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Innovative Approaches to Archival Training: A True Story of Learning and Adapting

This engaging narrative by Lisa Lewis recounts her journey in creating a sustainable archival training program for staff and volunteers in historical repositories. It emphasizes the importance of practical, action-based learning objectives and diverse methods, from word games to group problem solving. Despite challenges such as budget constraints and varied expectations, the program succeeded in empowering participants with essential archival skills, connecting them to resources and the broader archival community. Discover strategies to enhance archival education and training.

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Innovative Approaches to Archival Training: A True Story of Learning and Adapting

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Presentation Transcript

  1. LEARNING HOW TO TRAIN…and then…DOING IT ! ! ! A true story by Lisa Lewis

  2. Funded by IMLS • Based at SLIS at LSU • Mission: a sustainable program of archival training for staff and/or volunteers working in any type of historical repository

  3. Telling Ain’t Trainingby Harold D. Stolovitch and Erica J. Keeps Also The Ten-Minute Trainer: 150 Ways to Teach it Quick… by Sharon L. Bowman and Training for Dummies by Elaine Biech

  4. Training is NOT… Obedience Teaching Excessive talking Whaaap, whaaaap, whaaap, whaaaap…

  5. But Rather • Sharing Knowledge • Pointing the Way • Showing • Doing Activities aimed at particular objectives based on archival skills

  6. Built Upon Learning Objectives All Starting with ACTION • Articulate goals for seminar • Demonstrate understanding of archival terminology • Write archival mission statement • Identify items with historic value • Describe an appropriate archival storage space • List sources of archival products • Locate resources for archival standards and best practices • Etc.

  7. In Other Words We used activities Aimed at particular objectives Based on archival skills In a user-friendly way Often drawn from existing web- based content

  8. A Variety of Information • Terminology • Online content • Standards and Best Practices • Contacts • Ourselves • List-servs • Local Organizations • State Associations • National Archival Societies

  9. A Variety of Methods Word Games Shout-Outs Short Lectures Fill-in-the-Blanks Action Plans Group Sharing Group Problem Solving Historic New Orleans Collection, NOLA

  10. Our Attendees • Came from very varied backgrounds • Examples • Newspaper editor • Library school students • Photo journalist • Studio Operators • Many others who all wanted to know HOW TO DO IT . . . . NOW

  11. The Disappointment and The Challenges • They couldn’t learn it all in one morning • Overly complicated activities FLOPPED • Preparation took a LOT of time • Time management sometimes difficult • Meeting expectations, sometimes unrealistic • A really limited budget • But we did manage “motivational” prizes • Pencils, tape measures, calendars

  12. The Up-Side • Pointing the Way to further information, resources, knowledge opportunities • Learning a LOT of basic terminology • Empowering them to act to improve preservation, description, arrangement and access to significant collections • Connecting them with each other and with the archival community

  13. More Up Side • Significant Content being added to ATC site • MUCH LESS CREATION TIME • A more uniform process • Learning from our mistakes and those of others

  14. Benefits for Records, and for us • Better situations for existing records in small repositories • Much better products make it to established archives in the long-run • Teaching others improves personal knowledge

  15. Suggestions…if you try it • Remain flexible • Remember that PRACTICE is the best of all instructors • Adapt to individual training groups • Remain responsive to situations that develop • Include some humor • www.archivaltraining.org for more information

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