Archives, image and presentation...

Educational archives, corporate image, and presentation techniques…

When staff in an educational archives receive requests from educational administrators for records that can be used to promote an educational corporate image, they may need to consider the administrators’ preferences for different forms of exhibitions as well as the media and information channels that could be used to help build positive public images. Staff in educational archives may also need to consider the possibility that they will need to respond to requests from external advertising or public relations firms engaged by educational administrators to undertake activities related to the promotion of a corporate image.

Archives, image and amalgamations...

Educational archives, corporate image and educational amalgamations…

The amalgamation of different educational institutions to produce a new university, college or school can provide records management staff and archivists with a range of challenges in terms of potential changes to collection storage and control records, but an amalgamation may also result in these staff members being called upon to provide information that will assist administrators with the task of promoting a fresh corporate identity. Educational records may be needed to underline continuing or new strengths in academic or sporting programs, or even changed built and landscape environments as well as expanded social networks.

Corporate image and special interests...

Educational archives, corporate image and special interests…
An educational institution’s corporate image may be highlighted by a continuing emphasis on a particular activity undertaken by administrators, teachers, students or alumni. Staff in an educational archive may be called upon to provide records of academic excellence in particular subjects, an emphasis on certain sporting activities, a commitment to religious worship, or philanthropic causes and community service, as well as the preservation or expansion of the built and landscape environment on the campus property.

Corporate image and student records...

Educational archives, corporate image and student records…
An educational institution’s corporate image can be promoted through access to student and alumni records of student appearance, academic achievement, sporting activities, social networks and positive attitudes about campus life. In essence, the archives staff may be called upon to provide evidence that supports the notion that the educational institution has been able to produce successful and happy students who are eager to maintain their support of campus life. Archive records could include records of academic results and certificates, sporting memorabilia related to teams or individuals, physical and visual evidence of student uniforms, and records of student or alumni associational life.

Corporate images and staff records...

Educational records, corporate images and staff records…
The educational archive’s written records and visual images of staff members, past and present, can be used by an educational institution to highlight a positive corporate image based on the strength of academic and administrative excellence as well as the development of valuable social networks. The educational archive may be called upon to provide access to information about the range and depth of staff members’ academic achievements, plus evidence of the social commitments that connected staff members to associations and activities away from the university, college or school campus. Archive staff may also be able to maintain collections of written records and visual images that reveal the development of strong staff loyalty, underlining the commitment of staff members to the development of teaching work and group activities undertaken of the campus.

Archives, corporate image and heritage...

Educational archives, corporate image and heritage environments…
Established universities and schools situated in heritage environments can promote their presence by presenting written descriptions and visual images of built environments as well as landscape environments during different eras. The images of tradition derived from institutional records associated with heritage buildings can be equated with periods of administrative continuity, social stability and a commitment to particular sets of academic standards.

Records management, archives and corporate profiles...

The development of a corporate image plays a key role in any attempt to promote services. Clearly, an educational institution’s image can be influenced by its history, as knowledge of an institution’s history can determine public perceptions. An institutional history can serve to highlight unique or distinguishing features, draw attention to positive features, note important changes to the institution’s image and activities, and provide reassurance to existing or potential patrons and clients. Staff in educational archives may be called upon to provide material to assist the process of building a corporate image.

Educational marketing and archives...

Even the most cursory examination of the internet and daily or weekly press publications can provide ample evidence of educational administrators using a wide variety of methods to transmit information about their institutions to potential students and benefactors. Staff members in educational archives may be required to provide valuable information services and support for administrators and teaching staff in order to promote facilities and services.

The advantages of computer hardware and software...

Access to a computer scanner and a CD burner can be invaluable for the educational archivist. These items can help to support the archival preservation programs as well as the archive’s public access program and publication programs. Educational archivists can combine the use of software control programs plus scanning schemes to develop powerful information mapping schemes. Archive staff can also use records search strategies or update records on holdings more frequently and rapidly.

Archive computer support...

Archivists in educational archives are sometimes confronted by significant problems when they attempt to select appropriate computer software to support the development of finding aids and intellectual control systems for their collections. Many educational archives are small archives, so the fees associated with large scale records management or archive software programs used by major government departments or corporations could be deemed to be far too expensive. Some small archives may be able to band together to purchase one of the large scale specialist records management or archive software programs, but an individual small archive may be placed in a position where staff must depend on an existing general office management program used by their educational administration, or even a library management software program used in an associated student library complex. General word processing and database activities are then adapted to provide further support for records management and archive tasks.

Establishing guidelines...control records...

Establishing guidelines…separate control records…

The need to create separate finding aids due to the absence of control records produced by the original creators of records can result in greater intellectual and physical control of the archive’s holdings, as well as better access to records for the administrators of the parent institution. Finding aids created by staff members responsible for supervising archives can also serve a role in the provision of services to researchers from outside parent institutions, provide another avenue for educational archives and parent institutions to gain greater public recognition, and help to develop positive and productive relationships with others, at both at institutional and a personal level.

Establishing guidelines...visual representations...

