Library and Information Science Commons^™

The Case Of The Stanly Will, Ryan Speer

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

This article presents a historical account of the state of Georgia's 1926 suit to recover a colonial will which had been an item of commerce for some 50 years at the time of the court proceedings. Ultimately, Georgia was unable to prove that the will was a state record. The state’s result can been seen as part of a larger pattern indicating that replevin is not consistently effective in recovering documents lacking conclusive evidence of long-standing public custody.

Time, Money And Effort: A Practical Approach To Digital Content Management, Christine S. Wiseman, Alfred S. Matthews

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

As libraries and archives continue to convert mass quantities of collections to digital form, we are faced with ensuring long term accessibility to these digital assets. This article addresses the process one institution undertook to evaluate the digital content management and preservation landscape to plan for future growth and expansion of its digital program.

The Right To Know . . . Or Not: The Freedom Of Information Act, 1955-1974, Tommy C. Brown

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

In recent years the Society of American Archivists and other organizations committed to open records have called on Congress and the president to work together to strengthen the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). For archivists and other transparency advocates, understanding the history of the FOIA may shed light on recent events and why efforts to maintain open records and strengthen the law continue regardless of which political party occupies the White House. This article explores the early history of the Freedom of Information Act from the establishment of the Special Subcommittee on Government Information in 1955 to the amendments …

Front Matter, Heather Oswald

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

Front Matter

Back Matter

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

Back Matter

Editor's Note, Heather Oswald

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

Editor's Note

A Push In The Right Direction: Expanding Models Of Mentorship, Lynette Stoudt, Caitlin Birch, Michelle Chiles, Luciana Spracher, Darla White

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

According to the nineteenth-century Massachusetts Senator John C. Crosby, “Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.” In a field where technology, priorities, and job responsibilities are constantly changing and challenging professionals, mentoring has become an essential tool to ensure the success of individuals at all levels of their careers. This article highlights the establishment of two regional archival organization mentoring programs that have taken the traditional model of mentoring relationships and expanded it to better fit the needs of their communities. The Society of Georgia Archivists Mentoring Program facilitates one-to-one …

Back Matter, Heather Oswald

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

Back matter

Opening Access To Fresh Air's Archives, Melody Kramer, Anu Paul

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

Producing a daily public radio show while preserving past content and metadata for public access is both time-consuming and difficult, particularly for a small staff untrained in archival techniques. Over the past decade, however, Fresh Air with Terry Gross has made a concerted effort to preserve its collection, by digitizing and standardizing the metadata in its archives in order to ensure future public access to its material. In this paper, we detail why Fresh Air’s archives and other audio-dominant collections deserve such urgent attention, and present a case study for how a small public radio institution successfully managed an archival …

Front Matter, Heather Oswald

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

Front matter

Reimagining Record Groups: A Case Study And Considerations For Record Group Revision, Matt Gorzalski

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

The record group hierarchy at Southern Illinois University Carbondale reflects many of the problems noted by record group critics, and has evolved into a burdensome structure. This article describes how previous considerations about creating record groups have influenced revisions of the record group hierarchy at SIUC. The author does not advocate wholesale revision of a hierarchy, but only in areas where the end result creates a sensible and manageable classification system.

Ethics Of Access In Displaced Archives, Samantha R. Winn

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

This paper presents an exploratory review of archival literature on access to displaced archives. In order to understand the ethical imperatives that govern access to displaced archives, archivists must navigate a complex web of competing moral claims, contradictory legal frameworks, shifting national security norms, and customary practices that reflect centuries of colonization, occupation, and conquest. In the absence of either rigorous professional engagement or a clear ethical framework, institutions managing displaced archives may establish policies that unnecessarily restrict access, violate the values of the creators, privilege certain groups of users over others, or inflict harm upon members of the originating …

A Vibrant And Vocal Community: Establishing An Archival Outreach Plan For The Lgbtq Community In Utah And Similar States, Julia Huddleston

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

Despite being both politically and culturally conservative, Utah has a vocal and vibrant lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community that has been making history and headlines for decades. However, there is a demonstrated lack of primary source material documenting these movements. The lack of archival material highlights the need for archives in Utah to actively seek out collections from LGBTQ individuals and organizations through a concentrated outreach effort.

