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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™
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Articles 1 - 6 of 6
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Documents And Archives In Early America, Randall C. Jimerson Western Washington University
Documents And Archives In Early America, Randall C. Jimerson Western Washington University
History Faculty and Staff Publications
Concern for documents and archival records in America began with religious motives and concern for colonists' rights. By the late 18th century historians increasingly relied on original documents to establish facts and "objective" truth. Beginning with the Revolution historical documents served patriotic and nationalistic purposes, such as veneration of heroes. Efforts to preserve irreplaceable documents resulted in two separate but closely linked traditions-"multiplying the copies" through documentary editing and publication, and establishing repositories to protect original documents. This marked the beginning of archival consciousness in America, led by private historical societies. Archives served the needs of the social elite and …
The Archival ‘Radar Screen’: Strategic Issues Identified By Saa Council, Randall C. Jimerson Western Washington University
The Archival ‘Radar Screen’: Strategic Issues Identified By Saa Council, Randall C. Jimerson Western Washington University
History Faculty and Staff Publications
What’s on SAA’s “radar screen”? In February 2005, Council members identified about a dozen threats and challenges that are of critical concern to the archival profession. In order to be considered as a “strategic issue,” each had to pass muster as having “greatest impact on the association’s membership” and being “within the association’s capacity to act upon effectively.” Each issue statement was “reduced to single-sentence statements that define an arc of tension between two variables.”
Archival Stories, Randall C. Jimerson Western Washington University
Archival Stories, Randall C. Jimerson Western Washington University
History Faculty and Staff Publications
When my mother moved to a retirement home a few years ago I helped her decide what to save among the 17 cartons of family papers stored in the attic. It was the first time that she could clearly understand my professional expertise. She began telling her friends that every family should have an archivist. For me this story shows the importance of being able to explain the roles of archivists and the value of archives in society.
A Public Voice For Archives, Randall C. Jimerson Western Washington University
A Public Voice For Archives, Randall C. Jimerson Western Washington University
History Faculty and Staff Publications
I have personal ties to recent advocacy issues. Funding for my first job as an archivist came from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC). The person who hired me, Dr. Robert M. Warner, was later appointed Archivist of the United States. When I assumed my first management position, I turned to NHPRC for grant funds to develop a records management and archives program. My predecessor in my current position was former Archivist of the U.S. Dr. James B. Rhoads.
Strategies For Survival, Randall C. Jimerson Western Washington University
Strategies For Survival, Randall C. Jimerson Western Washington University
History Faculty and Staff Publications
One of my favorite Mark Twain quotes is: “Everyone complains about the weather, but no one does anything about it.” The same might be said for the challenges that the archival profession faces. We are buffeted by the storms of limited resources, inadequate staffing, public misunderstanding, and administrative neglect. Our contributions to society and to our own institutions are often unrecognized or unappreciated, and yet we are expected to perform miracles for researchers and administrators in locating information and records at a moment’s notice.
Why I Am An Archivist, Randall C. Jimerson Western Washington University
Why I Am An Archivist, Randall C. Jimerson Western Washington University
History Faculty and Staff Publications
I knew that Uriah Parmelee had died long ago, but reading the report of his death still made me slump back in my chair. For two days in the spring of 1975 I had been sitting in the reference room at the Duke University Manuscripts Department, reading his Civil War letters. From Parmelee’s enthusiasm as an 1861 Union volunteer, to his disgust with Lincoln’s slowness to embrace emancipation as a war measure, I had followed his military career and political awakening. I admired his commitment to ending slavery and had begun to think of him as a kindred soul. When …