Kares Library: Athens State University Archives: Helpful Links

Helpful Links

Other area Archives and helpful resources for researching topics related to local or family history outside of the University Archive include:

Limestone County Archive:
- https://limestonecounty-al.gov/departments/archives/
Huntsville Heritage Room:
- https://guides.hmcpl.org/SpecialCollections/localhistory/heritagecollection
Morgan County Archive:
- https://morgancounty-al.gov/departments-services/archives/
Alabama Genealogy:
- https://alabamagenealogy.org/
Alabama Department of Archives and History:
- https://archives.alabama.gov/
Library of Congress Research Guide for African American Genealogy:
- https://guides.loc.gov/african-american-family-histories/subjects

Other area University Archives and Special Collections include:

University of North Alabama Collier Library, Archive, and Special Collections:
- https://libguides.una.edu/unaarchives/archivescollections
Alabama A&M University State Black Archives and Research Center:
- https://www.aamu.edu/academics/library-learning-resources-center/state-black-archives-museum/
Oakwood University Eva B. Dykes Library, Special Collections, and Archive:
- https://libguides.oakwood.edu/Archives
University of Alabama-Huntsville Archives, Special Collections, and Digital Initiatives:
- https://libguides.uah.edu/archives

Learn More About Archives

Interested in learning more about academic or university archives? Click on the blue text link for each book below, available via the Kares Library catalog.

