Do Real Archivists Need Archives & Museum Informatics?
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666 American Archivist / Vol. 53 / Fall 1990 Review Essay ANNE R. KENNEY, editor Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/american-archivist/article-pdf/53/4/666/2748076/aarc_53_4_y32h731602772u36.pdf by guest on 29 September 2021 Do Real Archivists Need Archives & Museum Informatics? ANN PEDERSON Abstract: Archives & Museum Informatics disseminates news and analysis of develop- ments in automation and information technologies and their effects within the archival and museum communities through the publication of a quarterly newsletter and a technical reports series, both of which are edited by David Bearman. The author reviews the contents of both the newsletters and the technical reports, concluding that they comprise a unique and badly needed means to help archivists understand the new approaches, techniques, and technologies that are reshaping human communication. About the author: Ann Pederson is a senior lecturer in archives administration and records man- agement in the School of Librarianship, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. She is a member of the governing council of the Australian Society of Archivists, Inc., and is the editor and coauthor of the critically acclaimed text, Keeping Archives. Archives & Museum Informatics 667 THE QUESTION IN THE title certainly pro- automation news that was essential for the vides the central focus of this essay and successful management of modern docu- suggests corollaries: do archivists read Ar- mentation, but which was virtually inac- chives & Museum Informatics (AMI) pub- cessible to the professional archival and lications? If yes, do they find the content museum community. By packaging and helpful and provocative? If no, why not? distributing the fruits of his research, Bear- Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/american-archivist/article-pdf/53/4/666/2748076/aarc_53_4_y32h731602772u36.pdf by guest on 29 September 2021 and what might change their minds? But man could offset some of the costs of his before beginning to address these concerns, "homework" as a consultant while provid- who or what is Archives & Museum Infor- ing a genuine service to practitioners, though matics, and what does it do? making money was never an expectation.2 David Bearman formed Archives & Mu- His vision was to produce a quarterly seum Informatics (AMI) in November 1986 newsletter that would select, analyze, and as an entrepreneurial research, publishing, present in summarized form information teaching, and consultancy venture focusing about new developments in, and applica- upon new developments in automation and tions of, automation and provide a forum their effects within archival and museum for discussion of the issues and implica- environments world-wide. The word infor- tions raised by these innovations. He also matics was borrowed from biomedicine inaugurated a quarterly series of technical where it represented a new systematic ap- reports that would examine important tech- plication of combined information technol- nologies in greater detail from an archives ogies, techniques, and theories to medical and museum perspective. Both products practice. Bearman explains his choice of were aimed at mainstream archival admin- the term: istrators with the goal of being "extremely To me the importance of the concept is practical and directly usable."3 In other that it replaces automation, or records, words, the publications were designed for or computerization with a system ori- "real" archivists, not reserved only for those ented view of the synergism of infor- with technical expertise and interests. This mation based activities .... [It] commitment to providing useful and usable also . expresses a ... range of new information is underscored through fre- approaches, techniques and technologies quent exhortations for readers to express which can enhance an organization's their opinions and reactions, to contribute profile and achieve its mission.1 news or articles, and to suggest ideas, top- The publishing aspects of AMI emerged ics, issues, and/or names of prospective au- naturally as products of the relentless re- thors. search required to support Bearman's in- Since the first newsletter appeared in terests, professional commitments, and Spring 1987, through the Winter 1989/90 consultancy work. Building upon his work issue, AMI has produced twelve newslet- as director of the National Information Sys- ters (average 23 pages) and nine technical tems Task Force for the Society of Amer- reports (average 89 pages). Three more re- ican Archivists and, subsequently, as deputy ports were in the final stages of publication director for information resource manage- when this review was prepared. With three ment at the Smithsonian Institution, Bear- years of work to assess, it is timely to eval- man realized that he was amassing uate the AMI output, initially from the per- 'David Bearman, "What are/is Informatics? And 2David Bearman, letter to the author, 22 March Especially What/Who is Archives & Museum Infor- 1990. matics?" Archives Informatics Newsletter 1:1 (Spring ^Archival Informatics Newsletter 1:1 (Spring 1987): 1987): 8. 1. 668 American Archivist / Fall 1990 spective of what the venture had hoped to More important than presentation is con- accomplish, and secondly, considering the tent, though the former can certainly facil- needs of the archival profession for access itate or retard absorption of the latter. From to accurate and authoritative information on the beginning the newsletter has been a developments in automation. public window into David Bearman's mind, This essay will describe and evaluate the in effect a regular selection and "down- Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/american-archivist/article-pdf/53/4/666/2748076/aarc_53_4_y32h731602772u36.pdf by guest on 29 September 2021 newsletters and the technical reports sepa- loading" of interpreted information about rately, highlighting strengths and weak- informatics-related developments and is- nesses and dealing in depth with selected sues that he feels is needed by archival and technical reports. It will then assess the museum administrators. While it was al- contribution of the AMI publications to the ways clear that Bearman would be the di- professional literature. recting force of AMI, he hoped that the quality of the publications and his own in- The Newsletter vitations would inspire contributions from The AMI newsletters, issued quarterly, others. Broader authorship would not only present news items, status and performance present multiple views but also relieve some reports, expositions, reviews, and other of the pressure of being both editor and highly analyzed and time-dated material to principal author. However, after three years, keep readers abreast of informatics within 75-80 percent of the content of AMI pub- the archival and museum environments. lications is still consistently attributable to Each newsletter comprises approximately Bearman, a fact that he finds disappoint- twenty-four letter-size pages. Graphically ing.5 and descriptively the newsletter has had What regular features does the newslet- some distracting teething problems. For ex- ter, now called Archives and Museum In- ample, it was not until late 1989 (Volume formatics, contain and what are some of 3) that the newsletter stabilized its graphic the highlights of the past three years of style, regular features, and order of presen- publication? Each issue begins with an ed- tation. The first seven or so issues vary itorial piece by David Bearman, followed considerably in one or more of the follow- by one to three articles that may comprise ing: type font and boldness, right margin material from "regular" contributors, such justification, printer quality, and line lead- as Thomas E. Brown's excellent "Machine ing. Decisions affecting the accessibility and Readable Views," or in-depth examina- retrieval of information included changes tions of software (MicroMARC:amc, to the title (Archival Informatics Newsletter MARCON, AREV, and ARGUS), usually for volumes 1 and 2, Archives and Museum 6 reviewed by Bearman. Several articles have Informatics beginning with volume 3); pa- gination scheme (sometimes continuously throughout a volume and sometimes by is- Informatics as managing editor. She facilitated the sue); and regular features that vary in head- production of publications, contributed material to the ing, content, and sequence from issue to newsletter and assisted with general editorial work, notably with Bearman's Archival Methods (Technical issue. While these matters are aesthetically Report No. 9, 1989). and logistically distracting (to catalogers in 5As mentioned previously, Bearman has asked for particular), they are minor and have been feedback and specifically invited contributions in most issues of the first three volumes of the newsletter. I remedied by a combination of evolving ed- asked him whether he had received a good response itorial expertise and experience and im- to his requests. His reply was "informally yes," par- proved desktop publishing capabilities.4 ticularly phone calls, letters, and conversations at meetings, but there have not been many contributions despite colleagues' promises and good intentions. Bearman, letter to author, 22 March 1990. 4In 1989, Lynn Cox joined Archives & Museum The review of Micro MARC:amc appears in 1:3 Archives & Museum Informatics 669 assessed information-sharing opportunities Approximately half of each issue con- for archives and museum professionals, sists of brief