Reference Services for Archives and Manuscripts

Citation

Duckett, B. (1998), "Reference Services for Archives and Manuscripts", Library Review, Vol. 47 No. 1, pp. 59-60. https://doi.org/10.1108/lr.1998.47.1.59.20

The use of the word “reference” in the title perhaps needs a little elaboration. It is not used as a contrast to “lending”, but to characterise the nature of the activity as in “reference services”. The term “reference archivist”, used frequently in the book, rings oddly on UK ears where the term “archivist” covers all varieties of archive activity, including conservation and calendaring, which are not covered here. Thus on public service, one of the papers in this collection is on using the Internet to improve access to archives. This reviews the experience of the New York State Archives and Records Administration which operates a variety of Internet services using Gopher and World Wide Web. The use of surrogates and 24‐hour access are two obvious benefits.

The use of electronic records in archives, especially in the development of global networks, is changing the way archivists view the role of archives. An upbeat account of the US Center for Electronic Records Archive focuses on access and validation strategies. A wider perspective is taken from an Australian viewpoint showing how record keeping is increasingly electronic, but emphasising how vital are our traditional records management and informational skills. “Retrieving the Irretrievable” refers not to electronic archives but to “hidden groups” such as ethnic and cultural minorities, women, and the poor. Traditional provenance‐based retrieval tools are inadequate, better subject and format‐based access systems are needed.

Then there is the security. Libraries and archives are subject to theft and vandalism. The market value of old envelopes, postcards, stamps and printed ephemera is considerable. Restricted access, user ID and surveillance by CCTV and alert staff (!) are all needed. This brings us to ethics. Archivists face challenging ethical dilemmas. Rapidly evolving technology, changing expectations, and inconsistent privacy laws place pressures on the “managers of cultural property”.

One of the successes of the archive profession has been the increasing standardisation of record listing and the consequent increased information we have about holdings. Archive description is featured with emphasis on the growing need for data transfer, better collection description and access to collection content. One particularly noteworthy development in this area is NID‐US, Chadwyck‐Healey’s National Inventory of Documentary Sources in the United States. When combined with the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections on the company’s forthcoming CD‐ROM Archives USA, this will give information on some 4,000 archives and manuscript repositories in the USA. This is but one of the many things archivists need to know. But are archivists being trained adequately? And is the public adequately appreciative of the need for archivists? The guidelines of the Society of American Archivists and those of the Association of Canadian Archivists are discussed in relation to the training of archivists.

The need for archivists to be active in promoting and marketing their services and collections is forcefully argued in a couple of contributions. Reference service is no longer just pointing out what is available, the archival profession is “dynamic, adaptive, and undergoing continual change. Archivists should be pro‐actively reaching out to researchers and encouraging research use”. Among the other contributions are a case study and observations on the contemporary archives scene.

The issue editor justifies this work by pointing out that, just like their librarian colleagues, “reference archivists are straddling the world of the traditional with the world of the new”. Her collection of contributors provide a timely, thoughtful, and helpful review. By the by, it is nice to see the Haworth Press producing an attractive paperback alternative to their usual staid hardcover version. Just stop the covers curling up through 100 degrees and I would have little left to criticise! Nevertheless, a nicely priced and attractive read.