Archival Studies
The MLIS program requires an introductory technology course (LIBR 203); three core courses (LIBR 200, LIBR 202, LIBR 204); one additional required course (LIBR 285); and the culminating electronic portfolio OR a thesis (LIBR 289 or LIBR 299) for graduation. Beyond these requirements, a student is free to select electives reflecting individual interests and aspirations.
Program specializations are thus provided here solely for advising purposes. No such designation appears on your transcript or diploma. Many students find these introductions to different program areas useful, however, for course selection and career planning.
Description
Archivists are responsible for collecting, organizing, preserving, and making accessible records of enduring value. These records come in many formats beyond traditional written and printed documents, and archivists often manage photographs, video and tape recordings, computer disks and tapes, maps, as well as three-dimensional objects. An archival record is not so much determined by its format than by the information it contains about its creator and the historical period it represents.
Archival work is related to, but distinct from, librarianship and other information professions. While archivists draw upon the theory and practice of library and information science (as well as from other fields such as records management and public history), archival methodology reflects both the unique character of the materials managed and the institutional, political, social, and cultural setting within which the records were originally created and are currently used.
Employment Opportunities
A wide variety of organizations employ archivists, including businesses and corporations, colleges and universities, government agencies, museums, historical societies, the entertainment industry, religious institutions, private research institutes, and voluntary associations. There are well over 1,000 archival and manuscript repositories in California, offering a wide range of career opportunities.
For more information about the archival profession, see "So You Want to Be an Archivist: An Overview of the Archival Profession," available on the Society of American Archivists' Web site at www.archivists.org/prof-education/arprof.asp.
Core Theory and Knowledge
The mission of SLIS's archival studies track is to introduce students to contemporary archival theory and practice and give them hands-on experience working in an archives or manuscripts repository. The track has two fundamental goals. The first is to produce archival "generalists" capable of managing archival records in a variety of institutional settings. The second is to integrate archival theory and practice within the broader MLIS curriculum so that SJSU-educated information professionals will be prepared to recognize and preserve important historical records regardless of their job title or place of employment.
The archival studies track allows students to design an academic program that both capitalizes on their background and advances their personal interests and career goals. In addition to foundations courses in archival theory and method, print and electronic records management, preservation, and archival access systems, students can choose from a wide range of LIS classes dealing with information organization, web and database design, and information technology and systems. Archival students are also encouraged to take coursework in allied disciplines, including history and historiography, cultural resources management, oral history, museum curatorship, art history, and exhibit design, to prepare them for careers in these environments. The track also gives non-archival students the opportunity to take introductory archives classes to expand their understanding of managing information in all its varieties and formats.
California is rich in archival resources, and its archivists are on the cutting edge of the profession's emerging standard practices. SLIS students can take up to 6 units (270 hours) of internship, which provides practical experience working in an archives, manuscript repository, or special collections and personalized mentoring from a seasoned archival professional.
Recommended Coursework
Archival studies is an interdisciplinary field that includes theoretical and practical education in archival science as well as knowledge and training in allied scholarly and applied fields. Most courses require original research and writing or a fieldwork component. Students also have the option of doing more extensive scholarly or applied research by writing a master's thesis.
The coursework recommended below will lead to an MLIS with an archival studies emphasis. It is based on the Society of American Archivists' "Guidelines for a Graduate Program in Archival Studies" approved January 2002.
Required Courses:
LIBR 203, LIBR 200, LIBR 202, LIBR 204, LIBR 285, and LIBR 289 (or 299) are required for the MLIS.
- LIBR 203 Online Social Networking: Technology and Tools
- LIBR 200 Information and Society
- LIBR 202 Information Retrieval
- LIBR 204 Information Organizations and Management
- LIBR 285 Research Methods in Library and Information Science
- LIBR 289 or LIBR 299 Culminating Experience
Foundation Courses:
This component encompasses the theoretical and applied knowledge required for professional archival work. Coursework covers the history, organization, and management of information and information organizations, with an emphasis on archival theory and practice. All students pursuing the archival track are encouraged to take the courses listed below. A variety of specialized seminars are taught under the LIBR 284 course designation, including Encoded Archival Description (EAD), Electronic Records, Oral History, and Digitization. LIBR 284 can be repeated for a maximum of 12 units.
- LIBR 256 Archives and Manuscripts
- LIBR 257 Records Management
- LIBR 259 Preservation Management
- LIBR 280 History of Books and Libraries
- LIBR 284 Seminar in Archives and Records Management
- LIBR 294 Archives Internship
Recommended Courses:
For the remaining units of their MLIS program, students should take a combination of courses in library and information science and allied disciplines that will deepen their understanding of archival work and its place within an information society. These elective courses will enable students to pursue a given specialization, such as historical manuscripts or digital assets management, as well as to expand their overall knowledge of the profession. The following LIS courses are recommended; highly recommended courses are marked with an (*) asterisk.
- LIBR 210 Reference and Information Services*
- LIBR 240 Information Technology Tools and Applications*
- LIBR 242 Database Management*
- LIBR 246 Information Technology Tools and Applications: Advanced
- LIBR 247 Vocabulary Design*
- LIBR 248 Beginning Cataloging and Classification*
- LIBR 249 Advanced Cataloging and Organization of Information
- LIBR 266 Collection Management*
- LIBR 282 Seminar in Library Management
- LIBR 283 Marketing in Library and Information Services
- LIBR 287 Seminar in Information Science
Students can also transfer up to 9 units from another academic department, with prior approval of their graduate advisor. These courses are intended to advance a given specialization and might include history and historical methods, oral history, historic preservation, art history, museum curatorship, book arts and conservation, management and organizational theory, and appropriate classes in the arts, humanities, and social sciences.
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