6615 Week VI VII Reference

8/6/2019 6615 Week VI VII Reference

1/41

Week VI & VII:

Access Tools & Reference

March 2, 2011


2/41

Access, Reference & Outreach

(Hunter, Chapter 9) Archival Records EXIST to be USEDAccess is defined as the right, opportunity, or

means of finding, using or approaching

documents and/or informationAccess is the authority to obtain information

from or perform research using archivalmaterials

Granting Access is NOT the same asgranting permission to duplicatematerials


3/41

Access Traditions

Historical Manuscript Tradition Library of Congress

The donor or designee approves each applicationfor access

The donor imposes an absolute restriction onaccess (usually for a fixed period of time)

Ultimate Preservation is viewed as MOREIMPORTANT than quick access

Public Archives Tradition National Archives

Records belong to the people and should haveaccess to them


4/41

Public Archives Tradition

RestrictionsNecessary Evil

General restriction categories are established

Archivists conduct a page-by-page review of

the records against these categories(restricting records that fit each category)

Time consuming but allows fast access to

mostof the collection


5/41

Administering Access

Equal Access

Full Access

Competing Rights

Right to Know (want all information available)

Right to Privacy (live free of unwanted publicity

or intrusion)

Restrictions Completely Closed or Sealed

Partially Closed or Restricted Due to Contents

Restricted for Preservation or Security Reasons


6/41

Discussion Questions???

When discussing Equal Access, Hunter puts forththe following example: An astrologer, consideringsending his son to North Fork, visited the archives toexamine the founding documents of the university. Hewanted to know if the stars were favorable for his

sons academic career at NFU (211). He asks, Is thisthe kind of researcher that the university wishes toencourage? If the records are open, should they beopen to everyone willing to abide by the rules andregulations? Is it the archivists responsibility to

determine the worthiness of a research request? What advantages/disadvantages would an archival

facility have for accepting a completely closedcollection? For how long, on average, do these typesof collections remain completely closed?


7/41

Reference

Providing Information

Info abouttheir holdings (part of the archivists

mission)

Info from their holdings (mail, telephone, emailrequests)

Assisting with Research Visits

Entrance Interview Reference Room Activities

Exit Interview


8/41


On pages 216-217, Hunter says, "Contrary to popularopinion, (the researcher of interpretation) no longeris the major user of archives. Researchers of factnow predominate (archival use) . . . They are lookingfor specific information and they want to find it as

soon as possible." In light of this statement, what isyour opinion of Greene & Meissner's proposition forchanges to processing? Do you think that level ofprocessing would be efficient to helping a researcherwho is looking for a specific piece of information?

Why or why not? Is the increase in fact researchers due to the trend

of archives to work towards greater availability ofcollections for researchers? Or is the increase infact researchers due to the Wikipedia society of

today?


9/41

Entrance Interview

Confirm the identity of the researcher

Determine the researchers needs

Discuss the exchange of researchers

information

Explain the institutions rules and

regulations

Explain the use of finding aids

Explain fees


10/41

Reference Room Activities

Researchers check all personal belongings Researchers sign a log book each day they

are in the reference room

Researchers complete a call slip for eachcollection or part of a collection

Staff members retrieve requested material

One staff member is always in the reference

room to watch researchers Researchers return the records to the

archives staff

Researchers leave the reference room


11/41

Exit Interview

Often not done or overlooked Takes the form of a conversation

How valuable where the collections to you?

Did they contain what you thought theywould?

How helpful were the finding aids?

Did you encounter any problems?

Was anything missing or out of order?

How helpful were the staff members?

Do you know of other repositories with

related collections?


12/41

Making Duplicates

Question of Copyright???

Is it for personal research?

Published or unpublished?

Paper or another format?

Does the archivist make the copy?

Does the researcher make the copy?


13/41

Outreach & Promotion

Define your public? Typical Activities

Exhibits

Public Performances Newsletters

Presenting at Meetings & Conferences

Tours

Newspaper Articles

Radio or TV Appearances

Website(s)

In-House Receptions


14/41

Discuss Questions???

In Hunters discussion of outreach andpromotion, how easy is it to define ones publics?How many different approaches and elementsshould/could one use in implementation ofoutreach programs? Can you have too many

options? Are certain outreach programsbetter/more efficient than others?

Hunter neglects to mention the use of theInternet and the tools it offers in promoting

outreach. Blogs, websites, and social networkingsites like Facebook are all effective tools forpromoting archives. Is neglecting to mentionthese effective tools of outreach a flaw in thisweeks reading?


15/41

The Reference Process

(Pugh, Chapter 5) The human dimension of reference

service

As more people gain access to online

finding aids, even more human guides willbe needed???

