F.W.I.W. (PART I)

FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH - PART I

A word on work: I always approach each new job--make that, each new contract--with cautious optimism, and in this case with this new job, it's no different. The prospect of working on shaping and managing a university's content creation, storage and distribution mechanism is exciting and could take years to complete. So I am cautiously optimistic because the project I am working on, while it's yet another contract, is arguably one with the potential to last much longer than a standard 12-month contract.

Blogging at work: I'm blogging on a department-wide blog at work. The blog was started by the educational technology team in hopes of enabling conversations among staff. I wrote one blog post so far, and I intend to write at most two blog posts a month. It's a team blog so there are plenty of contributors. I am not sure if the blog is publicly available or restricted to the campus. When I find out, I will inform you all.

Music Music Music: When people ask me what was the last movie I saw, the answer often shocks them, as so often the movie I last saw was from one or two summers ago. While I enjoy a good movie (or a good book), I truly love music. I am always on the hunt for new (or old) music. If I were to write one those 25 Things You Don't Know About Me memes, I would definitely include on that list the love of music.

Speaking of music, I recently discovered a Scottish electronic band called Boards of Canada. Unlike some electronic music, which seem to comprise emotionless beeps over beats, Boards of Canada's sound has a rich sonic atmosphere and deep emotional undercurrents. I 'acquired' nearly their entire discography, which dates back to the late 1990s, and I am hooked to listening to their music.

Music has had such an impact on my life--like so many of you reading, I'm sure--that now I'm thinking about about creating music. I don't know where I'm going with this idea--or even if it's merely a daydream--but I want to enrich other parts of my creative life.

The Zen of banjos: While I was working in the Archives at the International Monetary Fund, I met an archivist with a unique passion for string instruments, particularly banjos. His passion is so great that he created an online database called Banjo Sightings Database. What most struck me about this archivist, however, was his desire to devote most of his time and energy to activities and causes well beyond his archivist role. I found his perspective inspiring and exemplary. 

Archivists and archives: Before I was given a job offer at McGill, I had applied to an archivist position at another large Canadian university. The position was called digital archivist, outreach services (or something like that), and the posting mentioned that the selected candidate would use current and emerging Web 2.0 technologies, such as blogs, to support the university archives' outreach activities. I thought I was dreaming. This position sounded ideal. So I applied...and, roughly 3-4 months later, I was subsequently rejected.

Rather than receiving a rejection email, I found out about the university's decision on a listserv. A listserv! How unprofessional! No wonder the university archives needs a digital archives outreach specialist. I emailed the Chair and requested an explanation for both why was the notice made public before the rejected applicants were informed and, on a personal note, what were the reasons for my rejection.

Profusely apologizing about the listserv mistake, the person who responded to my email further explained that I was not accepted because--wait for it, wait for it--because I had too much experience! Since graduating from library school, I had been told that I did not get the positions I had applied to because I did not have sufficient or matching experience. After several years of bulking up my experience with contracts, even relocating to the United States for a job, I was now told that I had too much experience. I had good laugh, believe me.

But, seriously, this is one example out of many in the past few months that has lead me to realize that the archivist hat I once wore is no more. It was something I once did, and now that chapter has ended.

At the moment, I'm really excited by grassroot archivists harnessing Web 2.0 technologies, challenging the status quo. To stress over these rejection notices and their incredulous explanations seems like a gross waste of time.

Onwards!

Holy Twitter Tweets, Batman!

Twitter

After the Twitter bird feathers settled following my blog post on the 15 People All Archivists Must Follow On Twitter, I felt that I, make that, we--and by we I mean readers of this blog and Twitter users now following one another--had accomplished something close to a major milestone. We created a small but vocal and flourishing micro-blogging community.

Granted, I realize that many among the list do not always tweet about archives, archivists, or pressing archival issues (in that regard, I am probably the biggest practitioner of impractical tweets), but there is a sense of shared interests, which I am certain will bear fruit in the weeks and months ahead.

Moreover, by testing Twitter, many of us are now not only talking the Web 2.0 walk, but walking the Web 2.0 talk [thanks pakurilecz-dk], building and gaining real-world experience. What works. What doesn't.

It's true, Twitter can be addictive, like cigarettes. A potential time-waster, if used without discipline. But Twitter, simply put, is a nimble, mobile, light-weight publishing tool! Nothing comes close!

Twitter may change in a year or two. Another service may appear on the horizon. But what remains in the constant flux of technology evolution, and what will always remain, is our humanity: People want to create, communicate, share, and participate, and they will use these social technologies.

Reinvention: New Job

No, that's not a typo or a misprint, nor are you hallucinating. I found a new job. The telephone call and the official offer documents arrived mid-week and so therefore I can make the announcement here. I was offered, and accepted, a position at McGill University.

This position marks my return to the university, where I studied and received my MLIS and worked in the University Archives for several years.

