I am pleased to report that The American Archivist has migrated to a new online platform with additional functionality, a Version 2.0, if you will. Since the initial migration now is complete, it would be tempting to say that we began the process solely to improve our readers' experience. However, a decision in April 2014 by MetaPress, our online provider, to discontinue several small journals (including The American Archivist) forced us to act quickly.
The Editorial Board and SAA leadership chose to look at the MetaPress action as an opportunity rather than an obstacle. We had already been discussing enhancing the journal's online presence. Therefore, we decided to take the “big picture” view of the current situation.
SAA formed an “Online Publication Working Group” to explore options and present recommendations to the Editorial Board. The Working Group members were Paul Conway, Chair; Bethany Anderson; Amy Cooper Cary; Brad Houston; and Teresa Brinati. The Working Group developed a list of requirements for a new vendor, identified sixteen potential vendors, and prepared an RFP that was mailed to those vendors. The Working Group then reviewed the seven vendor responses and ultimately recommended Allen Press.
The new online platform includes the following functionalities, which will be implemented in phases as we move forward:
Hosting of all legacy and future online journal content;
Submission, tracking, peer review, and editing of manuscripts;
A full XML-based publication workflow that begins with the receipt of a fully edited manuscript and ends with the publication of the manuscript online and in print;
Printing and distribution of the journal;
Production of the online version of the journal in two formats, PDF and HTML. The latter format provides a flexible browser reading environment as well as options for citation hyperlinking and seamless access to related data or supplemental digital content;
Maintenance of an article-by-article embargo on new content for SAA members and subscribers;
Optimization of available content for reading on smart phones, tablets, and other mobile devices;
Options for defining an “issue” and when individual articles will be released to members and subscribers;
The capability to bundle or repackage journal content as “special collections” appropriate for classroom use or specialized thematic or historical groupings;
Full support for the sale of digital content at the level of the article, issue, or “special collection”;
Support for online advertising from the journal home page or at the article level; and
Metrics on access to online content (including website hits and article downloads) provided in multiple formats.
On behalf of all SAA members and journal subscribers, I want to thank the Working Group for an extraordinary effort in a very short time.
The current issue provides interesting reading, either online or in print. Eleven articles address a wide range of professional issues and concerns:
Danna C. Bell's presidential address, “An Archival Roadmap,” identifies important considerations for archivists and provides some touchstone quotations that have guided Bell's professional career.
Joshua D. Hager is the winner of the Theodore Calvin Pease Award. His article, “To Like or Not to Like: Understanding and Maximizing the Utility of Archival Outreach on Facebook,” describes interviews with twenty-three archivists across the United States who currently maintain Facebook pages for their respective institutions. He explores whether Facebook-based outreach is effective and suggests guidelines for the use of this technology.
The third article is by Wendy M. Duff and Jessica Haskell. In “New Uses for Old Records: A Rhizomatic Approach to Archival Access,” the authors argue for a more radical approach to user engagement by drawing on the concept of the rhizome, a nonhierarchical, acentric system with multiple entry and exit points.
In “Forget the Past? Or History Matters? Selected Academic Perspectives on the Strategic Value of Organizational Pasts,” Paul Lasewicz suggests that corporate archivists could benefit from looking outside the profession for insights on how to build more compelling statements of their strategic value.
Joseph A. Williams and Elizabeth M. Berilla present a case study of the implementation of a sustainable born-digital institutional archives. “Minutes, Migration, and Migraines: Establishing a Digital Archives at a Small Institution” discusses their experiences at the Stephen B. Luce Library, SUNY Maritime College, in New York.
Mott Linn discusses the past, present, and future in “Not Waiting for Godot: The History of the Academy of Certified Archivists and the Professionalization of the Archival Field.” In addition to reviewing ACA's history, Linn asks whether the time has finally come for accreditation of both educational programs and archival repositories.
In “The Notion of Ramification of Archival Documents: The Example of the Fonds Related to the Brazilian Political Movement Aranguaia Guerrilla,” Shirley Carvalhêdo Franco explores the principle of provenance. She uses bibliographic and document surveys to unearth a complex network of inter- and transinstitutional relationships that transcend the traditional understanding of fonds.
Sharon A. Weiner, Sammie Morris, and Lawrence J. Mykytiuk present the second phase of a project to identify “archival literacy” competencies for undergraduate history majors. Faculty, archivists, and librarians from baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral/research institutions commented on a draft list, resulting in competencies in six major categories.
The final three articles comprise a special section on “archives and community engagement.” Krista McCracken discusses “Community Archival Practice: Indigenous Grassroots Collaboration at the Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre.” This case study analyzes the importance of archival practice that is informed by cultural and ethical best practices, offering a model for Indigenous community archival practice.
In “Collaboration between Tribal and Nontribal Organizations: Suggested Best Practices for Sharing Expertise, Cultural Resources, and Knowledge,” Elizabeth Joffrion and Natalia Fernández explore how successful partnerships between tribal and nontribal institutions are initiated, developed, and maintained; examine the degree to which the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials were used in the development of policies, procedures, and memorandums of understanding; and reveal the “lessons learned” across a wide range of collaborative projects and partnerships.
Finally, Caroline Daniels, Heather Fox, Sarah-Jane Poindexter, and Elizabeth Reilly present a case study drawn from the world of music in their article, “Saving All the Freaks on the Life Raft: Blending Documentation Strategy with Community Engagement to Build a Local Music Archives.”
The issue concludes with reviews of six books on a range of subjects: conceptualizing archives, archiving the unspeakable, archiving ethnicity, rare books and special collections, best practices for music librarians, and amateur photographers. The books are reviewed by Paul Conway, Randall C. Jimerson, Sonia Yaco, Kimberly Tully, Adriana Cuervo, and Francis X. Blouin Jr.
I hope you enjoy reading the current issue of The American Archivist. The Editorial Board, SAA staff, and I are excited about our new relationship with Allen Press. We look forward to hearing from you as you become familiar with the new hosting platform and would be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Editor