feedback and ideas from others!
Yesterday, we held our first general meeting for the project. Students who expressed interest in participation met with me, Amy Jankowski (our student chapter president), Dina, and Phil Bantin, the head archivist at IU. Dina spoke to all of us about some of our general objectives and more specifically about what types of records we are most interested in collecting. Then, we established that our first goals would be to revise our form letter used for contacting student group representatives and to identify a list of student groups that we would like to contact first. Focusing on smaller groups of organizations at one time makes the project more manageable. We also got a chance to brainstorm and discuss a variety of organizations we would be interested in approaching. We have an enthusiastic group of students interested in working on the project and it promises to be a successful year of student record collecting!
I will also be creating a video that will be used to help students understand and become familiar with the concept of an archives and to persuade members of student organizations to consider donating their records. After discussing the video at the meeting yesterday, we have established that the video should be relatively short (3-5 minutes), show students the repository itself, show students interesting records of student organizations and student life from the past, and explain to viewers the value of student records in general. If any archives friends or general readers have any further ideas or suggestions about any aspect of the video project, feel free to comment on this post. It would be great to have feedback and ideas from others!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Week 6: Description of the Ruth Engs papers
Now that all of the separate files and items in the Ruth Engs papers have been physically arranged in order, the next task in the project is to create the finding aid. Basically, an archival finding aid is a document designed to communicate the nature and usefulness of the collection to a potential archives user. In order to do this, a finding aid will include narrative biographical information about person whose papers are being preserved, a narrative description of the scope and content of the collection, and a list of all of the folders or items in the collection. In the case of the records of an organization, the biographical section will discuss the history of the organization. Finding aids also contain some other basic information, including the size of the collection, the date span, and subject terms used to describe the collection.
Here is the SAA Glossary definition of a finding aid, which provides a similar basic description of these documents. To get a better idea of what a finding aid is, check out this page which allows one to browse all finding aids for archival collections held at IU.
The IU Archives creates all of its finding aids using EAD, or Encoded Archival Description, which is a standard for creating finding aids using XML. A primary benefit of putting finding aids online using this standard is that it can improve the ability of a patron to find specific archival material of interest. For more information about EAD, here is the Wikipedia entry on EAD and the official EAD homepage.
At the IU Archives, EAD finding aids are created based on initial finding aids that are created by the processor after the arranging of the collection. These initial documents are created in Microsoft Word, and then, once the Word document has been complete, the information is plugged into the XML document. At the moment, it is the creation of this initial finding aid that I am working on at the archives for the Ruth Engs papers. The process is pretty straightforward; I am completing a list that includes the name of every folder or item contained within the collection in the order in which they appear in the boxes. This container list includes indicates the names of series and subseries and also indicates the physical breakdown of the collection by box number. Once I finish the container list, I will complete the narrative sections of the finding aid which provide biographical and contextual information about Ruth Engs and her papers.
Here is the SAA Glossary definition of a finding aid, which provides a similar basic description of these documents. To get a better idea of what a finding aid is, check out this page which allows one to browse all finding aids for archival collections held at IU.
The IU Archives creates all of its finding aids using EAD, or Encoded Archival Description, which is a standard for creating finding aids using XML. A primary benefit of putting finding aids online using this standard is that it can improve the ability of a patron to find specific archival material of interest. For more information about EAD, here is the Wikipedia entry on EAD and the official EAD homepage.
At the IU Archives, EAD finding aids are created based on initial finding aids that are created by the processor after the arranging of the collection. These initial documents are created in Microsoft Word, and then, once the Word document has been complete, the information is plugged into the XML document. At the moment, it is the creation of this initial finding aid that I am working on at the archives for the Ruth Engs papers. The process is pretty straightforward; I am completing a list that includes the name of every folder or item contained within the collection in the order in which they appear in the boxes. This container list includes indicates the names of series and subseries and also indicates the physical breakdown of the collection by box number. Once I finish the container list, I will complete the narrative sections of the finding aid which provide biographical and contextual information about Ruth Engs and her papers.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Week 5: Completion of Arrangement
This week, I am happy to say that I have been able to complete the arranging of the Ruth C. Engs collection up at the archives. Overall, I must say that the process of completing the arrangement went a lot faster than I had initially expected. Although some of the series that I processed last, mainly the teaching files, were less organized to begin with than were the files related to research and writing, the fact that the individual files were bigger (and, therefore, there were less of them per box) made the latter stages of the arrangement go more quickly. The fact that Professor Engs had created and outlined a basic organizational structure for her papers also greatly facilitated the process of arranging collection.