This time, I will be working under the Information Technology Services banner, focusing on managing digital content and enabling collaboration among University units. It's a step in a new direction, one requiring, I feel, a Kierkegaardian kind of faith. Expect a slowdown in blog posts in the coming weeks, though a few pithy tweets are not entirely out of the question.

Archives*Open (perpetual beta)

When I launched Archives*Open back in early December, I was inspired and energized and greatly encouraged by the positive feedback and comments.

Today, I still feel inspired and energized. But now, with a new job starting imminently, I wonder if I can honestly maintain energy levels.

I hate to see a bright idea dim.

So in an effort to keep things moving I am making Archives*Open more, well, open, leveraging tools, technologies and services that are freely available on the Web to push content to the blog - with some editorial assistance on my part.

For example, I have started using a Twitter service called Twitterfeed, which takes RSS feeds (title and description fields only) and tweets them to a Twitter account. Regarding the Archives*Open twitter feed (@archivesopen), I am creating search parameters that encompass archives, access and Web 2.0 and saving them as RSS feeds and then running them through Twitterfeed to the @archivesopen Twitter account.

I have done something similar with Delicious, the social bookmarking service. Every time I find a website that fits 'the Web 2.0/innovative access to archival materials' classification, I tag it with "archivesopen" (no quotation marks, natch) and in time the bookmark (short blurb and URL) will be tweeted.

You can join in as well.

If you have a Delicious account, you can tag websites with "archivesopen." Fingers crossed, the bookmark will be tweeted via the Archives*Open Twitter feed.

Upwards and onwards. Stay tuned.

Photo credits comicbase; carrotcreative; Suviko

Doing Business in Second Life: Is Your Digital Archive Open for Business?

When I worked at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), I learned about a project developed by the World Bank Group called Doing Business, a five-year old project that reviews and ranks government and local business laws and regulations in over 180 member countries and determines which are the best for doing business.

According to the Doing Business blog, which is written by World Bank staff, the World Bank believes that "encouraging business is key to creating jobs and alleviating poverty."

A part of the Doing Business project that caught my attention was that the World Bank had created a virtual community in Second Life that supports the objectives and goals of Doing Business but in a virtual environment. While Doing Business is primarily a real world project, the World Bank is attempting to recreate its success in the virtual realm. In October 2008, the World Bank held its second virtual Doing Business meeting.

At the time, my IMF colleagues were considering whether or not Second Life could play a role in IMF activities. While plans were made to review Second Life further, I started wondering if virtual worlds and virtual communities could have a role in archives.

For those unfamiliar with Second Life, Second Life (or SL) is:

a 3-D virtual world created by its users, also known as residents. Since opening to the public in 2003, it has grown explosively and today is inhabited by millions of residents from around the globe. It offers a platform for communication, business, and education.

Let me know what you think. Archivists in Second Life???

Archives*Open is Open

I hope I sparked interest with last week's teaser blog post and the teaser tweets I scheduled and sent out throughout the weekend announcing the launch of Archives*Open, a new community-powered blog that focuses on archives, access, community and the Web. It is my--well, actually, our--contribution to Archives 2.0.

Giving Access to the Masses

Archives*Open, whose tag line is "Giving Access to Masses," is a platform for archivists and other professionals in the field to share and promote their Web 2.0 archival projects that focus on 'giving access to the masses,' and in so doing, inspire others who may be considering embarking on similar projects and raise awareness around the community.

I hesitate to write a 'definitive' definition of what is Web 2.0 since it incorporates so many technologies and so many values and ethics. So let's sum it up this way: Web 2.0 (and by association, Archives 2.0) is about using current and emerging Web technologies in innovative ways that focus on providing the public with a more personal, interactive, and social experience with archival materials.¹

If you are working on a similar project, it's real easy to share your success stories (or almost got it right attempts): Visit Archives*Open, leave a comment with your name (personal or corporate), project title, brief project description, and a URL. That's all. I'll collect as many as I can on a weekly basis and post them on a weekly roundup blog post.

Furthermore, Archives*Open is a platform to discuss Web 2.0 technologies (blogs, wikis, podcasts, RSS, social networking, social media, etc) and Web 2.0 ethics and values (communication, conversation, participation, relationshipts, transparency, etc) and their impact on the emerging and evolving Archives 2.0 paradigm, which is being talked about constructively and critically in the archival blogosphere.

The Story Behind Archives*Open (for those really, really interested)

The seed for this blog started in late summer of this year (2008) when I was reflecting on my career in the field so far (a kind of reflection kindled by an uncertain future and, ahem, unemployment).

I found myself focusing on--and subconsciously building a new blog around--those areas that I had found most fascinating in the archives and to which I could add a solid voice of experience, knowledge, and enthusiasm.

That area is the area of creating, building, and providing improved, interactive and enhanced access to archival materials using current and emerging Web technologies.

I almost always found personal and professional satisfaction when a project such as an online virtual exhibit, online photo gallery of digitized photographs, or a large-scale portal project was launched and the public was given access to archival materials and responded with keen interest and appreciation for history and our shared stories. I was satisfied, but I knew there were more stories to share and more innovative and engaging ways to tell them.

