Author Archives: edmunsot

100 Years of OSU Baseball

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Baseball PlayersIt’s live! Please visit the Baseball Centennial Collection website, an online collection documenting 100 years of baseball at OSU. In addition to some wonderful information and historical photographs, this site also features a blog written by archivists and a space for user comments and contributions.

For more information, please click here, or read Lauren Dillard’s March 1 Daily Barometer article, “New library collection batting on the past: Archives set to open in time for the Beavers’ home opener.”

Archives in the Ancient World

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Getting back to the classics & connecting to the ancient origins of the profession

Archives in the Ancient World.jpg

Archives in the Ancient World is a great introductory text for those researching the history of ancient archives. As the first general survey of archival techniques and institutions, Ernst Posner’s book explores the relationships between ancient archives and the organizations that created them from the Near East to the Neo-Parthian Empire.

Before its publication in 1972, archives professionals knew little about the practices of their Egyptian, Greek and Roman predecessors. In this work, Posner encourages us to look to the history of archives and records administration to guide us into the future. While his book is rich with historical details, he suggests that our reflection and use of this history should be practical, rather than just a function of our own curiosity. In our ever-changing profession, this book challenges archivists to apply historical background to our own experience as one way to enrich our professional practice.

Oregon State University releases LibraryFind® software

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Computer Lab
This week, the Oregon State University Libraries announced the first public release of their LibraryFind metasearch software. This version has a number of advanced features, including, but not limited to:

  • 2-click user workflow (one click to find, one click to get)
  • Integrated OpenURL resolver
  • 2-tiered caching system to improve search response time
  • Customizable user interface

This is a pre-1.0 release, so there are still a number of features, functions, and efficiencies they plan to add to the software. For more information on LibraryFind, including information on how to download and run the software, visit the LibraryFind website.

Welcome Back!

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Bexell Classroom.jpgThe new term has begun, and the University Archives would like to welcome all the students, staff, and faculty back to OSU. If there is anything we can do to help with project research, class planning, or distractions from the rainy weather, please stop by our desk on the 3rd floor of the Valley Library. Our hours have returned to 9am to 5pm, Monday through Friday.

In addition to reference services, the OSU Archives encourages the use of our collections in graduate and undergraduate classes. Instructors interested in using the Archives in their classes should contact us at (541) 737-2165, archives@oregonstate.edu, or the “Ask An Archivist” form. Please allow several weeks for us to make arrangements. Additionally, we are also available to provide general instruction to faculty, staff, and students on how to use archival materials.

New Book on the Reference Shelf

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Primary Source Collections in the Pacific Northwest: An Historical Researcher's Guide

Nancy Bunker, a trained archivist and historian, is the perfect tour guide for Pacific Northwest scholars writing about the history of the region. She provides a detailed look at 175 institutions and their collections. Covering a broad cross-section of repositories — from academic to public libraries, museums & historical societies to government archives — each profile includes contact information, directions, URLs and email addresses, costs, accessibility, and subject specialties. She also provides a variety of indexes, which enables users to search by county, date range of material, ethnicity/religion, and subject. You can find this book on the Archives Reference Shelf. (LC Call No. Z 732.N95 B86 2005)