On the whole, I think that the collection has the potential to be very useful and interesting to scholars interested in studying the history of health sciences, or more specifically, in studying the history of views and theories about substance abuse and use, since much of Ruth Engs' research deals with this subject matter. The collection thoroughly documents her research and her publications, containing notes and correspondence about and drafts of many of her publications. Based on archival collections I have dealt with in the past, I would say that the documentation of the research and publishing process is much more thorough in this collection than in most. The collection also contains a good deal of interesting non-text materials, including some VHS, DVD, and film recordings of presentation material.
In total, the collection will contains 16 boxes of material, with a 17th box dedicated to oversized material. Originally, the collection was housed in about 24 boxes before I started arranging it, but, because I was able to remove some duplicate materials and pack the boxes in a more condensed way, we will be able to save some space.
The next step in the processing of this collection will be the creating of a finding aid for the collection. While I have already started working on this step a bit, I will hold off on discussing it for now and dedicate my next post to this stage of the processing.
On the whole, I think that the collection has the potential to be very useful and interesting to scholars interested in studying the history of health sciences, or more specifically, in studying the history of views and theories about substance abuse and use, since much of Ruth Engs' research deals with this subject matter. The collection thoroughly documents her research and her publications, containing notes and correspondence about and drafts of many of her publications. Based on archival collections I have dealt with in the past, I would say that the documentation of the research and publishing process is much more thorough in this collection than in most. The collection also contains a good deal of interesting non-text materials, including some VHS, DVD, and film recordings of presentation material.
In total, the collection will contains 16 boxes of material, with a 17th box dedicated to oversized material. Originally, the collection was housed in about 24 boxes before I started arranging it, but, because I was able to remove some duplicate materials and pack the boxes in a more condensed way, we will be able to save some space.
The next step in the processing of this collection will be the creating of a finding aid for the collection. While I have already started working on this step a bit, I will hold off on discussing it for now and dedicate my next post to this stage of the processing.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Week 4: Processing Progress
Hello Readers,
Last week, I was able to have the opportunity to devote a great deal of time to the processing of the Ruth C. Engs collection and I am happy to report that progress has been going quite well. I have completed arranging the series dedicated to writing, research, and professional activities, which is by far the largest series in the collection. Overall, this series provides a very thorough documentation of Professor Engs' professional career and scholarly work. Emphasis is placed not only on scholarly publications, but also on articles published in non-academic periodicals and editorials as well as on conference presentations and grant proposals. Given the fact that much of Professor Engs' research is related to health and drug and alcohol use, considerable interest in her work has been seen outside of academic circles, and this more widespread activity is evident in the collection. Furthermore, the collection features incomplete research and unpublished materials in addition to materials related to published works.
Beyond this series, I have completed arranging a smaller series dedicated solely to correspondence and have nearly finished arranging a series containing teaching and course files. These two series both have a variety of highly interesting and useful materials. Two folders that stand out in particular in the correspondence series contained hostile and supportive letters, respectively, from other academics or members of the general public mainly regarding Professor Engs' views on educational programs for students about alcohol. Engs was a vocal critic of abstinence-only alcohol education, which, at the time, was a stance that generated some controversy. The contents of these two folders provide unique evidence of the spectrum of public opinion about alcohol education.
Course files have always struck me as particularly interesting sources of evidence as they can be useful in studying the history of educational methods. Studying historical course syllabuses and analyzing similarities and progressions in their content and structure over time can allow us to understand developments of values and trends within a specific academic field. While this could be of interest to a researcher studying the history of health education, it is mainly interesting to me as a historical curiosity to see what sort of assignments that students of decades past were expected to complete.
Last week, I was able to have the opportunity to devote a great deal of time to the processing of the Ruth C. Engs collection and I am happy to report that progress has been going quite well. I have completed arranging the series dedicated to writing, research, and professional activities, which is by far the largest series in the collection. Overall, this series provides a very thorough documentation of Professor Engs' professional career and scholarly work. Emphasis is placed not only on scholarly publications, but also on articles published in non-academic periodicals and editorials as well as on conference presentations and grant proposals. Given the fact that much of Professor Engs' research is related to health and drug and alcohol use, considerable interest in her work has been seen outside of academic circles, and this more widespread activity is evident in the collection. Furthermore, the collection features incomplete research and unpublished materials in addition to materials related to published works.
