bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Copyright, Unpublished Manuscript Records, and the Archivist
Authors: Crawford Michael
Published: October 2015

Two questions relating to copyright in unpublished records are considered: archivists' obligations and privileges under United States copyright law, and archivists' responsibilities beyond merely legal ones. The 1976 Copyright Act clarified archivists' obligations by terminating perpetual copyright and by granting archives authority to reproduce copyrighted works under certain conditions. The ambiguous applicability of this authority and of "fair use" to unpublished records continues to complicate archivists' work. Archivists serve scholarship by accepting transfer of copyright in acquired records, by including information on copyright status in inventories, and by understanding copyright well enough to explain it to both researchers and copyright owners.
Catholic Archives in a Public Institution: A Case Study of the Arrangement Between Kent State University and the Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio
Authors: Geary James
Published: October 2015

Perhaps the most lasting effect of America's bicentennial was to encourage individuals and organizations to think more carefully of preserving and making available their historically valuable records. Consistent with this spirit, the American Catholic Church pursued active steps to ensure that its archival records would receive a higher priority than in years past. By 1974, a special committee had prepared and submitted a "Document of Ecclesiastical Archives." It would serve as the cornerstone for Catholic Archives from the mid-1970s onward. Of the many dioceses responding to the need to take better care of the records in their custody, some added support to established archival operations. Others either initiated programs or investigated and implemented alternatives.

This study examines the special arrangement between Kent State University and the Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio. Among its purposes is that of providing a model for other public institutions and dioceses that may wish to consider entering a similar arrangement.
Reflections on Cooperation Among Professions
Authors: Child Margaret
Published: October 2015

Although the archival profession is still young and is therefore still primarily concerned with self-definition and development, economic stringency and technological change are forcing archivists to work with other groups to find solutions to common problems. The differences that previously divided archivists from historians in particular are rooted in practices and perceptions on both sides which the documentation explosion and the historiographical revolution of the recent past have made obsolete. The need to control technology on behalf of scholarship rather than the reverse should unite archivists, librarians, and curators with all those who use such materials. Moreover, as more and more documentation either is originally issued or is transferred for preservation purposes to new formats such as machine-readable tape, microform, and videodisc, the format-based distinctions that have been used to divide librarians from archivists should disappear, leaving both groups to confront anew the underlying problems of intellectual control of and access to information in whatever medium it appears.
Archival Cooperation: A Critical Look at Statewide Archival Networks
Authors: Cameron Richard , Ericson Timothy , Kenney Anne
Published: October 2015

Cooperating institutions in nine states founded archival networks in the 1960s and 1970s to administer more effectively their archival and manuscript collections. In July 1981, a National Conference on Regional Archival Networks was held to evaluate the achievements of these networks. The authors of this article extend the work of that conference by offering a critical look at mature networks. The first author reviews the development of archival networks and compares the reasons behind their establishment to the realities of daily operation. The second author analyzes the extent to which archival cooperation exists in five areas: local government records, acquisitions, collection use, resource sharing, and conflict resolution. The third author examines the effectiveness of archival networks in terms of funding and structure.
The Publication Policies and Practices of the Nordic Archives
Authors: Jørgensen Harald
Published: October 2015

After briefly introducing the subject of publishing by Nordic archives, the author provides a brief historical overview of archival developments in each of the Nordic countries. He then discusses many of the significant publications produced by the archives of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.
Access to Restricted Collections: The Responsibility of Professional Historical Organizations
Authors: Hoff-Wilson Joan
Published: October 2015

The author raises seven questions being considered by the Organization of American Historians in order to determine whether or not it should reconsider its position on codes of ethics, especially with respect to access to and use of confidential materials. She then mentions pitfalls to avoid in adopting codes of ethics and discusses recent trends in historical research methodology and materials.
The Blessings of Providence on an Association of Archivists
Authors: Cook J.
Published: October 2015