Reference Service is a Value-added

Process??? Partner, Facilitator, Guide


16/41

Initial Interview

Intellectual Interchange between archivist& user

Query

Abstraction

Query

Resolution

Search

Strategy

Continuing Interaction

Query Refinement


17/41

Nonverbal Signs & Symbols

Making eye contact, nodding, smiling

People approach someone standing more

readily than sitting

Physical distance (18 inches culturalnorm)

Dress, name tag (does this mean I have to

wear a suit???) Dont make assumptions

Dont favor one researcher over another


18/41

Responding to Questions

Who

Why

When

How

Where

What Product


19/41

Remote Users

Telephone British survey found that over half start

process on phone

Mail & Email Email tends to be more casual questions

Three main elements in written responses: Opening paragraph welcoming the patron and

restating the question Second, the response states the info found and the

process (or why it could not be found)

Closing paragraph that encourages follow-up &contact information


20/41

Reference Services on the Web

Contact Information

Databases

Compatible with Most Browsers

Stability

Accessibility

Three Click Rule

Can make your repository look very

professional or very amateurish


21/41

Outreach

Developing Personal Networks in theParent Organization

Developing Networks Outside the Parent

Organization Public Programs


22/41

Providing Physical Access to

Archives (Pugh, Chapter 7) Reference Facilities (What is Important?) Security

Preservation (What does this mean to

patrons? okay to say no) Public Hours

Directions

Policy & Procedure Statements Registration & Identification

Daily Logs

Personal Belongings of Patrons


23/41

Managing Materials in Reading

Room Users - Request Forms (Call or Pull Slips) StaffRequest Slips/Separation Forms

Collections may be off-site

May set limits on how much a researchercan have at any given time

Returning MaterialsStaff initials and datesusually

Pencil, Paper, Rarely Pens Laptops and Digital Cameras becoming

common


24/41


Pugh argues that a reference archivist must even remove thedirt and dust off archival boxes before giving them to usersin order to protect the documents and the image of thearchives (pg. 186). How greatly does this differ from Greeneand Meissners approach to preservation and access andtheir thoughts on what the user cares more about? What

does the researcher care more about (dust or no dust)? Ifone does not give boxes to the user in an attractive manner,couldit affect the image of the archives negatively?

Mary Jo Pugh states that reference encounters in librariesare usually short and voluntary, each devoted to a singlequestion. In contrast, reference transactions in an archivesare more likely to be substantive, obligatory, and continuing.(121) Why is it that an archivist is expected to dedicate somuch time to helping researchers? Why do researchers notput this kind of pressure on reference librarians?


25/41

Youre a Guide Rather than an

Expert (Duff & Fox) Literature Review (Lack of Research)

Archival Interview Process???

Skills Needed to Provide Effective Reference

Service??? Compared to Studies for Libraries

Digital Age is Seen as an INCREASE in

Reference Services for Archivists


26/41

New Study

Methodology Two Archives

Archives AInterviewed in Office Space

Archives BInterviewed in Room Provided Each Interview45 Minutes

Background Questionnaire before FormalInterview (Satisfied or Dissatisfied Experience)

Sessions Recorded & Transcribed Software NVIVO used to identify Themes &

Concepts


27/41

Participants

13 Interviewed in Two Countries Specialties (several mentioned more than one):

12 in Manuscripts

8 in Architectural Records

7 each in Film, Photographic Records, CartographicMaterials & Sound

3 in Electronic Records

One Generalist

Years of Service (95 yrs or less, 130+, 35

to 10 yrs) Degrees (8Masters, 4Undergrad, 1 High

School) Sex (9 Female, 4 Male)

Age ( 1-26, 1-46+, 11- Between 26 & 35)


28/41

Good Quotes

Your role is as a guide rather than as an expert, ifanything its a question ofguiding people to a sourceand telling them how to use it, telling them where tofind the answer to any questions they may have,rather than necessarily answering their questions

(participant 12). What I try to do is, rather than bombard researchers

with all the information all at once . . . it sounds likeIm manipulating them, but its not. I give them theinformation they need to get to the next step. Oncethey get to that step I tell them, Okay come back andwe will figure out how to go from there(participant 9).


29/41

Reference Interview

What Time Period? What Geographic Area? Do you have a particular aspect you want to

look at? Do you have particular documents you

might want to look at? We can only control so much of what people tell

us. But sometimes you just have to get in a

certain question and theyll say Well okay, Idbetter tell her the whole thing. And it makes abigdifference


30/41

Searching

Common Sense

Gut Feeling

The Most Obvious Place

Logically

Quick & Easy

Consult Another Archivist (Expert in that

Field)


31/41

Other Concerns

Onsite Reference vs. Remote Reference Archivists Training & Knowledge

I got put on the public desk on my very first day, knowingabsolutely nothing about the XXX archives and what kindof records we had and how to look them up . . . Theres not

been any formal training like Sit down, this is how youwould look this up. If somebody asks you this, this is where

you would direct them. Ive justhad to sort of learn itmyself I guess (participant 6).

