Library and Information Studies Career Guide : Archives

The book addresses the archival themes of accountability and evidence, ethics and education, archival history, and memory. Defining a Discipline demonstrates the importance of the role of archivists, archives, and archival institutions in communities, organizations, and the digital environment. It looks forward, a direction that the pioneering Cox promoted throughout his career

Drawing on innovative practices and enduring values to address challenges and opportunities in the broad realm of special collections librarianship, this book updates the notion of special collections to the wide range of materials, institutions, and contexts where they exist today. The contributed essays describe the various kinds of innovative projects and practices that are sought by IMLS and other funding agencies today and serve to illustrate how going beyond a traditionally limited idea of special collections opens doors to far more engaging opportunities. Spanning the converging worlds of academic and special libraries, rare book collections, archives, museums, and other cultural heritage institutions, this book will be useful to newcomers and seasoned professionals alike.

This book identifies core archival theories and approaches and how those interact with major issues and trends in the field. The essays explore the progression of archival thinking today, discussing the nature of archives in light of present-day roles for archivists and archival institutions in the preservation of documentary heritage. Examining new conceptualizations and emerging frameworks through the lenses of core archival practice and theory, the book covers core foundational topics, such as the nature of archives, the ruling concept of provenance, and the principal functions of archivists, discussing each in the context of current and future environments and priorities.

*Available as an e-book

Archives and Special Collections as Sites of Contestation explores the reinterpretation and resituating of archives and special collections held by libraries, examines the development and stewardship of archives and special collections within a social justice framework, and describes the use of critical practice by libraries and librarians to shape and negotiate the acquisition, cataloguing, promotion, and use of archives and special collections. Chapters in this volume discuss the development of new collections through community outreach to marginalized and underrepresented groups, efforts to amend the historical documentary record through digitization projects, cataloguing, authority and description of archives and special collections, using a critical practice framework, ethical and political issues relating to donors, appraisal and access, curation, stewardship and promotion of controversial or sensitive collections, and the decolonization of space and collections.