When self-criticism struck the idea of starting a new blog, I started to doubt. I really did not want to create another soap box blog. But then the many voices in the archival blogosphere began writing more about Archives 2.0 in concrete terms - and the archival community seemed to be embracing some of the technologies and values that were defining Web 2.0. Thanks to them, and now for them, I set aside doubt and proceeded.

While I momentarily thought about converting this blog, The DIGITAL Archive, into something that would suit the needs of what is now Archives*Open, I decided against it because I felt I had established on this blog a satisfactory mix of news, comments, opinions, and observations. And my two readers would have been furious if I had changed formats yet again!

With Archives*Open, I wanted to build a more focused blog that is collaborative and community-driven, meaning that the content would come from both the writer and the community. And by more focused, I wanted a blog with a focus on access to archival materials.

---

Footnote

1. ArchivesNext has a list of examples of existing archives/Web 2.0 type projects and websites.

The Friday Abstract: The State of the Blogosphere Address 2008

=============== TRANSMISSION ZERO ZERO NINER ZERO
.
..
…
My fellow bloggers, distinguished readers, newcomers and loyalists, mobile readers and RSS feeders, I welcome you all to the State of the Blogosphere Address.

(Applause)

Ladies and gentlemen, tonight I am here to tell you that the State of the Blogosphere is strong.

(Applause)

But, I hasten to add, it requires our constant vigilance.

When I look upon this great blogosphere of ours, I see dark clouds of change on the horizon. I see the status quo in peril; I see business-as-usual facing tremendous turmoil.

For there are those in the blogosphere right now proposing Archives 2.0, an ideology that runs contrary to our way of life.

We will suppress them.

(Applause)

Furthermore, there are rogue blogs and rogue bloggers in the blogosphere who are determined to shake up our beloved and guarded status quo. There are three blogs in particular written, edited and designed by one individual.

These three blogs—arch.i.vi.us, The DIGITAL Archive, and Archives*Open—constitute an Axis of Archivists that threaten the very soul of the status quo that we so dearly cherish.

Most of you have heard about the mayhem these first two blogs have caused. Take arch.i.vi.us, for example, a cheap imitation of delicious.com, its mission and stated goals are to aggregate information and to inform archivists about digitization and digital preservation. This is a tragedy of unprecedented scale.

We will suppress them.

(Applause)

Furthermore, take a look at The DIGITAL Archive, a front organization that takes readers to the front lines of archives and technology and beyond, and boasts provocatively of making things last longer since 2005. Such obscenity has never been heard of before.

We will suppress them.

(Applause)

The worst offender of them all, however, is Archives*Open, a new cabal so sinister it actively solicites contributions from readers—archivists who want to promote their exciting archival projects—and attempts to form community and collaboration – buzzwords for large-scale, global ideological subversion.

Archives*Open must not launch; must not gain support, for even the tiniest of support will embolden our enemies and further the march towards change.

My fellow bloggers: We will suppress th--.

====================== TRANSMISSION ENDS

4 Ways to Be Influential in Web 2.0 or: What Makes Oprah Oprah?

Oprah Winfrey, like Midas, has the golden touch. Whatever she touches—that is, whatever she recommends, supports, endorses—turns to gold. However, unlike Midas, whose golden gift was from the gods and soon ruined his life, Oprah’s golden touch has been carefully crafted over many years and remains an influential force, both offline and online.

Oprah’s influence is fuelled by her media empire’s focus on Communication, Conversation, Transparency, and Branding. Taken together, these forces form public trust and therefore influence.

Thankfully, we don’t need a multi-million dollar media empire to become influential; we simply need to activate and harness the same forces that Oprah harnesses.

By influential, I am not suggesting we become master manipulators. No way, jose! Rather, I believe we should engage people and help them make informed choices. We influence the best when we share and connect our passions and expertise with others.

When Oprah Winfrey endorsed Amazon’s e-book reader, Kindle, the technology press went ga-ga, cautiously hoping that the “Oprah effect,” which has sent obscure novels soaring to the top of the New York Times bestsellers list, would send sales of the e-book reader skyrocketing. Since 1996, Oprah’s Book Club has helped many a tome (and many an author) reach the top of bestseller lists.

While the verdict is still out on the Kindle / Oprah bump, the fact that her endorsement sent shockwaves through the industry and precipitated media attention and speculation illustrates her influential power.

But what makes Oprah Oprah? What makes her so influential?

1. Communication (connect x 1)

Oprah is a born communicator, a talent she has fully utilized. Whether you like her or not, it is clear Oprah can communicate and connect with her audience.

How are you communicating and connecting with your audience? Do you engage your audience, your clientele, or do you pass the opportunity by at any chance?

We do not have to be professional speakers to be communicators. All we really need is the desire to share our passions and expertise in order to connect with others and fulfill their particular needs.

