How to develop a digital collection from existing ALA (American Library Association) Archives at the University of Illinois Archives?
Toong Tjiek Liauw
(liauw@uiuc.edu)
(ready to use)
ASK
Subject Areas
Grade Levels
| Vocational, Undergraduate, Graduate, Continuing |
Unit Keywords
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LIS380, 380, Fall 2001, Fall, 2001, archives, ALA, American Library Association, digitized, digitizing, digitization, digital, collection |
Open Directory Category
Rationale of the Unit
The University Archives of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has been the repository site for the American Library Association (ALA) archives. The archives range from administrative correspondence, handbooks, photographs of people and events, publications etc. The archives has been the main resources for the researchers who study the history of librarianship in the United States.
It is considered to be useful to begin a digitization project to the archives collection. It will enhance access to the archives collection and help preserve to content of the digitized archives. |
Background and Resources
Activities and Open-ended problems
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES
1) I try to link as much as possible lessons learned in classes to the task that I am currently doing. In other words, I try to make the class lessons as applicable as possible to the real-world tasks.
2) I try to find other students with similar interest in archives to explore possibilities of collaboration.
3) I learn as mush as I can about the Inquiry Unit. The philosophy behind it, the arrangement of an Inquiry Unit, the collaborative nature of it etc.
LAB ACTIVITIES -- work to do in labs or other special settings
1) I learned how to create a new Inquiry Unit, and Edit, Delete and Spin-Off existing Inquiry Units.
2) I learn how to create my own Inquiry Unit by first looking at others' Inquiry Units and try to formulate my thought into the various section of the Inquiry Unit.
ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE OF CLASS / INDEPENDENT WORK
1) I learn about the University of Illinois Archives as a whole. What
are its role in the University and what is its relationship with
other professional organization, especially the American Library
Association
2) I learn about the ALA Archives collection at the University of
Illinois Archives by browsing through the archives and the online
catalog (database holding).
3) I learn about arhives, archival terms, media, and tools from
various sources (online and offline).
4) I learn about digitization project and process. How to plan one and
the technical stuff I need to know. I even signed up for a
digitization workshop at the Illinois Digitization Institute
(http://nautilus.outreach.uiuc.edu/Idi/workshop.asp ).
5) I plan a digital collection development from the existing ALA
Archives at the University of Illinois Archives. I will use
Inquiry Units to help me executing the plan. The plan itself will
consist of 3 stages:
- Collection Type and Selection Policies & Process
On this stage I will try to select what type or part of ALA
Archives that are the best candidate to be digitized.
http://www.inquiry.uiuc.edu/bin/update_unit.cgi?command=select&xmlfile=u10838.xml (under major construction)
- Organizational and Representation of the Digital Collection, and
User Access to the Digital Collection
Here I will try to formulate/design the metadata scheme for the
archival material, search & retrieval system for the future
digital collection.
[Link to Information repressentation & Access - to be added]
- Reference and User Services
On this last stage, I will design the type of Reference and User
Services for the new digital collection of ALA Archives.
Actually, the selection process and the system design process
have to incorporate these needs in order to produce a useful
digital collection of ALA Archives.
[Link to Reference and User Service Inquiry Unit - to be added]
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Dialogues, Discussions, and Presentations
FACE-TO-FACE & ON-LINE DIALOGUES
1) Discussion with the University Archivist (face-to-face and email)
2) Discussion with ALA Archives Graduate Assistants (face-to-face and email)
IN-CLASS DISCUSSIONS
1) Discussion with LIS 380 Professors and instructors.
2) Discussion with other LIS 380 students
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Assessment, Related Questions, and Story of the Unit
ASSESSMENT
1) By applying as much class lessons as possible to the real-world problem, I gain the following benefits:
- Class lessons become interesting and class enthusiasm emerges
- Eagerness in learning new things in the field of archives
- Lessons learned in classes help me in planning, doing and evaluating my work at the ALA Archives
- Experiences gained in the real-world work give feedback to the lessons learned in classess
2) There is no other students in LIS 380 who is interested in the archives, at least that what I assumed from the topics they selected for their Inquiry Units.
3) Inquiry Units can assist someone in their learning process by providing tools for organizing their thought, share resources, learning from others' projects, colaborate with others etc.
4) Some of the tasks for each Inquiry Unit can be done simultaneously.
They don't have to be sequential. For example, I should think about
the user services from the design/planning stage.
5) The Inquiry Unit I created for LIS 380 can, in fact, be used for
other courses that I take.
STORY OF THE UNIT -- How did it go?
In creating the inquiry unit for LIS380 assignments, I want to link it to my real-world job at the University Archives, specifically with my effort of developing digital collection from the existing ALA Archives. The work (and learning?) process that I will do fits perfectly into the Selection & Collection, Information Representation & Access, and Reference & User Services phases outlined in the LIS380 syllabus.
Along the process, I find it difficult to clearly divide my work/learning process into 4 assignments expected by the LIS380 syllabus. Some processes/steps overlap each other. Some processes/steps for Assignment 3, for example, will preceed some processes/steps for Assignment 1 & 2. Or, the types of user services, as another example, should be planned from the very first stage of the project in order to yield a useful collection and system.
What I did, was that I created an Inquiry Unit and used the same unit for the four assignments for LIS380. In each section (Investigate, Create, Discuss, and Reflect) I put marks that would 'divide' processes/steps taken for each module/assignment.
I consulted this approach to LIS380 Professors (Ann and Less) and Instructor (Bryan). They suggested that I stick to the clear division of Module 1, 2, 3, and 4. The question that I use in the "Ask" section is too specific for the tasks that will be conducted in all modules. I think they are right.
After some discussions, I can see more clearly how to organize my thought and tasks into the 4 modules of LIS 380. I use the first module as an 'anchor' for organizing my project, which will consist of 3 stages (Inquiry Units).
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Credits & Acknowledgements
1) Christopher Prom (prom@staff.uiuc.edu) - Assistant University Archivist & Assistant Proffesor in Library Administration.
2) Angel Dalida Nicolas (nicolas@uiuc.edu) - Graduate Assistant at the ALA Archives
3) Susanna Belovari (belovari@uiuc.edu) - Graduate Assistant at the ALA Archives
4) Ann P. Bishop (abishop@uiuc.edu) - LIS 380 Professor
5) Leslie G. Gasser (gasser@uiuc.edu) - LIS 380 Professor
6) Bryan Michael Penne (bpenne@uiuc.edu) - LIS 380 Instructor |
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