A Question of InterpretationA Question of Interpretation

The role of archivists in an The role of archivists in an online ageonline age

Amanda HillUniversity of Manchester, UK

““How others see us”How others see us”

Do others see us?Do others see us?

Does it matter whether they see us?Does it matter whether they see us?

Role of archivistsRole of archivists

Same as it ever was…Same as it ever was…

To provide access to informationTo provide access to information

To interpret our records for users To interpret our records for users through descriptions and exhibitionsthrough descriptions and exhibitions

To keep things safeTo keep things safe

So what’s changed?So what’s changed?

Technology

Expectations

TechnologyTechnology

Rapidly changingRapidly changing

Opening up new audiencesOpening up new audiences

Taking us out of our comfort zoneTaking us out of our comfort zone

ExpectationsExpectations

Users expect to be able to find Users expect to be able to find everything on the Internet everything on the Internet (preferably through search engines)(preferably through search engines)

New audiences have their own New audiences have their own requirements for interpretation, requirements for interpretation, which may be different from those of which may be different from those of traditional userstraditional users

Archives HubArchives Hub Developing since 1999: a union catalogue Developing since 1999: a union catalogue

for archives held in universities, colleges for archives held in universities, colleges and other organisations throughout the UKand other organisations throughout the UK

– Funded by the JISCFunded by the JISC

Now holds c.20,000 finding aids from 150 Now holds c.20,000 finding aids from 150 institutionsinstitutions

Funded for UK academic community, but Funded for UK academic community, but free for anyone to usefree for anyone to use

Rapid change in role Rapid change in role for archivistsfor archivists

Relationships with usersRelationships with users

Small staff in many archivesSmall staff in many archives

More contact between archivists and More contact between archivists and users than there often is in, for users than there often is in, for example, libraries and museumsexample, libraries and museums

We know our traditional users and We know our traditional users and their needs welltheir needs well

GatekeeperGatekeeper

Users Users hadhad to talk to to talk to archivists before archivists before finding aids were finding aids were available more widelyavailable more widely

We interpreted our We interpreted our finding aids for them, finding aids for them, within the repositorywithin the repository

Duke Humfrey’s Library, Bodleian, www.visitbritain.com

GatekeeperGatekeeper

Users Users hadhad to talk to to talk to archivists before archivists before finding aids were finding aids were available more widelyavailable more widely

We interpreted our We interpreted our finding aids for them, finding aids for them, within the repositorywithin the repository

Duke Humfrey’s Library, Bodleian, www.visitbritain.com

There is a vast amount of information available at the

Bodleian concerning its manuscripts, but only a tiny

fraction is currently available online; we intend

progressively to make more information available at this

website, as and when resources permit.

http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/scwmss/wmss/medieval/medieval.htm

Work we’ve done in putting finding aids Work we’ve done in putting finding aids and digital versions of archives online has and digital versions of archives online has changed that gatekeeper role entirelychanged that gatekeeper role entirely

Our knowledge and expertise has to be Our knowledge and expertise has to be transferred into the finding aid or transferred into the finding aid or metadata – many existing finding aids not metadata – many existing finding aids not up to the jobup to the job

The user no longer ‘sees’ or is aware of The user no longer ‘sees’ or is aware of the existence of the archivistthe existence of the archivist

Online, things changeOnline, things change

UsersUsers

May not May not needneed to know about to know about archivistsarchivists

……if they can find what they need if they can find what they need onlineonline

Consequence of visit to Hub siteConsequence of visit to Hub site

Survey, May 2006, part of a JISC review of resource discovery services

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Information onlinemet my needs

Plan to visitrepository

Have requestedmaterials from

repository

Used Hub toanswer query

Nu

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We need to change what we doWe need to change what we do

Different types of users have differing Different types of users have differing requirementsrequirements

New interpretative skills are required to New interpretative skills are required to meet their respective needsmeet their respective needs