2. Conversation (connect x 2)

The Social Web enables conversation. It is now a 2-way street between content creator and content consumer, between product maker and product user, and on and on it goes.

How are you conversing with your audience? Are you reaching out to your audience where they assemble, especially online? Are you cultivating the 2-way street of conversation?

We have Web 2.0 tools at our disposal. Blogs, for example, are perfect for engaging an audience and starting a conversation, thus building connections and community.

3. Transparency

Oprah is transparent about her life almost to a fault. We know about her childhood rape, her struggles with weight gain, her relationships, and her personal ups and down.

By being so transparent, which is in fact another way of being honest, Oprah reveals her vulnerabilities and thus opens a door for which her audience can enter. She reveals herself in order that her audience can step inside her world and experience her travails, hopes and dreams.

How are you being transparent?

Now, I am not suggesting we air our dirty laundry or toss out the skeletons in our closets for our clients to view.

But in our professional lives, while serving patrons or researchers, working with our clients, are we being transparent, are we being honest with out audience? Are we inviting them into our working world in an effort to share our experiences with them?

Here’s an example illustrating what I mean: I once had a peculiar experience when I visited a rare books library. I was a complete amateur in rare books, not knowing a single thing. I asked the librarian behind the desk that I wanted to know how old books had been bound in the past. It was part of a research project. “What do you mean by ‘old books’?” he asked sarcastically. “There is nothing here but ‘old books.’”

I felt irritated, dismayed, and worse, unwelcome. I don’t know if this librarian was attempting some kind humorous joke or simply acting like an intellectual snob. Regardless, I never returned to that library after that incident.

Are we being honest and transparent, and are we inviting people to share in our experiences?

4. Branding

Oprah maintains a strong and consistent branding across all her media, from her television show to her magazine (guess who’s on the cover each month) to her website.

Why brand?

Because proper branding allows Oprah to stand out from the rest of the crowd.

It is unnecessary to say Oprah Winfrey anymore. One need only say Oprah, and that’s enough. She is easily recognizable, and her audience knows her and easily distinguishes her from other popular TV talk show hosts. The letter “O” and “HARPO” (that’s Oprah spelled backwards), for example, are powerful branding images.

What kind of brand are you building? Does it reflect your professional values, your institutional values, your department values? It is easily recognizable? How are you imparting it to your audience? Does your branding help distinguish you from others?

However you decide to brand yourself, your product or service, or whether you are building a brand for your department, insure that it clearly identifies you and distinguishes you from others.

Influence 2.0

The end result of practicing the previous four items is influence. Influence is based on trust, which is built on open communication (respect), conversation (2-way exchange), and transparency (honesty), with the final touch, branding (personal identification), acting as the seal of approval.

The road to becoming influential, that is, engaging, sharing and connecting with your clients, is a process of communication, conversation, transparency, and branding.

In a Web 2.0 online world, this is Influence 2.0.

What's All This About?

This morning, I took a look at The DIGITAL Archive blog, specifically the 'about this blog' blurb to the right, and I wondered if the words I had written several months ago describing the blog accurately reflected the nature of the blog and its readership.

After some thought (and editing), I believe I nailed down a more simplified description:

The DIGITAL Archive focuses on the Web and its impact on information professionals in libraries and archives..and anyone anywhere fascinated by the Web...

I eliminated the long list of web-related technologies, such as new media and social web technologies, and special topics, such as digitization and digital preservation, in favor of something more brief, succinct. However, I removed these words only for the sake of brevity.

For me, the Web (Web 2.0) covers all these areas - from digitization to social networking - and all the areas yet to be developed.

I still want to focus on the impact of these technologies on information professionals in libraries and archives, so that remains intact.

However, when I write, whether on the topic of technology or personal matters such as opinions on the archival profession, I have a type of reader in mind: It is someone who is not necessarily a librarian or archivist but simply someone who is enthusiastic about the Web, fascinated by technology, and whose vocabulary does not include the words "It can't be done" or "That's impossible" in regards to thinking or doing things differently.

Finally, I often fool around with The DIGITAL Archive's tag line. This week it is:

It's my digital archive, in Technicolor

Well, it is my digital archive, in color. When I blog, I do not write on behalf of any institution or archival association. I avoid archival public policy issues because, quite frankly, I do not know enough on the subject. As writers in other fields suggest, write what you know about, and that's what I try to do, with color.

Too often, people imagine the archives as nothing but boxes, darkness, dampness, dust, more boxes, and black & white photographs. While there is some truth to this, the buried truth, which needs to be unearthed (Archives 2.0 hint hint), is that there is so much color, so many colorful characters and events, so much rich content!

I guess I am a content agnostic. I do not have a preference. I will work with all kinds of content as long as there is a benefit to the audience. But being a history grad and a lover of stories, I guess I have a bias for archival content.

(Geez...so much for my sabbatical.)