This history of the Society of American Archivists from its founding (1935-1937) to the appointment of a paid executive director (1974) is organized into three periods: "I. Growing Up in Depression and War, 1935-1945," in which are outlined the founding of the society and its relationships with other organizations, especially the American Historical Association; the role of the National Archives in the affairs of the society; the development of the American Archivist; and the impact of hard economic times and war. "II. Coming of Age, 1946-1957," in which are discussed the society through its twenty-first year; international archival relations; the committee structure; SAA as a national voice for the profession; the tensions between state archivists and the National Archives; the establishment of Fellows; and the growing complexity, and resulting problems, of the maturing association. "III. The Professionalization of the Association, 1958-1974," in which is reviewed the development of the society into a truly professional association designed to meet the many and conflicting demands of a varied membership. The issues examined include the threat of fragmentation and the rise of regional archival groups; the decline in interest in international archival matters; independence for the National Archives and Records Service; the Loewenheim case at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library; tensions within the SAA leadership; internal operations and problems with committees; growth patterns of membership and budget within SAA; the increasing role of state archivists in the affairs of the society; attitudes of state archivists toward NARS; the rise of the institutional archivists; education and training programs; and the search for funding for the executive director position as the culmination of the work of the Committee of the 1970s to democratize SAA and make it more responsive to the needs of the membership.
Archival Choices: Managing the Historical Record in an Age of Abundance
Authors: Ham F.
Published: October 2015

After briefly identifying some of the problems archivists face in administering modern records, the author discusses six elements of archival collection management: inter-institutional cooperation in collecting, disciplined and documented application of appraisal procedures, deaccessioning, pre-archival control of records, reducing record volume, and analysis and planning. The author suggests that there may well be other factors involved in collection management but concludes with an admonition to all archivists to seek alternative courses of action rather than habitually following practices of the past.
Archival Principles and Records of the New Technology
Authors: Peterson Trudy
Published: October 2015

Basic archival principles apply to records created by computer technologies. The concepts of informational and evidential value as criteria for retention and the concepts of provenance and original order as keys to arrangement will continue to provide a framework for archival analysis. Description techniques will have to be augmented to accommodate more refined descriptors. Although these basic principles remain applicable, the computer technology forces archivists to address anew the problems of obsolescence and change, privacy and public use, mixed records systems, changing research demands, and the nature of the archival profession itself.
Administering Archival Automation: Development of In-House Systems
Authors: Maher William
Published: October 2015

For many archivists, the best route to an automated information system may be through use of their home institutions' central computing facilities. These in-house systems can be custom-designed to meet local needs and can be relatively inexpensive. This article will focus on the planning, implementation, and maintenance of in-house automated access systems for archives. The article's management focus will have a broad application to those pursuing other routes to archival automation.
Microfilming Activities of the Historical Records Survey, 1935-42
Authors: Foster Clifton
Published: October 2015

Although rarely mentioned by scholars, the Historical Records Survey undertook an impressive microfilming program. The 1930s witnessed the development of microphotography to encompass scholarly research materials. Influential in this development was the Historical Records Survey, which microfilmed state and local records, newspapers, and other research materials. The Survey experimented with new applications of microphotography, such as in the compilation of union catalogs, and was responsible for several innovations in the field.
Appraising the Papers of State Legislators
Authors: Chestnut Paul
Published: October 2015

Many state archival agencies have done little to appraise and preserve office files created by state legislators, and few private repositories have collected these papers on a systematic or comprehensive basis. Professional literature that could provide guidance, either by example or by prescription, for the disposition of these files, is virtually nonexistent. This article attempts to take a first step to remedy that situation by identifying the kinds of papers most likely to appear in legislators' files, discussing the conditions of their creation and official use, and suggesting their possible usefulness to a variety of potential researchers. Rather than finding a model or a list of ready-made appraisal decisions, however, readers are asked to consider various alternatives and to draw their own conclusions based on the needs of individual repositories with their own collecting policies and obligations to parent agencies or user constituencies.
Internal Communication Systems in American Business Structures: A Framework to Aid Appraisal
Authors: Yates Joanne
Published: October 2015

This article applies current research in the history of internal communication in business to archival appraisal of business documents. It examines the communication systems typical of three American business structures: (1) the traditional, owner-managed small firm that was the major form of American business before 1880 and still exists today; (2) the larger, functionally departmentalized firm that first developed in the latter half of the nineteenth century; and (3) the multidivisional firm, with autonomous divisions based on products or geographical regions, that first developed in the 1920s. The author discusses the implication of this view of business documents for appraisal of business collections, describes problems with some common approaches to appraisal, and suggests alternative approaches.
In the Valley of Decision: What To Do about the Multitude of Files of Quasi Cases
Authors: Rapport Leonard
Published: October 2015

