Reference Services for Archives and Manuscripts

Laura B Cohen

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN: 9780789000422
• eBook ISBN: 9781136371790
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Library & Information Science
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

Like their librarian colleagues, reference archivists mediate between the user and the source material. However, given the nature of archival materials and of their holding repositories, unique issues arise. While such matters as provenance and original order and access and security continue to be vital underpinnings of their work, a myriad of other issues comes into play as reference archivists attempt to balance the competing demands of donors, researchers, the public, and the press. From the creation and dissemination of finding aids for electronic resources to the implementation of marketing strategies to increase support and strengthen service, Reference Services for Archives and Manuscripts shows you how to thrive in the changing world of archival reference. Intended to foster an appreciation of the issues both within and beyond the field of archives, Reference Services for Archives and Manuscripts reveals that today's archivist is straddling the world of the traditional with the world of the new. The book establishes its value as it guides you through new concerns such as how to:

• take advantage of technological developments in appraisal, accession, and preservation
• address copyright, privacy, and funding issues for electronic resources
• mount archival cataloging records on local and wide-area databases
• create a publicly available site on the Internet
• improve in-house access tools, professional abilities, and the caliber of public service
• address security issues and respond to theftReference Services for Archives and Manuscripts also helps you by preparing you for changes in the relationship between archivist and researcher that will inevitably occur with further changes in technology. Other vital issues discussed are improved access for unserved and underserved groups, a revision in ethical codes, and the ability of archivists to become more customer-centered.

Introduction: Reference Services for Archives and Manuscripts

Laura B. Cohen

As an information professional, the reference archivist mediates between the user and the source material. The relationship among these elements is a complex one. Given the nature of archival materials and of their holding repositories, issues arise which are unique to the practice of archival reference. It is therefore surprising that the archival literature is only sparsely populated by articles on this topic.¹ It is also true that journals of librarianship do not commonly play host to articles about the archival profession. As a result of this latter fact, there is often misunderstanding or ignorance on the part of librarians toward the work, concerns, and indeed the accomplishments of the archival community. This volume is meant to address these problems.

Like their librarian colleagues, reference archivists are straddling the world of the traditional with the world of the new. Such matters as provenance and original order, as well as access and security, continue to be vital underpinnings of their work. The creation and dissemination of useful finding aids are essential, especially at a time when researchers are using archives to document the history of “hidden groups” not adequately covered by traditional access points. Reference archivists must be educated to practice their trade for the benefit of the patrons who come to them for help. Beyond formal education, there is the education on the job by which reference professionals enhance their skills. A myriad of ethical issues come into play as reference archivists attempt to balance the competing demands of donors, researchers, individuals, the public and the press. Reference archivists must take on the role of front-line marketers in order to increase support for and strengthen delivery of the service they provide. Several articles in this volume will speak to these matters.

There are new concerns as well. As articles in this volume will attest, computer technology has long since made its way into the repository. This phenomenon has taken several forms. These include such diverse activities as the mounting of archival cataloging records on localized and wide area databases, the use of finding aids in electronic form, the conducting of electronic reference transactions, and the creation of publicly available sites on the Internet. In addition, there are records that now exist exclusively in electronic form. The ramifications of all this for archival reference work are profound.

The last matter alone is of fundamental concern. How can archivists take a proactive role to design and implement record keeping systems in electronic environments? How can a repository archive–in the fullest sense of the word-an ever-growing and diverse collection of electronic records in a world of constantly changing technology? How can these records be made available by informed custodians to an expectant clientele? It has been suggested, in this volume and elsewhere, ² that repositories cease to take custody of electronic records and leave them with their creators. In these pages, too, arguments are made against taking such a step. How archivists grapple with these questions will have a crucial effect on the future of the profession.