The Friday Astract: Guitar Hero Conference Jam

"I swear, this is the last one," wrote my anonymous source, who has been viewing and transcribing those flashy new Archivist ads filmed in the "Get a Mac" style. "The creative team behind the ads have run out of ideas. They're back to their day jobs."

Well, thank God for that.

This ad is titled "The Guitar Hero Conference Jam." Isn't Guitar Hero that popular video game where gamers twang virtual guitar controllers in sync with their favourite rock 'n roll songs?

Geez...I do not like where this is going.

---

Librarian Dude: Hello, I’m a Librarian.

Archivist Guy: And I’m an Archivist. What a minute, Librarian, what’s with all those suitcases and vendor logo covered tote bags? Are you going on a trip?

LD: Yeah, I’m headed to the airport. I’m attending a few conferences.

AG: What? Conferences? W-what kind of conferences?

LD: Oh, I’ll be checking out the Internet conference, the Web Users conference, the Podcasters conference, then I’ll be attending a conference online in Second Life—that should be awesome—and later on in the evening, we’ll be jamming with Guitar Hero at the County Public Library.

AG: Jamming at the County Public Library…

LD: You know, Archivist, you should really come.

AG: Oh, no, I can’t. Awfully busy. You know, backlog, that sort of thing.

LD: That’s all right, next time. Hey, Archivist, you heading somewhere right now, maybe you could give me a hand with these…

AG: Sorry, Librarian, but I have a very big--VERY BIG--meeting with the Administration.

LD: Oh, meeting – what’s it about?

AG: The usual: Asking for funding to preserve and digitize historically significant private papers.

LD: Ouch. Good luck. Well, I'm off.

AG: [Whispers] I hope you encounter plenty of turbulence.

LD: Come again?

AG: Oh, I said, I hope you have a momentous journey.

[Fade to black]

The Friday Abstract: Look Ma...No Sunlight

Just when I thought it was safe, I saw another Archivist ad transcript hit my inbox. My anonymous source continues to feed me these transcripts, even though I have yet to actually see the ads that parody Apple's Get a Mac advertising campaign featuring a Mac and PC personified.

This ad is titled "Look Ma...no sunlight." Sunlight, archives, meh...I can relate.

---

Librarian Dude: Hello, I’m a Librarian.

Archivist Guy: [Enters scene holding large yellow box; places it on floor] And I’m an Archivist.

LD: What do you have there, Archivist?

AG: It’s a little gift from the Administration.

LD: Cool. What is it?

AG: It’s the "Artificial Sunlight Lamp - 300 watts of Vitamin D,” says right here on the box

LD: I see that. But what’s the reason for all this?

AG: It’s kind of a long story, but essentially Administration had promised us a new room with windows since our current work area has absolutely no windows and therefore no sunlight. Anyway, that plan did not fall through because some other department had quote-unquote priority. Whatever that means.

LD: Bummer.

AG: Yep, so instead of us working under oppressive fluorescent bulbs all day long, and basking in the glow of our lovely LCD monitors, the fine people in Administration bought us this Artificial Sunlight Lamp.

LD: Wow.

AG: Yesiree! They even threw in sunglasses, a pair for all staff members.

LD: Sweet.

AG: By the way, Librarian, do you know what department got that room?

LD: Oh you mean that large corner office with the floor to ceiling windows that overlooks the park and football field beyond, and at 3:15 sharp in the afternoon a beautiful shaft of golden sunlight pours in? That one?

AG: Yes, that one…

LD: Ahem, don’t have a clue.

AG: Oh.

[Fade to black]

Archivist Jobs That Sizzle (i.e. do not suck)

A former colleague of mine told me about MARAC, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference. I visited MARAC's website and its job opportunities page, and I found a job posting at Fordham University in New York City that actually sizzled.

I read the position title, responsibilities, qualifications - and there were words and terms that told me an evolution in thinking was occurring. I copied the entire job posting below, highlighting in bold those elements that caught my attention.

According to the contact person, Carlie McCarthy, who replied promptly to my questions, the position was entering the candidate interview stage and was only open to US citizens (being a Canadian citizen, this news was a bummer - does anyone know more about visas that librarians and archivists can get to work in the US?).

In any case, check out the points I highlighted. What do you think? Is this an Archives 2.0-ish position in the making, something other institutions should follow? I love the qualifications, especially the last one. A willingness to learn and implement new technologies and new skills.

Sign me up!

Fordham School of Law

Post date: September 9, 2008

Closing date: Until filled.

Position title: Archivist/Digital Specialist

Position in Leo T. Kissam Memorial Library, Fordham School of Law, Lincoln Center.

Responsibilities:
Organizes the historical records of the Law School.
Oversees the creation of an institutional repository for collecting, storing, preserving and disseminating the institution's digital assets.
Participates in the digitization of Fordham Law archival material.
Participates in cataloging and other library projects as needed.
Works under the direction of the Head of Cataloging.

