Innovative Practices for Archives and Special Collections – serie

Reference and Access: Innovative Practices for Archives and Special Collections explores how archives of different sizes and types are increasing their effectiveness in serving the public and meeting internal needs. The book features twelve case studies that demonstrate new ways to interact with users to answer their questions, provide access to materials, support patrons in the research room, and manage reference and access processes. The featured case studies areBuilding Bridges: Closing the Divide between Minimally Processed Collections and ResearchersManaging Risk with a Virtual Reading Room: Two Born-Digital Projects Improvements on a Shoestring: Changing Reference Systems and Processes Twenty-First Century Security in a Twentieth-Century Space: Reviewing, Revising and Implementing New Security Practices in the Reading RoomTalking in the Night: Exploring Webchats to Serve New Audiences A Small Shop Meets a Big Challenge: Finding Creative Ways to Assist the Researchers of the Breath of Life Archival Institute for Indigenous Languages The Right Tool at the Right Time: Implementing Responsive Reproduction Policies and ProceduresGoing Mobile: Using iPads to Improve the Reading Room Experience Beyond “Trial by Fire”: Towards A More Active Approach to Training New Reference StaffAccess for All: Making Your Archives Website Accessible for People with DisabilitiesNo Ship of Fools: A Digital Humanities Collaboration to Enhance Access to Special CollectionsWebsites as a Digital Extension of Reference: Creating a Reference and IT Partnership for Web Usability StudiesEach of these case studies deconstructs reference and access services into their essential elements: interacting with people who have questions, providing access to materials that meet researcher needs, assisting researchers as they use materials, and managing the processes needed to support reference and access. The volume will be useful to those working in archives and special collections as well as other cultural heritage organizations, and provides ideas ranging from the aspirational to the immediately implementable. It also provides students and educators in archives, library, and public history graduate programs a resource for understanding the issues driving change in the field today and the kinds of strategies archivists are using to meet these new challenges.

Description: Innovative Practices for Archives and Special Collections explores how archives of different sizes and types can enhance the accessibility of their holdings. The book uses eleven case studies to demonstrate innovative ideas that could be transferred into many other settings.Case studies coverCrowdsourcing the Description of Collections Early Experiences with Implementing EAC-CPFConducting a Comprehensive Survey to Reveal a Hidden Repository Getting a Diverse Backlog of Legacy Finding Aids Online A Collaborative Standards-Based Approach to Creating Item-Level Metadata for Digitized Archival MaterialsCreating Policies and Procedures for Mandatory Arrangement and Description by Records CreatorsCollaboration in Cataloging: Sourcing Knowledge from Near and Far for a Challenging CollectionUsing LibGuides to Rescue Paper Ephemera from the Bibliographic UnderbrushDescribing Records, People, Organizations and Functions: The Empowering the User Project’s Flexible Archival Catalogue Integrating Born-Digital Materials into Regular Workflows Describing Single Items for Discovery and AccessThese successful and innovative practices will help archivists and special collections librarians better describe their collections so that they can be successfully accessed and users can locate the right materials.Readers can use these as models, sources of inspiration, or starting points for new discussions. The volume will be useful to those working in archives and special collections as well as other cultural heritage organizations, and provides ideas ranging from those that require long-term planning and coordination to ones that could be immediately implemented. It also provides students and educators in archives, library, and public history graduate programs a resource for understanding the variety of ways materials are being described in the field today and the kinds of strategies archivists are using to ensure collections can be found by the people who want to use them.