This paper addresses the unique concerns associated with acquiring LGBTQ collections—building trust, respectfully arranging and describing materials in a way that maximizes access, and creating inclusive physical spaces through reference …

Archives As Artifacts: Authenticity, Preservation, And Significant Properties In Microfilm And Digital Surrogates, Jamie A. Patrick-Burns

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

Abstract: From microfilm’s widespread adoption in the 1950s to its fading popularity due to electronic media, archivists have evaluated its benefits and shortcomings, debating its ability to preserve authenticity. While many practitioners initially praised microfilm’s stable and tamper-evident qualities, more recent re-evaluation has placed new emphasis on the materiality of originals for the context they provide in addition to the information content, unlike surrogates. These changes in archival practice are relevant for today’s challenges with digitization; archivists’ past experience with microfilm technology and current work on digital preservation can provide important lessons and perspectives regarding records’ essential characteristics and the …

How Archives Shape Our Collective Memory: A Re-Examination Of The Library Of Congress’ American Memory Collection Of The 1936-1938 Federal Writers Project’S Collection Of Former Slave Narratives And Concomitant Questions Of African American Cultural Knowledge Production, Renee Neely

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

The massive compilation of oral histories of formerly enslaved African Americans by the Federal Writers Project, was an ambitious project. This case study raises questions surrounding the Collection’s provenance within its socio-political framework and its enduring legacy.

Additionally, this examination pursues areas of cultural knowledge production cited within the narratives, that merit further study. A discussion surrounding the conscious or unconscious, outcome of archival practice, and its ability to shape our historical record is the goal of this investigation.

Guest Editor's Note, Caitlin Wells

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

No abstract provided.

Editor's Note, Cheryl Oestreicher

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

No abstract provided.

Guest Editor's Note, Roxanne Dunn

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

No abstract provided.

Front Matter, Cheryl Oestreicher

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

No abstract provided.

Back Matter, Cheryl Oestreicher

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

No abstract provided.

What’S Next For Digital Outreach And Archives: A Swedish Perspective, Lisa Huntsha

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

Many archives today are not fully utilizing available technologies to best display collection materials online. In the days of “Archives 2.0,” we have the tools to assist users by providing greater access, context, and engagement with our collections, yet many archives are falling short of incorporating these tools. In the summer of 2014, I traveled to Sweden to see what Swedish libraries, archives, and museums were doing to facilitate online engagement with their collection materials. I found that while many organizations are following the old build-it-and-they-will-come model of digital projects, some are moving beyond this. These organizations are providing users …

If We Were Without A History: The Preservation Of Women’S History -- Collection, Development & Continuing Importance, Nathalie Belkin

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

This article examines the important role that continued collection and preservation of women’s history plays in contemporary archival scholarship. Women's history is a vast field, but its collection and development has not garnered the same amount of attention as that of men’s history. Covering collection attempts, repositories and preservation practices from the 1930s, through and including today, this paper analyzes both the successes and failures of preserving women’s history for continuing access, scholarship and research, underscoring the importance of these collections. In order to accomplish this, extensive reading and study of active collections and repositories specifically geared towards women’s materials …

Reviews, Manuel J. Escamilla, Dinah Handel, Kylie Harris, Jasmine Jones, Brandon Locke, Dominique Luster, Thomas G. Padilla, Katelyn Quirin

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

No abstract provided.

Front Matter, Cheryl Oestreicher

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

No abstract provided.

“An Ever-Ready Source Of Inspiration And Information”: Ruth Blair And The Bicentennial County Historians, David B. Parker

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

In 1929, the Georgia General Assembly approved a resolution calling on each county to appoint a historian to compile the county’s history for the state’s bicentennial (1732-1932). Ruth Blair, director of the state’s Department of Archives and History, worked closely with the county historians. Their correspondence tells us much about the project and about Blair’s role in the project’s success.

Book Reviews, Erin Lawrimore, Carol Waggoner-Appleton, Jennifer Welch

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

No abstract provided.

A Gentle Approach To “Gentle Ren”: Processing The Papers Of Former College President Renwick Jackson, Steven M. Gentry

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

First discussed almost ten years ago, the processing philosophy known as “more product, less process” (MPLP) remains hotly contested among members of the archival community. Using the collection of Dr. J. Renwick Jackson as a case study, I highlight the importance of a theme heavily emphasized in Mark Greene’s and Dennis Meissner’s landmark article: flexibility. Selectively utilizing MPLP would prove useful when dealing with large quantities of semi-valuable material and metal fasteners—thereby allowing the project to be completed within 160 work hours. Simultaneously, item level processing resulted in the discovery of both significant and sensitive records, along with the elimination …

Back Matter, Cheryl Oestreicher

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

No abstract provided.

Editor's Note, Cheryl Oestreicher

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

No abstract provided.

Welcome Address, Society Of Georgia Archivists Annual Meeting, 2014, Rich Mendola

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

No abstract provided.