Finding Aids: The Next Generation - Part I (SAA 2006)
The title of the session “Finding Aids: The Next Generation” was an immediate attention-getter. Aside from the obvious Star Trek reference, the topic of finding aids is near and dear to my heart. However, I went in assuming that the presenters would talk about advancements in EAD and in presentation of the actual finding aids. Instead, the presenters covered a much wider range of issues related to the presentation of archival descriptive information.
First at the podium was Peter Van Garderen, a doctoral student at the University of Amsterdam, who talked about the advent of new web technologies, and their potential implications for archival institutions. He first gave an overview of the new technologies and services, which are colloquially grouped together as “Web 2.0″. Mr. Van Garderen grouped these technologies as follows:
1) Usability technologies, particularly AJAX, a scripting protocol that allows for greater, more fluid web interactivity.
2) Open architecture, including RSS feeds and other technologies that allow for the integration and “mashing” of different forms of content to create new content.
3) Community building, which includes social networking services like MySpace and Friendster, social tagging services like del.icio.us, and other services which allow for user input and collaboration.
He then suggested ways in which archival repositories could utilize these technologies to enhance access to archival materials. Finally, he presented a model for archival repositories, based on the exisiting OAIS model, which incorporates a “virtual reading room,” where users can add content to existing archival descriptions, share content among themselves, and even create new content.
Mr. Van Garderen has posted an audiovisual slideshow of his presentation on his blog, archivemati.ca. Click here to view it.
At my current repository, I can see numerous areas in which Web 2.0 functionality could enhance the user experience. Our finding aids could implement RSS feeds, which could be used to send information to users about new collections as soon as the finding aid is posted online. Our finding aids could include a “comments” section, where users could add information about materials they found in a given collection, or suggest corrections or additions to the finding aid itself. We could even implement some of the concepts of the “virtual reading room,” such as allowing users to create accounts where they could share their research findings, collaborate on research, and link to their favorite collections (in other words, a sort of “archival Myspace”!).
I’m not sure if such functionality will be immediately welcomed by our user community. Most of our users, particularly the more (ahem) “experienced” researchers, are unlikely to be familiar with using Web 2.0 technologies. However, as Web 2.0 becomes even more of a mainstream phenomenon, users will expect more of this functionality from archival websites. Archival repositories must keep up with these evolving technologies to ensure that the documentation of the past remains a vital part of the overall information environment.
More about the other two speakers in this panel later.
1 commentBack from SAA 2006 Annual Meeting
I just returned home from the SAA 2006 Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. I am glad to be back, if for no other reason than to have escaped the horrid weather. The blazing heat and humidity were compounded by my decision to wear formal clothing (read: suit and tie) in a blatant attempt to impress potential employers. I am sure that the only skill I communicated to these employers was my ability to suffer.
However, the sessions I attended this past week have left my head swimming with new ideas and concepts. It is truly an exciting time to be entering the archival profession, since there are so many archivists who are dedicated to making archives relevant to the broader information marketplace, particularly in the online environment. The posts on this blog for the next week will each be devoted to a single session I attended. They won’t be presented in any particular order: I’ll simply post on whichever one interests me at the moment.
2 commentsNew URL
Sorry I haven’t put much content on this site yet. Most of my work has been spent on tweaking the design of the page and in moving the site to a permanent URL. The new, much-easier-to-remember URL is:
http://www.novicearchivist.com/
Many thanks to Michael Habib for his help in introducing me to blogging software and services, including ClaimID and Feedburner. Check out his blog listed on my blogroll; he has a lot to say about the future of libraries and social networking services.
I’ll be attending the SAA Annual Meeting this week in Washington, DC, and I hope to write quite a bit about my impressions on the meeting and the sessions I attend.
2 commentsWelcome to my blog!
Welcome to my blog! I hope to use this as a forum to discuss interesting issues related to archives, special collections, digital collections, and other cultural heritage institutions. As a “newly-minted” archivist (two months out of library school), I feel able to provide a unique perspective on these issues. I also am apt to provide a wildly inaccurate perspective at times; therefore, I strongly encourage the comments of more experienced information professionals, particularly if my ideas would lead to the destruction of cultural heritage as we know it.
A word about the title of my blog: it is a reference to a thread on the Society of American Archivists listserv (always an interesting read!) which discussed the many different malapropisms connected with the word “archivist.” I myself was once asked by a family member how I was faring in “architect’s school”. I probably should have been happy with that designation - one respondent to the thread reported being confused for an “arsonist.” I suppose I will best be known to my loved ones as a “librarian for old stuff.”
I’ll be making changes to the appearance of this blog, so don’t fall in love with the current design. Otherwise, have fun!
2 comments