Qualifications:
MLS or equivalent preferred.
Experience with organization and processing of archival materials.
Experience with digitization of archival materials and with storing, preserving, and providing networked access to digitized and born-digital material.
Knowledge of metadata schemas and the principles of controlled vocabulary.
Ability to develop written policies, procedures, and processes.
Excellent organizational skills, the ability to work with great accuracy and with meticulous attention to detail.
Ability to work cooperatively, effectively, flexibly and independently.
Willingness to learn and implement new technologies and new skills.

Salary: Commensurate with experience.

What the....Another Archivist Ad?

Librarian Dude: Hello, I’m a Librarian.

Archivist Guy: And I’m an Archivist.

LD: Archivist, I am so glad you’re here. I’m just about to unveil the library’s new welcome sign.

AG: “WELCOME TO THE LIBRARY.” Gee, that sign is very big and colourful. Patrons will see it from miles away.

LD: Well, that’s the whole point. When people see this sign, they will know that this is their library and they are welcome to drop by.

AG: Fascinating concept.

LD: I’m sure there are archivists who would be interested in such a sign. If you like, I can hook you up with the design—

AG: No, no, no, Librarian. We archivists don’t do marketing. No, no. We’re all about serious research. Serious research in the archives. Besides, if people really need us, they will find us. Eventually.

LD: Speaking of which, where are the archives located?

AG: Oh, that’s easy. Just go downstairs, turn left, then turn right. Walk down the hallway and go through the second door on the right. Not the first door now, the second door. Ask to be buzzed in and head straight down the hallway and turn right. You’ll see our office door there.

LD: You sure you don’t need a few signs with arrows?

AG: Nope.

LD: I could make a few if you--

AG: No, no, that’s fine. Just watch your head when you round that second corner.

[Fade to black]

What Library 2.0 Can Teach Archives 2.0

Michael Stephens, blogging over at Tame the Web, has posted an interview he had with Special Libraries Associations' IT Bulletin Digital Focus in which he discusses, among other things, his views and predictions on Library 2.0. Although long, it is still a very good read, filled with ideas that those in the archives profession contemplating Archives 2.0 should consider.

I mention Stephens' blog post because in the past few weeks there has been a healthy discussion in the Archives blogosphere about Archives 2.0 - what it could be, what it could do for archives and archivists, what it would mean to researchers and future users - and the Archives profession in the Web 2.0 era.

Kate over at ArchivesNext started the discussion with her interesting blog post "Archives 2.0?" and several other bloggers (including yours truly....wink wink) made thoughtful comments. Be sure to read the blog post and comments - and submit a comment as well.

As someone who has been calling for change in Archives in regards to Web 2.0 adoption (its values and ethics and technology usage) both from this blog and currently from this dismal unemployment chair, I believe these discussions on Archives 2.0 is the correct course of action. But these discussions must be followed up with concrete strategies.

Archives 2.0 will not be Library 2.0. Archives 2.0 will not merely mirror the actions taken by our colleagues in libraries. No, Archives 2.0 must grasp the values and ethics of Web 2.0, understand the Web 2.0 technologies, and then muster up the courage and envision how these elements can solve the problems facing archives and archivists.

The Friday Abstract: Another Archivist Ad

"They'rrrrre baaaaack!" So said the email I received from my anonymous source. More archivist ads in the spirit of those popular "Get a Mac" ads, Apple's marketing campaign. I still have not seen any even though I poured over hours of YouTube footage. In the end, I did not have to, really, because our dedicated anonymous source has seen them, and is transcribing them as I type. She sent this one to me, hot off the presses, so to speak. Here goes:

---

Librarian Dude: Hello, I’m a Librarian.

Archivist Guy: [Enters scene pushing a cart with a large mechanical device on it] ....And I’m an Archivist.

LD: Whoa-ho, Archivist, what do you have there?

AG: This, my Librarian friend, is the Super Ultra Air Purifier Ionizer.

LD: That is awesome, Archivist. I'm really impressed.

AG: Why thank you, Librarian. You see, every few days—more times than I care to admit, actually—the facilities department forgets there are archivists working in our windowless rooms and often shut off the air ventilation system.

LD: Yikes!

AG: Yes, it gets pretty bad when you’re surrounded by dusty material. The burning eyes, stuffy nose, headache, nausea, flu-like symptoms – it ain’t a pretty sight, as they say.

LD: Well, why don’t you start up the machine?

AG: Good idea! [Flicks switch. Motor roars like an air plane engine]

LD: [Shouts above noise] Wow! That’s strong, Archivist!

AG: [Shouts above noise] Breathe in the fresh, ionized air, Librarian!

LD: [Shouts above noise] Hey, hey, Archivist, the private papers you were accessioning are blowing down the hallway. Shut off the machine!

AG: I can’t! I can’t! [Runs after papers, exits scene. Heard in the distance.] Stop, come back. Don’t step on those; they’re not garbage!

[Fade to black]

---

The horror....the horror.