As this volume makes clear, archival reference is entering into uncharted waters. For example, it is possible to scan paper-based archival materials and place the corresponding computer files on the Internet for anyone to view. Electronic records that exist solely in digital form may also be placed online. While such matters as copyright, privacy, and funding will shape this new opportunity, this prospect has the potential to throw open the doors of access in a way unimagined just a few years ago. If such a practice becomes widespread, the repository will be a changed place, necessitating a new relationship between archivists and researchers who have no face-to-face contact. Such a prospect is not without its dangers. As just one example, archivists will need to find a way of placing online records in their organizational and historical context so that they will not appear to remote users as mere isolated entities. Since the descriptive efforts of a repository strive toward this goal, this is no small concern.

The articles in this volume raise many questions and answer some. It is hoped that they will engender an appreciation of the issues both within and beyond the field.

NOTES

1. Cox, Richard J. “Researching Archival Reference as an Information Function: Observations on Needs and Opportunities.” RQ 31, No. 3, (Spring 1992): 388.

2. Dollar, Charles M. Archival Theory And Information Technologies: The Impact of Information Technologies on Archival Principles and Methods. Information and Documentation Series, no. 1, ed. Oddo Bucci. Macerata, Italy: University of Macerata, 1992, 54-55.

[Haworth co-indexing entry note]: “Introduction: Reference Services for Archives and Manuscripts.” Cohen, Laura B. Co-published simultaneously in The Reference Librarian (The Haworth Press, Inc.) No. 56, 1997, pp. 1-3; and: Reference Services for Archives and Manuscripts (ed: Laura B. Cohen) The Haworth Press, Inc., 1997, pp. 1 -3. Single or multiple copies of this article are available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service [1-800-342-9678, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (EST). E-mail address: [email protected]].

Archival Reference: State of the Art

James Edward Cross

SUMMARY. The decade that has passed since the last time The Reference Librarian looked at archival reference has seen many changes for the archival profession. While the techniques and procedures of reference service have not changed dramatically, a certain level of standardization has been reached. Access and outreach remain their traditional ties to reference; as archivists have become less willing to accept access restrictions, recent copyright decisions have tended towards limiting the use of archival material. Research in reference, in users and in use has increased, although not as much as some would prefer; it has also been affected by debate over the archival mission. The increasing pace of automation has provided new delivery mechanisms and opportunities for access and outreach while at the same time it has called into question some of the basic tenets of the archival profession. New approaches have been proposed for reference in the digital environment. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-342-9678. E-mail address: [email protected]]

Ten years ago The Reference Librarian devoted an entire issue to archival reference entitled “Reference Services in Archives.”¹ The volume contained articles describing the reference practices of a variety of repositories in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. There was also a discussion of the then three-year-old MARC Archives and Manuscripts Control (AMC) format being used by RLIN. That same year saw the publication of a number of articles² concerning reference, users and the use of archives, reflecting the increasing interest in these topics since 1984.

What has happened in the decade since the publication of this volume? Interest in reference, users and use has remained high, at least in comparison to past indifference. Some changes and a certain amount of standardization have occurred in reference practice as a result of this interest, although the changes have not been dramatic. Yet the increasing use of automation for access, the increasing creation of more archival material in electronic form, changes in communication and philosophical disputes concerning the nature of the archival enterprise have led to a questioning of current practice.

CURRENT ARCHIVAL REFERENCE PRACTICE

While reference practice varies from repository to repository, there is a remarkable amount of agreement among recent publications describing reference use, policies and procedures as to how reference should be undertaken.³ Use may be either direct or indirect. Direct use is by researchers who seek information to fill a need and who actually access the material in some way; indirect use is by those who derive some benefit from the results of such work. For example, lawyers researching Native American land claims in a governmental archives are an example of direct users, while those whose claims are proven in court as a result of the research are indirect users. The significance of such use varies according to “how much information is mined from the records, how imaginatively it is interpreted and used, how well it is integrated with other information, and whether it is disseminated for consideration by people beyond the researcher.”⁴ It is considered important to try and measure both kinds of use in order to gauge the effectiveness of the archives in fulfilling its mission, although it is conceded that direct use is the more easily measured of the two.

