Symposium Day! #acaubc2015

We hope to see you at our event today!

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Symposium Countdown Day 1! “Follow What’s Going on and Try to be Part of It: Introducing SIRM at the Renmin University of China” by Sherry Xie

Symposium Countdown Day 01!

We are counting down the days until the symposium by promoting the abstracts of the presentations that will be given during the event on Friday February 13th, 2015!

Sherry Xie, professor at the School of Information Resource Management, Ren Min University of China, chair of the CCA and University Archivist at UVic, will be presenting from 4:15 pm to 4:45 pm:

Symposium Title: “Follow What’s Going on and Try to be Part of It: Introducing SIRM at the Renmin University of China”

Symposium Abstract: The School of Information Resource Management (SIRM) at the Renmin University was first established in 1952 (three years after the founding of the People’s Republic of China) as a special program on archival studies, responding directly to the request of the Central Committee of the Communist Party. It grew into a Department of Archival Science in 1978 (after the Cultural Revolution) and acquired its faculty status (termed as school) in 1985. In 1998, the School expanded to include a library science master program and in 2000, a master program of information analysis, which facilitated its conversion into the current SIRM in 2003. During its 62 years’ existence, the School evolved from operating primarily by responding to requests to actively seeking opportunities to be more relevant to the changing China. This presentation introduces the School, its key components, noticeable developments in collaborations with the practical world, and it visions for the near future.

 

To register and see more info, click here to visit our website.

Symposium Countdown Day 2! “Educating for the Future Records and Archives Profession” by Karen Anderson

Symposium Countdown Day 02!

We are counting down the days until the symposium by promoting the abstracts of the presentations that will be given during the event on Friday February 13th, 2015!

Karen Anderson, Foundation Professor of Archives and Information Science at Mid Sweden University and part-time Professor at Oslo University College, will be presenting from 9:30 am to 10:30 am:

Symposium Title: “Educating for the Future Records and Archives Profession”

Symposium Abstract: Graduates entering the records and archives profession will, by the end of their careers, have very different challenges and technological capabilities than those they see today. The one thing that can be guaranteed is change. In my view, educating for the future needs of the archival profession requires equipping students with the knowledge and skills to be problem solvers in order to meet the challenges they will face. They need a sound grounding in archival theory, so that they can select and use an appropriate theoretical framework for analyzing the problems they will meet and be principled in the practices they must develop. They need to be internationally oriented and outward looking, open to developing strategic professional partnerships, work globally to develop and constantly refine best practice standards and to collaborate in research. They must think beyond the borders of tradition, organization and country, while working within their legal and political environment. The discipline of archival science and the profession will always need a strong cohort of educated researchers for two reasons: both to advance professional knowledge and to provide strong archival education programs in universities, in which successful research programs are the key to survival in a highly competitive environment. This presentation will discuss some of the challenges archival education faces in Sweden. These include a severe lack of professional competence among archivists in the digital environment while there is growing ambition and commitment to develop e-archives that will serve open government and open data.

To register and see more info, click here to visit our website.

Symposium Countdown Day 3! Richard Pearce-Moses will discuss “Basics for Digital Archivists in the Trenches”

Symposium Countdown Day 03!

We are counting down the days until the symposium by promoting the abstracts of the presentations that will be given during the event on Friday February 13th, 2015!

Richard Pearce-Moses, Director of the Master of Archival Studies program at Clayton State University in Morrow, Georgia, will be presenting from 3:15 pm to 3:45 pm:

Symposium Title: “A Guerrilla Approach to Digital Archives: Basics for Digital Archivists in the Trenches”

Symposium Abstract: Much of the literature of digital curation and preservation is complicated and intimidating to the average archivist, especially those at smaller institutions with limited resources. They may be experts at word processing, spreadsheets, and maybe know a little about web markup.  They’re sophisticated consumers of technology, but often don’t understand what’s going on under the hood. Tools like Dspace, Archivematica, JHOVE, BagIt, and BitCurator are completely alien. OAIS and TDR are just acronyms. And, they feel guilty that they don’t have the skills necessary to appraise, acquire,  or process contemporary electronic records. They know the future’s history is being lost because they don’t know where to start. Creating and sustaining a robust, trustworthy digital archives is hard work. The problems are complex, and even more perplexing as technology evolves and presents new problems. Rather than letting the perfect be the enemy of the possible, archivists don’t have to be stymied because they can’t build an ideal system.  Instead, a “guerilla approach” looks for short-term tactics – inexpensive, simple steps that can help archivists move in the direction of the strategic ideal. A guerrilla approach doesn’t require archivists to become programmers or database developers.  However, digital archivists need basic technical skills that – in many ways – parallel traditional archival functions, starting with appraisal and acquisition through to storage and access.  Pearce-Moses will discuss some of the basic skills digital archivists need and how to learn those skills through productive play.

To register and see more info, click here to visit our website.

Symposium Countdown Day 4! “Graduate Archival Education in the United States: A Personal Reflection” by Richard Cox

Symposium Countdown Day 04!

We are counting down the days until the symposium by promoting the abstracts of the presentations that will be given during the event on Friday February 13th, 2015!

Richard Cox, Professor in Library and Information Science at the University of Pittsburgh, School of Information Sciences, will be presenting from 2:45 pm to 3:15 pm:

Symposium Title: “Graduate Archival Education in the United States: A Personal Reflection”

Symposium Abstract: From one vantage, those who started their careers decades ago, graduate archival education has made tremendous leaps forward; from another perspective, those in the early years of their careers, education in our field may look spotty, disjointed, and confusing. As I near the end of my career (although old archivists don’t fade away, they get preserved), I have felt increasingly like an archival source in ongoing professional dialogue. Thus, in this presentation, I briefly consider the evolution of graduate education since the 1970s, the emergence of a new archival professorial corps, the maturing of our field’s professional and scholarly research, and the present characteristics of the archival academy. In this, I reflect as a transitional member of the academy, one who moved from practice to professing, and speculate about what the new generation of archival faculty – younger, less experienced, better educated, and research-driven, face in the next four decades. Examining current trends leads me to speculate about what graduate archival education will look like in 2050 (when I am part of archival memory), and what I have to say is not what I am wishing for but what will likely occur.