Beyond this series, I have completed arranging a smaller series dedicated solely to correspondence and have nearly finished arranging a series containing teaching and course files. These two series both have a variety of highly interesting and useful materials. Two folders that stand out in particular in the correspondence series contained hostile and supportive letters, respectively, from other academics or members of the general public mainly regarding Professor Engs' views on educational programs for students about alcohol. Engs was a vocal critic of abstinence-only alcohol education, which, at the time, was a stance that generated some controversy. The contents of these two folders provide unique evidence of the spectrum of public opinion about alcohol education.
Course files have always struck me as particularly interesting sources of evidence as they can be useful in studying the history of educational methods. Studying historical course syllabuses and analyzing similarities and progressions in their content and structure over time can allow us to understand developments of values and trends within a specific academic field. While this could be of interest to a researcher studying the history of health education, it is mainly interesting to me as a historical curiosity to see what sort of assignments that students of decades past were expected to complete.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Week 3 - The History of Indian Students at IU, Reference, and Informational Value
This past week, I spent a good deal of my time at the IU Archives working to answer a challenging but interesting reference question. While the idea of spending hours on a reference may sound tedious to some, it can actually be an interesting process with the desire to find the right answer serving as a source of motivation and excitement. Many reference questions that patrons ask archivists are factual ones (as opposed to ones asking for a recommendation of a resource), so there certainly exists a sense of satisfaction in being able to track down the specific fact that the patron needs.
The particular question that I was researching was a question about students from India at Indiana University in the first half of the 20th century. The patron was interested in any documentation of or records about Indian students during this time, and also wanted to know the name of the first Indian student to earn a degree from IU.
I started off by searching through our subject files related to international students. These subject files typically contain clippings, news releases, and basic information about specific topics, organizations, and events, and are generally used to answer reference questions or for patrons interested in basic-level research. While I was able to find some information about Indian students, I was unable to find any reference to the first Indian student. Similarly, I consulted the records of the Indiana University Cosmopolitan Club and found some interesting clippings, but again, no reference to the first Indian student.
Next, I consulted our collection of historical issues of the Indiana University Bulletin, which contained a lists of all matriculating for each year. The lists provided each student's name, hometown, academic program, and year. Thankfully, most editions included a table at the end of the list with a geographic breakdown of students' hometowns. Using these publications, I was able to find an answer for our patron.
As for the answer, according to our records, the first student from India to attend IU was Ranjit Roy from Calcutta, who was enrolled in the School of Dentistry from September 1925 to May of 1928 but did not earn a degree. The first Indian student to earn a degree from IU was Konigapogu Joseph Devadanam, who entered IU in October of 1928 and earned a BA in psychology in November of 1930. Records list his place of birth as Kavalo, Nellore, India and his hometown as Lucknow, India.
Answering this reference question further reinforced my understanding of the importance of preserving collections that have great informational value for a repository. According the the SAA Glossary, informational value is defined as "the usefulness or significance of materials based on their content, independent of any intrinsic or evidential value." So, a record or collection has high informational value if it can provide a lot of information about something other then the agency or person that created it. In this case, these catalogs had a very high degree of informational value because they provided a great deal of demographic information about IU's student body over the years. While records like these that provide critical information do not often generate the same "wow" factor as manuscript collections from respected scholars, artists, politicians, and other societal contributors, they are essential in documenting an institution's history and are often the most valuable records for answering reference questions.
The particular question that I was researching was a question about students from India at Indiana University in the first half of the 20th century. The patron was interested in any documentation of or records about Indian students during this time, and also wanted to know the name of the first Indian student to earn a degree from IU.
I started off by searching through our subject files related to international students. These subject files typically contain clippings, news releases, and basic information about specific topics, organizations, and events, and are generally used to answer reference questions or for patrons interested in basic-level research. While I was able to find some information about Indian students, I was unable to find any reference to the first Indian student. Similarly, I consulted the records of the Indiana University Cosmopolitan Club and found some interesting clippings, but again, no reference to the first Indian student.
Next, I consulted our collection of historical issues of the Indiana University Bulletin, which contained a lists of all matriculating for each year. The lists provided each student's name, hometown, academic program, and year. Thankfully, most editions included a table at the end of the list with a geographic breakdown of students' hometowns. Using these publications, I was able to find an answer for our patron.
As for the answer, according to our records, the first student from India to attend IU was Ranjit Roy from Calcutta, who was enrolled in the School of Dentistry from September 1925 to May of 1928 but did not earn a degree. The first Indian student to earn a degree from IU was Konigapogu Joseph Devadanam, who entered IU in October of 1928 and earned a BA in psychology in November of 1930. Records list his place of birth as Kavalo, Nellore, India and his hometown as Lucknow, India.
