CONUL Teaching and Learning Annual Seminar. Long Room Hub, Trinity College Dublin, 10th November 2015

1. Mainstreaming Archives: Changing Perceptions
and Embedding Usage in Research and Teaching
Barry Houlihan
Archivist, James Hardiman Library, NUI Galway

2. Changing Perceptions of What Archives Are:

3. Changing Perceptions of what Archival
Research Can Offer . . .
Primary Research Skills
Critical &
Independent Analysis
Sills
Transferable
Graduate Attributes
Interdisciplinary /
Digitally Engaged

4. Cycle of Engagement
Teaching
and
Research
Archives
(Digital/Material)
Reading-Room
based
Experiential
Learning
Increasing
Ongoing
Usage/Publication

5. Learning Through Outreach and Engagement:
- New Plans and Methods
• Conferences
• Exhibitions
• Modules
• Research
• Publication
• Partnerships
• Actively Creating and Managing Engagement

6. Teaching the Archive:
New UG History Module

7. Assessment and Learning
Assignment 1
Collection Assessment
and Reflection
1,500 words - 40%
Assignment 2
Essay – 8 Set Topics
Based on lecture topics
and collection strengths
2,500 words – 60%

8. Teaching the (Digital) Archive
• Meeting changing user expectations – exploring the point
where ‘Hardiman Library’ meets ‘Digital Library’
• Archive literacy, digital literacy and pedagogical development
• Balance the focus between the material format and the digital
content of the archive
• New opportunities to increase usage and integrate wider
digital and non-digital collections into research
School Institute Name to go here

9. Managing the Digital Archive
- What is Changing?
Archiv(es)/ists
Types of Records
Place of Access
Methods of Preservation
Means of Conservation
Ethics in Access
Interdisciplinary Research
Collaborative Data Sharing
Users
Expectations
Instant Access
Secure
Totality of material (?)
Commercially exploitable
Digitally malleable
Methods of Dissemination
James Hardiman Library

10. Archives Supporting Research
James Hardiman Library

11. Learning Through Encountering
- Digital and Material Together
• Integration of mixed media sources
• Aware of varying levels of experience of each user group
• Material and digital together can enhance learning
• Developing the digital learner as well as the digital material

12. Archivist as Teacher:
How to use, approach & understand archives
Archives Reading Room as continuation of the learning/research
cycle:
Lecture Room - > Assignments -> Reading Room/Archivist
1st question is always “What do you have ….”
Active role in teaching users HOW to research
James Hardiman Library

13. Being Visible in Research
- Aiding Citations/User Friendly Usage

14. Exhibition: Yeats and The West
June - Dec 2015
Digital and Material Exhibition
• Exhibition
• Tours (Culture Night /
Summer Tourists)
• Tours – Timetabled
class groups
• Symposium
• Publication

15. Conference: Performing the Archive
22-24 July 2015
• Debating the Archive
• Audience of
Archivists/Librarians/
Academics/Students/Artists
• Artistic Engagement
• Growing networks &
meeting international peers

17. A Partner in Research
“1916 – A Nation Rises”

18. Artistic Engagement – Arts (&
Archives) in Action

19. Ritchie-Pickow
Photographic Archive
- Annual ‘Ritchie’
Lecture
GMIT Graphic Design
MA Student – Artistic
Usage of the archive

20. Further Plans – Future Transitions
• Increase focus of embedded archives in teaching and developing
‘Academic Skills’ for Archives
• Increase UG module to other disciplines (English, Geography)
• Develop PG Research version of Archives Module
• Target Secondary School groups – future users – pre-empt the
transition
• Training in digital archive literacy and discovery methodologies
– ‘smart searching’ and metadata managemet.

21. Thank You & Stay in Touch!
@Nuigarchives
http://www.library.nuigalway.ie/archives/