Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Pages: 198
•
Trim: 6¼ x 9⅜
978-1-4422-4953-0 • Hardback • April 2015 • $137.00 • (£105.00)
978-1-4422-3854-1 • Paperback • April 2015 • $80.00 • (£62.00)
978-1-4422-3855-8 • eBook • April 2015 • $76.00 • (£58.00)
Kate Theimer is the author of the popular blog ArchivesNext and a frequent writer, speaker and commentator on issues related to the future of archives. She is the editor of the Rowman & Littlefield series, Innovative Practices for Archives & Special Collections, in which volumes on management, description, outreach, and reference and access were published in 2014. She is also the author of Web 2.0 Tools and Strategies for Archives and Local History Collections and the editor of A Different Kind of Web: New Connections between Archives and Our Users, as well having contributed chapters to Many Happy Returns: Advocacy for Archives and Archivists, The Future of Archives and Recordkeeping, and the Encyclopedia of Archival Science. She has published articles in the American Archivist and the Journal of Digital Humanities.
Kate served on the Council of the Society of American Archivists from 2010 to 2013. Before starting her career as an independent writer and editor, she worked in the policy division of the National Archives and Records Administration in College Park, Maryland. She holds an MSI with a specialization in archives and records management from the University of Michigan and an MA in art history from the University of Maryland.
Introduction
1. “No Fame Required”: Collaboration, Community, and the Georgia LGBTQ Archives Project
Morna Gerrard, Georgia State University
2. Placed Out: Providing a Home for the Records of the Children’s Aid Society and the Orphan Trains
Maurita Baldock, New-York Historical Society
3. “I Really Can’t Wait to Archive this Exchange”: Exploring Processing as Appraisal in the Tim Kaine Email Project
Benjamin S. Bromley, Roger Christman, and Susan Gray Eakin Page, Library of Virginia
4. Hardware for SoftPoems: Appraisal and Acquisition of Vintage Computer Equipment
Will Hansen and Matthew Farrell, Duke University
5. From Projects to Policy: The Evolution of a Systematic Reappraisal Program
Tina Lloyd, Library and Archives Canada
6. Terabytes from Far-Off Lands: Acquiring Records of the Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program
Jane Gorjevsky and Dina Sokolova, Columbia University
7. So Much to Do, So Little Time: Prioritizing To Acquire Significant University Records
Laura Uglean Jackson, University of Wyoming
8. The Studio Theatre Archives: Staging an Embedded Appraisal
Leahkim A. Gannett, Vincent J. Novara, Kelly J. Smith, and Mary Crauderueff, University of Maryland
9. Making the Bulb Want to Change: Implementing an Active Electronic Records Appraisal and Acquisition Program
Brad Houston, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
10. Weaving the Web of Influence: Maximizing Archival Appraisal and Acquisition through the Use of “Spider Advocates”
Shelley Sweeney, University of Manitoba
11. Reappraisal and Deaccessioning: Building for the Future by Removing Some of the Past
James Gerencser, Dickinson College
12. Tap into History: The Birth of the Oregon Hops and Brewing Archives
Tiah Edmunson-Morton, Oregon State University
About the Author
The consideration...of the value to the institution is valid and instructive and adds much to the piece as a whole. Indeed, this approach is both sympathetic and informed and adds much to the volume (and indeed series) as a whole. . . .Altogether, this is a very useful volume.
— Archives and Records: The Journal of the Archives and Records Association
Anyone who works in archival appraisal and acquisition will benefit from reading the cases documented in this book. Theimer’s selections demonstrate how theories of appraisal and acquisition can be applied in real-world situations, within the practical constraints that archivists face in their daily jobs. Graduate students in library and public history programs would also benefit from a careful reading of this book, which illustrates the uniqueness and complexity of every archival appraisal and acquisition decision. As with Theimer’s other works and writings on archives, this volume addresses cutting-edge issues while offering practical advice.
— Technical Services Quarterly
Collectively these notes from the field both reaffirm and challenge the way archivists think about appraisal. Practitioners will want to read about what colleagues are really doing. Theoreticians who read the book will sometimes have some explaining to do. The book is an important read for every thoughtful archivist.
— Frank Boles, Director, Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University and author of Selecting and Appraising Archives and Manuscripts
This set of fresh and relevant case studies does more than highlight the authors' successes and challenges. They also provide significant insights into decision making and adapting to changing conditions. This collection is a timely resource for archivists, students, and archival educators.
— Aaron Purcell, Director, Special Collections, Virgnia Tech and author of Donors and Archives: A Guidebook for Successful Programs
Acquisition and appraisal are part of the art of being an archivist; a combination of theory and practice enhanced by intuition and a knowledge of human relationships. Kate Theimer’s volume offers the reader an opportunity to explore the technical complexity and creativity involved in the archival practice of determining what documentation and records will be preserved for the future.
— Tanya Zanish-Belcher, Director, Special Collections & University Archivist, Wake Forest University and co-editor of Perspectives on Women’s Archives