Journal of Western Archives

The Importance of Reappraisal and Deaccessioning in Collegiate Archives in the Pacific Northwest

Courtney Buehn — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:01:11 PDT

This article examines the current reappraisal practices and procedures of archives, and investigates the need for official deaccessioning policies through the analysis of literature in the field and eight personal interviews conducted with professionals in universities in the Pacific Northwest. These persons were asked about the initial appraisal procedure of their repository, the current reappraisal process done without an official policy, and the factors that contribute to the decisions made concerning deaccessioning. Formal policies for appraisal and deaccessioning are important for responsible management of individual archival repositories, and also for the development of archival communities.

Capturing and Processing Born-Digital Files in the STOP AIDS Project Records: A Case Study

Laura Wilsey et al. — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:00:59 PDT

In September 2012, the Manuscripts Division of the Stanford University Libraries Department of Special Collections and University Archives completed a one-year National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC)-funded project to process the records of the STOP AIDS Project, an HIV prevention non-profit organization in San Francisco, California. This project marked the department’s first large-scale processing project to capture and process born-digital records. Building upon the nascent framework outlined by the AIMS white paper and the infrastructure developed by Stanford University Libraries, the project team captured born-digital records and implemented new processing strategies using digital forensics tools. This case study will document the strategies and workflows employed by the project team to capture and process the born-digital component of the STOP AIDS Project records. We will describe the successes, challenges and roadblocks encountered while forensically imaging 3.5 inch floppy disks, Zip disks, and CDs using Forensic Toolkit (FTK) Imager software. We will then outline our approach to processing nearly 30,000 unique digital files captured from the computer media using AccessData Forensic Toolkit (FTK) software, discuss our current delivery strategy, and offer some concluding thoughts.

The Development and Professionalization of the Utah State Archives, 1897-1968

Cory L. Nimer et al. — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 16:05:23 PST

The 20^th century saw the rise and development of the archival profession. This paper examines what it means to be a profession and how the characteristics of a profession began to manifest themselves in the archival community using the Utah State Archives as a case study. The Utah State Archives reflects many of the national trends towards professionalization as it was initially part of the Utah State Historical Society and eventually became its own entity.

Review of The Lone Arranger: Succeeding in a Small Repository

Erin Passehl — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 09:47:43 PDT

A book review of Christina Zamon's The Lone Arranger: Succeeding in a Small Repository.

Review of A Different Kind of Web: New Connections Between Archives and Our Users

Megan K. Friedel — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:26:01 PDT

A review of A Different Kind of Web, edited by Kate Theimer.

Review of Waldo Gifford Leland and the Origins of the American Archival Profession

Debra Hansen — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:25:54 PDT

Review of Waldo Gifford Leland and the Origins of the American Archival Profession.

Tracing the Source of Irrigation: An Examination of Colorado Ditch Company Collections in Archival Repositories

Patricia J. Rettig — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:25:47 PDT

The history of irrigation is significant in the western United States, which has now experienced over 150 years of irrigation development. When considered fully, the history of Western irrigation goes beyond agriculture and extends to engineering, economics, business, sociology, law, politics, ecology, and more. The historical understanding to be gained from any of these viewpoints depends on the preservation and accessibility of original records created by irrigators. In the West, ditch company records are the earliest and best source of irrigation history. This article examines to what extent historical records of Colorado ditch companies have been preserved in and made accessible through public archival repositories. It also contextualizes ditch companies and their records and makes recommendations so such records can be available for a variety of research.

Review of Controlling the Past: Documenting Society and Institutions — Essays in Honor of Helen Willa Samuels

Stephen J. Hussman — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 11:00:47 PDT

A book review of Controlling the Past, edited by Terry Cook.

Review of Many Happy Returns: Advocacy and the Development of Archives

Tiah K. Edmunson-Morton — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 09:32:34 PDT

The book Many Happy Returns: Advocacy and the Development of Archives, edited by Larry J. Hackman, provides readers with case studies from a good mix of repository types, collections, parent organizations, and users, as well as a range of archivists’ own experiences with advocacy efforts.

Review of The Ethical Archivist

Cory L. Nimer — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 09:28:48 PDT

A book review of Elena S. Danielson's The Ethical Archivist.

Toward a Nevada Digital Collaborative

Jason Vaughan — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 09:20:56 PDT

In mid-2008, a statewide committee was formed to engage in a comprehensive, Nevada statewide digital planning process. This group consisted of broad membership from the range of Nevada cultural heritage institutions, and was focused on creating a five year digital plan for the state, with an emphasis on collaboration amongst various cultural heritage institutions, increased digitization, and adoption of a digital preservation strategy. This article describes the initial work of the parent committee and two subsequent working groups, funded by the Library Technology and Services Act and aided by outside consultants. Early steps included a comprehensive planning survey and various meetings to understand the capabilities and desires of both primary stakeholders and the community at large. While several challenges not necessarily unique to Nevada arose over the first couple of years, a clear path forward for additional progress has been charted.

