The faculty-led, student and alumni-researched International Directory of National Archives is the first of its kind to provide comprehensive information about the 195 countries recognized by the United Nations.

The book, edited by Professor Patricia Franks and Professor Anthony Bernier, was released at the Society of American Archivists’ 2018 conference in Washington, D.C. According to publisher Rowman and Littlefield, there has been “a great deal of excitement” in the archival community with Amazon sales having sold out at least once.

“I am pleased with its success, but even more pleased with the networking opportunities it has provided for the 46 iSchool students and alumni who contributed to the work,” Franks said.

Bernier remarked, “I’m not at all surprised by this work’s immediate success. Dr. Franks knows archival science and thus knows where readers, researchers, historians, bibliographers, and fellow archivists would fine value in its publication. The IDNA fills an important gap in the field. All of us who worked on the project should be very proud.”

Each entry of the 193 U.N. member states and two non-member observers is described as containing “general information about the archive, when it is open to researchers (if applicable), historical information about the institution and how it developed, information about the present-day archives (including its mission, functions, services, and a description of its physical and digital infrastructures), and a current focus selection spotlighting one part of the collection’s holdings.”

“Our iSchool faculty constantly focuses on ways to promote enriching research skills and experiences with our students. We know experiences like the IDNA project help students become competitive and productive members of our profession,” Bernier said.

A website and blog were created to share information about the project, and the blog continues to be a venue for sharing information about national archives. Students and alumni also held a webcast in June 2018 and shared insights from their research of national archives around the world.

The International Directory of National Archives is available for purchase at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million, and directly from Rowman and Littlefield.