This paper was presented as invited plenary keynote address. / This article surveys the cultural record in the digital environments and the current efforts to capture this record and circulate it as knowledge, documents, and collections in memory institutions, and provide a basis for the creation of new knowledge. The goals of digital preservation are interpreted in the light of recent arguments about the role of the humanities in providing access to the complete human experience, of the changing idea of the archive representing that experience, and of the roles of memory institutions in supporting the humanities project. Two sets of current preservation activities are identified and surveyed - web archiving (of national web spaces, web spheres) and curated collections of primary sources from the history web. The emerging forms of interpretive and point-of-view history, invented archives, and digital libraries capturing local history, everyday experience and community memory illustrate how digital media can support interpretive and multi-perspective historiography.

Electronic journals unfold their most valuable features when they are inter-linked with other documents, archives and databases. These electronic journals need an archiving system that is based on a global concept. Archiving ensures "continued access indefinitely into the future of records stored in digital electronic form". Archiving system has to be flexible to adopt the new technological generation. The rapid pace at which technology becomes obsolete makes archiving an extremely expensive undertaking. The librarians are more concerned about the archiving of the electronic journals themselves, or getting access to the archives established by the publishers or the aggregators. This paper focuses on the issues related to the archiving of electronic journals in Physics and Astronomy by the publishers, aggregators and the consortia.

In the Canadian archival system, in the past, ethnic communities were not encouraged to establish their own archives because they were considered to.lack the resources required for sustaining professionally acceptable archives. In recentyears public archives have come to emphasize preservation of their parent bodies' archives, and consequently fewer resources have been available for preservation of private archives, including ethnic archives. There is evidence that some ethnic communities are concerned to preserve their archival materials. This thesis examines the.efforts of Japanese-Canadian communities to preserve archival materials bearing-on their historical experiences. A case study using the method of focussed interviews of Japanese-Canadian communities in seven cities revealed the substantial will to preserve archival materials. The study discovered that, while Japanese Canadians have been and are being rapidly assimilated to the larger society, cultural interests and the need for the sense of identity persist and are renewed by each generation. Under these circumstances, community leadership sees archival activities as an integral part of the community activities. The case study also revealed strengths and weaknesses of archival activities in those communities. Closeness to records creators through formal and informal networks within the communities provides community archives with distinct advantages. These archives can easily identify and locate materials of continuing value. They also have easy access to contextual information on records and their creators. Weaknesses were identified in defining acquisition policies and financial resources. Contrary to concerns of some archivists and researchers, most respondents are aware of the need to abide by professional standards, and they are also willing . to make their materials available to the general public. Based on the findings of the case study, several recommendations are offered. Preservation of ethnic archival materials should be clearly recognized as a responsibility to be assumed by both public archives and ethnic communities. To carry out this responsibility effectively, planning and cooperation among different archives and communities are essential. Ethnic community-based archives, on their part, should follow the accepted principles and practices, especially in the area of acquisition, so that they function as a legitimate part of the Canadian archival system. Networking among ethnic community archives is also recommended in order to reveal relationships among their holdings.

In times of shifting cultural and institutional priorities, the acquisition and preservation of private records by large publicly funded archival institutions is becoming increasingly problematic. Repositories are looking for new ways of meeting their cultural mandates while also dealing with reduced budgets and staffing levels. This thesis examines the issue from the perspective of who is to be responsible for the preservation of labour union records and where are they to be preserved. After putting the issue in context with an literature review and then by examining the juridical and social framework within which unions operate the thesis studies the question from two traditional perspectives: preservation solely by an archival institution and preservation solely by the organization or union. The thesis concludes by recommending a third option, a mixed or shared responsibility approach between the union and the institution, specifically, a cost-shared / partnership arrangement between the union and archival repository regarding the acquisition and preservation of labour union records.

This thesis explores weblogs and, for purposes of comparison, their paper near-equivalent, the personal diary. The analysis demonstrates the values that weblogs hold as potential archival records, in and of themselves and in comparison to their diary “equivalents,” and then suggests appraisal concepts and strategies for archivists in collecting weblogs. The emphasis of this study is on women’s diaries and weblogs, and gender analysis is incorporated into the discussion.

This thesis considers the assumptions and beliefs of the archival profession to reconceptualize how materiality is related to contextuality, and thereby reveal the “mind” within their material (or immaterial) form and reconnect records’ materiality with their archival value. Although materiality has received little critical consideration within the archival profession, the thesis proposes that the materiality of archival records is evidence of their contexts of creation and use through time, and that this idea, therefore, complements the postmodern contextualist turn in recent archival theory. An examination of how the materiality of records is treated in common archival practices reveals gaps between recent archival theory and current archival practice. The thesis concludes with suggestions for adjustments to archival practice to bring it into alignment with the goal of preserving those aspects of records which contribute to their archival value, and reconnecting mind with matter.

The nature of art held by archives, known collectively as “documentary art,” exists across Canada, but what is meant by documentary art has not been discussed. In this thesis, both theoretical and practical definitions and their application to the collections will be explored. This will be done by examining three broad dimensions: the limited theoretical writing that tries to define art in archives; the broader base of art theory over the past centuries as well as writings about art within the Canadian context; and the historical evolution, practices, and personal ideas of archivists who work with art, and comparing these to the ideas and understanding about documentary art held by professionals in the art gallery world.

This thesis explores weblogs and, for purposes of comparison, their paper near-equivalent, the personal diary. The analysis demonstrates the values that weblogs hold as potential archival records, in and of themselves and in comparison to their diary “equivalents,” and then suggests appraisal concepts and strategies for archivists in collecting weblogs. The emphasis of this study is on women’s diaries and weblogs, and gender analysis is incorporated into the discussion.

This thesis considers the assumptions and beliefs of the archival profession to reconceptualize how materiality is related to contextuality, and thereby reveal the “mind” within their material (or immaterial) form and reconnect records’ materiality with their archival value. Although materiality has received little critical consideration within the archival profession, the thesis proposes that the materiality of archival records is evidence of their contexts of creation and use through time, and that this idea, therefore, complements the postmodern contextualist turn in recent archival theory. An examination of how the materiality of records is treated in common archival practices reveals gaps between recent archival theory and current archival practice. The thesis concludes with suggestions for adjustments to archival practice to bring it into alignment with the goal of preserving those aspects of records which contribute to their archival value, and reconnecting mind with matter.

This thesis is intended to call attention to the more distinctive features of the Maltwood Archival Collection which is held in the Special Collections Division of the McPherson Library. Its purpose is also to supply a convenient description of each item and to indicate where it may be found. The material required extensive sorting and in arranging it, advantage has been taken to compile a comprehensive finding aid. Included is a brief biography of Katharine Maltwood and a critical analysis of the Archive with guidelines for further research. Preparation of the latter involved research and information gained outside the Archival Collection and it is hoped this may prove of additional value to those studying the Maltwood papers. / Graduate