Managing Archival Collections

Code: AHVS488U
Apply this course towards: Cultural Resource Management, Collections Management, Visitor and Community Engagement

Course description

Many museums hold archival materials—including documents, maps, photographs and other documentary evidence—that require specialized care and management. This course focuses on archives as an important component of museum collections and develops your understanding of ways in which archival materials should be organized, managed, preserved and shared.

This course strengthens your understanding of:

  • the nature of archival materials
  • theories, principles, and practices governing archival management
  • legal, administrative, and professional frameworks
  • appraisal, acquisition, and accessioning of archives
  • archival arrangement and description, including the application of archival descriptive standards
  • physical processing and storage
  • the importance of preventive conservation
  • reference services and access issues
  • using archives to enhance exhibits, educational offerings, and outreach initiatives
  • the impact of digital technologies on the management of records and archives
  • the role of archives in culture, heritage and society

While there is common ground between the management of artifacts and the management of archives, recognizing the distinctions is important to caring effectively for documentary materials and increasing their role in the museum environment.

Learning objectives

  1. Explain the general principles and theories of archival management.
  2. Explain the distinctions between the nature of and management of archival materials and artifacts.
  3. Understand the different issues involved with administering archival services and managing archival facilities, whether in a dedicated archival institution, a museum, a gallery or heritage institution, or a multi-purpose environment.
  4. Understand international, national, and local legal, ethical, administrative and professional frameworks surrounding archival management, with a particular but not exclusive focus on the Canadian environment.
  5. Implement the key steps involved in effective archival management, including appraisal, arrangement, description, conservation and access.
  6. Articulate the changing role of archives in culture, heritage and society.

Prerequisites

  1. All participants are should have a professional or voluntary role in a archival-holding institution, which may serve as their ‘partner organization’ for completion of course assignments. If you have any questions about your suitability for this course, please ask us how to contact the course instructor directly before the course start date.
  2. Regular access to a computer with a reliable internet connection.
  3. University-level research, writing and critical thinking skills.

 

Instructor

Jessica Bushey

What participants are saying

“The content has allowed me to gain more work with the collections and archives.”

“I feel as though I can use every single thing we learned in this course in my profession.”

“This has been the best course.”

“Gave a good outline of an archives and the problems they face.”

“[The best part was] the connections we made with other students/ and professionals in the field. the instructor, the format being online.”

Format

Online format using the learning management system (LMS), Brightspace, over a 14-week period, requiring approximately 12-14 rigorous hours of coursework per week.

Students login to the course and communicate with the instructor and fellow students via the Brightspace course site. This course follows an asynchronous delivery model.

This course will use online text-based notes and/or PowerPoint presentations, forum-based discussions, individual and individual assignments, and print and online readings/resources. In addition to completing assignments and activities, participants are expected to contribute meaningfully and frequently to forum-based discussions weekly. The mode of contact with the course instructor is via email or online forums.

Attendance, participation and decorum

Whether registered as a credit or non-credit participant, you will be expected to:

  • login to the course website on a regular basis throughout each week
  • participate in class activities, and thoughtfully and articulately contribute to course forum discussions by reflecting upon assigned readings and professional experiences
  • submit course assignments on scheduled course deadline dates
  • notify course instructors of any personal leaves throughout the term that will affect class participation well in advance
  • notify the instructor of any situation that will compromise the timely submission of an assignment or activity to work out alternate arrangements well in advance of due date
  • provide work throughout the course that is effectively organized and researched, professionally presented, and well-written
  • interact with colleagues, program staff, and course instructors in a respectful and positive manner at all times

Note: if a student has not signed into the course site by the 100% tuition refund drop date, the Program Office reserves the right to withdraw the student from the course. Participation in online courses is mandatory and online interactions are the most important part of the course learning experience. As such, “catching up” at such a late date without prior approval—and make-up scheduling by the instructor and/or program—is impossible.

Privacy Considerations

In some cases, participants and the course instructor may discuss examples that reflect an actual situation, institution, or community. In order to create an environment where all feel free to discuss and learn from situational issues, it is asked that everyone respect the confidential nature of the institutions and communities being discussed.

While the site is password protected, note that email and course discussion forum groups are never entirely confidential and are subject to freedom of information and privacy legislation. Your use of these communication tools should reflect the public nature of the media.

We ask that you respect the copyright of any and all course materials and note that these are circulated and shared for the purposes of this course only. Further reproduction is strictly prohibited.

Personal information at the University is protected by the BC Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) and the University’s Protection of Privacy Policy.

Disclosure of personal information to vendors, systems or services storing or accessing that information outside of Canada is restricted by s.30.1 of FIPPA.

Instructors may use a variety of educational technology in a course including internet-based technologies, or web-based applications, cloud services and social media. The use of technology is intended to enhance and/or deliver students’ education and is part of a students’ engagement at the University. Some of these technologies may collect, use, disclose, and store student and instructor personal information outside of Canada.

In some courses, instructors may require students to use educational technology and social media which stores personal information outside of Canada, in such cases, instructors will try to provide options (such as using an alias to register).

If students do not want their personal information stored or accessed outside of Canada, in certain rare instances, courses may not be available to them. If the course is required for the completion of a degree, alternatives will be provided.

Course Credit

1.5 units at UVic or may be taken on a non-credit basis.

PLEASE NOTE: If you have not already been admitted to UVic, you cannot take this course(s) for credit. Program Application Deadlines are as follows:

September entry:  July 1
January entry:  November 1
May entry: March 1

However, if you had applied to the program before the application deadline, you will be permitted to register in the course(s).

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