Archival Science Commons^™

Emeritus Faculty And Alumni As Volunteers In A University Archives: Planning For Success, Tamar Chute

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

Archivists use volunteers to arrange and describe collections, help with events and donor relations, and assist with reference activities. Volunteers may also work on projects outside the archives, such as oral histories, fundraising, or designing and creating web pages. They are usually enthusiastic and eager to help, and they can be a valuable addition to the archives staff. Volunteers may range from children to retirees, from novices to professionals with archival experience. Regardless of their age or level of knowledge, volunteers require supervision, detailed instructions, and often much patience.

New Voices: Digital Description And Access: The Hugo L. Black Collection At The University Of Alabama School Of Law Library, Julie Griffith Kees

The Southeastern Librarian

The following paper was presented at the 2002 SELA/South Carolina Library Association Joint Conference in Charleston, South Carolina, as part of the “New Voices” program, sponsored by the University and College Libraries Section (UCLS) of SELA. The Southeastern Librarian is pleased to reprint the paper in its entirety.

The Hugo L. Black Collection consists of an extensive book collection, various exhibits, personal correspondence, tapes and transcripts of interviews, descriptions of court decisions, office materials, biographical and bibliographical information, photographs, student papers, lecture notes, and personal memorabilia. Hugo LaFayette Black served two terms as a United States Senator, was an Associate …

Reviews, Gilbert Head, Carol Bishop

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

No abstract provided.

Robert L. Meriwether And The South Caroliniana Library, Nicholas Meriwether

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

Though praised as an outstanding scholar, Robert L. Meriwether was perhaps most proud of his work in helping other scholars as a teacher, editor, archivist, and librarian, with the founding of the South Caroliniana Library as the pinnacle of those efforts. Born in Edgefield County, South Carolina, in 1890, his love of history and affection for his native state seem inextricably intertwined from a young age. This might be expected from someone raised in the wake of Reconstruction in a state that had endured so much loss and upheaval in the Civil War and its aftermath. Indeed, in many ways, …

Back Matter, Susan G. Broome

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

No abstract provided.

The Lord's Remembrancer: Lynn E. May Jr., Bill Summers

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

Lynn Edward May Jr. never identified himself as an archivist, although he accomplished many archival-type functions. As a highly regarded Baptist historian, May served as a collector and preserver of numerous documents, publications, and other resources for the study of Baptist history and life. He served as the chairperson of the Religious Archives section of the Society of American Archivists (SAA) from 1977 to 1979. In 1978 he received the Sister M. Claude Lane Award from the Society. The Lane Award recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to the field of religious archives through involvement in the section, …

Front Matter, Susan G. Broome

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

No abstract provided.

Marie Bankhead Owen And The Alabama Department Of Archives And History, 1920-1955, Robert J. Jakeman

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

March 1920 was a traumatic month for Marie Bankhead Owen. It began with the death of her influential father, Senator John Hollis Bankhead, and it ended with the sudden death of her fifty-three-year-old husband, Thomas McAdory Owen, founding director of the Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH). Then on April 1 she accepted an appointment as the second director of ADAH, a position she held for over three decades. Thus, in the space of one month, Marie Bankhead Owen lost her father and her husband and began a thirty-five year career as director of the Alabama archives.

Thomas Owen And The Founding Of The Alabama Department Of Archives And History, Alden Monroe

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

In 1901 Alabama established the first independent government archives in the United States. The founding of the Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH) preceded that of the National Archives by more than thirty years. Other states had sponsored history programs, assigning the responsibility for public records to state libraries, secretaries of state, or state historical societies, but Alabama was the first to create an official state agency. This concept of government-supported, but independent, archives would become a model for others in the United States.

Provenance Xxi, Susan G. Broome

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

No abstract provided.