In 1887 the Congress delegated, for the first time, legislative and judicial powers to an executive agency, the Interstate Commerce Commission. Today, under such delegations and in accordance with the constitutional right to due process, federal agencies conduct quasi-judicial and quasi-legislative proceedings that create hundreds of thousands of case files a year. Certain agencies each year select for transfer to the National Archives case files of important cases in accordance with selection schemes that were devised as far back as forty years ago. This large and inexorably increasing body of records is seldom used and almost never for the reasons for which it was selected—importance and precedent. The agencies publish in considerable detail their important and precedential decisions and the reasoning leading to these decisions; and these published reports, rather than the case files, are widely used. The relatively few users of the case files are almost always seeking in these files incidental information concerning various subjects that usually have little or no relation to the importance of the cases. The article urges appraisers to keep in mind an obligation to the taxpayer of justifying the cost of maintaining in perpetuity such an ever-increasing body of records, and to the researcher of selecting cases for which there is a reasonable expectation that their future use will justify such cost. Attempting to balance these two considerations leads to the conclusion that such appraisals are not likely to approach perfection and that the best appraisal is that which does the least harm.
A World of Repositories, a World of Records: Redefining the Scope of a National Subject Collection
Authors: Grigg Susan
Published: October 2015

Archivists have been less succesful in collecting documentation on white ethnics than in gathering materials on other neglected groups in American society. This article addresses the problem by applying concepts of collection development to the holdings of an outstanding immigrant-ethnic repository, the Immigration History Research Center Collection of the University of Minnesota. It argues that the historic collecting policy is too broad and too indiscriminate to make the best use of the institution's resources and outlines a new policy based on present holdings and on the holdings and policies of other institutions.
Fragments or Components: Theme Collections in a Local Setting
Authors: Grabowski John
Published: October 2015

Archives and manuscript repositories need to determine and enforce realistic collecting policies in order to create cohesive collections for research use and keep the size of their holdings within reasonable bounds, but this is difficult to accomplish because of constituency pressures and the impulse to compete with other institutions. The experience of an old and important regional repository, the Western Reserve Historical Society, particularly its Cleveland Regional Ethnic Archives Program begun in 1971, is the central focus of this article. The author describes how the society's collecting policy was defined and examines the evolution of collecting practice within the bounds of that policy. The successful implementation of the original policy has depended especially on three factors: good working relations with ethnic group leaders, selectivity within the scope of the policy, and cooperation among repositories.
The New Social History: Implications for Archivists
Authors: Mayer Dale
Published: October 2015

According to a recent survey by the Organization of American Historians, the fastest growing field of historical research is social history. Although many social historians use computers, this is not the most significant feature of the New Social History (NSH). More important implications for archivists and manuscripts curators arise from the use of new kinds of source materials and from a new approach to social inquiry and interpretation. Archivists who have attempted to respond to the challenges posed by NSH have tended to attack the problem piecemeal, dealing only with isolated aspects. Recognizing the highly interactive nature of archival functions, this study provides an overview of NSH's impact on all major aspects of archival practice and management. Traditional archival concerns such as solicitation strategies, appraisal criteria, provenance, and arrangement and description options are re-examined to assess the impact of NSH, point out some serious implications for archivists, and provide a starting point for institutional self-assessments and integrated planning.
Processing for Access
Authors: Haller Uli
Published: October 2015

This article describes a method for gaining progressively refined control over holdings using provenancial arrangement. Arrangement techniques for both personal papers and corporate records, either organized or disorganized, are demonstrated. The system of access is based on a floating record group concept designed to identify all organic bodies of records in a repository. Access is provided on a logical and comprehensive basis rather than on a subjective and selective one.
The MARC Formats: An Overview
Authors: Morton Katharine
Published: October 2015

The USMARC Archival and Manuscripts Control (AMC) format provides archivists with the means to communicate and exchange information about holdings in machine-readable form. This article gives a brief history of the USMARC formats developed by the Library of Congress for bibliographic data and authority records and outlines the basic structure of a MARC record. It explains the role USMARC formats have played in the creation of national and international standards for the exchange of bibliographic information and in the growth of bibliographic utilities. The review process for proposed changes to the formats is described.
The Use of Standards in the Application of the AMC Format
Authors: Hensen Steven
Published: October 2015

