Digital Commons Network^™

Native American Empowerment Through Digital Repatriation, Michelle L. Fitch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Following the Enlightenment, Western adherence to positivist theory influenced practices of Western research and documentation. Prior to the introduction of positivism into Western scholarship, innovations in printing technology, literary advancements, and the development of capitalism encouraged the passing of copyright statutes by nation-states in fifteenth century Europe. The evolution of copyright and positivism in Europe influenced United States copyright and its protection of the author, as well as the practice of archiving and its role in interpreting history. Because Native American cultures practiced orality, they suffered the loss of their traditional knowledge and cultural expressions not protected by copyright. By …

The Importance Of Digitization In Teaching-Oriented University And College Libraries, Craighton T. Hippenhammer

Faculty Scholarship – Library Science

An increasing number of university and college libraries have started digitization programs and there are good reasons why they are doing so. First, we are in the middle of revolutionary change as to how ideas get published and distributed. Over 50 percent of scholarly publishing has gone digital and over 20 percent has gone open access. Governments worldwide are beginning to require tax-supported research be published in open access venues. Secondly, it is imperative that they increase their Archives’ digital presence. Preserving institutional histories is currently being lost because of the entirely digital way academics now communicate and many archives …

Au Courant - Fall 2013, Jim Alderman

Au Courant

Newsletter of the Thomas G. Carpenter Library

Documenting Women’S Civil War Experiences In The Ohio Valley At The Filson, Eric Willey

Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library

This collections essay describes archival collections of the Filson Historical Society of Louisville, Kentucky. These collections document women and their experiences in the American Civil War.

Cultural Sensitivity In The Archives: Digitizing Controversial Materials, A Balancing Act, Marisol Ramos

UConn Library Presentations

What is the role and responsibility of the archives when considering giving access to potentially controversial material? How cultural sensitivity can serve as a framework to balance access to material that may hurt the feeling of individuals or groups? These are some of the questions discussed in this presentation. The presentation will focus on two cases at the University of Connecticut where issues about cultural sensitivity have an impact in the decisions taken to digitize the collections. In specific, I discussed working with sensitive cultural materials which have the potential to hurt, embarrassed or infuriate different type of stakeholders. I …

Digitization Is In The Details: Using Data From Patron Research Patterns To Enhance Accessibility, April K. Anderson-Zorn

Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library

Materials like yearbooks, catalogs, and university governance are highly requested items at a university archive. For Illinois State University, we decided to digitize these items to make them more accessible to our out-of-town alumni and researchers. Digitizing these materials was a huge accomplishment for the department and helped us achieve our goal of gaining a larger web presence with our patrons. But where do we go from here? All too often, archivists tend to think we know what our patrons want but in some cases, our digital efforts are rarely viewed online. What parameters can we follow in choosing materials …

Review Of How To Manage Processing In Archives And Special Collections, Jillian Cuellar

Journal of Western Archives

Learning to process archival collections as an intern or student processor constitutes many archivists’ first practical understanding of the archival enterprise. Though this experience is an excellent hands-on opportunity for many nascent archivists to sharpen their project management skills, it does not fully prepare them to manage an archival processing program. Few students in archival graduate programs receive in-depth management training, leaving many to learn effective management techniques without formal guidance. With How to Manage Processing in Archives and Special Collections, Pam Hackbart-Dean and Elizabeth Slomba set out to offer archivists a comprehensive, practical toolbox for managing a processing …

The Aids Quilt Touch Mobile Web App, Mark Neucollins, Kelly J. Thompson, Nicole Dudley, Lauren Haldeman, Jon Winet, Kayla Haar

Kelly J. Thompson

Q: "What weighs 54 tons and can be held in the palm of your hand?" A: "The AIDS Memorial Quilt."

The AIDS Memorial Quilt is the largest living monument in the world. Composed of over 48,000 three foot by six foot individual panels, it pays tribute to the lives of more than 98,000 individuals who have died during the AIDS pandemic. Maintained by the NAMES Foundation in Atlanta, each panel is painstakingly hand-crafted by those who knew and loved these individuals. Each panel carries the emotional weight of a life lived, of loving relationships, and of heartfelt loss.

Our interdisciplinary …

Documenting 'Herstories' In The Ohio Valley At The Filson, Eric Willey

Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library

This collection essay describes archival collections held by the Filson Historical Society of Louisville, Kentucky. The collections described document women’s contributions to the region’s history, their struggles and triumphs, and the contours of their daily lives, including interactions with family, peers, neighbors, and business associates.

History Day Collaboration: Maximizing Resources To Serve Students, Thomas D. Steman, Patricia Post

Library Faculty Publications

In tough economic times, History Day provides an excellent opportunity for units at a university and interested parties in the community to collaborate in new and interesting ways. A focus on collaboration at St. Cloud State University (SCSU) helped ensure that History Day participants in central Minnesota had a more level playing field with their counterparts in the Twin Cities area. Strong relationships were built over three years of programming, which has become a stabilizing force as members of the team weather more new challenges due to the economic recession.

