Final Week!!

Welcome to the End!!! 

This week focus on finishing your Research Paper and on writing up your Series Descriptions.
Please allow time to edit your own writing-- at least 2 drafts.

If you are not familiar with Purdue University's OWL, check it out.  It provides guidance on all aspects of research paper composition.  See the section on "Research and Citation" for instrction on the Chicago style guide.    Remember,  you will be graded on research content, grammar, style, and, formatting. So spend the time to get it right!

For archival description, please review the relevant sections in DACS (Describing Archives a Content Standard)

DACS

Read the introductory matter on the "Levels of Description"  (pp. 3-12), and then pp. 45-49 on "Scope and Content".   You will be writing a Series Description rather than Collection Level description, but the same principles apply.  Nathan can advise.

See you all next week!

~Aaron

Week VI

Welcome to Week 6-- almost done!

The readings for this week will be:

In Jimmerson, pp. 475-494 & pp 519-548

In Cook: pp. 217- 240

Choose one of the 3 essays assigned and describe one in depth-- what interested you most about the topic?  What challenges related to professional archival practice can you see?

Week V Readings -- Arrangemnement & Description

Welcome to Week 6!

We will focus on the archival functions of arrangement and description.  Organizing and cataloging records is a core activity for archivists.  They are interrelated and the basis upon which records/information become 'find-able'.  A disorganized record group, or an inadequately (or mis-described) group is one in which we cannot find the information we seek.  You are learning arrangement and description with Nathan and Kendra.  It is the hands-on bit of this class and is extremely important.

Readings:

Start here with definitions:
Arrangement  
Description
DACS - Describing Archives a Content Standard

Holmes Archival Arrangement: 5 operations at 5 levels

And in Jimerson,

• Berman's essay on Provenance (pp. 345-360)
• OPTIONAL: Hedstrom's essay on Electronic Records (pp 381-394)

Reply to the following:
What are the 5 levels of arrangement?
What is the meaning of 'provenance' and why does it matter for archival work?
What is DACS and why does it matter to professionalism?


You have an 2 extra days this week, since I posted these late.  Have the responses done by Friday, July 15th.

Research Paper Guidelines

Your research paper will allow you the opportunity to explore, in depth, a specific aspect (or function) of archives work (or ethical issue related to archives work). Topics may be drawn from the reading or from any specific issue that interests you-- as long as it specifically relates to archives, the archives profession, or some aspect of documentation work (library, records management, digital archives etc.).  The paper need not be "original" research and it may be explanatory in nature-- i.e. an overview of the topic intended to explain the issue to a learned audience.

The SAA has a series of "Case Studies" that might make for interesting topics as well.
See here: Case Studies.

Requirements are as follows:

• Minimum length 10 pages, double-spaced. 

• Chicago/Turabian style format

• Correct graduate-level English grammar (spelling, punctuation, etc.)

•  Bibliography with 5 external sources (with each source actually used and cited within body of text)

•  Essay will have a clear thesis statement (which specifies your aim/intention)

•  Essay will have a clear 1-2 paragraph introduction explaining why the topic is interesting and important, and provide an overview of the sections of your paper 

If you have questions, please email.  This will be due the last day of class-- NO EXCEPTIONS.

Good luck and get started soon! 

Week IV - Mediation and Representation

Welcome to Week 4.

Please read

1. Controlling the Past textbook, pp.257-278 (Elizabeth Yakel's essay)
2. Controlling the Past textbook, pp. 365-382 (Jimerson essay)

The respond here to the following:

1. What does Yakel understand by archival 'representation'? In what sense is this an 'active' role? 
2. In what sense do archivists control the past, according to Jimerson? And why are there ethical consequences of this responsibility?

I'll post the Research Paper Assignment later this week. Hopefully you have a topic in mind by now!

~Aaron

Week III Reading:

Welcome to Week 3!

The reading this week examines 'documentation work' and the nature of 'documentation.'

 Please read the following:

• Introduction and Chapter 1 in course textbook: Controlling the Past: Documenting Society and Institutions
•  Michael Buckland, "A Brief Biography of Suzanne Briet" :  http://people.ischool.berkeley.edu/~buckland/Brietaut2.pdf
•  Michael Buckland, "What is a Document?" : http://people.ischool.berkeley.edu/~buckland/whatdoc.html

The reply to the following question: Based on your reading about the ideas of Briet and Samuels, what is the nature and purpose of documentation work-- i.e. what are archivist doing in documenting events, moments, history, places, etc.? 

Make your decision about your research paper topic in the next week or two.  I'll provided a Rubric and Assignment Guidelines next week.

Best,
Aaron

Week III Reading:

Welcome to Week 3!

The reading this week examines 'documentation work' and the nature of 'documentation.'

 Please read the following:

• Introduction and Chapter 1 in course textbook: Controlling the Past: Documenting Society and Institutions
•  Michael Buckland, "A Brief Biography of Suzanne Briet" :  http://people.ischool.berkeley.edu/~buckland/Brietaut2.pdf
•  Michael Buckland, "What is a Document?" : http://people.ischool.berkeley.edu/~buckland/whatdoc.html

Make your decision about your research paper topic in the next week or two.  I'll provided a Rubric and Assignment Guidelines next week.

Best,
Aaron