Reference And Access For Archives And Manuscripts

Access and reference services are central to engaging with historical resources. As more people encounter archives for scholarly and avocational research, as part of creative pursuits, or to exercise their rights as citizens to access records, the possibilities for how collections are used will continue to evolve. Archivists need to be familiar with who their users are, understand why they're using archival collections, and engage in outreach so that they can provide excellent reference services. Reference and Access for Archives and Manuscripts outlines the various components of: providing physical, intellectual, and virtual access, acquiring reference knowledge and skills, navigating legal regulations and ethics, and designing use policies and effective outreach. Cheryl Oestreicher contextualizes how all of these components fit within other archival functions and offers strategies and detailed practices for creating comprehensive reference programs that archivists can adapt for any type of institution. Both new and experienced archivists will find Reference and Access for Archives and Manuscripts a solid foundation on which to add their own ideas for how to bring people into the archives as well as bring archives to the people. Readers are encouraged to examine these concepts and practices in conversation with others and to consider how archivists can continue to advance reference and access.

Like their librarian colleagues, reference archivists mediate between the user and the source material. However, given the nature of archival materials and of their holding repositories, unique issues arise. While such matters as provenance and original order and access and security continue to be vital underpinnings of their work, a myriad of other issues comes into play as reference archivists attempt to balance the competing demands of donors, researchers, the public, and the press. From the creation and dissemination of finding aids for electronic resources to the implementation of marketing strategies to increase support and strengthen service, Reference Services for Archives and Manuscripts shows you how to thrive in the changing world of archival reference. Intended to foster an appreciation of the issues both within and beyond the field of archives, Reference Services for Archives and Manuscripts reveals that today's archivist is straddling the world of the traditional with the world of the new. The book establishes its value as it guides you through new concerns such as how to: take advantage of technological developments in appraisal, accession, and preservation address copyright, privacy, and funding issues for electronic resources mount archival cataloging records on local and wide-area databases create a publicly available site on the Internet improve in-house access tools, professional abilities, and the caliber of public service address security issues and respond to theft Reference Services for Archives and Manuscripts also helps you by preparing you for changes in the relationship between archivist and researcher that will inevitably occur with further changes in technology. Other vital issues discussed are improved access for unserved and underserved groups, a revision in ethical codes, and the ability of archivists to become more customer-centered.

Leading and Managing Archives and Manuscripts Programs goes beyond conventional wisdom to provide plentiful examples of successful leadership practices from the archives field.

In Arranging and Describing Archives and Manuscripts, Dennis Meissner provides a solid foundation in the history, theory, and standards supporting arrangement and description. In addition, he clearly demonstrates the approaches, methods, and mechanics required to process archival collections.

Archives are considered to be collections of administrative, legal, commercial and other records or the actual place where they are located. They have become ubiquitous in the modern world, but emerged not much later than the invention of writing. Following Foucault, who first used the word archive in a metaphorical sense as "the general system of the formation and transformation of statements" in his "Archaeology of Knowledge" (1969), postmodern theorists have tried to exploit the potential of this concept and initiated the "archival turn". In recent years, however, archives have attracted the attention of anthropologists and historians of different denominations regarding them as historical objects and "grounding" them again in real institutions. The papers in this volume explore the complex topic of the archive in a historical, systematic and comparative context and view it in the broader context of manuscript cultures by addressing questions like how, by whom and for which purpose were archival records produced, and if they differ from literary manuscripts regarding materials, formats, and producers (scribes).

This volume introduces students and beginning practitioners to the fundamentals of working with and preserving archival records and manuscripts. Sample topics include the history of the archives profession, the organization of archival records, and the values that inform practice. A new chapter on contemporary challenges in the archival world has been added for the second edition, and the bibliographic essay has been updated.