How can you teach archival literacy skills to students?

Archives vs. Libraries: The published vs non-published materials distinction is important, but I also like to stress that library materials are found in multiple copies in many libraries, while the archival records exist in one copy or several copies only. A handwritten original letter is a good example. While it might be duplicated through photocopying or even published, there is only one original and it has its own unique qualities - the characteristics of the paper and ink, wear and tear, fingerprints, attached particles, associated items, etc. All these subtle qualities can help tell the story and enhance our understanding of the source. This is why serious researchers often find it necessary to examine the archival original.

I had students locate documents in the Peabody-Essex museum's Philips library and finding out new knowledge no-one else had was inspiring.

I think introducing new people to the concept of an archive as a body of knowledge (or information, if that appeals to you) is helpful. Stressing that there are solutions or stories or connections inherent in an archive will help people become interested in interacting with the archive.

One thing I've found helpful is reading randomly and collect the most related informations. Then start to categorize them and initiate to write a proposal.

Explain What Archives Are: Begin by defining an archive. Explain that archives are collections of records, documents, and materials preserved due to their historical, cultural, or administrative value. These can include letters, reports, minutes, photographs, films, and digital records. Distinguish Archives from Libraries: Clarify the difference between archives and libraries. Unlike libraries, which generally contain published materials, archives consist of original, often unpublished, documents and records. Types of Archives: Discuss the various types of archives, such as governmental archives, corporate archives, university archives, and personal or family archives, each serving a different purpose and audience.

It can be very intimidating to visit an archive for the first time. You should be prepared to instruct enquirers on how to safely handle archival records, how to use them for research, and what other resources are available to them. They may need more assistance than they had envisaged when they decided to visit - for example, they may need support with palaeography if their document is written in secretary hand. The reading room invigilator must be prepared to offer assistance to all users, regardless of how “expert” they are.

Go slow and hands-on where at all possible. I have found the best approach is not to assume *any* prior conceptual or experiential knowledge. I often have to start with what the circulating collection is before I can talk about special collections. That gives me entry into why we collect and preserve our holdings, and therefor e why we have special conditions for usage. I prefer to talk about 'conditions' rather than 'restrictions on usage' and specifically mention that the way we use things today can affect tomorrow's user. Just like someone stewarded the collection before me, I must do my part. They easily 'get' this point. I show-and-tell at every opportunity. Seeing a 500-yr old book or 200-yr old letter does the trick every time

When teaching "Understanding Archives," I designed assignments based on local city directories -- a rich a versatile primary source suitable for both quantitative and qualitative analysis. I simply brought several volumes to the class and assigned the students to work in groups. (The volumes were duplicates, so I didn't have to worry about handling.) The students were directed to track representatives of certain ethnic groups based on names (alphabetical section), determine their most common occupations and geographical distribution within the city. This gave the students a taste of original research using primary sources and understanding of methods that could be utilized.

Faculty, especially in history and the humanities, benefit from faculty liaison activities by archivists and special collections librarians who are familiar with primary resources in their repositories. Encouraging students to encounter, use, and properly cite these resources teaches those students about materials not necessarily found in search engines or other online sources. Assignments can also encourage students to interpret the perspective of the person who created the historical records, as well as the broader cultural context of the time. This allows students to learn how to assess the validity of the source, as well as to assess how it reflected perspectives from the time of its creation

I have had very good experience with campus records, from Presidential papers (behind-the-scenes correspondence) to the office of marketing (publicity materials) to campus support organizations. No matter where students come from or where they go after graduation, campus is home for a few years and anything about 'home' seems to be more possibly relevant. This approach cannot suit every course, but you want to have a good first experience and this seems to be low hanging fruit. For upper-level or domain-specific courses, there is just no substitute for knowing your collection and drawing out the relevancies (even for faculty). Archivists should be ahead of the curve here due to their work in processing, arrangement and description.

I created an Archival scavenger hunt, using a variety of different kinds of primary sources within the repository. Questions were based on actual reference inquiries received at the archive. This activity followed a tutorial workshop on how to use an archive.

Librarians have long contributed to the academic community through bibliographic instruction (BI) sessions. As curators responsible for the preservation of unique items, archivists should also focus on ways to bring their message to the classroom and researchers who may otherwise be unfamiliar with their collections. The majority of archival collections are not cataloged at the item level, or even the folder level. Archivists have to be gatekeepers for collections in secure areas. By teaching archival literacy skills and encouraging access to their collections, archivists contribute to the scholarly activities in the classroom and town-and-gown relationships with the larger community.

In my experience, it is useful to balance inquiry learning with explicit teaching. Students can conduct research on a topic of interest using archival materials whereby increasing their engagement in their learning. As problems are encountered, various strategies can be explored providing real world experience of using archives for research purposes. Throughout this process, archival literacy skills can be explicitly taught and practiced by students in a supportive environment.

Digital archives have redefined the archival profession in a way similar to how online catalogs of library collections and other databases have allowed researchers to learn about items without thumbing through a card catalog. Digitization involves more than scanning items onto a USB drive. Trusted digital repositories follow standards that ensure preservation of the original item (whenever possible), the creation of metadata that documents provenance and other characteristics, and guarantees the ability to migrate data to different platforms if necessary.