The 2024 American Anthropological Association meeting will be taking place this week from the 20th to the 23rd in Tampa, Florida. For those who plan on attending, we would like to highlight a workshop that is likely to pique the interest of those working on the history of anthropology. The full program can be found here.
3775 Archival Search & Research 101
Friday, November 22, 2024
2:30 PM-4:00 PM
TCC 104
Learning Objectives
- Understand general principles underlying archival organization and descriptive practices and decrypt archival terminology to facilitate archival discovery and navigation
- Understand the types of records that are found in archival repositories and how they may be distributed, organized, or described
- Develop skills in searching online catalogs and finding aids and identify strategies for locating materials of interest in archival repositories
Abstract
Archives are increasingly being used in research by anthropologists in all four fields, however, few anthropologists receive specific training in how to search archives and conduct archival research. For community-based anthropologists or anthropologists working collaboratively, archives often hold crucial Indigenous and community knowledge for community reclamation and sovereignty projects. This workshop will demystify archival repositories and provide an orientation to conducting research in archives and special collections (note that we will not address museum or 3D collections per se but will discuss how to use archives to bolster research in those repositories). The workshop will have two parts: Part I will include: 1. an overview of the nature of archival repositories (the principles of archival organization, what “access” and “description” mean in an archival context); 2. the anatomy of a finding aid; 3. how to use federated search, aggregators, collection databases, catalogs, finding aids, and digital libraries and surrogates to locate materials of interest; and 4. how to strategically contact, secure appointments, check restrictions, prepare your visit, or make digital requests. Part II will focus on participant research, and how to translate a research question into an archival research plan, with ample time devoted to assisting participants in searching for archival materials relevant to their own research interests.
The workshop will be taught by a range of archival and anthropological faculty and scholars with significant experience navigating archives with anthropological holdings. Organizers include Diana Marsh, University of Maryland; Sarah Buchanan, University of Missouri; Jesse Johnston, University of Michigan School of Information; Celia Emmelhainz, National Anthropological Archives; and Bethany Anderson, University Archives, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. The workshop is being co-sponsored and organized by the Council for the Preservation of Anthropological Records, the Council for Museum Anthropology, and the History of Anthropology Interest Group.
Special Features Value-Added
Archives are increasingly being used in research by anthropologists in all four fields, and for some, the archive is in fact a field site. However, few anthropologists receive specific training in how to conduct archival research, which many agree is confusing at best. But archives hold vast data that is often overlooked by the anthropological community. Whether you currently have plans to visit an archive, or are just curious to see what data archives might hold, this workshop will demystify archival repositories and help you gain skills and confidence in searching for and using archives.
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