Reactions to Archives 2.0 issues, and what makes Archives 1.0 and 2.0 different
In case you haven’t caught them all, here are posts in which people have taken up the discussion of Archives 2.0 or Records Management 2.0 (my apologies if I missed anyone):
You should note that it’s not just my post that’s getting some play in the blogosphere, but your comments too, so keep them coming, (and keep reading them–20 responses on the Archives 2.0 post)!
For the most part, the response to the issues raised in my Archives 2.0 post (and going back to “An Archivist’s 2.0 Manifesto” post too) has been positive. The discussions between Alan Bell and Steve Bailey in their posts raise interesting questions about the degree of change entailed in Records Management 2.0, and I think the same issues apply to the Archives 2.0 discussion. The appellation “2.0″ (taken from software engineering) implies a new version of a product. To echo Steve’s argument, I think we’re discussing a new version of archives, with enough changes to justify a new version number, but still fundamentally the same product.
The question of whether there are enough changes to justify a new version number is a fair one. Is this something new? Clearly, I think we are in the midst of a something significantly new. And it’s not just about Web 2.0 tools. Think about the huge response to the MPLP article–all that discussion about changing our approach to processing. I think that is another example of being open to exploring new ideas, not being a slave to old standards of perfection, modifying our practices to better meet our users needs.
Now, I realize I should do a couple of months of research before throwing this idea out there, but this is “only a blog” after all and not a scholarly journal . . . but I think that we can look upon “Archives 1.0″ in the United States as being primarily concerned with building, safeguarding, and documenting collections and with laying the foundations for a new profession. Most of the profession’s energy was put into professionalizing the way we handled and documented our collections and establishing and promulgating professional practice. This period lasted until fairly recently. Yes, certainly, archivists have always been concerned with outreach, advocacy and other outward-focused activities, but it does not appear to me that historically these activities have consumed as much attention as the inward-focused ones. Perhaps some of our more experienced readers can comment on this, since they lived through it.
Having, for the most part, established the baseline of professional standards, organizations, educational programs, and practice, it is now time for the archival profession to shift its focus outward–towards meeting users on their own turf and their own terms. Just as it was not true that Archives 1.0 didn’t pay any attention to users and outreach, so Archives 2.0 archivists will continue to pursue all the inward-focused activities that are necessary to our profession’s continued growth. The key difference, I think, should be the motivations. If the archival profession is to successfully make the transition out of the 20th century, it will need to recognize that what gives an archives value is how it is used. In the last century, an archives may have derived status from the materials it preserved; in this century, it will derive value from the materials it provides access to–and that access will have to be online.
Archives are making significant progress in digitizing their materials and making them available on the web. But if all we do is to put materials online in a 1.0-framework, we will merely be like European settlers, trying to remake the Old World in the new. To succeed in the new world we must provide tools that allow user to interact with our materials online and we must also enter into the discussions (through blogs, podcasts, etc.). The archivist must come out of the stacks and become a participant in the online world.
I could go on, but I suppose I have to save something for my scholarly essay. And also, I have to save some room to remind all of my American readers to get out and vote tomorrow–not that you need any more reminding!
Archives 2.0, Web 2.0 & Archives | Kate T. | 
November 3, 2008 8:45 pm
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By David, November 4, 2008 @ 5:58 pm
Guess I’m the first one here…
Another great post, Kate.
Personal favs (the ones I’ll be digesting mentally):
“If the archival profession is to successfully make the transition out of the 20th century, it will need to recognize that what gives an archives value is how it is used. In the last century, an archives may have derived status from the materials it preserved; in this century, it will derive value from the materials it provides access to–and that access will have to be online.”
“To succeed in the new world we must provide tools that allow user to interact with our materials online and we must also enter into the discussions (through blogs, podcasts, etc.). The archivist must come out of the stacks and become a participant in the online world.”
By Kate T., November 5, 2008 @ 9:50 am
Thanks, David.
I think everyone is in a post-election hangover–of one kind or another. Hope comments on this pick up.
You probably already have, but everyone should be reading Alan Bell’s blog, “one man typing . . .” A great post on the elections and Twitter today: http://one-man-typing.blogspot.com/2008/11/twitter-and-election-night.html
I’m seriously considering getting on Twitter, but perhaps the moment has passed . . .
By David, November 5, 2008 @ 10:51 am
Post-election hangover indeed. What an election night. I still cannot believe it. We are living in historic times.