As archivists begin to use the new MARC Archival and Manuscripts Control (AMC) format, they will find themselves confronting many unfamiliar questions, not the least of which relate to the use of traditional library-based standards controlling the form and content of certain information elements. This article explores the ramifications for archivists using standards relating to cataloging codes, name authorities, and subject headings. In addition to explaining the importance of these standards as they relate to both the demands of the format as well as traditional archival principles, some suggestions are made to help ease the archivists into this "brave new world" of automation-induced library-archives coexistence.
The Origins of Restrictions on Access To Personal Papers at the Library of Congress and the National Archives
Authors: Geselbracht Raymond
Published: October 2015

Two very different access policies for donated papers have developed within the two major traditions of American archival administration, the historical manuscripts tradition and the public archives tradition. Within the former, the policy was founded on an agreement between the repository and the donor that exchanged possession of the papers for restrictions on their use. The donor maintained control of access to some or all of his papers, and the archivist administered the restrictions. A quite different access policy developed within the public archives tradition, based on the assumption that papers with a high public policy content should be open. Restrictions were regarded as necessary, but undesirable.

This article focuses on the Manuscript Division of the Library of Congress and the presidential libraries system of the National Archives and Records Administration. The author examines the strengths and limitations of the access policies employed by both these institutions and encourages archivists to work toward agreement on what constitutes a good access policy.
The Appraisal of Personally Identifiable Student Records
Authors: Barritt Marjorie
Published: October 2015

The problems of the administration and appraisal of student records have increased due to the growth of academic institutions and the proliferation of laws and regulations pertaining to such records. This article examines three areas: how the laws of the last decade, particularly the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, have affected record-keeping practices within units at one large public institution; how archivists and records managers at selected universities manage and appraise student records; and the effect on the research community of those appraisal decisions and the limited accessibility of student records and records containing personally identifiable information in general.
Professionalism and Archivists in the United States
Authors: Cox Richard
Published: October 2015

Since the formation of the Conference of Archivists in 1909, archivists in the United States have been concerned with their own professional status and standards. Although archivists have made tremendous strides in the development of professionalism, especially over the past decade, recent self-assessments reveal that their profession still has serious deficiencies. This essay, using sociological models and examples of other professions, attempts to analyze some of the reasons for these problems and suggests an agenda of issues for archivists' consideration. The article discusses society's image of the archivist and its understanding of the archival mission, archivists' need to develop a stronger national voice, problems with archival education, the purpose of individual certification and institutional accreditation, and the need for archivists to acquire a broader notion of their own potential. While an improved professionalism is not the only solution to the problems archivists face, it is certainly a means for working towards their mission and its goals.
Use, Appraisal, and Research: A Case Study of Social History
Authors: Miller Fredric
Published: October 2015

This article analyzes the use of archives and manuscripts in 214 scholarly articles on social history published between 1981 and 1985. More broadly, it addresses the ongoing debates over the triangle of relationships among appraisal, current use, and historical scholarship. The study's findings show that most social historians continue to rely regularly on archives in their research. Patterns of use vary significantly according to time period, research orientation, and subject. Social historians use collections in older historical societies and collections of personal papers extensively, but rarely draw on state and local public archives. The numerical distribution by time period of the types of series used and their relative importance in articles may help predict future patterns of archival use.
Formats and Standards: A Film Archive Perspective on Exchanging Computerized Data
Authors: Smither Roger
Published: October 2015

Film archives—despite the "published" nature of many collections—share conventional archivists' problems in processing information on their holdings. Also common to both is the feeling that the introduction of computers should make easier the sharing of processed information and the realization that such data exchange is dependent on the acceptance of common standards and formats. Information given to the Cataloguing Commission of the Fédération Internationale des Archives du Film (FIAF), which is developing such standards, indicates that progress at the national level in some countries may come to hinder, not help, international developments and illustrates some of the problems in planning international cooperation.
Things of the Spirit: Documenting Religion in New England
Authors: O'Toole James
Published: October 2015