Reference in archives is mediated, using what archivist Paul Conway calls the “gatekeeper approach.” He describes this method of reference as expert intermediaries placing “themselves between the user and both the primary access tools and the historical record” or of allowing the user direct access to the tools but requiring them to “pass through the gatekeeper, on some intellectual level, before they may consult the record.”⁵ The archivist is expected to be an expert in the subject content and the structure of collections he/she is responsible for. In this approach, the user is heavily dependent on the archivist. This is in contrast with the self-service approach where the librarian “points” the user towards bibliographic resources that can be used to fulfill the researcher’s information needs.

The reference process proceeds through the stages of registration, identification, orientation, the initial reference interview, continuing interaction during the user’s research and then finally the exit interview.⁶ It is not uncommon for some steps to be skipped (most often the exit interview) or combined. Interpersonal dynamics-nonverbal cues, the physical setting, the psychology of the relationship between the user and the archivist-is very important in determining the success of the latter three stages. Offsite reference inquiries by mail, telephone or electronic communication (fax or e-mail) may include elements of the process, such as orientation, the initial reference “interview” and interaction during the research process.

Ideally, the user is asked to provide some identification, such as a driver’s license, to sign in a daily log and to check their personal belongings into a locker or other secure location. This is for security purposes, although the daily log does provide user statistics as well. First time users, or users whose research needs have changed since their last visit, will be asked to fill out a registration form. The form is used to collect user statistics–information about the user, their research needs, the products they expect to result from their research and how they learned that the repository might have what they needed-and for security. The archivist then moves on to the orientation phase where he/she describes the facility; explains the hours, finding aids, procedures and fees for obtaining photocopies and other reproductions, copyright, any restrictions on collections and the rules for using, citing, requesting and properly caring for materials; and asks the user to sign a statement to the effect that they understand and will follow these rules. These necessary administrative procedures are time-consuming and can distract both the archivist and the user from the important part of the process-determining the user’s needs and the means to fulfill them.

The archivist then moves on to the initial reference interview. The archivist and the user attempt to identify what the user needs by a process of question negotiation and clarification, with the archivist trying to understand the entire scope of the research problem and the intended use of the information. The archivist then tries to translate the query into the vocabulary used by the descriptive (finding aid) system of the repository, which will include names, places and time periods important to the topic. The user and the archivist then determine a search strategy in terms of the sources available and the level of relevance they may have to the user’s query using the finding aids; this may be done by the archivist or by the user with the archivist’s guidance.

Once likely sources are identified, a request form is filled out identifying the material desired and the archivist or another member of the staff retrieves the material and brings it to the user. Depending on the user’s success in satisfying their research need with the requested material, the user and the archivist may go through the whole process of question abstraction and resolution again. This may also be necessary if using the material results in additional questions or changes in the original query. In addition, administrative information may need to be explained or, if given in the orientation stage, may need to be restated during continued interaction with the user. When the user completes his/her research, an exit interview is conducted to review the sources used, determine if another visit is necessary, clarify policies (e.g., publication, citation) and allow the user to evaluate the repository’s holdings (and suggest possible leads for acquiring material), finding aids and reference service.

While the techniques used in the initial interview, interaction and exit interview are similar to those used by referenc...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Halftitle
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• 1. Introduction: Reference Services for Archives and Manuscripts
• 2. Archival Reference: State of the Art
• 3. Public Services Education for Archivists
• 4. Sitting in the Hot Seat: Some Thoughts from the Reference Chair
• 5. Archival Description
• 6. The National Inventory of Documentary Sources in the United States (NIDS-US)
• 7. Retrieving the Irretrievable: Providing Access to “Hidden Groups” in Archives
• 8. The Final Barrier: Security Consideration in Restricted Access Reading Rooms
• 9. Ethics and Reference Services
• 10. Grasping the Nettle: The Evolution of Australian Archives Electronic Records Policy
• 11. Reference Services for Electronic Records in Archives
• 12. Open All Night: Using the Internet to Improve Access to Archives: A Case Study of the New York State Archives and Records Administration
• 13. Reference No Longer Is a “P” Word: The Reference Archivist as Marketer
• 14. Archival Reference and Outreach: Toward a New Paradigm
• Index