Cataloguing needs to take new context Cataloguing needs to take new context (and users) of finding aids into account(and users) of finding aids into account– Revisiting Archival Collections projectRevisiting Archival Collections project

Interpreting users’ needsInterpreting users’ needs

Important to stay in touch with usersImportant to stay in touch with users

Some are easy to talk to – traditional Some are easy to talk to – traditional usersusers

Others more difficult – potential Others more difficult – potential users, casual online usersusers, casual online users

Particular problem for Archives Hub Particular problem for Archives Hub as a purely online serviceas a purely online service

Lack of direct contact with usersLack of direct contact with users

– Rely on online questionnaires or Rely on online questionnaires or participation of contributing institutionsparticipation of contributing institutions

– Difficult to get significant level of Difficult to get significant level of response (survey fatigue)response (survey fatigue)

– Bribery works to a degreeBribery works to a degree

June 2005 (163 responses)June 2005 (163 responses)

Archives Hub: Users' priorities for future work

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Add morecollection-level

descriptions

Full descriptionsto item level

Search relatedresources

Links to imagesof items

Links to otherdigital materials

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High priority

Medium priority

Low priority

Target audience…Target audience…

Priorities of academics and postgraduates

0

2

4

6

8

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12

14

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item level

Search relatedresources

Links toimages of

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materials

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High priority

Medium priority

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Current surveyCurrent survey

Users' priorities, June 2007

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101520253035404550

Add morecollection-leveldescriptions

Fulldescriptions to

item level

Search relatedresources

Links to digitalitems

Ability to addown notes

Res

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High priority

Medium priority

Low priority

Interpreting technologyInterpreting technology

Understanding technological developments and Understanding technological developments and applying them for the benefit of users and applying them for the benefit of users and archivistsarchivists

– Without implementing new technology for technology’s Without implementing new technology for technology’s sake sake

Sometimes easier to get funding for the new and Sometimes easier to get funding for the new and exciting at the expense of core workexciting at the expense of core work

– ……but some new developments are low-cost and easy to but some new developments are low-cost and easy to implement – so worth experimenting withimplement – so worth experimenting with

Interpreting jargonInterpreting jargon

300 archival terms provided to 300 archival terms provided to interpreters at a recent European interpreters at a recent European conferenceconference

More jargonMore jargon

(Image of search interface featuring archival jargon)

Keep jargon away from end users!Keep jargon away from end users!

Online finding aidsOnline finding aids

Jargon-freeJargon-free Written with a general audience in mindWritten with a general audience in mind Available through search enginesAvailable through search engines All collections catalogued, if only at a All collections catalogued, if only at a

minimal levelminimal level– But the more detailed the betterBut the more detailed the better

Linking to digital surrogates or originals Linking to digital surrogates or originals where possiblewhere possible

Capable of displaying contributions from Capable of displaying contributions from people outside the repositorypeople outside the repository

Best of both worldsBest of both worlds

Technology

Expectations

Satisfied users

Side effects…Side effects…

In opening up resources online, In opening up resources online, archivists and other information archivists and other information professionals are becoming professionals are becoming increasingly invisible…increasingly invisible…

……whilst reaching a larger audience whilst reaching a larger audience than everthan ever

Focus attention where it mattersFocus attention where it matters

PaymastersPaymasters

AdvocatesAdvocates

Must findMust find

Meaningful ways of measuring:Meaningful ways of measuring:

– UseUse– ImpactImpact

So…So… If our users can find what they need and If our users can find what they need and

easily understand iteasily understand it

If our paymasters understand and value If our paymasters understand and value what we dowhat we do

It doesn’t matter if our professional public It doesn’t matter if our professional public profile is low or non-existent…profile is low or non-existent…

……as long as the value and importance of as long as the value and importance of our records and archives is understoodour records and archives is understood

Gatekeeper

(Image of Sigourney

Weaver as the Gatekeeper in Ghostbusters)

Keymaster(Image of Rick Moranis as

the Keymaster in Ghostbusters)