Navigating Legal Issues in Archives

Attorney and archivist Menzi Behrnd-Klodt details legal issues from acquisition to ownership, access, administration, and the effects of copyright and intellectual property law on archivists and archives. She begins with the legal framework behind policies and procedures and reviews the legal process and civil litigation, then details acquisition (including transfer of ownership and rights), appraisal, abandoned materials, tax consideration, risk, primacy, public records, records in information management, the implications of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, cultural property and their records, copyright and related rights issues (including permissions, releases, music, and moral rights) and the reasons why trademarks, patents, and related rights should matter to archivists. Includes sample legal documents and forms.

Behrnd-Klodt, Menzi L.

Legal Education

Society of American Archivists

This book offers a unique window on the world of film archiving. The author brings a historical, economic, and social framework to bear upon this unique community, looking at the people, institutions, and corporations that play key roles in the preservation endeavor. Through ethnographic narratives that place the reader squarely within the scene, Gracy gives readers the context to understand fully the complexities of film archiving work, and what it means to be a member of this profession. Provides an introduction to the major players in the film community and the internal and external forces that influence film preservation, as well as a background of the film preservation movement. The book also addresses the constraints of funding, intellectual property issues, and the orphan film movement. The primary focus is on the relationships among the various players: archives, studio and film preservation labs, and content owners. The book draws material from the Gracy's field work. Some of the issues discussed include * The great flexibility in how archivists use the term preservation * How much control do archivists really have over film preservation * Does archival imperative trump the physical imperative?

Film Preservation: Competing Definitions of Value, Use, and Practice

Arts & Photography

Gracy, Karen F.

Photography & Video

The 13 essays in this volume offer provocative commentary and analysis in the ways archivists might better document college and university campuses and serve users. Three intertwined themes run throughout the reader: the opportunities and challenges posed by ever-changing technology, the importance of cooperation and collaboration beyond the walls of the archives, and the necessity of a proactive approach in undertaking the academic archival enterprise. As the essays gathered here demonstrate, archivists can and must play an active role in documenting the character and history of their institutions by applying their talents to the challenges in this new century.

College and University Archives

Politics & Social Sciences

Prom, Christopher J.

Social Sciences

Required reading for archivists, librarians, and the building professions planning a new or remodeled archival facility, this SAA-approved standard provides guidance on site evaluation, construction, environmental systems, fire protection, security, lighting, materials and finishes, equipment, and the functional spaces for an archival facility that meets the needs of staff and researchers and ensures the preservation of the collections.

Archival and Special Collections Facilities: Guidelines for Archivists, Librarians, Architects, and Engineers

Pacifico, Michele F.

When it comes to personal collections, we live in exciting times. Individuals are living their lives in ways that are increasingly mediated by digital technologies -- digital photos and video footage, music, the social web, e-mail, and other day-to-day interactions. Although this mediation presents many technical challenges for long-term preservation, it also provides unprecedented opportunities for documenting the lives of individuals. Ten authors -- Robert Capra, Adrian Cunningham, Tom Hyry, Leslie Johnston, Christopher (Cal) Lee, Sue McKemmish, Cathy Marshall, Rachel Onuf, Kristina Spurgin, and Susan Thomas -- share their expertise on the various aspects of the management of digital information in I, Digital: Personal Collections inr the Digital Era. The volume is divided in three parts: Part 1 is devoted to conceptual foundations and motivations Part 2 focuses on particular types, genres, and forms of personal traces; areas of further study; and new opportunities for appraisal and collection Part 3 addresses strategies and practices of professionals who work in memory institutions Chapters explore issues, challenges, and opportunities in the management of personal digital collections, focusing primarily on born-digital materials generated and kept by individuals. Contributions to I, Digital represent the depth in thinking about how cultural institutions can grapple with new forms of documentation, and how individuals manage -- and could better manage -- digital information that is part of contemporary life.

I, Digital: Personal Collections in the Digital Era

Computers & Technology

Graphics & Design

A Different Kind of Web: New Connections Between Archives and Our Users

Come explore how archives are using the web to reach and interact with users, old and new, as well as serve their own management needs. 13 case studies illustrate archival practitioners' own experiences in creating blogs, wikis, and interactive websites, and contributing to sites such as Flickr, YouTube, Wikipedia, and Second Life. The themes in these case studies are framed by longer analytical essays that reflect on the larger implications of social media for archives -- the "different kind of web" archivists are forming with their users. Learn how social media are changing how archivists conduct outreach, how the concept of authority is adapting and evolving, and the opportunities social media present for enhancing and streamlining traditional archival processes. In addition, a series of short essays present the viewpoints of some of the primary users -- historians, educators, students, and genealogists. The volume concludes with a group of reflections on the larger implications of social media for archives, including the impact of Web 2.0 on diversity in the archival profession and the archival record. This book is for practitioners looking for reports on real-world implementations of social media tools; students in archives and history programs interested in implementation and management issues, and the broader theoretical and systemic issues raised by the use of social media; and historians, history faculty, professionals in related fields, such as libraries and museums, and those who study the use of the web will find an encapsulation of the current approach of the archival profession.

