Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Archives 101 (American Association for State and Local History)

Archives 101 is a manual for people who care for historical records, photographs, and collections and a textbook for those who want to learn. Lois Hamill provides practical, step-by-step guidance for managing all facets of archival collections, from acquisition, arrangement, and description to storage and security. The book also offers advice on how to integrate description in PastPerfect software with archival finding aids to optimize the strengths of each. Archives 101 is written for those who manage cultural collections regardless of their professional education or institution type. This comprehensive, practical, ready reference is authoritative yet accessible to all readers. It addresses all phases in the process of managing cultural collections including use by researchers, for exhibits, work with other specialists such as conservators or appraisers and more. The chapter on description incorporates the professional descriptive standard Describing Archives: a Content Standard (DACS) into finding aids. Guidance on the management of digitization projects for text documents and photographs includes equipment, technical specifications, file naming and management, workflow, delivery methods, and copyright with examples and forms. The Additional Reading/Resources features many new resources that are reliable and free, all URLs have been verified. A convenient Glossary, examples, forms and ready-reference appendices round out this handy volume. Review Hamill's book Archives 101 is clearly the book for museums, historical societies and others who collect historical artifacts. The book is arranged for those of us who are not professionals but are beginners who are looking at basic concepts and definitions, and how to arrange and describe collections. Items are given their own chapters if you are looking for how to handle and manage photographs. There is even a section on disaster preparedness which we all hope to avoid, but should be ready for. Overall I have found this book to be a good one for societies and museums as a reference book in their collections. It will not be a book to collect dust on the shelf but will be a valuable resource for them.--Shirlene Jensen, board member of the Campbell County Historical and Genealogical Society in Alexandria, Kentucky Lois Hamill's Archives 101 is a wonderful introduction to the archival challenge--to preserve, protect, and provide access to cultural heritage materials. Designed for archivists-in-training who manage archival collections in small cultural organizations, Archives 101 is a well-written, straightforward, and much needed 'A-Z' archives guidebook.--Aaron D. Purcell, director of special collections and university archives, Virginia Tech, and author of Donors and Archives and The Digital Archives Handbook Lois Hamill's Archives 101 is a treasure. This easy-to-read, up-to-date guide is suitable for many audiences--from those starting out as a volunteer, to archivists who desire a little refresher, to instructors teaching introductory archives. My students loved it!--Paul A. Tenkotte, PhD, professor of History, Northern Kentucky University Hamill's book provides an easy-to-understand and engaging tour of the topics that most often confuse the avocational or novice archivist, and one that even experienced archivists will return to time and again for helpful assistance. The text covers a broad spectrum of archival practices with particularly timely advice on digitization projects, caring for digital records, and issues related to online access.--David W. Carmicheal, Pennsylvania State Archivist and author of Organizing Archival Records About the Author As university archivist, Lois Hamill is head of the Special Collections and University Archives at Northern Kentucky University. She has earned the rank of full professor. She has been a practicing archivist for twenty years working with academic records, photograph and local history collections, and lo