Electronic Records in the Manuscript Repository defines the problems related to electronic records and digital documents, describes the steps the curator should take to manage those electronic records and digital documents, and suggests ways to learn the specific skills and perspectives needed to do the job well.
It provides an introduction to vocabulary, basic concepts, and best practices to date by collecting and contextualizing data from several real-world projects, and it contains almost 30 pages of references to resources that the curator can consult for information on specific topics. Dow starts with a review of archival concepts, including a look at archival practices, and then discusses the problems created by electronic materials in that context, as well as the research in progress to tackle these problems.
Editorial Reviews
Review
This book is a great introduction to the various models of electronic preservation for all information managers….The management of electronic records is described in a well-reasoned fashion, current methods are illustrated, and ways to update the described practices are included. Reasons for accepting and rejecting electronic information in archives, the handling of that information in various ways, and the techniques of decision making are clearly explained. Each chapter is very well documented with bibliographic notes. Essential reading for all archivists, records managers, and librarians faced with the ever-changing world of electronic information management.
I found the tone of this book refreshing―it was informal and sometimes even colloquial . . . Likewise, Dow not only deals with the book”s subjects with candor, she is also candid with the reader about what her book is―and is not.
Highly recommended for those who want an extremely accessible introduction to managing and preserving digital materials and would serve as a great reference to the topic.
Trenchant and succint….This book is one of the most comprehensive to date…. Any archivist confronted with the electronic dilemma might find this a useful guide….A unique and varied perspective….Dow also gives a terse and penetrating analysis….A treasure trove of pertinent information….I highly recommend this book. It addresses most of the current literature in a systematic manner without overburdening the reader with technical jargon, and it serves the important task of discussing the essentials that archivists need to know and where to find them. This is what a good reference book does and this work performs that objective. — Salvador Barragan
About the Author
Elizabeth H. Dow discovered during her last class toward a Ph.D. at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Library and Information Science, that she could blend her love of history and love of organizing information by becoming an archivist. Subsequently, she worked as an archivist at the Henry Sheldon Museum in Middlebury, Vt., the Vermont State Archives, and the Special Collections Division of the University of Vermont’s Bailey/Howe library. In 2001, she left Vermont to create the archives track in Louisiana State University’s School of Library and Information Science. She retired as the J. Franklin Bayhi Professor of Library and Information Science in 2014, and moved back home to Hardwick, Vt. She is the author of Creating EAD-Compatible Finding Guides on Paper (Scarecrow Press, 2005), Electronic Records in the Manuscript Repository (Scarecrow Press, 2009), and Archivists, Collectors, Dealers, and Replevin: Case Studies on Private Ownership of Public Documents (Scarecrow, 2012).
Wow! eBook