Low Tech And High Tech: The Spectrum Of Special Collections Use In A Technological Institute, Anne A. Salter, Marilyn Williamson

The Southeastern Librarian

The gradual expansion of the Georgia Institute of Technology ‘s Library and Special Collection has resulted in a unique and outstanding science and technological research facility. The process was expanded by a number of individuals who dedicated their professional years to improving the holdings. Unique among these treasures is the first edition of Newton’s Principia. Collecting, preserving, and utilizing the new technologies to expand access to this outstanding collection has proved challenging. The primary materials, carefully collected over the years, are being protected and made available through traditional means; while at the same time technological advances are being utilized to …

Front Matter, Susan G. Broome

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

No abstract provided.

"If At First You Don't Succeed": Blacksheer, Menefee & Stein, A Second Appraisal, Carol Ellis, Russell D. James

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

Processing large collections can present a challenge to archivists. When a large collection consists of case files from a law firm, issues can arise that few archivists have experience in managing. Despite the special concerns that must be addressed in managing a large collection of legal records, archivists have a strong interest in these collections because of the historical relevance of cases the firms handle or particular clients the firms represent.

Thirty And Counting: A Personal Perspective On The Journal Of The Society Of Georgia Archivists, Ellen Garrison

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

Fifty-seven issues. Two hundred and sixty-three articles. Four thousand four hundred and twelve pages. No matter how impressive, those numbers alone cannot tell the story of Georgia Archive and its successor Provenance. The numbers simply represent the dreams, ideas, and hard work of the journal's editors, staff, and editorial board members and the commitment of the Society of Georgia Archivists to the journal through thick and thin in its thirty-year history.

Sharing Resources In The World Of Downsizing: A Dialog, Susan Kienzler, Gerald F. Patout Jr.

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

During this age of shrinking resources and escalating demands, downsizing can affect cultural agencies as well as businesses. In the process, seemingly disparate organizations sometimes form an alliance that creates the elusive quality called synergy, which the dictionary defines as a "mutually advantageous conjunction of distinct participants or elements." The Ursuline Sisters of New Orleans Louisiana and The Historic New Orleans Collection, very different institutions that nonetheless share a commitment to documenting New Orleans and Louisiana history, established just such a conjunction when the Ursuline Sisters began refocusing their resources on their core mission in the 1990s.

What A Woven Web: Archives, Websites, And The Coming Legacy Of "Light Gray Literature", Earle E. Spamer

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

Website content is notoriously ephemeral. Its electronic existence is in communication with its components at one moment, gone at the next. A solution to preserving that content is to "permanently archive" the entire website. This raises concerns about technological accessibility and longevity. A website can also manifest itself as a dispersed collection of printed pages and downloaded electronic files redistributed amongst the paper and electronic records of individuals and organizations. What distinguishes that which is the record of an individual or an organization from the flotsam of reprinted and hyperlinked ephemera? Are archivists preparing appraisal methods for websites and their …

Back Matter, Susan G. Broome

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

No abstract provided.

Bringing Provenance To A Wider Audience, Linda Matthews

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

The journal of a professional association is an integral part of the public and educational mission of an organization. By its quality and relevance to current issues, a journal essentially confirms the group's professional stature and purpose. By publishing articles on new initiatives, noteworthy projects, legal and social issues, and emerging trends affecting archives, the journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists (SGA) contributes to the continuing education of its members, the development of new archivists, and the historical record of issues and research affecting the profession. Provenance is the major published record of the society and its service to …

What Were We Thinking? A Call To Embrace Reappraisal And Deaccessioning, Mark A. Greene

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

Mark Shelstad at the University of Wyoming has summed up the archival profession's apparent attitude toward deaccessioning by referring to it as "a word never to be uttered aloud." If his observation is true, this article intends to help shatter the silence. I recommend that the archival profession embrace reappraisal and deaccessioning as basic, important, and effective collection management tools-integrally related to collecting policies, documentation goals, appraisal, space allocation, processing, and reference. Reappraisal and deaccessioning should be viewed as the archival equivalent of "mom and apple pie."