The Friday Abstract: Those New Archivist Ads

Have you seen those new archivist ads circulating the Web? Me neither. But a kind reader has, and she sent me a transcript. The ad is apparently a funny spoof of the popular Apple ads that feature a ‘cool’ Mac guy and a ‘grumpy’ PC guy. With that image in mind, here is the transcript.

---

Librarian Dude: Hi, I’m a librarian.

Archivist Guy: Hi, I’m an archivist.

LD: Hey, Archivist, why do you look so gloomy?

AG: Well, you know, Librarian. Everyone is talking about you guys. I mean, you librarians are everywhere nowadays. On TV. On posters. And especially on the Web with all your fancy blogs and wikis. Us archivists, meanwhile, we’re busy, well, archiving.

LD: Well, actually, there are plenty of great archivist blogs out there—

AG: Please don’t patronize me, Librarian. No pun intended. We both have the same degree, right. We both serve the public. [Librarian nods in agreement] But somehow, somewhere down the line, one of us got the short end of the stick.

LD: Now I don’t think that’s necessarily true—

AG: Oh, please, Librarian. I read the blogs. I see what some of your more eminent colleagues are doing. You have librarians playing video games in public libraries, doing creative, fun activities; while others write cool dissertations on Second Life and the benefits of blogging, and worse still you have an anonymous librarian—God, anonymity, I hate it—writing the most popular library blog in the history Library Journal, that prestigious magazine of yours.

LD: Whoa! Archivist, you need to calm down. Your blood pressure. You should really—

AG: No, no Librarian. You won’t tell me what to do! I already know what I do.

LD: Really important stuff, I bet.

AG: Yes, like PRESERVING THE PAST FOR POSTERITY!!

[Awkward silence]

AG: Phew…I think I better head back to the basement now. Bye, Librarian.

LD: Just watch your first--

AG: AAARRGGGHH!

LD: --step

[Fade to black]

---

Wait a minute! I've been had!

The Low-Stress Archivist Diet

Catchy title, huh?

Yes, the low stress archivist. How interesting. I wish I could meet this person in the flesh so I could shake his or her hand and learn a few tips. If my feelings on this topics are not obvious yet, they soon will be.

I really don't want to walk down this path, for I can already feel a pinch of tension in my head and the words to express what I'm about to say are bottlenecking somewhere between my head and fingertips. But I will continue. Calmly.

By now I'm sure most readers reading this must have read the article on Yahoo!

[Update: I made a journalism faux-pas here by not summarizing the article for those who had not read the article. Essentially, Yahoo! hotjobs publishes career-related articles. In this one article, the writer wrote about professions that have low stress. Among those listed was Archivist. Let the flood waters rush in.]

Kate over at ArchivesNext blogged about the piece and even scored a scoop of sorts with a blog comment written by the author of the study, Laurence Shatkin, Ph.D (not the author of the article, Vicki Salemi, mind you). Also, Gayle writing on her blog quoted several archivists responding to the article on the SAA listserv.

For the most part, the majority of archivists can agree on the most common stresses, not to mention the stress associated with properly handling them: lack of resources, poor funding, low priority and low visibility, uncooperative senior administration, and the occasional pretentious researcher. These stresses come with the territory, I suppose. All within the realm of possibility between 9 am and 5 pm.

I believe that, while the profession is not by its nature stressful, there are stressful elements and, from my unorthodox experience in the field, some very stressful and unpleasant elements.

• Contractual employment stress
• Seeking a full-time permanent position stress
• Unable to move ahead with career stress
• Professional identity crisis stress

Now, be honest, how many archivists reading the article yesterday can relate to the above stresses?

There are some who walk into a job and follow a process. Meanwhile, there are those who design the process and leave it for others to follow. Then, there are some who face the familiar on a daily basis, while others face the unknown every single day. There are those who work in teams and accomplish much, and there are those who work solo on projects that require a team but who nonetheless deliver excellent results. There are even a tiny fringe of professionals (yes, mercifully, a tiny group) who pride themselves in being slothful in their full-time permanent position, while there are those who do the work and play by the rules and end up chronically contractually employment.

If your mom or dad or best friend ever told you life was not fair, they were correct.

Now about that low stress archivist diet...

Have You Visited arch.i.vi.us Recently?

About two years ago, I started arch.i.vi.us, a Web 2.0 experiment to aggregate news, blogs, and more recently Twitter tweets that discuss digitization and digital preservation from an archivist perspective.

In recent months, I have tweaked the settings on my news and blog feeds and added Twitter tweets using a service called Summize. The results have been astonishing!

• News about digitization and digital preservation from around the world


• Blog postings from fresh voices in the blogosphere


• Twitter tweets from archivists twittering away

Whenever I visit the page, there is something new that catches my interest.

I dislike plugging my other blog in this way, but I believe, now more than ever, the arch.i.vi.us blog is worth a look.

