Showing papers in "American Archivist in 1989"
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore the changing understanding archivists have had of the idea of permanence as it applies to the records in their custody, and conclude with some speculations about the future of archives without permanence.
Abstract: 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.
41 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that archivists should adopt a more user-friendly approach to marketing their services, which differs from public relations and selling products by focusing on customers and their needs.
Abstract: In order to avoid becoming irrelevant in the modern information society, archivists must redefine their professional identity and role in society, learn new planning and marketing skills, and establish the importance of archives in meeting user needs. Responding to initiatives launched by the SAA Task Force on Archives and Society, the author argues that archivists should adopt a more user-friendly approach to marketing their services. Marketing differs from public relations and selling products by focusing on customers and their needs. Altering the profession's image requires that individual archivists redefine their own self-image, attitudes, and procedures.
32 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, 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.
Abstract: 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.
15 citations
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine 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.
Abstract: 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.
15 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors focus on the dynamics of question negotiation, a process by which the patron's initial query is clarified through the archivist's use of communication techniques in order to identify the true information need, which often is not expressed in the initial query.
Abstract: Reference archivists currently lag behind reference librarians in their awareness of the subtleties and significance of reference interactions. This article focuses on the dynamics of question negotiation, a process by which the patron's initial query is clarified through the archivist's use of communication techniques in order to identify the patron's true information need, which often is not expressed in the initial query. Among the aspects of interpersonal communication considered are the use of paralinguistic elements of communication (pitch, stress, and volume of voice), the effect of verbal and nonverbal communication skills on the archivist-patron relationship, and the overall impact of this interaction on the archivist's effectiveness in serving the patron.
15 citations
TL;DR: The MARC Format for Archives and Manuscript Control (MARC-AMC) was designed with the potential for recording a broad range of information and contains structures for a variety of implementations and opens the ways to multimedia cultural information systems and new local/national systems architectures.
Abstract: The MARC Format for Archives and Manuscript Control (MARC-AMC) was designed with the potential for recording a broad range of information and contains structures for a variety of implementations. These hidden potentials are being explored in its implementation within national bibliographic networks, especially within the Research Libraries Information Network (RLIN) by the Seven States Project. The AMC format has the potential both to support successful automation of archival control and to transform the bibliographic utilities as we know them today. Specifically, AMC overthrows the bibliocentricism, the political hegemony, and the existing financial/functional underpinnings of the bibliographic networks. It opens the ways to multimedia cultural information systems and new local/national systems architectures. As a consequence, archivists are likely to play a critical role in redesigning library information networks in the decades to come.
12 citations
TL;DR: 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.
Abstract: 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.
11 citations
TL;DR: Diplomatics is an auxiliary science of history created by the French monk Dom Jean Mabillon in 1681 to establish the authenticity of medieval charters and played a major role in legitimizing archival documentation for historical research and in the education and work of European archivists as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Diplomatics is an auxiliary science of history created by the French monk Dom Jean Mabillon in 1681 to establish the authenticity of medieval charters. It played a major role in legitimizing archival documentation for historical research and in the education and work of European archivists, many of whom in the twentieth century have come to recognize its potential value for the study of modern and contemporary records. Special diplomatics could be developed to assist American archivists in understanding and working with legal documents, accounting records, and other distinctive forms of record-keeping; the same could be done to aid in the identification of forgeries and the authentication of electronic records.
11 citations
TL;DR: The strategy's application in documenting geographical localities, in this case western New York, is described and a number of additional questions about the documentation strategy are posed that still need answering.
Abstract: Documentation strategy has emerged as one of the major new archival concepts of the 1980s. The emergence of interest in it is a healthy sign for the archival profession's quest to identify, select, and preserve records of enduring value. Yet, the documentation strategy is still a largely untested concept. This essay describes the strategy's application in documenting geographical localities, in this case western New York, and, as a result, poses a number of additional questions about the documentation strategy that still need answering.
10 citations
TL;DR: In the 1970s, changing responsibilities and increased complexities for archivists created a need for a comprehensive code of ethics as discussed by the authors and a Society of American Archivists committee wrote a code, which was adopted by the Society.
