Preservation education

David B. Gracy II <gracy [at] gslis__utexas__edu> writes

>The Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) at
>The University of Texas at Austin is pleased to announce the
>appointment of Dr. David B. Gracy II, the Governor Bill Daniel
>Professor in Archival Enterprise, as Interim Director of its
>Preservation and Conservation Studies Program (PCS) as of March 15,
>1999.  Dr. Gracy succeeds Karen Motylewski, Director of PCS from
>1995 to 1999.  Motylewski is leaving to join the Institute for
>Museum and Library Services in Washington, D.C.

While I have great respect for David Gracy, I was surprised to see
the next sentence of this announcement: "The Preservation and
Conservation Studies Program offers the only curriculum in the
United States dedicated to preparing master's graduates to solve the
challenges of maintaining long-term access to the accumulated body
of library, archival, and other documentary records for research and
education." This is a somewhat over-stated claim.  There are *other*
schools.

Here is the description of the program at the University of
Pittsburgh (please note the number of courses on preservation and
that Sally Buchanan teaches two of the three preservation courses):

    University of Pittsburgh
    Department of Library and Information Sciences
    Graduate Studies in Archives and Records Management
    An Important Career

    In late 1998, the U.S. News and World Report identified
    archivists as representing a profession that "will continue to
    grow dramatically for years to come as government at all levels,
    corporations, libraries, and museums put their records into an
    electronic format."  Archivists and records managers are
    essential to all organizations as records are increasingly
    recognized for their importance for evidence, accountability,
    knowledge management, and corporate and societal memory.

    Preparing for Archives and Records Careers

    The University of Pittsburgh School of Information Sciences,
    ranked in the top five graduate programs in library and
    information science by the U.S. News and World Report, also
    supports an internationally recognized specialization in
    archives and records management. This School offers one of the
    most concentrated clusters of courses in archives and records
    management in the United States.

    Students gain a thorough understanding of archival and records
    management theory, principles, and practices; learn to utilize
    research methods; and discern how archival repositories and
    recordkeeping organizations are laboratories for research.
    Graduates become experts in records and recordkeeping systems,
    the evolution of new technologies, and the interdisciplinary
    nature of research about records and recordkeeping systems.

    The program is designed to help students understand that
    archivists and records managers work to administer records as
    evidence rather than only as information or cultural artifacts.
    The graduate program is constantly expanding and changing in
    order to keep pace with the dynamic nature of modern records
    systems.  Students have the opportunity to work with the
    developing Center for Electronic Recordkeeping and Archives
    Research (CERAR) as well as participate in various research
    projects being carried out by the archives and records faculty.
    The archives and records management specialization can be taken
    as part of both the MLIS and Ph.D. degree.

    Courses Offered

    The main courses offered as part of the Archives and Records
    specialization in the M.L.I.S. degree program include:

        Archives and Manuscripts Management
        Records and Information Resources Management
        Archival Appraisal
        Archival  Representation
        Archival Access and Advocacy
        SocioMetric Research Methods in Library and Archival Science
        Historical Research Methods in Library and Archival Science

    As part of the Archives and Records specialization or as a
    separate focus, students can also concentrate on preservation
    issues by taking courses in

        Library and Archival Preservation
        Preservation Management
        Digital Preservation

    Archives and Records can also gain practical experience by
    taking Fieldwork (depending on student need and interest) in a
    number of Pittsburgh area archives and records management
    programs.

    Opportunities for Students Already Holding a Masters

    Individuals already possessing an MLS and wishing to change
    careers and enter an archival setting may be interested in
    pursuing the Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) option.  The
    CAS is a self-styled 24 credit post-masters certificate.
    Students enrolled in the CAS program can take the archival
    sequence, and depending on their prior archival education and
    experience also take advantage of technology, preservation,
    independent research or cognate courses from other schools and
    departments.

    Opportunities for Doctoral Level Research

    Doctoral students can also focus on Archives and Records topics
    as part of their studies, taking the Masters level courses in
    the specialization, while earning a PhD in Library and
    Information Science.  The two research methods courses are also
    offered as doctoral seminars.  Doctoral students can take
    independent research courses and focus on archival issues in
    other doctoral seminars.  Dissertations are required to examine
    an Archives and Records area.

    Scholarships

    If you are interested in graduate study in archives, the
    Department is also offering full and partial scholarships to
    support such education. There are graduate student
    assistantships, paying full or half tuition with stipends, and
    scholarships providing partial tuition with part-time jobs
    available at Pittsburgh-area archives and records management
    programs.

    Individuals interested in such opportunities should request an
    MLIS degree and financial aid application form.  Individuals
    interested in pursuing doctoral-level studies should ask for a
    Ph.D. degree and financial aid application form.  There are
    Teaching Fellow positions and partial tuition scholarships
    available to support doctoral degree study with a focus on
    archives and records management.

    Placement of Students

    Archives and Records students do exceedingly well in securing
    positions upon graduation.  Masters level students have obtained
    positions in colleges and universities, consulting firms,
    corporations, government at all levels, historical societies,
    libraries, and museums.  Doctoral level students have been
    employed on faculties at leading universities in the United
    States and Canada.  Placement advice and assistance is actively
    offered to all students.

    Faculty

    The lead faculty members in the Archives and Records area are
    Richard J. Cox and Elizabeth Yakel.  Dr. Cox is the author of
    four books and over one hundred articles on archives and records
    management, has held national leadership positions, is a former
    editor of the American Archivist, and was elected a Fellow of
    the Society of American Archivists in 1989.  Dr. Yakel has
    published seminal articles on archives and records management
    topics, has held national leadership positions, and is a
    contributor to a major guide on the archives of the Vatican.
    Both have had extensive professional experience in historical
    societies, state and local government, colleges and
    universities, and religious archives.

    Inquiring About the Program

    If you are interested in finding out more information about the
    archives and records management specialization, contact either
    Dr. Richard J. Cox (rjc [at] sis__pitt__edu) or Dr. Elizabeth Yakel
    (eyakel [at] sis__pitt__edu) or by writing to them at the School of
    Information Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
    15260. More information about the program can be found at
    <URL:http://www.sis.pitt.edu/~lsdept/archives/>.

    The University of Pittsburgh, as an educational institution and
    as an employer, does not discriminate on the basis of race,
    color, religion, ethnicity, national origin, age, sex, or
    marital, veteran, or handicapped status.  This is a commitment
    made by the University and is in accordance with federal, state,
    and local laws and regulations.  All relevant programs are
    coordinated through the Office of Affirmative Action, 901
    William Pitt Union, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
    15260.  For more information, please call 412-648-7860.

Richard J. Cox
Associate Professor
Department of Library and Information Sciences
School of Information Sciences
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
412-624-3245
Fax: 412-648-7001

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 12:76
                  Distributed: Friday, March 26, 1999
                       Message Id: cdl-12-76-010
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