Answering this reference question further reinforced my understanding of the importance of preserving collections that have great informational value for a repository. According the the SAA Glossary, informational value is defined as "the usefulness or significance of materials based on their content, independent of any intrinsic or evidential value." So, a record or collection has high informational value if it can provide a lot of information about something other then the agency or person that created it. In this case, these catalogs had a very high degree of informational value because they provided a great deal of demographic information about IU's student body over the years. While records like these that provide critical information do not often generate the same "wow" factor as manuscript collections from respected scholars, artists, politicians, and other societal contributors, they are essential in documenting an institution's history and are often the most valuable records for answering reference questions.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Reading Response 1: Victor Gray on Archival Outreach
For my first reading response, I chose to discuss a piece that was published in the Journal of the Society of Archivists. The piece is the text of the presidential address delivered by Victor Gray at a conference of the Society of Archivists that took place on August 29th, 2007 in Belfast. The title of the piece is “’Who’s that Knocking on Our Door’: Archives, Outreach, and Community,” and it discusses the importance of outreach efforts and the nature of the relationship between an archives and the community it serves in the present day.
I find that many of the points and views that Gray expresses in this speech are very refreshing for any archivist who values the importance of outreach and improving connection and communication with a wider potential user base. Furthermore, these views suggest the need for changes in archival practices and education, as well as changes in the way archivists view themselves and their roles. I want to focus specifically on one passage that seemed particularly resonant to me.
In this piece, there are two differing views of the archivist’s professional identity that Gray puts forward. “On the one hand,” he states “we can stretch the traditional notion of what an archivist should be doing. We can attempt to learn new skills and make ourselves supple and inventive in the way we use them. We can spend more time being advocates, or being conveyors of knowledge, whether it be about the content of our archives or the methods by which we care for them.”
He goes on to describe the second type of identity, explaining that, “we can, as has already happened in some places, stick to our last, defining ourselves or being defined as specialists in the core skills of identification, arrangement, custody and exploration of historical records while we build up around us, or have built up around us, a range of other people skilled in the art of outreach, education, interpretation, community development.” Weighing in on this dichotomy, Gray states, “I do, I must admit, have a concern that the reversion to the hard core of archival skills, whether chosen by us or enforced by others, will have the long-term effect of freezing the profession into a corner.”
I am interested in and refreshed by Gray’s support of the notion of the archivist as proactive conveyors of knowledge. Traditional archival literature often suggests that the archivist must be a completely unbiased custodian of records, and such a definition suggests passiveness and a focus on preservation tasks. However, in order to provide an accommodating and helpful reference service and engage in productive outreach activities, an archivist must become an institutional historian and spokesperson. Gray’s address encourages archivists to see themselves in these ways.
I also find Gray’s dichotomy regarding views of the profession to be useful when considering the archival repository in the digital age. In today’s information-seeking climate, it has become nearly a necessity for archivists to provide online components of their collection, online access, and online services. While today’s web provides archivists with a multitude of opportunities to be proactive and communicative, many archivists retreat into traditional models when creating a web presence. These models typically ignore the need to provide patrons with access in a proactive sense. A common example is the archivist whose catalog records exist in highly controlled, traditionally structured library databases that are, nonetheless, completely inaccessible to a potential user conducting a related Google search.
The assumption that the use traditional library resources and content platforms coupled with detailed cataloging is the best and only way to connect potential users with materials of interest is faulty. Archivists must step outside the shell of the library domain by making their content accessible through popular platforms; doing so is a critical aspect of outreach in the digital age.
Gray, Victor (2008). 'Who's that knocking on our door?': Archives, outreach and community. Journal of the Society of Archivists 29 (1), pp 1-8.
I find that many of the points and views that Gray expresses in this speech are very refreshing for any archivist who values the importance of outreach and improving connection and communication with a wider potential user base. Furthermore, these views suggest the need for changes in archival practices and education, as well as changes in the way archivists view themselves and their roles. I want to focus specifically on one passage that seemed particularly resonant to me.
In this piece, there are two differing views of the archivist’s professional identity that Gray puts forward. “On the one hand,” he states “we can stretch the traditional notion of what an archivist should be doing. We can attempt to learn new skills and make ourselves supple and inventive in the way we use them. We can spend more time being advocates, or being conveyors of knowledge, whether it be about the content of our archives or the methods by which we care for them.”