Before archivists can document a large and complex phenomenon such as religion in New England, they must understand the outlines of its history, particularly in the more recent period. This article reviews the long story of religion in the region and focuses in particular on developments since the Second World War. The more important influences in this time include changes in economic and social life, suburbanization, changing traditions within particular denominations, growing ecumenical activity, and the use of mass media by religious professionals. The article concludes with a series of suggestions for how archivists, both individually and collectively, can identify and preserve documentation for these subjects.
Documenting Recreation and Tourism in New England
Authors: Bassett T.
Published: October 2015

New England tourism is more than a century old, but historians have only recently begun to write about it, and about the related field of recreation. At first limited to the summer, tourism now flourishes in every season; once limited to the leisure class, it is now available to nearly everyone, and ethnic, racial, and religious exclusion has been reduced. Sources for tourism and recreation are either lacking or hard to find. This article describes some types of tourism, its history, and existing documentation of various kinds of resorts and recreational activities, and points to the possibilities for and difficulties of a documentation strategy.
The Role of Use in Defining Archival Practice and Principles: A Research Agenda for the Availability and Use of Records
Authors: Dowler Lawrence
Published: October 2015

This article contends that use, rather than the form of material, is the basis on which archival practice and theory ought to be constructed. For this reason, the study of the uses and users of archives must be the goal of a research agenda for the profession, and the social sciences and information theory may provide the models archivists need to conduct such research. The aim of archival research should be to study systematically the relationship between the use of information and the ways in which it is or can be provided; it is from this relationship that the value of records and the information they contain will be determined and archival practices defined. Highest priority must be given to a national study of use in order to establish a baseline of information against which to measure and compare access and retrieval, reference service, acquisitions, management, appraisal guidelines, and documentation strategies.
Educating the Reference Archivist
Authors: Ruth Janice
Published: October 2015

Although much has been written recently on archival education and the role education plays in certification and professionalization, little of this literature addresses archival reference and the skills archivists need to carry out their reference responsibilities. This inattention to the training of reference archivists reflects the field's general indifference to the reference process relative to other archival concerns. This article, through a selected survey of the literature, suggests that only in the last decade have archivists begun to examine critically the reference process and to recognize the shortcomings of archival finding aids and reference personnel. Several archivists have suggested ways of improving archival finding aids, but few have addressed the issue of personnel expertise. This author recommends increased formal education and suggests potential topics of study.
On the Idea of Permanence
Authors: O'Toole James
Published: October 2015

This essay explores the changing understanding archivists have had of the idea of permanence as it applies to the records in their custody. Though it seems to be an absolute, archivists have in fact used this word to denote very different ideas and concepts, ranging from permanence of the information in documents to permanence of the physical objects themselves. Today, archivists are increasingly reluctant to employ the idea at all, and the essay concludes with some speculations about the future of archives without permanence.
The Ethics of Access
Authors: Danielson Elena
Published: October 2015

The principle of providing equal access to archival resources is enshrined in various guidelines and codes of ethics for archival practices. The professional archivist has the responsibility to balance the conflicting interests of heirs, donors, collectors, researchers, and home institutions. An examination of the access problems associated with the restricted papers of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Ludwig Wittgenstein, and Sigmund Freud, and recently opened files on Ferdinand Marcos and Kurt Waldheim reveals the difficulties inherent in implementing such a deceptively simple principle. Several hypothetical situations are posed to demonstrate the practical difficulties of implementing the concept of equal access to open collections.
Archivists, You Are What People Think You Keep
Authors: Gracy David
Published: October 2015

The value of archives (records) to society defines the value of archival enterprise. When a columnist compares archivists to a fictional person who takes ultimate professional delight in studying feces, it is time to look at the ways that archivists describe the material with which they work. The author criticizes the current glossary definition of archives and offers significantly different definitions, both formal and informal, that archivists can use to improve the public's perception of the value of archives.
The Amsterdam Municipal Archives as a Source for the History of the United States of America
Authors: Spijkerman Henri
Published: October 2015

