2010 Symposium: Archival User Studies
Dayton, Ohio, October 21-23, 2010
The Archival Twilight Zone
Before his Twilight Zone days, Rod Serling, a graduate of Antioch College in nearby Yellow Springs, Ohio, tested experimental parachutes for the U.S. Air Force to make ends meet while in college. We will be taking on the less physically dangerous but still daunting job of understanding how archival users think, an archives own twilight zone. What do users believe you are doing well and what can you improve upon? How can user studies help you demonstrate your repository's effectiveness in your larger organization? What improvements can you make based on hard evidence--quantitative and qualitative data gleaned from user feedback?
In the symposium you will learn how to create user studies and interpret the findings in order to improve your services. Through presentations, small group discussions, and hands-on activities, you will develop an understanding of the fundamental theories and the practical skills necessary for successful implementation of archival user studies. The symposium will examine the role of user studies in nurturing and sustaining an archival program and explain the nuts and bolts of conducting user studies. Upon completion, you will return to your repository with a draft user survey that you can quickly and confidently administer to start incorporating assessment tools into your work.
Academy of Certified Archivists has approved 10 archival recertification credits for the symposium.
Our Guides
Our presenters and facilitators will train you to gather the data you need to make informed decisions based on the priorities and needs of your users. Rick Pifer, director of reference and public services at the Wisconsin Historical Society, will address the topic of user-centered archives and delivering archival services based on actual user needs. Elizabeth Yakel, associate professor at the University of Michigan School of Information, will present a session on the actual process of collecting user feedback and implementing change. Chris Prom, assistant university archivist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, will introduce us to quantitative methods. Ciaran Trace, assistant professor at the University of Texas School of Information, will introduce us to qualitative methods.
Download the 2010 Fall Symposium Flyer (pdf)
The 2010 Fall Symposium is cosponsored by Wright State University and the Dayton Chapter of ARMA.