Donor Volunteers as Archival Appraisers? Possibilities and Considerations

Charles B. Stanford et al. — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 14:36:02 PDT

ABSTRACT Using examples from recent archival practice at two western land-grant universities, this article examines the potential benefits of enlisting volunteers from donor organizations to appraise as well as process the archival records of their own associations. The discussion addresses questions regarding the use of trained volunteers to perform appraisal activities, challenges in working with volunteers, and outreach opportunities for archival education among interested members of donor organizations.

Providing Enhanced Access for the Oregon State University College Catalogs : A Case Study

Susan A. Kunda et al. — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 14:33:14 PDT

The academic catalog is a vital record for colleges and universities. Until the late 1980s, Oregon State University catalogs were published, distributed and archived solely in print format. With the advent of web and digital technologies, the Oregon State University Registrar’s Office also began placing an electronic version of the most recent catalogs online, while the Oregon State University Libraries provided access to earlier versions of the catalog through a subscription to College Source®, an online vendor for academic catalogs.

In 2006, the Registrar’s Office was looking for a home for its archive of digital files, while the escalating cost of serials forced Oregon State University Libraries to cut its subscription to College Source®. The two units collaborated to preserve and provide electronic access to the entire run (1866 to present) of Oregon State University academic catalogs in ScholarsArchive, the Libraries’ institutional repository. This article details this collaboration as well as the procedures and workflows for depositing digitized as well as born-digital files into ScholarsArchive (https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/jspui/) We compare the number of patron requests pre- and post- catalog placement in ScholarsArchive and describe how this project led to the OSU Registrar’s Office placing additional university documents into ScholarsArchive.

Applying Web Analytics to Online Finding Aids: Page Views, Pathways, and Learning about Users

Mark R. O'English — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 14:29:23 PDT

Online finding aids, Internet search tools, and increased access to the World Wide Web have greatly changed how patrons find archival collections. Through analyzing eighteen months of access data collected via Web analytics tools, this article examines how patrons discover archival materials. Contrasts are drawn between access from library catalogs and from online search engines, with the latter outweighing the former by an overwhelming margin, and argues whether archival description practices should change accordingly.

Review of How to Keep Union Records

John Sillito — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 12:36:52 PST

A book review of John Nash's How to Keep Union Records.

Information-Seeking Behavior of Novelists in Archives

Cary G. Osborne — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 15:12:47 PST

Archives are a frequently untapped resource for novelists. Accounts of daily life, the lives of individuals, details of specific eras, and other minutiae found in the documents and memorabilia housed in archives can be used to fill out the essential scenes and events of the stories. Such facts and personal details help fiction writers make their stories real to readers and keep misconceptions and factual errors out. This study looks at the limited literature on the subject of authors in archives and presents examples of the types of information housed in particular archives to illustrate the kinds of details that could be useful in writing fiction. This study also demonstrates to archivists ways in which they can help authors to become aware of the value of archives in their research and to help them find the documents that would be most useful, based in part on this author’s experience as a novelist, a member of several writers’ groups, and panelist at numerous genre conventions attended by writers, editors, publishers, agents, and fans.

The Arizona Summit: Tough Times in a Tough Land

Linda A. Whitaker et al. — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 16:03:14 PDT

Western repositories have much to gain and little to lose from statewide initiatives that promote cooperative collection management policies. The region's topography, demographics, boom-bust cycles, and flood of new residents threaten their missions and their very existence. Add competition, backlogs, duplication, and fragmented collections to this volatile mix and it renders the collecting environment untenable.

From the Pacific Northwest to the Global Information Society: The Changing Nature of Archival Education

Randall C. Jimerson — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 15:01:13 PDT

This essay examines the development of archival education in the United States during the past forty years, in context of the increasingly globalized archival profession of the early twenty-first century. In doing so, it presents a case study of one of the first West Coast archival education programs and its development from a regional program to an international one.

Tilting at Windmills: Reflections on the Establishment of the Journal of Western Archives

J. Gordon Daines III — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 08:58:17 PDT

This article discusses how associations form professional identities and reflects on the establishment of the Journal of Western Archives. It highlights the ways in which the establishment of the journal is a manifestation of the development of a Western regional archival identity and underscores the role that individuals play in the creation of associational identities.