To register and see more info, click here to visit our website.

Symposium Countdown Day 5! “Professional Challenges and Opportunities: An International Perspective in Expanding the Horizons” by Shadrack Katuu

Symposium Countdown Day 05!

We are counting down the days until the symposium by promoting the abstracts of the presentations that will be given during the event on Friday February 13th, 2015!

Shadrack Katuu, Head of the Records Unit at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna (Austria), will be presenting from 2:00 pm to 2:30 pm:

Symposium Title: “Professional Challenges and Opportunities: An International Perspective in Expanding the Horizons”

Symposium Abstract: This presentation explores the challenges in operating in a global environment and outlines two basic realities: the dichotomy within the profession as well as differing professional traditions based on varied geographic experiences. These realities exist within an environment ripe with numerous global opportunities. The presentation ends with practical suggestions for students/recent graduates as well as academic institutions in order to take advantage of these opportunities.

 

To register and see more info, click here to visit our website.

Symposium Countdown Day 6! “Knowing When to Break the Rules: Skills for Archivists and Records Managers at the World Bank Group” by April Miller

Symposium Countdown Day 06!

We are counting down the days until the symposium by promoting the abstracts of the presentations that will be given during the event on Friday February 13th, 2015!

April Miller, Program Lead for the Archives of the World Bank Group (WBG) in Washington, DC, will be presenting from 1:30 pm to 2:00 pm:

Symposium Title: “Knowing When to Break the Rules: Skills for Archivists and Records Managers at the World Bank Group”

Symposium Abstract: The juridical environment and business context of a large multi-lateral organization provides many challenges for any archivist or records manager educated and trained within a specific national context. How can students and new professionals be prepared to adjust and react quickly to records-related issues in complex international organizations?  This presentation will reflect on the unique nature of international organizations from an archives and records perspective, focusing on issues such as: massive decentralization of staff; multilateral agreements in lieu of legislation; lack of experiential learning from international standard implementations; and others. To get the job done, an effective archivist or records manager at the World Bank Group needs to know when to hold fast to the principles and theories of our professions, and when to break the rules. Only those professionals with adequate grounding in archives and records principles and theories are able to break these rules while successfully maintaining the integrity of the records.

To register and see more info, click here to visit our website.

Symposium Countdown Day 7! Historian Bill Waiser Bill Waiser will discuss what he expects in an archivist

Symposium Countdown Day 07!

We are counting down the days until the symposium by promoting the abstracts of the presentations that will be given during the event on Friday February 13th, 2015!

Bill Waiser, Distinguished Professor Emeritus and A.S. Morton Research Chair at the University of Saskatchewan, will be presenting from 1:00 pm to 1:30 pm:

Symposium Title: “Kicking the Tires: Researcher Expectations of an Archivist”

Symposium Abstract: Drawing on his use of archives for more than forty years and his professional career as a professor of History, Bill Waiser will discuss what he expects in an archivist.

To register and see more info, click here to visit our website.

Symposium Countdown Day 8! “A Fine Balance: From Archival Education and Into Employment” by Leslie Latta

Symposium Countdown Day 08!

We are counting down the days until the symposium by promoting the abstracts of the presentations that will be given during the event on Friday February 13th, 2015!

Leslie Latta, Provincial Archivist of Alberta, will be presenting from 11:30 am to 12:00 pm:

Symposium Title: “A Fine Balance: From Archival Education and Into Employment”

Symposium Abstract: Moving from theory into practice is always a fine balance. From my current vantage point as Provincial Archivist in Alberta, I will share my thoughts on what current and future graduates might seriously consider as they leave their programs of archival and associated studies with a plan to gain fulfilling employment in a modern archival place of work. I will begin with a brief note on my own career path, from youthful passion to current mid-life window of view. I will speak to my observations of and experience within the Alberta and Canadian academic and archival/information management/heritage arenas. And, I will explore impressions from my years as an employer, from the spark that draws me towards one applicant over another, and beyond through the years from employee orientation to retirement. Throughout a marriage of these three touch points, I will bring in the voices of my students and work colleagues as well as other random yet insightful youth that I have been blessed to encounter on my path through life. The end result will leave the audience with a view of the archivist role now and several years out, as well as the importance of values and competencies, based on those currently in place within the Alberta public sector that likely mirror other modern workplaces.

To register and see more info, click here to visit our website.

Symposium Countdown Day 9! “Curating the Future, Preserving the Past: Graduate Education in the Information Age” by Elizabeth Denham

Symposium Countdown Day 09

We are counting down the days until the symposium by promoting the abstracts of the presentations that will be given during the event on Friday February 13th, 2015!

Elizabeth Denham, Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia, will be presenting from 11:00 am to 11:30 am:

Symposium Title: “Curating the Future, Preserving the Past: Graduate Education in the Information Age”

Symposium Abstract: The explosion of digital technologies has profoundly affected the study and practice of information management, archives, privacy and access to information. In a world where data knows no borders, governments and businesses need the right people, with the right knowledge and skills, to manage information flows and preserve data and records. Archivists and information managers are uniquely placed to lead the charge. Commissioner Denham will talk about some of the steps students of archives and information management can take to recognize and seize opportunities in digital spheres.

To register and see more info, click here to visit our website.