ARST 540: Archival Public Services -- COURSE SYLLABUS
Program: Master of Archival Studies
Year: 2008-2009 Winter Session, Term 2
Course Schedule: Mondays, 2-4:50
Location: Barber Learning Centre, Room 461
Instructor: Victoria L. Lemieux
Office location: SLAIS, Room 448
Office hours: Monday, 11:30-1:30
Office phone: 604-822-9199
E-mail address: vlemieux@interchange.ubc.ca
Course Goal:
The goal of this course is to examine the theoretical, ethical, and practical aspects of the public service function of archives and archivists.
Course Objectives:
Upon completion of this course students will be able:
- To identify and understand the principles governing archivists’ duty to make records accessible
- To understand the elements and aims of an archival public service program
- To understand the planning process of public service programs
- To understand uses and users of archival materials; meeting users’ needs
- To understand the interaction between users and archivists in the reference interview
- To understand reference service and public programming in the Internet environment
- To understand the practical operations of the reading room
- To examine various modes of public programming to encourage wider appreciation of archives and enjoyment of archival materials
- To appreciate the ethical concerns that arise in reference service and public programming
Course Topics:
- The principles governing provision of access to archival material
- The nature of public services offered by archivists and the obligations of archivists
- Identifying users and uses of archival material
- Obligations to internal and external (public) users in various settings
- The reference interaction
- The administration of reading rooms
- The virtual reading room and implications of distant access
- Archival exhibits, outreach kits, and other public programming initiatives
- Ethical considerations, access, and restrictions on access
- Security and reference service
Prerequisites: ARST 500, ARST 510, ARST 515, ARST 587 [ARST 500 is not required of Joint student who have already taken LIBR 500].
Co-requisites: ARST 516, ARST 520, ARST 573. Limited to students in the MAS program unless permission granted by SLAIS Graduate Advisor
Format of the course: One three-hour lecture once per week.
Instructional methods: lectures, readings, in-class discussions, demonstrations and exercises, observation and written reflection, peer and self-evaluation – as interactive and diverse as possible within the limits of time and resources available. Be prepared to be active and involved!
Communication: In addition to in-class communication, an email account is necessary for this course, to facilitate communication between and among the students and the instructor. There will also be communication via Vista (e.g., class discussion area, instructor announcements).
Students’ expectation of instructor:
- immediate feedback on any questions or issues with the course or assignments raised with me during class, office hours or by appointment
- timely (1-2 days) feedback on any questions or issues with the course or assignments raised via email
- limited no penalty extensions to due dates for assignments if requested as a result of health concerns or family obligations, and if requested at least three days in advance of the due date
- detailed feedback on your assignments
- grading of your assignments within two weeks after they are received. All graded assignments will be returned to your SLAIS mailbox.
Instructors’ expectations of students:
- the courtesy of advanced notice if you plan to be absent from a class as your absence may affect the activities planned for that class
- completion of the assigned readings for each class. You should expect to spend approximately 6-9 hours each week outside of class in research, reading, reflection, writing, and working with colleagues to prepare presentations
- the courtesy of placing all cell phones, blackberries, etc on mute during class and not taking calls unless in an emergency
Readings (R = required) :
1. Reference Service
- Course Textbook: Mary Jo Pugh. Providing Reference Services for Archives and Manuscripts. Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 2005. 368 pp.
The textbook has an excellent bibliographical essay referring to the literature on reference services, as well as extensive references in notes, which together will lead students to additional readings.
2. Public Programming and Outreach (R = required reading)
- R Blais, Gabrielle, and David Enns. “From Paper Archives to People Archives: Public Programming in the Management of Archives.” Archivaria No. 31 (Winter 1990-91): 101-113.
- R Cook, Terry. “Viewing the World Upside Down: Reflections on the Theoretical Underpinnings of Archival Public Programming.” Archivaria No. 31 (Winter 1990-91): 123-134.
- R Craig, Barbara L. “What are the Clients? Who are the Products? The Future of Archival Public Services in Perspective.” Archivaria No. 31 (Winter 1990-91): 135-141.
- Eastwood, Terry. “Public Services Education for Archivists.” The Reference Librarian 56 (1997): 27-38.
- R Ericson, Timothy L. “’Preoccupied with our own Gardens’: Outreach and Archivists.” Archivaria No. 31 (Winter 1990-91): 114-122.
- Freeman Finch, Elsie. “Archival Advocacy: Reflections on Myths and Realities.” Archival Issues Vol. 20, No. 2 (1995): 115-127.