The importance of preserving complex visual formats…

Staff responsible for the appraisal of records for permanent or long-term preservation in educational archives must be sensitive to the range of complex record formats. Visual representations in the form of architectural plans, paintings, prints and photographs can be difficult to handle and preserve, but they provide unique records of the physical development of the educational institution, as well as the teaching and learning techniques used during the life of the institution. Visual representations can provide vivid records of physical areas used by staff and students.

Preservation techniques and publication programs...

The use of digital scanning programs in educational archives can support the development of in-house publication programs that can provide educational communities with access to new historical research, or the distribution of information about new administrative initiatives within each archive. Desktop publishing programs can help archivists to develop printed hard copy, and archivists can also use webpage and blog development programs in order to distribute information from the archive on the World Wide Web.

Considering preservation and scanning techniques...

Preventative preservation techniques and preservation reprography through the use of photography, photocopying and digital scanning help to extend direct personal access to educational records, and they also open the way for opportunities to develop publication programs and exhibitions that can be made available to a wider audience in a range of venues.

Establishing educational archives...preserving the permanent records...

Archivists must also consider incorporating the use of transcription as well as physical copying or scanning methods in order to help ensure the preservation of original permanent records. This could include the use of photocopied representations or traditional photographic copies on film, microform copying, or, in this era of digital copying, digital photography or digital scanning.

Establishing educational archives...preserving the permanent records...

Guidelines are also required in order to regularize the use of preservation materials for original copies. Consideration should be given to the use of suitable protective archive boxes, as well as acid-free paper wrappers, acid-free card or plastic folders and document sleeves. Archivists must link the use of these record boxes, folders, wrappers or sleeves to the evaluation of any pre-existing folds or bindings on the original records that have been assigned for permanent storage.

Establishing educational archives...perserving the permanent records...

The success of the preservation of permanent records can depend on access to suitable storage areas, such as rooms with appropriate load-bearing floors plus atmospheric factors that help to prevent physical degradation exemplified by light damage, the build-up of dust or the growth of mould, as well as safe shelving and compactus systems.

Educational archives...establishing guidelines for preservation...

One of the most important tasks for the educational archivist is the development of policies and procedures that support the preservation of a collection of permanent records. In addition to the introduction of systematic methods for the appraisal of records, and the associated creation of a disposal schedule capable of outlining procedures for the identification and storage of permanent and temporary records, educational records managers and archivists should outline the schemes that could be used in order to ensure that different forms of permanent records could be protected in storage and accessed. This could include the use of physical storage systems for original copies as well as electronic copying techniques for those original copies.

Educational archives...Establishing Guidelines...

Educational archives often hold records from administrators, educators, parents, adult alumni and residents from the area surrounding campus locations. However, the inclusion of records created by the students is vital. These records provide a detailed representation of student reactions and different perspectives on campus life. Wide ranges of records created by students can be created as part of everyday life on campus, or they be created as part of a special project designed to capture student perspectives during a particular era. Educational archives must note the provenance of student records in order to indicate whether a records series has arisen from a special project.

Educational archives...Establishing Guidelines...

Staff responsible for the appraisal of records for permanent preservation must be sensitive to the physical characteristics of the range of records available for indefinite custody. Visual representations in the form of architectural plans, drawings, paintings, prints, and photographs can be complex formats to handle and preserve. However, these records unique records of the physical development of an educational institution, and the teaching and learning techniques used during the life of the institution. Plans, illustrations and photographs can trace the development of an academic campus.

Educational Archives...Establishing Guidelines

The importance of preserving information about individual educational institutions is emphasised when a complete institutional closure becomes an unavoidable reality. Educational administrators should frame guidelines for archival activities that establish a clear set of procedures for the transfer of records previously received from individuals or families into new or different archival repositories, or the transfer of a complete closed educational institutional archive into another archive. Educational administrators need to ensure that the provenance of educational records is preserved when educational institutions are merged or amalgamated to form new entities. The transfer of records to safe custody is part of the key task of ensuring the process of guaranteeing the physical defence of the record.

Educational Archives...Establishing Guidelines

Educational administrators, educational archivists and records managers must develop pro-active professional networks in order to increase the awareness of importance of their own educational archives, and encourage the transfer of records to appropriate repositories.

Educational Archives...Establishing Guidelines...

With the passing of educational administrators, teachers and former students associated with specific schools and tertiary educational institutions, information about those schools and tertiary institutions can become increasingly scarce. Educational admnistrators and educational archivists must develop policy guidelines and programs that can help to permanently capture information from these people. Researchers have recognised that these types of record can provide important insights into the development of social and cultural history at local, national and international levels. These records can also provide invaluable administrative information for succeeding educational institutions within a specific geographic region or particular educational sector.

Educational Archives - Establishing Guidelines...

Administrative changes, such as institutional amalgamations or the closure of departments or entire educational institutions, have a dramatic and irretrievable impact on the preservation of educational records. Without a sincere and dedicated commitment to the development of programs designed to facilitate the preservation of educational records, information about particular types of educational institutions will be lost.