A lot of the training that you have is on the job, it really is

just a case of being thrown into the deep-end and beingshown the office family history guide and being giveninquiries, and then youre thrown into the interview roomafter two weeks there and its sink or swim time(participant 2).


32/41

More Good Quotes

Another type of knowledge that Im learning about iswhat people actually want. What do people want toknow? Why do they want to find that out? Why wouldanyone want to use this type of record? What sorts of

information does it provide? What sorts of history is ituseful for? (participant 4).

You really need bits and pieces from all over theplace. I think you need to know about the collections

we have . . . You need to know how you would usethose records. You just have to try and think aboutwhat kind of records are suitable for an inquiry andthen how youd use those (participant 10).


33/41

Barriers to Effective Reference

Service Missing, Outsourced or Restricted File

Time Constraints (Both Onsite & Remote)

Poor Finding Aids

Sheer Volume/Falling Behind in Description

Reference Archivists sometimes not allowed

create finding aids or research guides

Lack of Respect from Colleagues (not realarchivists or non-professional)

Problems with Requests over the Phone


34/41


Wendy Duff and Allyson Fox mention the importanceof maintaining a balance between providinginformation and letting researchers workindependently. How should an archivist maintain sucha balance? Why is it important to do this? Should an

archivist provide more assistance to certainresearchers than othersfor examplehelping agenealogist rather than a student who is working on aresearch project?

On page 149 of Duff & Fox's study, they say that

Archives A & B take very different approaches totraining reference archivists. Where in the hierarchydoes each repository place the position? Why do yousuppose this is? Do you agree with theirplacement(s)?


35/41

More Discussion Questions??? Duff and Fox state that remote users sometimes have higher

expectations but they go on to state that the benefit to remoteuses as opposed to face to face encounters do not have to beimmediate. They state that a 3-5 week turn-around is acceptable. Iknow American like things a little too immediate but 3-5 weeks? Isthat really an acceptable time frame or is that really poor customerservice?

Wendy Duff and Allyson Fox point out that archivists are receivinglittle, if any, reference training as part of their education. Does thismean that the education of these archivists is incomplete? Anddoes the lack of training in reference put further strain on thelimited resources, both financial and staff, of an archive, since asDuff and Fox point out, the most prevalent form of training wason the job experience.

Duff and Foxs study only analyzed large institutions. Do you thinkthat had a smaller institution such as a county archives beeninterviewed that they would have answered anything differently?Furthermore, considering many county archives only employ oneor two archivists, do you think that they would share theperception that reference archivists are inferior to other archivists,

considering that the archivists at the county level often deal withboth reference and processing?


36/41

Thinking Inside & Outside the

Boxes (Yakel) Break Out of Current Mold as Curators

of Data:

Context of Reference Services

Context of Referees (or Users) Context of the Records or Primary Sources

Context of Reference Personnel


37/41

Context of Reference Services

Three Meanings of Archives Archives as a place or building

Archives as materials or primary sources

Archives as administrative unit or agency

In digital (or post-custodial) world, this hasall been altered

What has happened???

Centrality of Reference Room is eroding Timing of Reference Services has changed

Archivists have too long been concerned aboutarchival information defined by location


38/41

Context of Referees

Users are individuals who refer to ourholdings and are also our judges

Three roadblocks in understanding ouraudience: Little Research on Users in Virtual Space

Archival Information Needs have not been fullyDelineated

Little is Known about what Types and how muchInformation Users can or will accept (underdifferent conditions or circumstances)

Who are our Users???


39/41

Context of Information Needs

Archivists need to become more aware ofhow and when records are used.

Users can have more direct access to

unmediated information. The site of mediation shifts from the

interaction between the archivists and

user to interactions among the usersthemselves.

Differing Types of Use???


40/41

Context of Primary Sources

No longer the one-to-one correspondencebetween question and answer???

More Information Available (more alsoonline)

No Universal Source One Can Search (no,Google does not count)

Are Archives data, information or

knowledge??? Are data, information and knowledge

interchangeable?

Do digital records need reference archivists?


41/41


Yakel states that just scanning and putting animage up on the Web loses this primary sourcesevidential context (pg. 149). How can a referencearchivist or archive repository keep the evidentialcontext on a website? What online tools and

techniques should be utilized in order to keep themeanings, relationships, and contexts of primarysources? Are some tools and techniques moreeffective than others?

Yakel suggests that digitizing a record "changes(its) shape and function dramatically." Why doyou think she is so concerned with the "digitalenvironment"? Does digitizing a document reallyalter it in some way? How?

Documents

6615 Week VI VII Reference