Learning Resources
The SAA is an incredibly beneficial resource in many ways, however their online webcasts are valuable for ongoing professional development. Many of their course offerings help bridge gaps in knowledge with new technology which will always be a relevant concern in the profession. Members have access to several free courses as well as paid options.
The ALA provides a wide array of learning resources, including several academic journals. I have regularly cited publications from the ALA, including print publications and they are often the best place to find resources. They have many divisions which are more specialized, such as the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) which will be valuable if I am able to work within a university library during my career.
This publication was one of the major resources used in my INFO 5450 course, Rare Books. This book focuses on many of the theoretical but also practical concerns about managing a collection with rare materials. It provides a historical overview of rare book collections but is also a helpful resource for those who are currently working with rare materials, as it outlines considerations for dealing with natural disasters and other issues where damage can be mitigated with proper planning.
This book not only provides background and methodologies concerning information organization, but also very specific information about how information systems work. As I was beginning to learn the database collection management software PastPerfect, a well-known and widely used museum database software, I was able to come back to this publication and reference it when exploring just how detailed PastPerfect can be. As this book includes archive and museum specific standards as well as detailed outlines for certain aspects of organization systems like controlled vocabularies and more, this is a good reference material to have on hand.
This book served as my introduction to the discipline of information science in general and while I have already recently read it, it serves as an excellent reminder and reference of the history of the discipline. The book also provides an overview of current issues and strategies which will continue to be relevant into my career. While having resources dedicated to very specific issues of technology or practice are clearly important, especially in day-to-day processes, I am a firm believer that reminding yourself of the overall methodologies and history of a discipline should be kept in mind.
While I have used a wide variety of collections, both physical and online in my research endeavors, I have never been more impressed with an online resource than the Library of Congress's digital collections. The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world with an overwhelming offering of books, media and archival resources--many of which are available digitally through a website that is very user-friendly.
This book is another text that was used in my general coursework and it serves as an excellent resource for understanding different types of information resources. It will certainly be a good resource to review regularly as it provides an analysis of the differences between resources such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, data resources, resources for medicine and more.
While the AAM is predominantly focused on museums as opposed to archives or libraries, many of their resources are beneficial, especially for archives which house 3D objects or may be associated with a museum. The AAM is a trustworthy source for reliable resources as a major authority for museum practices.
The SSA is a regional association that represents archivists from the southwest region of the United States. Similarly to the Society of American Archivists, the SSA provides many online resources including an online journal. As a smaller and regionally-based organization, it is more tight-knit and can provide more relatable perspectives for professionals in the southwest.
This resource is a standard for archives professionals. Published by the SAA and edited by Christopher J. Prom and Thomas J. Frusciano, this book outlines standards for description as well as systems for processing.
Saponaro and Evans provide important guidelines for collection management in this book. Considerations are made for different types of information institutions and important topics such as collection policies are also addressed.
This book, published by the SAA is a standard for the arrangement and description of archives. In addition to textual objects, Meissner also discusses how to approach collection items in non-textual formats.
The NEDCC provides a wide variety of resources for archivists, especially those related to conservation of materials of all formats. They also provide consultation services for object treatment and preservation.
The NARA is the organization responsible for caretaking of federal records. They are a major authority and also provide a number of resources online, including a list of relevant professional organizations.
The ICA is an international organization representing archives professionals. They have a number of online resources available.