Alan has been blogging about Twitter frequently, which I think is great. It’s wise to test out the new tools out there and see if they hold any possibilities.
Join Twitter! I’m on it. twitter.com/dkemper The verdict is still out on Twitter, though. But there is something there…
By Russell D. James, CA, November 5, 2008 @ 4:23 pm
I had a long reply written here, but I erased it. Not worth it, anymore.
Next topic?
By Christian, November 25, 2008 @ 2:43 pm
My appologies. I was far behind on my rss feeds, so only today was I able to get caught up on all of the interesting discussions happening on this blog.
As Luud in the previous post already explained, in the Netherlands we have started a social network around “Archives 2.0″. The idea behind it was to have a solid framework to start a community in which interested archivists could find information about Web 2.0 technologies, share their thoughts, ideas and information, exchange information on projects, submit articles, share links — also through del.icio.us tags — create blog posts, embed photos, videos etcetera.
When I started the community, I hoped that, after a year or so, there would be a small number of Web 2.0 adapting archivists there, but instead we got much and much more! As it turned out, also archivists joined who had no knowledge of Web 2.0 related stuff, but seemed interested, joined our ranks and they just read and learned from whatever what happened within the network.
The core team for the network did some outreach through an article in our national magazine for archivists, through blog posts and through discussion forums. The main advantage for having this network up, compared with having the blogosphere, is that blogs are read most of all by the adapters of the whole thing, whereas in networks, anyone can easily follow, join and become an active member, if chosen to be so.
In the whole discussion I missed the “Archivist 2.0″, indeed as mentioned in the manifest, though some characteristics were noted. I strongly believe that archives 2.0 begins and ends with the archivist 2.0. And that being an “archivist 2.0″ is all about attitude.
As Luud already mentioned as well, on 27 October we helt a one day conference on this topic, where I repeated the word “attitude” like every ten minutes or so, I guess. Because, also, technology really is not the issue at all.
Even more so, the technology we see as Web 2.0 has already been available for many, many years by now. The only difference with the current is, that nowadays the tools have become so easy to use, anyone can use them. Cheap storage caopacity is no longer an issue, everyone has broadband Internet connections, and so on, and so on.
The “old” technology has become available to the masses, which has lead to a new kind of “web”, that needs another approach — attitude — towards its users. Also from our profession.
That about attitude.
Next topic is how to get started. By making solid plans? I would prefer not to at first. In my presentation “Archives 2.0 for dummies” (a video is up, slides are as well, but all in Dutch) I outlined three basic rules:
1. Experiment
Tools are easy and cheap to use, so just start a small project and play around, see what happens! Nothing bad will happen to either you or your archives. So why not play for a bit?
2. Learn and share
Archivists have lots of trouble learning from each other, looking over the fences around their garden. Throw that attitude overboard and learn from each other, and from other professionals, such as the librarians. And next, share your findings, your experiences, your successes and your failures, your resources etcetera. Share, share, share! If you invent the wheel for a second time, you’ll only be able to make a bike!
3. Enjoy
Great, amazing things happen online. Our users are surprising us every day, if we would just let them. Enjoy watching your projects and pilots develop. A failure is not an ending, ít’s just the beginning of something new again.
The users are out there, willing to participate, collaborate, comment etcetera. They won’t come to you, so you better get your butt over to them!
At my archives, I lead some projects around Web 2.0 stuff. My focus is on the colleagues — their attitude towards our users and new technologies. I have no interest in getting my pictures on Flickr. I do have a large interest in getting my colleagues to a point where they will ask me: “Hey you, why aren’t we on Flickr yet!”
Change the archivist, and the archives and its services will change as well. And that will be a lasting change, one that stays, even when you yourselves leave the archives.
Personally I like to talk about a lot of things — I’m sure you can tell by now — but there is a time to stop talking, and just start something. Start a social network, join Twitter (I started that a couple of weeks ago, get experienced, blog about it, get other people interested etcetera), put an old video on YouTube, join a community and get involved up to your ears, but at least: start.
Well, sorry for the both delayed as well as long reply, but I wanted to share this with you now anyway (and I had no time left tonight to summarize). Hope this is of any value towards the discussion in the United States.
Perhaps — just a thought — we could start an international social network for archivists, concerning Archives 2.0… but most of all concerning the Archivist 2.0! I would be happy to set it up.