The holdings of the Municipal Archives of Amsterdam not only document the history of Amsterdam, but they also constitute an important source for the history of the Dutch colonial experience in North America. Important sources for the history of New Netherland, the seventeenth-century Dutch colony in present-day New York, are found in the notarial archives of Amsterdam; these archives are carefully indexed. Also available in the Amsterdam Municipal Archives are the archives of private institutions such as banks and land companies that provide documentation of finance, trade, and land development in North America.
MicroMARC:amc: A Case Study in the Development of an Automated System
Authors: Honhart Frederick
Published: October 2015

The MicroMARC:amc microcomputer system, developed at Michigan State University, was the first system to utilize successfully the MARC Archives and Manuscripts Control (AMC) format in a microcomputer environment. The system's developer describes the process by which the system was created, discusses concepts and factors that shaped it, and assesses the results of the project and the reasons for its success.
Institutionalizing an Archives: Developing Historical Records Programs in Organizations
Authors: Yakel Elizabeth
Published: October 2015

The primary purpose of an institutional archives is the management of the records of a parent organization. The archivist is likely to work in isolation from other archivists and, unlike a historical society or library-based employee, cannot expect preservation of historical records to be defined as an institutional priority. Thus the roles of the archivist and the archives must be well-defined if the archivist is to function as an advocate for the archives and an educator for the institution's staff. The author emphasizes the importance of developing long-term goals that go beyond ensuring the mere survival of the institution's records.
Authority Control Issues and Prospects
Authors: Bearman David
Published: October 2015

Research on authority control reported in archival, library, and information science literature suggests that efforts to control topical subject terminology are inappropriate and ineffective in an archival setting because researchers are unlikely to use the same terminology as that contained in the documents, and because most users value precision over recall (inclusiveness) in their searching. The author argues that archival retrieval will be enhanced by placing more emphasis on increasing the number of access points and less on achieving consistency in indexing. He describes various kinds of authority files and identifies several (occupation, time period, geographic coordinates, form-of-material, and function) that offer the most promise. He advocates the use of existing reference files and cooperative development of new ones, to be used not only in the traditional authority-control sense but also as valuable information resources in their own right.
Providing Access by Form of Material, Genre, and Physical Characteristics: Benefits and Techniques
Authors: Zinkham Helena , Cloud Patricia , Mayo Hope
Published: October 2015

Form, genre, and physical characteristics are basic elements in the description of archival material. Either alone or in combination with such other information as name of originating agency, subject, place, and date, they are a powerful retrieval tool that is only beginning to be exploited. The authors summarize the value of access by type of material, describe the vocabulary lists currently in use by archivists and other special collections communities, and outline benefits of distinguishing subject headings from form headings. They focus on catalog entries in systems using the USMARC bibliographic format, with special attention to retrieval issues in catalogs shared by archival, rare book, and visual material collections. Their conclusion calls for increased use of form headings and more cooperation to ensure effective access.
Development of the PRESNET Subject Descriptor Thesaurus
Authors: McNitt William
Published: October 2015

The PRESNET Thesaurus is a controlled vocabulary of subject descriptors employed in indexing the descriptions of archival materials entered in PRESNET (the Presidential Libraries Information Network). An archivist involved in its development and use discusses the decision to employ a thesaurus, the steps involved in designing and creating it, subsequent modification of the thesaurus after usage began, and the experience of the Gerald R. Ford Library in using it.
Description Standards: A Framework for Action
Authors: Bearman David
Published: October 2015

The growing significance of electronic records makes it especially important that archivists be aware of the description data required to document their holdings. Archivists will have to become involved in the development of description standards in order to obtain the documentation required to describe electronic records. The paper proposes a matrix depicting description standards as a way of addressing the practical issues associated with their development and promotion. The author notes the effort required to develop standards, suggests criteria for evaluating standards proposals, and calls for the working group to help archivists understand the need for standards as a necessary basis for subsequent debate and eventual endorsement of specific standards.
A New Access System for the Vatican Archives
Authors: Coombs Leonard
Published: October 2015

The Vatican Archives, one of the major national and religious archives of the world, contains records from as early as the ninth century and continuous documentation of the church administration from the twelfth century to the present. Although a variety of specialized guides describe various parts of the archives, the lack of a comprehensive inventory of holdings makes access difficult for researchers. A team of archivists from the University of Michigan has begun a project to create a comprehensive, provenancebased access system, working from existing guides and inventories. The author, who is a member of the team, summarizes the history of the Vatican Archives and describes the plan of work for the project.
The Archivist as Historical Researcher: Research and Archivistics at the Danish State Archives
Authors: Gelting Michael
Published: October 2015