- Freeman, Elsie T. “In the Eye of the Beholder: Archives Administration from the User’s Point of View.” The American Archivist Vol. 47, No. 2 (Spring 1984): 111-123.
- Grabowski, John J. “Keepers, Users, and Funders: Building an Awareness of Archival Value.” The American Archivist Vol. 55 (Summer 1992): 464-472.
- Gordon, Heather Marie. “ Archival Exhibitions: Purposes and Principles.” Thesis (M.A.S.), UBC, 1994.
- Gracy, David B. “Archivists, You Are What People Think You Keep.” The American Archivist Vol. 52 (Winter 1989): 72-78.
- Jacobs, Sally J. “How and When We Make the News: Local Newspaper Coverage of Archives in Two Wisconsin Cities.” Archival Issues Vol. 22, No. 1 (1997): 45-60. .
- R Wilson, Ian E. “Towards a Vision of Archival Services.” Archivaria No. 31 (Winter 1990-91): 91-100.
Course Assignments, Due dates and Weight in relation to final course mark:
Group presentation |
Various due dates |
30% |
Term paper |
April 6 |
50% |
Class participation |
|
20% |
COURSE SCHEDULE [Subject to Change]*:
DATE |
SUBJECT |
COMMENTS |
January 12 |
Introduction to the course |
Review of syllabus, explanation of assignments, etc. |
January 19 |
Overview of the of public services; principles guiding public services |
Lecture & discussion of Chapter 2, Pugh, and related literature |
January 26 |
Uses and users; intellectual access; the reference process |
Lecture, Ch. 3, 4, 5 Pugh, & related literature |
February 2 |
Access policies; physical access; copyright and copying; ethical issues of access |
Lecture and discussion Ch. 6, 7 8, Pugh, & related literature DEADLINE: CHOICE OF GROUP SUBJECT |
February 9 |
Managing and evaluating reference service |
Lecture and discussion Ch. 9, Pugh, and related literature DEADLINE FOR CHOICE OF TERM PAPER TOPIC |
February 16 |
Mid-term break |
|
February 23 |
Guest: Megan Schlase, City of Vancouver Archives |
Presentation on reference service at CVA followed by Q & A session |
March 2 |
Public programming and outreach |
Lecture and discussion of required readings |
March 9 |
Group presentations 1 & 2 |
See schedule |
March 16 |
No class |
Time to work on term paper |
March 23 |
Group presentations 3 & 4 |
See Schedule |
March 30 |
Group presentations 5 & 6 |
“ |
April 6 |
Group presentations 7 & 8 |
“
TERM PAPER DUE |
*SLAIS reserves the right to change the course schedule to accommodate conference attendance, etc.
Evaluation:
30% of the final grade for the group presentation
50% of the final grad for the term paper
20% of the final grade for participation in class discussion
Additional course information :
Online Resources: A course site has been set up in Vista. Vista is UBC's online course management system. With over 18,000 people accessing course sites each week, and hundreds of active courses, Vista has become an essential tool for supporting online course activities, such as online discussions and group work. Students may take a self-paced Vista online tutorial. To access the tutorial, email your CWL to emily.renoe@ubc.ca.
Course Policies
Attendance: The calendar states, “Regular attendance is expected of students in all their classes (including lectures, laboratories, tutorials, seminars, etc.). Students who neglect their academic work and assignments may be excluded from the final examinations. Students who are unavoidably absent because of illness or disability should report to their instructors on return to classes.” Regular on-time attendance in class is an important and required part of this course.
Evaluation: Assignments will not be accepted late unless prior arrangements are made with the instructor. If an extension is granted, a late penalty of 5% per day will be imposed except in cases of legitimate illness or emergencies. All assignments will be awarded numerical grades using the evaluative criteria given on the SLAIS web site: http://www.slais.ubc.ca/RESOURCES/slais-marking.htm
Style Manual: Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 6th ed., rev. John Grossman and Alice Bennett. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996.
Disability Accommodation: The University accommodates students with disabilities who have registered with the Disability Resource Centre [ http://www.students.ubc.ca/access/drc.cfm ]. You must register with the Disability Resource Centre to be granted special accommodations for any on-going conditions.