Unemployed? Archivists Take Note

Kate Theimer blogging over at ArchivesNext revealed the results of her survey question "Will you be attending SAA this summer?" While the complete results can be viewed on her blog, the majority of respondents (48%) said Yes, they will be attending SAA and that their employer will be paying all or part of the expense.

On the heels of this survey question, Kate is launching another: "Does your job title have the word “archivist” in it?” Be sure to take a few minutes to respond.

Speaking of job titles and jobs, I conducted a survey back in May asking people in the fields of libraries and archives what was their employment status. The results revealed that 66% of respondents had a permanent position with a benefits package.

Now, taking Kate's survey on SAA attendance, which I will categorize in my mind as professional development, and my own survey on employment status, something clear emerges. At least it does for me.

Unemployed and underemployed archivists or other records related professionals should demand more from their future or current employer. First, if having a permanent position is important, then unemployed archivists should seek out permanent positions. I know, there are bills to pay now, but short-term contracts without benefits simply short-change us professionals in the end. As I often remind myself, "Short-term gain, long-term loss."

Second, if professional development and attending conferences are important, then archivists should request and make it clear to employers that professional work is a two-way street. A professional cannot give and give and receive nothing in return. There must be opportunities to learn.

These requests are not pie-in-the-sky unattainable. Hardly. Look at the survey results again (here and here); as small a sample as they were, relatively speaking, they still revealed evidence that permanence and professional development are elements that unemployed and underemployed archivists can no longer set aside.

Take a Survey, Feel Good

If you are like me, feeling a bit under the weather (and we all know those summer colds are the worst), or even if you feel good and wish to feel even better, visit ArchivesNext and respond to the survey that is being conducted. The survey is titled: Attending SAA this year?

I like surveys and the results one can gleam from them. I found the survey I conducted a while back was very helpful and even insightful.

Of course, the more participation, the better. So head on over to ArchivesNext.

Podcasts and New Media: Are they in your future?

Podcasting and other forms of new digital media are evolving and, I believe, entering the mainstream, as broadband connections and mobile computing proliferate.

Is your organization producing and publishing podcasts (or other forms of digital new media) to the Web?

With digital new media, I find, there is a unique intimacy between content creator and content consumer, unseen and unheard of before in my experience, in which the content consumer is not passive but rather active, communicating and networking with others in the community of listeners and/or viewers and in some cases influencing the direction of programming.

For example, Star Quest Production Network (SQPN), a Catholic new media organization founded by Father Roderick Vonhögen, a Roman Catholic priest based in Amersfoort, The Netherlands, produces and publishes family-friendly audio and video content to the web.

About a year ago, I blogged about SQPN, explaining how it was producing some very good, high-quality content that one could download to an iPod or other mp3 player.

Fast forward to today, and I am pleased to report that SQPN continues to produce more programming worthy of watching - and emulating in your own personal or professional context.

Its latest show is called "Grace Before Meals," a lively, funny, entertaining and educational cooking program hosted by Father Leo Patalinghug, a Catholic priest with a penchant for cooking practical and healthy meals (with a dose of the divine and a sprinkle of humor). Running time: Approx. 9 minutes.



What a fine piece of online media! With the proper tools and training, can you envision your organization creating podcasts and other digital new media?

Boomers and Scarcity of Library Jobs

It is a holiday today in Canada, and depending on your political, social, cultural background, it is either Queen Victoria Day, Dollard Day, or Patriots Day. For me, it is a rainy and dreary day - perfect weather, I say, to read the Annoyed Librarian. Yes, she/they is/are still blogging in spite of what seems to be a deliberate slowdown in her/their usual prolific output.

In light of my recent survey on the status of employment among librarians and archivists, whose results revealed many librarians/archivists have permanent positions (contrary to my own thoughts), I found the Annoyed Librarian's blog post, "Those Darn Boomers," rather interesting. Of course, the AL is to be taken with a grain of salt (or with a martini), but she/they usually infuse(s) her/their posts with some truth.

In the blog post, the AL argues:

• Library grads have no reason to moan and groan about the scarcity of library jobs (AL writes: "If you went to library school because you were told jobs were plentiful, then you were duped.");
• Library grads should not assume that permanent positions belong to some exclusive group (AL writes: "Some new library school graduates seem to have been under the impression that librarianship was a non-competitive field.");
• Library grads use faulty logic if they complain that boomers in the profession are the ones responsible for the library job shortage (AL writes: "Are these boomer librarians not people who deserve jobs, too?")

After many years of being in the field, roughly seven years, these are valid points. Like any other profession, there is strong competition, there are more candidates than positions, and professionals in the field with senior titles are not likely to retire any time soon. So what should one do if one still finds him or herself underemployed or unemployed?

As my survey revealed, there are still many with contractual or no jobs at all. So, honestly, what should one do??

FOLLOW YOUR PASSIONS!! (...even if that means stepping outside your comfort zone...)

God, that was hard to write. I tried to be as eloquent as the AL. But sometimes bluntness rather than eloquence is best. And more truthful, too.