Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/University of Maryland/Introduction to Archives and Digital Curation (Fall 2023)

This course introduces students to the theory and practice of archival thinking, and frames current approaches to caring for increasingly complex, multimedia, and heterogeneous information. How was the information acquired or collected? Is the information stored in a secure place (be it in servers or stacks)? Is there guaranteed (and ethically-managed) long-term access to the records, manuscripts, or data? How do we use archival records to hold those in positions of power accountable? What are the ways that marginalized groups are represented in historical sources? What access systems should be in place to maximize the discoverability of the items in our collections? Archivists answer these questions in particular ways. Those perspectives, their histories, and how they are changing, are what we will study during the term.

As a class, we will examine fundamental theories and practices as well as the essential principles and standards that archivists apply in designing and implementing strategies for the preservation and long-term access of information. We will also pay attention to the changing informational, organizational, societal, and technological landscapes and consider how those changes are affecting archival practices, the information and preservation professions, and the implementation of foundational archival ideas. You will also become acquainted with the values of the archives profession that underlie the mandate to manage and care for a body of information resources in diverse organizational and institutional contexts.