Religious Accommodation: The University accommodates students whose religious obligations conflict with attendance, submitting assignments, or completing scheduled tests and examinations. Please let your instructor know in advance, preferably in the first week of class, if you will require any accommodation on these grounds. Students who plan to be absent for varsity athletics, family obligations, or other similar commitments, cannot assume they will be accommodated, and should discuss their commitments with the instructor before the course drop date. UBC policy on Religious Holidays: http://www.universitycounsel.ubc.ca/policies/policy65.pdf
Academic Dishonesty: Please review the UBC Calendar Academic regulations for the University policy on cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty: http://www.students.ubc.ca/calendar/index.cfm?tree=3,54,111,959 . Also visit and review the contents of these two resources: Plagiarism Resource Centre: For Students: http://www.library.ubc.ca/home/plagiarism/welcome.html and Plagiarism Avoided: Taking Responsibility For Your Work: http://www.arts.ubc.ca/Plagiarism_Avoided.373.0.html for useful information on avoiding plagiarism and on correct documentation practice. Students are held responsible for knowing and following all University regulations regarding academic dishonesty. If a student does not know how to properly cite a source or what constitutes proper use of a source it is the student's personal responsibility to obtain the needed information and to apply it within University guidelines and policies. If evidence of academic dishonesty is found in a course assignment, previously submitted work in this course may be reviewed for possible academic dishonesty and grades modified as appropriate.
Assignment 1: Group Presentation
Working in groups of two or three, students will be responsible for leading discussion of topics chosen from the list of topics or worked out in consultation with the instruction. Eight groups must be formed and topics chosen by the class on February 2, after which a schedule will be developed and distributed. Each student in the group should take the lead for part of the presentation. Presentations should concentrate as much as possible on reporting on research on the topic, but practical guidelines and institutional policies and the like may be used for some topics.
The group will also be responsible to select two or three articles for students to read, have the instructor approve the selection of articles, and distribute copies to students two weeks in advance of the class on which you make your presentation.
On the day of your presentation: distribute copies of PowerPoint slides and an annotated bibliography of literature on the topic. Divide the task of annotating and indicate with initials the name of the student who did each annotation.
There will be about 80 minutes for each group’s presentation and discussion of the topic.
Suggested Group Presentation Topics
- Research use of archives: who uses archives; what do we know about the behaviour of researchers; what can be done to facilitate use; what else do we need to know or do research on to understand users’ behaviour and needs?
- Provision of reference service: registering researchers; the reference process; presentation of information about holdings; measures to enhance reference service; reference facilities; organizational and management concerns.
- Users’ experience of using archival finding aids. What do we know about how users experience searching using finding aids?
- Access to private archives as determined by negotiation with donors; problems of administering access to private archives.
- Copyright and reference service: principles; administrative concerns; problems of various kinds of materials; the new Canadian law and changes affecting archives.
- Freedom of Information and Privacy and reference service: principles, administrative concerns; research agreements for access to personal information; problems and issues.
- Ethics of reference service: principle of equality of access; obligations of reference archivists; balancing conflicting interests.
- Evaluating reference service: methods; results of evaluations; comparisons with evaluation of library reference.
- The Internet and Public Service: how is the “Net” used now and how might it be used in the future by archives to assist/augment reference service. There is probably room for more than one approach to this topic. Readings from sites may be chosen in addition to or in lieu of articles.
- Public programs: planning and implementing a type of public program. Suggested examples of types of programs are exhibitions, education programs, public relations programs, and publication programs. Possible to have more than one group for this topic.
- Security concerns and reference service: threats and security measures; effects of security on service provision; cases of theft and what we can learn from them; legal concerns.
- Genealogists and reference service: the special concerns of genealogists and the problems that arise in serving them.
Other topics are possible , but must be approved by the instructor.
This assignment will be evaluated on the basis of the quality of your presentation and of the material you distribute to the class.
This assignment is worth 30% of the final mark.
Assignment 2: Term Paper
Write an essay of approximately twenty pages, double-spaced with proper citations and bibliography, on a topic agreed upon with the instructor.
Your essay should provide a critical examination of the ideas, methods, or practices relevant to your subject. As the term paper constitutes 50% of the grade for the course, it should be based on extensive reading and reflect that you have given the subject considerable thought. You may write on one of the suggested topics for group presentation or choose your own topic, but, in the latter case, you are advised to discuss your idea for a topic with the instructor. You are also advised to settle on a topic as soon as possible, but in no case later than the day of the last class before mid-term break. It is also wise to submit a bibliography once you have identified your sources, and to get it approved or to receive suggestions on additional readings. You may write on the same topic or some aspect or aspects of the topic of your group presentation.
The paper is due on April 6, 2009.
This assignment is worth 50% of the final mark.
