Description
Book SynopsisAppraisal 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:1.No Fame Required: Collaboration, Community, and the Georgia LGBTQ Archives Project2.Placed Out: Providing a Home for the Records of the Children's Aid Society and the Orphan Trains3.I Really Can't Wait to Archive this Exchange: Exploring Processing as Appraisal in the Tim Kaine Email Project4.Hardware for SoftPoems: Appraisal and Acquisition of Vintage Computer Equipment5.From Projects to Policy: The Evolution of a Systematic Reappraisal Program6.Terabytes from Far-Off Lands: Acquiring Records of the Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program7.So Much to Do, So Little Time: Prioritizing To Acquire Significant Uni
Trade ReviewThe 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
Table of ContentsIntroduction 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