Archival Donor Relations And Development: Keeping A Balance, Carla M. Summers

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

One of the central pleasures of archival work is developing relationships with donors of materials. These people are extraordinary and their activities have changed society. Donors of materials in the author's experience have included an artist whose journals capture the development of a creative vision for his work and his teaching, a famous broadcaster lively only when the microphone was on, politicians who have made great sacrifices to be of service but found great rewards, a famous writer who regards his manuscripts as a bank account he can draw on in his old age, farmers working to preserve the family …

Satisfaction And Skills We Gain As Archivists Are Not Ours To Keep, Susan G. Broome

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

A year ago Provenance was in triage, and the executive board of the Society of Georgia Archivists (SGA) had health care power of attorney. A robust journal, fed by the careful attention of outgoing editor Sheryl Vogt, her staff, and the editorial board, was floundering. Transfusions from other leaders were in order, but an extended search for a new attending physician had not been successful. A sense of despair and resignation was felt by many who had invested their lifeblood in the publication. There was talk of letting it die with dignity, but there was a critical need to evaluate …

Provenance Xx, Susan G. Broome

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

No abstract provided.

Regional Archives In The People's Republic Of China: A Case Study Of The Chongqing Municipal Archives And The Yunnan Provincial Archives, Morris L. Bian, Robert J. Jakeman

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

The emergence of China as an active member of the international community and the growing number of exchange programs between archival institutions in China and the United States have fostered broader professional contacts between American archivists and their counterparts in China. Consequently, American archivists have become increasingly curious about the professional practices of their Chinese colleagues. The following description and analysis offers a case study of the structure, function, and use of Chinese regional archives.

Introduction, Karen M. Benedict

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

On first reading this group of articles on the international archival scene, I was struck by the degree to which advances in technology and changes in attitudes about professionalism have affected our profession over the past twenty years. Back in 1968, at my first archives job, my institution felt fortunate to have acquired IBM Selectric typewriters for the staff. Connections to the international archival community were limited to the privileged few, primarily at the National Archives, with travel budgets large enough to allow them to participate in international conferences or to visit institutions abroad.

Finding A Common Ground: Working With The Georgian National Archives To Create A Trilingual Database, Peter Carini, Kara Drake

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

On two separate occasions over the past four years, the authors traveled to the former Soviet Republic of Georgia as part of a team charged with the work of training Georgian archivists in international descriptive standards as part of a database project. The Sakartvelo Database Project provided an introduction to Georgian history, culture, and the development of the country's archival program. It also provided a picture of what it is like to work in a former Soviet republic and the reality of what it is to handle language barriers and physical and environmental obstacles.

Front Matter, Sheryl B. Vogt

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

No abstract provided.

Archives In The New Germany: Research Reflections On A System In Transition, Russel Lemmons

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

The sudden collapse of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany or the GDR) and the resulting reunification of Germany-what the Germans call die Wende (the turning)-changed many German institutions forever. The German economy, for example, experienced a downturn, the result of which was double-digit unemployment for the first time since the Weimar Republic. Governmental institutions, most notably in education, experienced a dramatic metamorphosis in the neue Länder (new states). Among the most important but largely unnoticed changes taking place, however, are those in the federal archives system. These modifications have had a significant effect on scholars.

Back Matter, Sheryl B. Vogt

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

No abstract provided.

The Romanian Archives And Their Documentary Libraries, Ioan Drāgan

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

Romania, the only nation founded by a Latin people of Greek religion, has an ancient and very interesting history as well as a unique archival experience. It is situated at the collision of three well-defined and distinguished regionsCentral Europe, Eastern Europe, and the Northeastern Balkans. Here, the civilizations of West and East and of Catholicism and Orthodoxy meet. The history of the Romanian archives mirrors in the best way the specifics of this intersection of cultures and civilizations.

This article offers only a synthetic introduction to the history and the present circumstances of the Romanian archives. It comprises two distinct …

Reviews, Cyntia Pease Miller, Penny Cliff, Tina Mason, Sheila Mcalister, Stephen Miller, Annie Tilden, Kaye Lanning Minchew

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

No abstract provided.