Archivists in the Danish state archives have addressed the issue of professional identity by emphasizing the archivist's standing as a member of the historical research community. Traditionally, historical research has been seen as a part of the archivist's duties, and a portion of the work week is designated for that purpose. The author describes the way that the policy has been implemented and assesses its effects.
From Archival Gothic to MARC Modern: Building Common Data Structures
Authors: Roe Kathleen
Published: October 2015

Archivists have never succeeded in developing a framework that would provide consistently formatted descriptive information about archival holdings. This has resulted in confusion and inefficiency for staff members and researchers alike. The author analyzes widely used manuals of archival description, discussing the elements of information recommended for inclusion in various kinds of finding aids and the implicit "data structures" intended to contain those elements. She also reviews recent developments, mostly related to automation efforts, that have led to more explicit definitions or data structures and presents issues that must be addressed in order to to define a general archival information system standard.
Subject Access to Archival and Manuscript Material
Authors: Ostroff Harriet
Published: October 2015

The numerous vocabulary lists that are available for use in cataloging often present difficulties when applied in the cataloging of archival and manuscript material, sometimes because archivists have had little to do with the creation, maintenance, and revision of the lists, and at times due to the lack of sufficient application guidelines for otherwise appropriate vocabularies. The author discusses these problems and proposes possible solutions by examining subject access tools used for USMARC fields 072 (subject category code), 600-654 (subject added entries), 655/755 (index term—genre/form and added entry—physical characteristics), and 656 (index term—occupations).
External Technical Standards for Data Contents and Data Values: Prospects for Adoption by the Archival Community
Authors: Thibodeau Sharon
Published: October 2015

Certain recurrent types of information (e.g., dates, times, geographic locations, languages) are so broadly used in data processing that standard code lists (data values) or standard formats for entering the information (data contents) have been developed and widely adopted. Many of these have direct applications in archival information systems. The author summarizes the issues to be considered by the archival community before adopting these standards. Several specific standards are described as examples and are evaluated, using the criteria developed by the Working Group on Standards for Archival Description.
Doing it by the Numbers: Standard Statistics for Describing Archives
Authors: Stout Leon
Published: October 2015

The Working Group's definition of archival description encompasses not only bibliographic data and finding aids, but also the collection and analysis of administrative and statistical data about archival institutions and their holdings. The author examines several efforts at standardizing library and archival statistical gathering processes, focusing in particular on the recent efforts by the National Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators and its 1987 Program Reporting Guidelines.
Planning an Effective Holdings Maintenance Program
Authors: Garlick Karen
Published: October 2015

A holdings maintenance program uses a range of simple, basic preservation procedures to improve the housing and storage environment for archival records on an institution-wide basis and, in the process, to defer or eliminate the need for individualized conservation attention. This paper describes the steps necessary to establish an effective systematic holdings maintenance program. It covers the knowledge-gathering and planning that takes place during the initial stages of a new program and the more specific planning that is undertaken when individual holdings maintenance projects are being developed.
Preservation Planning for Archives: Development and Field Testing of the NAGARA GRASP
Authors: Curtin Bonnie
Published: October 2015

The National Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators Guide and Resources for Archives Strategic Preservation Planning (NAGARA GRASP), funded by an NHPRC grant, will be the first publication geared for archivists' use in developing comprehensive preservation programs in their own repositories and within cooperative communities. The development, design, and field tests of this preservation planning system are described.
Selection for Microfilming
Authors: Child Margaret
Published: October 2015

This article describes the selection process and theory behind the "great collections" approach to microfilming books. The author argues that this approach will not work for archival materials because: (1) there is no methodology to identify exceptionally strong collections; (2) archival collecting has not been the product of ongoing collaboration with subject specialists, nor are collections periodically reappraised; and (3) few archives have undertaken systematic analysis of their collections to assess their strengths and weaknesses. The author calls for the development of a selection methodology that identifies both the most endangered and the most significant documentary records in order to establish priorities for preserving them. Selection for preservation must be built into every aspect of a repository's collections management, from the initial decision to acquire a collection onwards.
Checklist of Standards Applicable to the Preservation of Archives and Manuscripts
Authors: Walch Victoria
Published: October 2015

