Archivists are converting physical collections to digital formats and displaying surrogates of these primary sources on their websites. Simultaneously, the Web is moving toward a shared environment that embraces collective intelligence and participation, which is often called Web 2.0. This paper investigates the extent to which Web 2.0 features have been integrated into archival digitization projects. Although the use of Web 2.0 features has not yet been widely discussed in the professional archival literature, this exploratory study of college and university repository websites in the United States suggests that archival professionals are embracing Web 2.0 to promote their digital content and redefine relationships with their patrons.

This article examines the analytical process in arrangement and description, and considers how the archivist arrives at an understanding of the records sufficient for contextualizing and providing intellectual access to them. The discussion characterizes the process of intellectual arrangement as one of identifying and/or creating the contextual relationships of a body of records, and it highlights certain common factors in the process, such as the historical standpoint of the archivist, the use of evidence, and the role of inference. Underscoring the speculative nature of the analytical process and the active role of the archivist in shaping the records, this article suggests ways for archivists to account for these aspects of practice on an individual, departmental or institutional, and professional level.

The notion of "shareable" metadata has recently emerged in the cultural heritage community as a result of increased expectations for making descriptive metadata openly available. Archivists, too, must work to create shareable metadata if archives are to remain viable in a continually evolving information environment. This paper discusses the issues involved in applying shareable metadata principles to archival description, describes strategies and tools for creating shareable archival descriptive metadata, and considers emerging trends in metadata sharing. The authors also outline further recommendations for action by the archival community.

How is a historical event remembered, and how can that memory influence and enrich the archival record? This paper addresses that question by analyzing the memory trajectory of one well-remembered event in American history, the Homestead Strike of 1892. Tracking the traces of the strike, from tragic event to collective memory, it examines how the collective memory of an event enhances our ability to document and understand it in its entirety, demonstrating that while records may influence the memory of events, memory may also influence the production of records.

Cell-phone-generated voicemail messages, text messages, still images, and video footage are often viewed as ephemeral, but cell phones can also create records of enduring value. Despite the importance of cell-phone-generated materials, few archivists have addressed the problems of how to appraise, provide access to, and preserve these materials. This paper invites discussion about integrating these materials into archival collections. It uses email interviews with two archivists who are pioneering this uncharted territory to address issues of appraisal, acquisition, preservation, authenticity, and description surrounding cell-phone-generated documents.

Archivists and records managers have long acknowledged the need to insert recordkeeping requirements and preservation strategies into information system processes. What better place to integrate these requirements than in standards that serve as guidance documents to information management practitioners. The Digital Records Conversion Process Standard, ANSI-ARMA 16-2007 (DRCP) assists records professionals with planning, requirements, and procedures to ensure authentic records. This article discusses standards development, the role of and need for records and information management (RIM) standards, challenges inherent in the current process, and the need for a more collaborative approach to standards development. As used in this paper, a standard is "a national, international, or industry agreement that establishes qualities of practices in order to achieve common goals".

The Data Preservation Alliance for the Social Sciences (Data-PASS) is a partnership of five major U.S. institutions with a strong focus on archiving social science research. The Library of Congress supports the partnership through its National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIIPP). The goal of Data-PASS is to acquire and preserve data from opinion polls, voting records, large-scale surveys, and other social science studies at risk of being lost to the research community. This paper discusses the agreements, processes, and infrastructure that provide a foundation for the collaboration.

As archival collections incorporate wider varieties of materials, the complexity of preserving them increases proportionately. Juxtapositions of mixed-format materials create artifactual and intrinsic value that is lost if the materials are separated for format-specific preservation. This paper examines the Ann Getty Fashion Collection, a collection of designer materials at the Library at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, and discusses challenges and options for its preservation. Physical condition, usage, and resources are considered in arriving at the most efficient balance of preservation actions.

Most archivists face the challenge of justifying their existence, and this challenge is especially difficult in a corporate setting. To promote archives and affirm their value to the organization, archivists can use techniques developed by the public relations industry, especially the "commercial equivalent" concept. The archivists at Yapi Kredi Bank (YKB), Istanbul, Turkey, used this method to show that a corporate archives can create surplus value of up to a million dollars a year. Furthermore, attaching an archives to a public relations department can bring other benefits, albeit with unusual challenges.