Distance Education course: Introduction to Archival Practice

Introduction to Archival Practice

Course duration: April 8 - June 17, 2024

Registration: February 1 - April 5, 2024

Using Laura Millar's award-winning publication Archives: Principles and Practices, students will be introduced to archival terminology & theory, best practices for managing archival records, copyright & privacy, ethics, and preserving electronic records. This course will benefit those who are new to archives, as well as staff or volunteers working in libraries, museums, records management, local government, administration, art galleries or non-profit institutions that have archival records in their holdings and would like to learn more about them.

Topics for the modules include:

Module 1.      What are Archives   

Module 2.      Archival Institutions and the Role of the Archivist         

Module 3.      Fundamental Principles of Archives

Module 4.      Appraisal and Acquisition

Module 5.      Arrangement and Description

Module 6.      Making Archives Available

Module 7.      Preservation and the Digital World

Students will also receive, by electronic mail, a self-study guide which includes instructions, supplementary reading (where applicable), self-study questions, and in most modules, a practical project. The self-study questions and projects will be submitted to the Instructor for evaluation. Upon completing all the projects within the allotted time, students will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the course.

Students can expect to work about 10-12 hours per week on readings and assignments for the duration of the course.

Instructor: Lisa Glandt, AABC Education and Advisory Services Coordinator

Cost: AABC members $350.00 (CAD) / Non-member $500.00 (CAD); plus the cost of the course textbook

Textbook: Laura Millar. Archives: Principles and Practices (Neal-Schuman, 2nd ed.; 2017)

*Hard copy or electronic (ebook) versions of the course textbook are available.