He goes on to describe the second type of identity, explaining that, “we can, as has already happened in some places, stick to our last, defining ourselves or being defined as specialists in the core skills of identification, arrangement, custody and exploration of historical records while we build up around us, or have built up around us, a range of other people skilled in the art of outreach, education, interpretation, community development.” Weighing in on this dichotomy, Gray states, “I do, I must admit, have a concern that the reversion to the hard core of archival skills, whether chosen by us or enforced by others, will have the long-term effect of freezing the profession into a corner.”
I am interested in and refreshed by Gray’s support of the notion of the archivist as proactive conveyors of knowledge. Traditional archival literature often suggests that the archivist must be a completely unbiased custodian of records, and such a definition suggests passiveness and a focus on preservation tasks. However, in order to provide an accommodating and helpful reference service and engage in productive outreach activities, an archivist must become an institutional historian and spokesperson. Gray’s address encourages archivists to see themselves in these ways.
I also find Gray’s dichotomy regarding views of the profession to be useful when considering the archival repository in the digital age. In today’s information-seeking climate, it has become nearly a necessity for archivists to provide online components of their collection, online access, and online services. While today’s web provides archivists with a multitude of opportunities to be proactive and communicative, many archivists retreat into traditional models when creating a web presence. These models typically ignore the need to provide patrons with access in a proactive sense. A common example is the archivist whose catalog records exist in highly controlled, traditionally structured library databases that are, nonetheless, completely inaccessible to a potential user conducting a related Google search.
The assumption that the use traditional library resources and content platforms coupled with detailed cataloging is the best and only way to connect potential users with materials of interest is faulty. Archivists must step outside the shell of the library domain by making their content accessible through popular platforms; doing so is a critical aspect of outreach in the digital age.
Gray, Victor (2008). 'Who's that knocking on our door?': Archives, outreach and community. Journal of the Society of Archivists 29 (1), pp 1-8.
Monday, September 6, 2010
IU Archives Co-Interns and Friends:
Hello Readers,
I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce my two fellow co-interns and friends, Amanda Hunt and Neal Harmeyer, who are also blogging about their internship experiences at the IU Archives this Fall. Both Amanda and Neal are 2nd year School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) students here at Indiana University.
Check out Amanda's blog, Life in the Archives, and Neal's blog, Archiving Times Like These, to follow what should be an exciting and interesting semester at the archives for the both of them!
I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce my two fellow co-interns and friends, Amanda Hunt and Neal Harmeyer, who are also blogging about their internship experiences at the IU Archives this Fall. Both Amanda and Neal are 2nd year School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) students here at Indiana University.
Check out Amanda's blog, Life in the Archives, and Neal's blog, Archiving Times Like These, to follow what should be an exciting and interesting semester at the archives for the both of them!
Sunday, September 5, 2010
IU Facts and Trivia (Answers):
A few days ago, I posted a few IU trivia questions that IU Associate Archivist Dina Kellams came up with for a Jeopardy-style contest at the Wells Library freshman orientation game night. Now, for the answers, and some further information…
1. Jordan Field used to be at this campus location…What is the IMU Parking lot?
Check out this article by Ken Bikoff of Inside Indiana which provides an in-depth and interesting history of Jordan Field, former home of IU’s football and baseball teams.
2. Her father paid her $5 to apply to IU and in 1867, she became our first coed…Who is Sarah Parke Morrison?
Here is the IU Archives’ finding aid to the Sarah Parke Morrison papers. This aid provides biographical information about Morrison, contextual information about the papers, and a container list of the collection.
3. Now a functioning house museum, this was the home of IU’s first first family…What is the Wylie House?
Built in 1835 by Andrew Wylie, IU’s first president, the house is located at 307 E. 2nd Street here in Bloomington. Visit the Wylie House Museum’s home page for more information. This site includes information about the history of the house, the Wylie family, and the museum’s exhibits and collections.
1. Jordan Field used to be at this campus location…What is the IMU Parking lot?
Check out this article by Ken Bikoff of Inside Indiana which provides an in-depth and interesting history of Jordan Field, former home of IU’s football and baseball teams.
2. Her father paid her $5 to apply to IU and in 1867, she became our first coed…Who is Sarah Parke Morrison?
Here is the IU Archives’ finding aid to the Sarah Parke Morrison papers. This aid provides biographical information about Morrison, contextual information about the papers, and a container list of the collection.