Standards have become increasingly important as use of complex technologies influences all phases of archival work. The Society of American Archivists Task Force on Archival Standards has identified more than 150 standards related in some way to archival preservation. The checklist presents the standards (together with information about availability and cost), describes the organizations that developed them, and calls for increased archival participation in the standards-development process.
Archival Preservation: The Teaming of the Crew
Authors: Kaplan Hilary , Banks Brenda
Published: October 2015

Preservation has always been at the core of the archival mission. The application of its tenets has, however, frequently been carried out in the most passive ways. As a result, tremendous remedial problems face today's archivists. Correcting the problems of neglect will require new strategies, techniques, and renewed relationships with preservation personnel. Fostering lines of communication with preservation educators will lead us to a better understanding of what will be required to address our needs. The authors advocate assessing archival needs while carefully considering implications for the future in an information environment. They emphasize the difference between preservation personnel needs in libraries and archives, examine formal education training opportunities currently available, and suggest ways to improve archival preservation training. By reviewing the current status of archival preservation, the authors highlight significant issues to help stimulate further thought and discussion in the archival community.
RAMP Studies and Related UNESCO Publications: An International Source for Archival Administration
Authors: Cox Richard
Published: October 2015

UNESCO's Paris-based Records and Archives Management Program (RAMP), has sponsored and published many studies of archival institutions, functions, and education that provide a valuable picture of archival practice worldwide. The author reviews selected RAMP publications that have general value for North American archivists in the areas of archival education, appraisal, arrangement and description, reference and access, preservation, government archives, the relevance of other disciplines for archival work, and international archival protocol and standards.
To Remember and Forget: Archives, Memory, and Culture
Authors: Foote Kenneth
Published: October 2015

The idea of archives as collective memory is sometimes employed as a metaphor for discussing the social and cultural role of archives. It is argued here that the idea is more than a metaphor and is supported by theories that would view collections of documents and material artifacts as means of extending the temporal and spatial range of communication. Archives, along with other communicational resources such as oral and ritual tradition, help to transfer information—and thereby sustain memory—from generation to generation. Two examples illustrate the interrelationship of archives and memory within this broadened view of communication and culture. The first arises from attempts to find ways to warn future generations of the location of radioactive waste repositories. The second revolves around pressure to efface from cultural landscapes evidence of tragic events that people wish to forget.
"Imponderable Matters: " The Influence of New Trends in History on Appraisal at the National Archives
Authors: Lockwood Elizabeth
Published: October 2015

The field of history has changed a great deal since Theodore Schellenberg wrote The Appraisal of Modern Public Records in 1956. Although trends in social history, Afro-American history, and women's history have suggested new subjects, themes, and periodization for historians during the last twenty years, archivists at the National Archives and Records Administration continue to rely primarily on Schellenberg's guidance in their appraisal of the records of the federal government. The author investigates the criteria used in making appraisal decisions at NARA, looks at some examples of appraisals that considered the new trends in history to greater and lesser extents, and concludes that NARA must take a proactive position on this issue to ensure that tomorrow's archival collection is a well-considered and useful one.
Case Studies in Archives Program Development
Authors: Hackman Larry , O'Toole James , Fagerlund Liisa , Dojka John
Published: October 2015

Three archivists describe the development of archival programs that they formerly directed: the Archives of the Archdiocese of Boston, the Utah State Archives, and the Yale University Archives. Each case study provides a description of program development and analyzes the institutional setting and the role of managerial planning, communication, internal and external alliances, and professional standards. The three case studies, which were first presented in a session at the fifty-second annual meeting of the Society of American Archivists in Atlanta in October 1988, are accompanied by an introduction and commentary.
The View From the Researcher's Desk: Historians' Perceptions of Research and Repositories
Authors: Orbach Barbara
Published: October 2015

To gain a full picture of research use, it is necessary to explore not only who uses archives and what they use archives for, but also at what point researchers turn to archival materials, and where, how, and why such materials are used. To explore the potential of a broader-based analysis of information seeking and use, ten historians were interviewed about their views of research and their research practices, with special reference to their use of archival sources. Recommendations are offered concerning the training of both researchers and archivists.