Management: Innovative Practices for Archives and Special Collections explores the kinds of challenges that managers of archival programs face today and how those challenges can be met to achieve optimal results while working within existing resources. The book features thirteen case studies that demonstrate solutions to both traditional management concerns as well as new issues and opportunities presented by changes in technology and organizational environments. The featured case studies are: 1) “We’ll Never Let You Retire!”: Creating a Culture of Knowledge Transfer2) Raising Cash and Building Connections: Using Kickstarter to Fund and Promote a Cultural Heritage Project3) A Winning Combination: Internships and High-Impact Learning in Archives4) A Thief in Our Midst: Special Collections, Archives and Insider Theft5) Tackling the Backlog: Conducting a Collections Assessment on a Shoestring6) A Platform for Innovation: Creating the Labs Environment at the National Archives of Australia7) Setting Our Own Agenda: Managing the Merger of Archives and Special Collections8) Taking Control: Managing Organizational Change in Archives 9) Implementing Pre-Custodial Processing: Engaging Organizations to Invest Resources in their Records 10) Building Effective Leaders: Redesigning the Archives Leadership Institute 11) From Evaluation to Implementation: Selecting Archival Management Software12) More Bang for the Buck: Sharing Personnel and Resources Across Institutions13) “Make a New Plan, Stan”: Useful and Painless Strategic Planning The collected case studies present pragmatic approaches to challenges and opportunities that are common to organizations of all sizes and types. Their common focus is on building stronger archival programs by making effective use of people, technology, and resources while working within organizational requirements and constraints. The volume will be useful to those working in archives and special collections as well as other cultural heritage organizations, and provides ideas ranging from the aspirational to the immediately implementable. It also provides students and educators in archives, library, and public history graduate programs a resource for understanding the issues facing managers in the field today and the kinds of strategies archivists are using to meet these new challenges.

Outreach: Innovative Practices for Archives and Special Collections explores how archives of different sizes and types are reaching out to new potential users and increasing awareness of programs and collections. The book features twelve case studies that demonstrate ideas that can be transferred into many other settings. Some of the practices described in the case studies rely primarily on technology and the Web to interact with the public, while others are centered on face-to-face activities. The case studies featured areThe Oregon Archives Crawl: Engaging New Users and AdvocatesMoved by the Spirit: Opportunistic Promotion of the Hamilton Family Séance CollectionWorking Within the Law: Public Programming and Continuing EducationStaying Connected: Engaging Alumni and Students to Digitize the Carl “Pappy” Fehr Choral Music Collection“Pin”pointing Success: Assessing the Value of Pinterest and Historypin for Special Collections OutreachCreating a New Learning Center: Designing a Space to Support Multiple Outreach Goals"Wikipedia is made of people!”: Revelations from Collaborating with the World's Most Popular Encyclopedia 21 Revolutions: New Art from Old ObjectsHappy Accidents and Unintended Consequences: How We Named Our TribbleNavigating Nightingale: Creating an App Out of ArchivesDIY History: Redesigning a Platform for a Transcription Crowdsourcing Initiative Taking Preservation to the People: Educating the Public About Personal Digital Archiving All twelve case studies look at outreach as identifying the organization’s intended audience, building new ways of reaching them, and helping the organization achieve its mission. Each also reflects a philosophy of experimentation that is perhaps the most critical ingredient for any organization interested in developing its own “innovative” practices.This volume will be useful to those working in archives and special collections as well as other cultural heritage organizations, and provides ideas ranging from those that require long-term planning and coordination to those that could be immediately implemented. It also provides students and educators in archives, library, and public history graduate programs a resource for understanding the variety of ways people conduct outreach in the field today and the kinds of strategies archivists are using to attract new users to collections.

Educational Programs: Innovative Practices for Archives and Special Collections explores how archivists and special collections librarians in organizations of different sizes and types have approached the challenges in creating effective educational programs to prepare the next generation of researchers and advocates for archives. The case studies featured are:Tablet and Codex, Side by Side: Pairing Rare Books and E-Books in the Special Collections ClassroomFells, Fans and Fame: Acquiring a Collection of Personal Papers with the Goal of Engaging Primary School ChildrenStudent Curators in the Archives: Class-Curated Exhibits in Academic Special CollectionsA Win for All: Cultural Organizations Working With Colleges of Education The Archive as Theory and Reality: Engaging with Students in Cultural and Critical StudiesMake Way for Learning: Using Literary Papers to Engage Elementary School StudentsArchivists Teaching Teachers: The Archives Education Institute and K-12 OutreachAnimating Archives: Embedding Archival Materials (and Archivists) into Digital History Projects“A Certain Kind of Seduction”: Integrating Archival Research into a First-Year Writing CurriculumNot Just for Students: An Archives Workshop for FacultyWeb Archiving as Gateway: Teaching K-12 Students about Archival ConceptsEvocative Objects: Inspiring Art Students with ArchivesDocumenting and Sharing Instruction Practices: The story of TeachArchives.orgThese case studies show a range of audiences and strategies, but all were selected because they demonstrate ideas that could be transferred into many other settings. They can serve as models, sources of inspiration, or starting points for new discussions. This volume will be useful to those working in archives and special collections as well as other cultural heritage organizations, and provides ideas ranging from those that require long-term planning and coordination to ones that could be more quickly implemented. The chapters also provide students and educators in archives, library, and public history graduate programs a resource for understanding the varieties of issues related to creating and implementing educational programs and how they can be addressed.

