Archives Found

After writing my most recent post (on blogging and archivists) and reading some interesting and encouraging responses elsewhere (see Archives Next, Curious Child, The Digital Archive, and BlogHer), I decided to try to talk about my purpose in blogging on the archival field, or at least as much as I can condense that intention into a few words and ideas.

Why am I blogging? Well,  I’m interested in participating in a larger discussion about topics and issues that affect me as an archivist, and archival collections as a whole. I’d like to see new ideas mashed up for better working with patrons, fresh perspectives on both perennial problems and new issues in the field, and I’d like to find better ways to connect with past, present, and future colleagues.  While I do enjoy reading blogs about particular collections, I’ll admit that I’ve been hungry for some honest-to-goodness discussions about professional issues that concern archivists.

In many ways, other professionals have jumped past the “fear” barrier: the specter of blogging oneself out of that next job. I’m planning to touch on anonymity in my next post, so I won’t get into that now, except to say that I take issue with the idea that an anonymous opinion is necessarily frivolous or without value. Is anonymous participation better or worse than no participation at all? What does that say about us as a group? Anyway, more about that later.

Some of the other reasons that I decided to blog are similar to those set out by Jeanne of Spellbound Blog in this comment on ArchivesNext:

When I started my blog it was all about reaching out to people with ideas I was learning and extending during my slow part time progress through graduate school. I had so many more ideas than I had time to address ‘formally’ during class time.

Post-graduation, I’ve found that I have even more ideas and thoughts to address about various topics, both inside and marginally outside of the scope of my current job. I’ve always been a very inquisitive learner, seeking out others who were engaged in the same sorts of questions. Being intentional about being involved, as well as flexible about where the path may lead has generally been beneficial to me.

Years ago, I was a camp counselor for several summers. One of my catchphrases then (and still) was this: Be a thermostat, not a thermometer or barometer.

Be an instrument for change; whether that’s institutional or widespread, or personal development. (I think I can still hear some of my former campers groaning, but it rings true for me). I understand that not everyone desires change, or wants to lead in all things. But for me, I think it’s important to be intentional and deliberate about what I want, what I intend to accomplish, and how I want to get there.

Right now, I’m interested in helping to participate in and move archival discourse forward in the archivo-blogosphere. Is it an act of hubris to think that I can make a difference? Perhaps. But I’m willing to bet that there are others out there that are yearning to engage in a dialogue of ideas, to attempt to advance theory and practice. I’m not willing to accept that I’m the only one interested in talking about this.

For now, I leave you with this: what do you want from archives blogs? Why do you read blogs about archives, and how do you want to participate? What issues and topics would you like to discuss? If you’re reading, but not inclined to comment, why not? I’d like to hear about what you find interesting– as well as what you think is not worth discussing. Any and all comments welcome.

 A few weeks ago, over on ArchivesNext, I asked Kate whether her opinions on the archivo-blogosphere had changed in the year since she first started blogging. Go take a look at her well-thought out response. I’ll wait.

In the time since I posed that question, I’ve been mostly away from my desk (or busy with other things), but I’ve been tossing this around in my own mind: what is the role of blogging in the archival field? I don’t pretend to have all of the answers, but I’d like to raise some questions, and perhaps provoke discussion. Some of my thoughts below.

On participation:

It seems to me that, as a group, we have been slow to participate in the blogosphere. While there are fewer archivists out there than say other groups with which we might identify (say, librarians or historians), it seems that we’ve been comparatively reluctant to dip our toes in the water. Why might that be? Are we less tech-savvy, or uninterested in using new technologies to communicate? Is it that we are mirroring the somewhat apathetic national participation in civic discourse? Is there a lack of interest in contributing to the field, or that we have nothing to say?  Are we reticent about being record creators instead of worrying about the disposition of records?

When it comes to participation, it seems like there are generally few who take charge and actively lead. Much like the dynamic in a classroom or in our electoral process, those willing to step up to the plate are the ones whose voices are heard. What are we afraid of? Or, are we afraid at all? Perhaps we’re just disinterested, disenfranchised, or not inclined to care. However, having met many passionate archivists, I don’t necessarily subscribe to the last one.

On conversation:

Is a blog a good place to have a professional conversation? What about a peer-reviewed journal, or a listserv? How about a symposium, or a conference call, or workshop? In order to have participation, there needs to be a balance between “if you build it, they will come,” and meeting people where they already are. In this case, my feeling is that a lot of folks are already doing everything else on this list, but not blogging or actively participating in the blogosphere. It’s professionally acceptable for us to have discussions in all of those other places; why not online?  Is a journal article in the American Archivist going to provoke the same type of timely discussion as a blog post? Maybe. But a discussion in real time, with participants from around the globe? Probably not.

I’m not against more established forms of communication within the profession; far from it. But I think that we need to look towards the example of many librarians who have used their blogs to actively participate and shape their experiences in the field.

One last thing: risk. The elephant in the room. Because blogging involves putting one’s thoughts out there on the web for anyone to read, it can be intimidating, even downright scary. Once your words are out there, anyone can access them. Is that risky? You bet. George Eliot once said “Blessed is the man who, having nothing to say, abstains from giving us wordy evidence of the fact.”

Are fears about disclosure valid? Sure. I know that evaluation of sources for “truthiness” and authenticity is important as well. But part of the problem that hasn’t been fully acknowledged is this: elders and so-called “names” in the field have not really embraced blogging or maintained their own blogs (with the exception of Richard Cox and perhaps one or two others). Archivists that are new to the field may be afraid of reprisal or blogging themselves out of their next job, or simply not willing to jump into the conversation. Those mid-career may have the same fears.

However, I don’t think that it’s true that we have nothing to say. Further, I think that we could all benefit from a lively discourse and vibrant archivo-blogosphere. So what are we doing about it? What’s the next step? How can we move forward?

I’ve been recently reading about copyright law as applicable to libraries and archives. My interest in this was partially sparked by a recent patron request for original drafts of materials that may or may not have been published prior to 1923 (still researching on that point). Under the 1976 US Copyright Act, the “fair use” doctrine (section 107) and the exemption for libraries & archives (section 108), and assuming that we won’t turn up another copy of these materials (so far a safe bet), I feel fairly confident in making a copy of the materials for this visiting scholar. A glance at this copyright chart from Peter Hirtle at Cornell’s Copyright Information Center was useful in determining whether this document potentially stands in the public domain or not, and how long it might be until that day arrives (check it out!)– really quite useful.

This is a fairly cut-and-dry instance, but my recent poking around has uncovered some other potential “land mines” that should be addressed within our collections. Some of the resources that I’ve found to be useful:

The Law of Libraries and Archives by Bryan M. Carson

The Stanford Law School Fair Use Project

Mary Minow’s LibraryLaw blog

While I was perusing the last of those, I saw a post of interest– titled “Free the Founding Fathers,” it discusses NARA’s report to Congress on planning for digital access to the papers of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington. The NARA report can be found on the NHPRC website (pdf here), and I encourage you to read Peter Hirtle’s take on the situation at the LibraryLaw blog here.

Other tangents of interest: the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act (CETA)/“Mickey Mouse” Protection Act, Eldred v. Ashcroft, Public Domain Enhancement Act(PDEA), Warner Bros. Entertainment and J.K.Rowling vs. RDR Books

A Fair(y) Use Tale: A short film by Eric Faden discusses copyright using clips from the work of a company who has lobbied hard for extended copyright terms.