The Well‐Rounded Archivist: A Unlv University Archivist Perspective, Tom D. Sommer

Library Faculty Presentations

I’m going to be focusing on three main themes today:

• The first theme will be “Being a University Archivist.”

• Next will be the things that I “Wish I had Known.”

• Lastly, I’m going to provide you a series of thoughts and feelings that center around my “Advice for New Archivists.”

The Importance Of Reappraisal And Deaccessioning In Collegiate Archives In The Pacific Northwest, Courtney Buehn

Journal of Western Archives

This article examines the current reappraisal practices and procedures of archives, and investigates the need for official deaccessioning policies through the analysis of literature in the field and eight personal interviews conducted with professionals in universities in the Pacific Northwest. These persons were asked about the initial appraisal procedure of their repository, the current reappraisal process done without an official policy, and the factors that contribute to the decisions made concerning deaccessioning. Formal policies for appraisal and deaccessioning are important for responsible management of individual archival repositories, and also for the development of archival communities.

Capturing And Processing Born-Digital Files In The Stop Aids Project Records: A Case Study, Laura Wilsey, Rebecca Skirvin, Peter Chan, Glynn Edwards

Journal of Western Archives

In September 2012, the Manuscripts Division of the Stanford University Libraries Department of Special Collections and University Archives completed a one-year National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC)-funded project to process the records of the STOP AIDS Project, an HIV prevention non-profit organization in San Francisco, California. This project marked the department’s first large-scale processing project to capture and process born-digital records. Building upon the nascent framework outlined by the AIMS white paper and the infrastructure developed by Stanford University Libraries, the project team captured born-digital records and implemented new processing strategies using digital forensics tools. This case study will …

Extra Special: Merging Special Collections With University Archives, Delinda Stephens Buie, Caroline Daniels, Rachel I. Howard, Elizabeth E. Reilly

Elizabeth Reilly

Creative Collaboration: Maximizing Resources For Multi-Collection Exhibits, Jillian M. Slater, Nichole M. Rustad

Marian Library Faculty Presentations

This presentation illustrates the collaborative, multi-format approach used in preparing an exhibit of archival materials on the 1913 Dayton flood at the University of Dayton Libraries. Originally formed due to the absence of a University Archivist, the small planning committee was able to combine areas of expertise including archives, history, graphic design, video/audio production, marketing, and digitization. The collaborative process facilitated a creative approach resulting in a unique, interactive exhibit utilizing audio, video, original materials, reproductions, a permanent digital component, and a discussion panel event. The presenters will also discuss how the planning committee maximized available resources (without a budget) …

Interview Of Joseph Grabenstein, F.S.C., M.A., M.Ed., M.L.S., Joseph Grabenstein, F.S.C., Wesley Schwenk

All Oral Histories

Brother Joseph Grabenstein is the Head Archivist of the La Salle University Archives and also manages the Brothers of the Christian School, District of Eastern North America Archives that are housed here at La Salle. He worked as an assistant archivist from 1992 until 1994 and was made head archivist January 1, 1994. Grabenstein was born in 1950 in Cumberland, Maryland to Herman and Irene Grabenstein. He is a 1968 graduate of Bishop Walsh High School and received his Bachelor of Arts in History in 1973 from La Salle College. He taught a variety of classes including history, geography, religion …

Cultivating A Special Collection: How The Personal Touch Can Sow The Seeds For A Major Acquisition, Sue Lynn Mcdaniel, Nancy Richey

SCL Faculty and Staff Publications

Introduction:

Serendipity is often the best friend of special collections librarians. Sharing our passion for history and preservation can create happy accidents, connecting us with the caretakers of the remnants of past generations. In fact, libraries come to acquire many cultural treasures, often discovered in the contents of someone's attic, basement, or storage space, because we nurtured a relationship with a potential collector over time.

Au Courant - Spring 2013, Jim Alderman

Au Courant

Newsletter of the Thomas G. Carpenter Library

Leads The Way: A Collaborative Ead Project At Simmons, Justin Snow

Justin Snow

Crowdsourcing Transcriptions Of Archival Materials, Aaron G. Noll

Graduate History Conference, UMass Boston

Crowdsourcing is a method that has been effectively used to pool the knowledge and skills of large numbers of online volunteers for the creation of information resources utilized by historians, genealogists, and scientists. In recent years, archivists have begun to crowdsource the transcription of their handwritten records. Transcription of such records has traditionally been completed by professional transcribers who are skilled in reading multiple handwriting styles, knowledgeable about the creators and historical context of the records, and can interpret varying record formats and genres. However, increasingly limited resources of time and money have made traditional transcription more difficult to accomplish. …

The Development And Professionalization Of The Utah State Archives, 1897-1968, Cory L. Nimer, J. Gordon Daines Iii

Journal of Western Archives

The 20^th century saw the rise and development of the archival profession. This paper examines what it means to be a profession and how the characteristics of a profession began to manifest themselves in the archival community using the Utah State Archives as a case study. The Utah State Archives reflects many of the national trends towards professionalization as it was initially part of the Utah State Historical Society and eventually became its own entity.