Appraisal and Acquisition: Innovative Practices for Archives and Special Collections explores how archivists and special collections librarians in organizations of different sizes and types have approached the challenges of collection, as well as exploring opportunities to acquire new kinds of materials and conduct thoughtful reappraisal. The case studies featured are:“No Fame Required”: Collaboration, Community, and the Georgia LGBTQ Archives ProjectPlaced Out: Providing a Home for the Records of the Children’s Aid Society and the Orphan Trains“I Really Can’t Wait to Archive this Exchange”: Exploring Processing as Appraisal in the Tim Kaine Email ProjectHardware for SoftPoems: Appraisal and Acquisition of Vintage Computer EquipmentFrom Projects to Policy: The Evolution of a Systematic Reappraisal ProgramTerabytes from Far-Off Lands: Acquiring Records of the Ford Foundation International Fellowships ProgramSo Much to Do, So Little Time: Prioritizing To Acquire Significant University RecordsThe Studio Theatre Archives: Staging an Embedded Appraisal Making the Bulb Want to Change: Implementing an Active Electronic Records Appraisal and Acquisition ProgramWeaving the Web of Influence: Maximizing Archival Appraisal and Acquisition through the Use of “Spider Advocates”Reappraisal and Deaccessioning: Building for the Future by Removing Some of the PastTap into History: The Birth of the Oregon Hops and Brewing ArchivesThese case studies show a range of strategies and processes, but all were selected because they demonstrate ideas that could be transferred into many other settings. They can serve as models, sources of inspiration, or starting points for new discussions. This volume will be useful to those working in archives and special collections as well as other cultural heritage organizations, and provides ideas ranging from those that require long-term planning and coordination to ones that could be more quickly implemented. The chapters also provide students and educators in archives, library, and public history graduate programs a resource for understanding the varieties of issues related to appraisal and acquisition and how they can be addressed.

Educational Programs: Innovative Practices for Archives and Special Collections explores how archivists and special collections librarians in organizations of different sizes and types have approached the challenges in creating effective educational programs to prepare the next generation of researchers and advocates for archives. The case studies featured are:Tablet and Codex, Side by Side: Pairing Rare Books and E-Books in the Special Collections ClassroomFells, Fans and Fame: Acquiring a Collection of Personal Papers with the Goal of Engaging Primary School ChildrenStudent Curators in the Archives: Class-Curated Exhibits in Academic Special CollectionsA Win for All: Cultural Organizations Working With Colleges of Education The Archive as Theory and Reality: Engaging with Students in Cultural and Critical StudiesMake Way for Learning: Using Literary Papers to Engage Elementary School StudentsArchivists Teaching Teachers: The Archives Education Institute and K-12 OutreachAnimating Archives: Embedding Archival Materials (and Archivists) into Digital History Projects“A Certain Kind of Seduction”: Integrating Archival Research into a First-Year Writing CurriculumNot Just for Students: An Archives Workshop for FacultyWeb Archiving as Gateway: Teaching K-12 Students about Archival ConceptsEvocative Objects: Inspiring Art Students with ArchivesDocumenting and Sharing Instruction Practices: The story of TeachArchives.orgThese case studies show a range of audiences and strategies, but all were selected because they demonstrate ideas that could be transferred into many other settings. They can serve as models, sources of inspiration, or starting points for new discussions. This volume will be useful to those working in archives and special collections as well as other cultural heritage organizations, and provides ideas ranging from those that require long-term planning and coordination to ones that could be more quickly implemented. The chapters also provide students and educators in archives, library, and public history graduate programs a resource for understanding the varieties of issues related to creating and implementing educational programs and how they can be addressed.