To boldly go.... into the archive by Adele Martin-Bowell and Rebekah Taylor, University of the Creative Arts

A collaborative approach to the use of archives in teaching and learning

at an arts university

Adele Martin-Bowtell & Rebekah Taylor University for the Creative Arts

To boldly go…into the archive

Archives – a definition

“Materials created or received by a person, family or organisation, public or private , in the conduct of their affairs and preserved because of their enduring value contained in them or as evidence of the functions and responsibilities of their creator, especially those materials maintained in the principles of provenance, original order and collective control ; permanent records.”

Society of American Archivists: 2014

Case study : Animation Archive Day

Role of Librarian and Archivist in teaching and learning

Why use archive materials with students?

“Students find this immensely exciting . Sifting through archive documents , struggling to understand and contextualise them, they gain a much deeper appreciation of the problems inherent to interpret them. They enjoy the detective work of looking for clues and making connections. They are inspired by finding that they can make their own discoveries…”

Spraggs : 2013

The Bob Godfrey Studio Archive

Practicalities of using archive materials in the studio

Learning outcomes

• Students will understand the differences between

– Primary and secondary resources

– Archival and library resources, formats, access, uses

• Students will know how to

– handle archive materials

– access our collections (both archive and library)

Take a look for yourselves….

Responding artistically to archive use

Animation Archives Day – the legacy

• Understanding of archives

• Understanding of primary/secondary resources

• Encouraged use of the archives

• Removed perceived barriers to archive use

• Initiated an artistic response to their experience

References The Society of American Archivists, Glossary of Archival Records Terminology, http://www2.archivists.org/glossary/terms/a/archives (accessed May 7, 2014)

Paul Victor Jr., Justin Otto and Charles Mutschler, ‘Assessment of library instruction on undergraduate student success in a documents-based research course : the benefits of librarian, archivist and faculty collaboration’, Collaborative librarianship 5, no.3 (2013):154-176.

Gillian Spraggs, ‘Using Archives in Higher Education History Teaching’. The National Archives. http://www.archives.org.uk/images/documents/AfELG/AfELG_Conference_13_June_2011/Using_Archives_in_Higher_Education_History_Teaching.pdf (accessed May 2, 2014)

The National Archives, Archiving the Arts, http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-sector/archivingthearts .htm (accessed May 2, 2014)

Animation Alliance , Accelerate animation report 2013: animation and craft: responding to the creative animation sector’s practice and professional development needs. http://accelerateanimation.com/category/acceleratereport/ (accessed May 2, 2014)

Contact us

Adele Martin-Bowtell

Learning and Teaching Librarian

Amartin-bowtell@ucreative.ac.uk

Rebekah Taylor

Archivist

Rtaylor8@ucreative.ac.uk