Academic Archives by Aaron D. Purcell
ISBN: 9781555708115
Publication Date: 2012-02-09
Today, the field of academic archives is more expansive and complex than ever before. In addition to college and university archives, academic archives encompass records management programs, special collections departments, and other campus archival repositories. This new definition of academic archives programs has redefined the role, and training, of academic archivists. This book gives you the tools to fill that role, including collection strategies, a management plan for electronic records, and development strategies for starting a campus records management program, and an understanding of the emerging trends affecting all archivists. Academic Archives is designed to appeal to archivists of all ranks and experience, archivists working both inside and outside of academic libraries, archivists in training, other information professionals, library directors, and members of the academic community. If you want to start an archives program, update an existing archives program, begin a career in academic archives, or remain current on recent developments, you'll find valuable advice in this timely addition to the Archivist's and Records Manager's Bookshelf Series.
Archives, Documentation, and Institutions of Social Memory by Francis Xavier Blouin (Editor); William G. Rosenberg (Editor)
ISBN: 9780472026722
Publication Date: 2011-03-02
As sites of documentary preservation rooted in various national and social contexts, artifacts of culture, and places of uncovering, archives provide tangible evidence of memory for individuals, communities, and states, as well as defining memory institutionally within prevailing political systems and cultural norms. By assigning the prerogatives of record keeper to the archivist, whose acquisition policies, finding aids, and various institutionalized predilections mediate between scholarship and information, archives produce knowledge, legitimize political systems, and construct identities. Far from being mere repositories of data, archives actually embody the fragments of culture that endure as signifiers of who we are, and why. The essays in Archives, Documentation, and Institutions of Social Memory conceive of archives not simply as historical repositories but as a complex of structures, processes, and epistemologies situated at a critical point of the intersection between scholarship, cultural practices, politics, and technologies.
Better off Forgetting? by Cheryl Avery; Mona Holmlund
ISBN: 9781442689879
Publication Date: 2017-04-10
While stimulating debate about our rapidly changing information environment, Better Off Forgetting? focuses on the continuing role of archives in gathering and preserving our collective memory.
Working in the Archives by Alexis E. Ramsey (Editor); Wendy B. Sharer (Editor); Barbara L'Eplattenier (Editor); Lisa Mastrangelo (Editor)
ISBN: 9780809386895
Publication Date: 2009-12-14
Archival research of any magnitude can be daunting. With this in mind, Alexis E. Ramsey, Wendy B. Sharer, Barbara L'Eplattenier, and Lisa Mastrangelo have developed an indispensable volume for the first-time researcher as well as the seasoned scholar. Working in the Archives is a guide to the world of rhetoric and composition archives, from locating an archival source and its materials to establishing one's own collection of archival materials. This practical volume provides insightful information on a variety of helpful topics, such as basic archival theory, processes, and principles; the use of hidden or digital archives; the intricacies of searching for and using letters and photographs; strategies for addressing the dilemmas of archival organization without damaging the provenance of materials; the benefits of seeking sources outside academia; and the difficult (yet often rewarding) aspects of research on the Internet. Working in the Archives moves beyond the basics to discuss the more personal and emotional aspects of archival work through the inclusion of interviews with experienced researchers such as Lynée Lewis Gaillet, Peter Mortensen, Kathryn Fitzgerald, Kenneth Lindblom, and David Gold. Each shares his or her personal stories of the joys and challenges that face today's researchers. Packed with useful recommendations, this volume draws on the knowledge and experiences of experts to present a well-rounded guidebook to the often winding paths of academic archival investigation. These in-depth yet user-friendly essays provide crucial answers to the myriad questions facing both fledgling and practiced researchers, making Working in the Archives an essential resource.
Beyond the Archives by Christine Mason Sutherland (Contribution by); Alicia Nitecki (Contribution by); Wendy B. Sharer (Contribution by); Ronald R. Stockton (Contribution by); Kathleen Wider (Contribution by); Barry E. Rohan (Contribution by); Victor Villanueva (Contribution by); Gail Y. Okawa (Contribution by); W. Ralph Eubanks (Contribution by); Malea Powell (Contribution by); Kate Davy (Contribution by); Elizabeth Birmingham (Contribution by); Anca Vlasopolos (Contribution by); Lisa Mastrangelo- Do Not Use (Contribution by); Barbara L'Eplattenier (Contribution by); Gesa E. Kirsch (Editor); Liz Rohan (Editor, Contribution by); Lucille M. Schultz (Foreword by); David Gold (Contribution by)
ISBN: 9780809386956
Publication Date: 2008-04-03
This collection of highly readable essays reveals that research is not restricted to library archives. When researchers pursue information and perspectives from sources beyond the archives--from existing people and places-- they are often rewarded with unexpected discoveries that enrich their research and their lives. Beyond the Archives: Research as a Lived Process presents narratives that demystify and illuminate the research process by showing how personal experiences, family history, and scholarly research intersect. Editors Gesa E. Kirsch and Liz Rohan emphasize how important it is for researchers to tap into their passions, pursuing research subjects that attract their attention with creativity and intuition without limiting themselves to traditional archival sources and research methods. Eighteen contributors from a number of disciplines detail inspiring research opportunities that led to recently published works, while offering insights on such topics as starting and finishing research projects, using a wide range of types of sources and methods, and taking advantage of unexpected leads, chance encounters and simple clues. In addition, the narratives trace the importance of place in archival research, the parallels between the lives of research subjects and researchers, and explore archives as sites that resurrect personal, cultural, and historical memory. Beyond the Archives sheds light on the creative, joyful, and serendipitous nature of research, addressing what attracts researchers to their subjects, as well as what inspires them to produce the most thorough, complete, and engaged scholarly work. This timely and essential volume supplements traditional-method textbooks and effectively models concrete practices of retrieving and synthesizing information by professional researchers.

Preservation Resources

This is a collection of resources university archives often share with members of the public who are interested in preserving their own historical records such as family letters, photos, or other items of sentimental value.

Gaylord Archival is a one stop shop in terms of acid free materials such as folders, tissue, and boxes for preservation
- https://www.gaylord.com/
The American Institute of Conservation and the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation (AIC/FAIC) host Connecting to Collections Care Community (C2C CARE) which has a library of free webinars and demonstrations on caring for materials.
- www.culturalheritage.org/resources/collections-care
The AIC/FAIC also provides free, printable guides for proper care of family heirlooms and works of art.
- https://www.culturalheritage.org/about-conservation/caring-for-your-treasures
The Society of American Archivists hosts a Directory of Archival Consultants for those that would like to consult a professional about a large scale project.
- https://www2.archivists.org/consultants