Abstract: A code of ethics is a statement of generally accepted standards for judgment and conduct that addresses responsibilities unique to a profession. In the 1970s, changing responsibilities and increased complexities for archivists created a need for a comprehensive code of ethics. A Society of American Archivists committee wrote a code, which was adopted by the Society. The author, who chaired that committee, compares the code with the statement written in 1955 for the National Archives and with the codes of similar professions. General adherence to the principles in day-to-day practice and continuing discussion of ethics will lead to reevaluation and revision of the code of ethics.
9 citations
TL;DR: The author summarizes existing archival description standards at three levels (data structure, data content, and data value), reviews reasons to develop and use standards along with obstacles blocking their emergence, and explores possible future developments.
Abstract: Members of the archival profession have demonstrated an increasing interest in standards-related issues, particularly in archival description standards. The author discusses the concepts, principles, and methodologies associated with archival description standards, first by defining the phrase archival description, and then by introducing similar standards in the library profession as a frame of reference. She summarizes existing archival description standards at three levels (data structure, data content, and data value), reviews reasons to develop and use standards along with obstacles blocking their emergence, and explores possible future developments.
TL;DR: The paper proposes a matrix depicting description standards as a way of addressing the practical issues associated with their development and promotion and calls for the working group to help archivists understand the need for standards.
Abstract: 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.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe a legal challenge which tested the right of the donor of a collection of private papers and the State Historical Society of Wisconsin to control access to that collection.
Abstract: This article describes a legal challenge which tested the right of the donor of a collection of private papers and the State Historical Society of Wisconsin to control access to that collection. It analyzes the arguments used by both sides in the case, the implications of the court's decision for future litigation of a similar nature, and the potential impact on the ability of archives to collect politically sensitive material.
TL;DR: 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).
Abstract: 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.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors trace the discussion and open criticism of the existing archival system that has been appearing in the Soviet press and draw on extensive experience with Soviet archives to describe access, appraisal, and description policies and practices.
Abstract: Soviet archivists and researchers are looking to a new spirit of historical awareness to penetrate and transform the functions and mandates of archival service. One manifestation of the new openness in Soviet society is the discussion and open criticism of the existing archival system that has been appearing in the Soviet press. The author traces that discussion and draws on extensive experience with Soviet archives to describe access, appraisal, and description policies and practices. If trends toward more glasnost' continue in Soviet society and its historical scholarship, they will require that the current discussion and criticism lead to fundamental restructuring of archival policies and practices.
TL;DR: 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.
Abstract: 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.
TL;DR: The conservative Protestant traditions of Fundamentalism, Evangelicalism, and Pentecostalism have few archives, particularly for the nondenominational institutions that provide so much of these groups' leadership and resources as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The conservative Protestant traditions of Fundamentalism, Evangelicalism, and Pentecostalism have few archives, particularly for the nondenominational institutions that provide so much of these groups' leadership and resources. Part of the explanation for this scarcity of archives lies in the nature of these traditions—their relatively recent origin, focus on the present, diversity, and funding priorities. The Evangelical Archives Conference, held at the Billy Graham Center in 1988, began to address the problem by bringing together a group of archivists and nonarchivists to plan an agenda for future action.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors of two of the most influential works in the field of Southern history, American Negro Slavery (1918) and Life and Labor in the Old South (1929), highlight Phillips's efforts to promote the location, appraisal, arrangement, description, and conservation of the historical documents, especially plantation manuscripts and local records.
Abstract: Historian Ulrich Bonnell Phillips (1877-1934) is best known as the author of two of the most influential works in the field of Southern history, American Negro Slavery (1918) and Life and Labor in the Old South (1929). This article underscores Phillips's efforts to promote the location, appraisal, arrangement, description, and conservation of the historical documents, especially plantation manuscripts and local records, of the Old South. In 1903 Phillips prepared an important report for the American Historical Association surveying Georgia's archives. Two years later he summarized the state of archival affairs for the entire South. Phillips's advocacy of systematic archival practice in the South furthered his career, enhanced his private collection of manuscripts and documents, and encouraged the establishment of state and university archival programs in his native region.
TL;DR: This paper attempts to focus the standards process by offering a definition of its proper scope, and criteria for evaluating the quality of proposed standards.