Preserving Film Preservation In The Digital Era, Becca Bastron

School of Information Student Research Journal

This paper explores the current controversies surrounding film preservation in the digital era. Questions address the benefits of new technologies and the potential sacrifices to a film's authenticity and designation as a valued historical, social, and cultural artifact. Issues examined include film's frail format, archives's financial and storage limitations, the concept of "the original film," and how current digitization methods affect each of these areas. This paper addresses the recent restorations of two particular films—Fritz Lang's Metropolis (1927) and Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo (1958)—and concludes that digital technologies are not stable enough to replace traditional preservation methods, but they can greatly …

The Use And Availability Of Environmental Activism Collections In Academic Archives, Amy F. Stempler

Publications and Research

This study seeks to reveal the current state of environmental research in academic special collections and archives, with an emphasis on materials associated with environmental activism. The use and availability of archival environmental activism collections were assessed in a two-fold process. The use of such collections was evaluated through a citation analysis of related research articles published in Environmental History, the premier scholarly journal in the field of environmental history. The citation analysis reviewed the prevalence of archival collections sourced, and examined citations by repository type and material type in order to gain insight into the kinds of items used …

The Student As Subaltern: Reconsidering The Role Of Student Life Material Collections At North American Universities, Jessica L. Wagner

Publications and Research

This article argues for college and university archivists to undertake advocacy and activism to better document student life. It discusses key shifts in archival and historical theory that supported an interest in collecting from a wide variety of people rather than just elites. Next, it describes recent archival scholarship on student life materials and considers the extent to which college and university archives are actively documenting the student experience via the collection of these materials. Analysis of the results of a survey of college and university archivists about the nature of these collections sheds further light on prevailing opinions of …

An Archive, Public Participation And A Performance: Five Perspectives, Laura Browder, Patricia Herrera

English Faculty Publications

This essay discusses our work on the digital archive, The Fight for Knowledge: Civil Rights and Education in Richmond, Virginia, which grew out of our five-year documentary theater project at the University of Richmond. We include the voices of six collaborators—students, a special collections librarian, a digital archivist, and faculty members—to closely examine the multiple archives that have grown out of this project, and the way this has led us to propose a new way of thinking both about archives and about our documentary theater methodologies. This collaborative process has helped us to reconceptualize the relationship between archive and …

Assessment Of Library Instruction On Undergraduate Student Success In A Documents-Based Research Course: The Benefits Of Librarian, Archivist, And Faculty Collaboration, Paul Victor Jr., Justin Otto, Charles Mutschler

Collaborative Librarianship

This article discusses a successful collaboration between multiple subject specialist librarians, the University Archivist and a faculty member teaching an undergraduate course in documents-based social science research. This collaborative partnership allowed for each subject specialist to expose students to specific information literacy skills they needed to be successful in their class. The authors used pre- and postassessments to gauge student comfort level in conducting library research, as well as a rubric to assess the annotated bibliography of a student’s final research paper. The data from these assessment tools are analyzed and the results discussed. The data indicates that students benefited …

Metastatic Metadata: Transferring Digital Skills And Digital Comfort At Umass Amherst, Jeremy Smith, Robert Cox, Danielle Kovacs, Rebecca Reznik-Zellen, Aaron Rubinstein

University Libraries Publication Series

Discusses efforts by the Digital Strategies Group and Special Collections and University Archives at the University of Massachusetts Amherst to enlist all library staff to create metadata for a group of historical photographs from the University archive.

Review Of Beyond The Silos Of The Lams: Collaboration Among Libraries, Archives, And Museums, Beth Thomsett-Scott

Collaborative Librarianship

No abstract provided.

Persuasion, Promotion, Perception: Untangling Archivists' Understanding Of Advocacy And Outreach, Jeremy Brett, Jasmine Jones

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

More and more, archivists find themselves having to be advocates for their own institutions, fellow archival institutions, and themselves. This is an especially complicated turn of events because of discrepancy among archivists as to what specifically constitutes archival advocacy. Over the past year, as a response to this, the Issues & Advocacy Roundtable of the Society of American Archivists has been conducting surveys on archival advocacy in the profession, designed to gauge the advocacy environment as it exists among today’s archivists and archival institutions. The ongoing goal of the project has been to create a dialogue about what advocacy is, …

True Single Search: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly, Margaret T. Kidd

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

Since the advent of Google, the trend in search engines has been to try to provide as many types of information as possible from a single location. Libraries are no exception, with discovery tools such as Primo and Summon becoming more and more popular. This presentation discusses the pros and cons of using Primo in relation to finding manuscripts and archives materials.