Kate Theimer

Web Development & Design

The digital age has spurred constant technological and sociocultural change. In Conceptualizing 21st-Century Archives, author Anne J. Gilliland explores the shifts and divergences in archival discourse that technological developments have necessitated, facilitated, or inspired. Gilliland addresses the lessons the archival and recordkeeping fields can learn from their evolution about ideas tried and abandoned; which ideas are truly new, and which continue to hold good, regardless of technological shifts; and the ways in which archivists need to expand their thinking and practices to fulfill their global and local--"glocal"--roles. By understanding how archival practices and thinking were challenged or how archivists responded at different points over the past century, the reader can begin to discern how and why ideas rise, fall, and resurge. The book traces the development of descriptive systems, the creation and management of computer-generated records, and the curation of digital materials. With each chapter, Gilliland addresses either the historical development or the current state of an area within archival science that information and communications technology have significantly affected to ultimately construct a picture of how archives arrived in the 21st century and to suggest where they might be going in the foreseeable future.

Conceptualizing 21st-Century Archives

Gilliland, Anne J.

The impulse to create archives is rooted in the very human need to leave one's mark on the world. Whether through letters, diaries, reports, photographs, films, or a teenager's simple need to scrawl “I was here” on a subway wall, there's a deep desire in individuals to tell their stories, to be seen—literally and figuratively—in archives. With this desire also comes the need to ensure that archives are as diverse as the world we live in and to preserve the individuals and cultures that have been consciously or unconsciously underserved in the archives. Through the Archival Looking Glass: A Reader on Diversity and Inclusion, edited by Mary A. Caldera and Kathryn M. Neal, features ten essays that explore prominent themes related to diversity, including creating a diverse record, recruiting diversity to the profession and retaining a diverse workforce, and questioning the archive itself, on representation, authority, neutrality, objectivity, and power. This book illustrates a multitude of perspectives and issues so that fresh voices can emerge alongside more familiar ones, and new concepts can be examined with new treatments of established ideas. Diversity is an ever-evolving concept; the term itself is increasingly rephrased as inclusion. By stimulating further ideas and conversation, we can come closer to a common understanding of what diversity and inclusion are or can be and, perhaps most importantly, how they may be realized in archives and the archival profession.

Through the Archival Looking Glass: A Reader on Diversity and Inclusion

Women's archives hold a significant place in the historical record, illuminating stories of individuals who had an impact on our past in both powerful and quiet ways. The history of the archives themselves and the struggle to achieve equal representation within the historical record also tell a valuable story, one that deftly examines American culture and society over the past few centuries. In Perspectives on Women's Archives, 18 essays written by noted archivists and historians illustrate the origins of a women-centered history, the urgent need to locate records that highlight the diverse experiences of women, and the effort to document women's experiences. The essays also expose the need for renewed collaboration between archivists and historians, the challenges related to the accessibility of women's collections, and the development of community archives. Ultimately, archival relevancy is reinforced, not diminished, by sharing resources and exposing absences. This book inspires new thinking about the value of women's archives and how to fill the gaps in our recordkeeping to move toward a more diverse and inclusive future.

Perspectives on Women's Archives

History

World

In Exhibits in Archives and Special Collections Libraries, longtime special collections exhibits curator Jessica Lacher-Feldman advises archivists at all levels on developing enlightening and entertaining exhibits. She describes each step of the exhibit process, providing straightforward tips on:
 <ul>
 <li>developing innovative exhibit ideas;</li>
 <li>formulating exhibit policies and procedures for your institution;</li>
 <li>crafting well-written and visually interesting exhibit labels;</li>
 <li>branding and designing exhibits; and</li>
 <li>promoting exhibits through conventional media, social media, and giveaway items.</li>
 
</ul>
 Also included are case studies that detail exhibits at a variety of institutions, sample documents and forms, a literature review, and a guide to exhibit supplies. Exhibit development doesn't have to be complicated or overwhelming. With this comprehensive resource, you'll learn how to develop exhibits that help you to better connect with your audience and advocate for your repository. “Proceed and be bold” with exhibit development, and gratifying, inspiring results will transpire.

Exhibits in Archives and Special Collections Libraries

Jessica L. Lacher-Feldman

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Books by Society of American Archivists