Abstract: The archival profession is witnessing a call for the development and adoption of archival description standards that stems from a desire to exchange descriptive information among repositories by taking advantage of more effective and affordable technology. This movement, however, has not fully comprehended the costs and limitations inherent in the development and use of standards. In particular, it has not addressed the need to make the most effective use of resources and to satisfy local requirements by defining the proper scope of standards and the criteria by which to evaluate them. This paper attempts to focus the standards process by offering a definition of its proper scope, and criteria for evaluating the quality of proposed standards.
TL;DR: Archivists face the challenge of trying simultaneously to meet professional program standards, maintain the primacy of their core mission, and accommodate other opportunities and demands, all of this within the limits of available resources.
Abstract: Archives of colleges and universities have evolved in response to a number of pressures and forces, most of which are beyond their control: the character, age, and mission of the parent institution; the administrative location of the archives; the place of the archivist in the institutional hierarchy; the research, teaching, and programmatic interests of faculty and administrators; the educational and subject interests of the archivist; and archival theory and principles. Academic archivists face the challenge of trying simultaneously to meet professional program standards, maintain the primacy of their core mission, and accommodate other opportunities and demands, all of this within the limits of available resources. The resolution of these tensions may come less from the development of external standards than from each archivist's ability to seize control of the forces and direct them to the good of the program.
TL;DR: The United Nations War Crimes Commission records at the United Nations Archives provide an extreme example of the dangers inherent in relying on only one institution's records as mentioned in this paper, and the policy governing access and use, and analyzes the problems of taking the content of the records at face value.
Abstract: Archivists and researchers must be aware of the limitations of records found in a single repository and should know what complementary materials exist in other archives. The United Nations War Crimes Commission records at the United Nations Archives provides an extreme example of the dangers inherent in relying on only one institution's records. The author describes the UNWCC archives, discusses the policy governing access and use, and analyzes the problems of taking the content of the records at face value.
TL;DR: The MicroMARC:amc microcomputer system, developed at Michigan State University, was the first system to utilize the MARC Archives and Manuscripts Control (AMC) format in a microcomputer environment as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: 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.
TL;DR: The American Bible Society's founders conceived the organization in 1816 as a traditional missionary moral reform agency as discussed by the authors, but by the mid-nineteenth century, the ABS more closely resembled a modern national nonprofit corporate bureaucracy.
Abstract: The American Bible Society's founders conceived the organization in 1816 as a traditional missionary moral reform agency. By the mid-nineteenth century, the ABS more closely resembled a modern national nonprofit corporate bureaucracy. Important changes in institutional recordkeeping accompanied and reinforced this change in mission. Increasingly, ABS field agents and employees were discouraged from presenting rich narrative reports, and were required to quantify their work into narrow statistical compilations. Recordkeeping case studies, sensitive to the broader process of institutionalization, can contribute to bureaucratization theory, expose institutional power relationships, and help archivists better appraise the informational value and limitations of their collections.
TL;DR: A team of archivists from the University of Michigan has begun a project to create a comprehensive, provenance-based access system for the Vatican Archives as discussed by the authors, which contains records from as early as the ninth century and continuous documentation of the church administration from the twelfth century to the present.
Abstract: 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.
TL;DR: The National Archives and Records Administration confronted the difficult question of how burgeoning electronic records should be scheduled and appraised when, in 1986-88, it revised the existing General Records Schedules as they pertained to the disposition of machine-readable records as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The National Archives and Records Administration confronted the difficult question of how burgeoning electronic records should be scheduled and appraised when, in 1986-88, it revised the existing General Records Schedules as they pertained to the disposition of machine-readable records. The committee of custodial and appraisal archivists substantially revised GRS 20, the existing nontextual schedule for machine-readable records, and created new provisions in GRS 23, which, for the first time, addressed the issue of electronic records created on personal computers or in office automation systems. The authors discuss the fundamental archival questions raised in the revision process, describe how the issues were resolved, and evaluate the results.
TL;DR: The presentation et evolution de la revue Janus, publiee depuis 1982 par le conseil international sur les archives (ICA) was published by as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Presentation et evolution de la revue Janus, publiee depuis 1982 par le conseil international sur les archives (ICA)