3. Now a functioning house museum, this was the home of IU’s first first family…What is the Wylie House?
Built in 1835 by Andrew Wylie, IU’s first president, the house is located at 307 E. 2nd Street here in Bloomington. Visit the Wylie House Museum’s home page for more information. This site includes information about the history of the house, the Wylie family, and the museum’s exhibits and collections.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Week 2 – Beginning Stages of Processing
After the 2nd full week of my archives internship, I have gotten a chance to make some solid progress on processing the Ruth C. Engs collection. For those of you less familiar with archives terminology, the Society of American Archivists Glossary of Archival and Records Terminology defines processing as “The arrangement, description, and housing of archival materials for storage and use by patrons.” In simple terms, this is when an archivist organizes a collection of records that an archives has received and then creates a written document to communicate important information about the collection to the patron.
The first step in processing the collection, which I completed this week, is surveying the collection as a whole. The goal of doing this surveying is to achieve a basic understanding of the collection, its contents, and its organizational structure by opening up each box and taking some notes about these aspects of the collection.
Fortunately for me, Professor Engs included a list which explained the context of each box (there were 24 boxes in total to begin with, but we will be able to condense the collection a bit by re-packing the boxes and removing duplicates.) However, it is still a good idea to survey each box to achieve a better understanding of order and content.
After completing the surveying of the collection, it is then time to identify the series into which the archivist will separate the collection. The SAA Glossary defines a series as “a group of similar records that are arranged according to a filing system and that are related as the result of being created, received, or used in the same activity.” So, if one were to consider an archival collection as an outline, a series would be represented by the most prominent bullet point. Series are usually influenced by both the original order of the collection as well as the intellectual organization that the archivist decides would be most helpful for the creation of a collection so that it serves as a useful resource for patrons in the future. Since the collection was already divided up many clearly defined small categories, the task at hand was to organize these small groups into a handful of series in order to create an overarching organizational structure.
After completing the surveying of the Engs collection, I decided to create a series dedicated to the records of her writings, research, and professional activities, a series that contains her correspondence, another that contains her teaching files, another that contains administrative and tenure-related material, another that contains some early-life material, and one for non-paper media. Having spent a fair amount of time around archives, I have observed patterns in how academics’ archival collections tend to be organized in terms of the creation of series, so having that familiarity made things a bit easier.
After having spent a few weeks with the collection, it is clear that it will be a very useful collection once processed for several reasons. First, the collection is very complete, as it contains materials on almost all of Professor Engs’ journal publications and books, including drafts and correspondence related to the publication of each work. This point leads to another reason why I think the collection is strong; Prof Engs’ papers will provide the researcher with a clear understanding of her research process, from the development of research plans to the publication stage.
The first step in processing the collection, which I completed this week, is surveying the collection as a whole. The goal of doing this surveying is to achieve a basic understanding of the collection, its contents, and its organizational structure by opening up each box and taking some notes about these aspects of the collection.
Fortunately for me, Professor Engs included a list which explained the context of each box (there were 24 boxes in total to begin with, but we will be able to condense the collection a bit by re-packing the boxes and removing duplicates.) However, it is still a good idea to survey each box to achieve a better understanding of order and content.
After completing the surveying of the collection, it is then time to identify the series into which the archivist will separate the collection. The SAA Glossary defines a series as “a group of similar records that are arranged according to a filing system and that are related as the result of being created, received, or used in the same activity.” So, if one were to consider an archival collection as an outline, a series would be represented by the most prominent bullet point. Series are usually influenced by both the original order of the collection as well as the intellectual organization that the archivist decides would be most helpful for the creation of a collection so that it serves as a useful resource for patrons in the future. Since the collection was already divided up many clearly defined small categories, the task at hand was to organize these small groups into a handful of series in order to create an overarching organizational structure.
After completing the surveying of the Engs collection, I decided to create a series dedicated to the records of her writings, research, and professional activities, a series that contains her correspondence, another that contains her teaching files, another that contains administrative and tenure-related material, another that contains some early-life material, and one for non-paper media. Having spent a fair amount of time around archives, I have observed patterns in how academics’ archival collections tend to be organized in terms of the creation of series, so having that familiarity made things a bit easier.
After having spent a few weeks with the collection, it is clear that it will be a very useful collection once processed for several reasons. First, the collection is very complete, as it contains materials on almost all of Professor Engs’ journal publications and books, including drafts and correspondence related to the publication of each work. This point leads to another reason why I think the collection is strong; Prof Engs’ papers will provide the researcher with a clear understanding of her research process, from the development of research plans to the publication stage.
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