MARA Blog

Overview

MARA Blog

Students in the MARA program and those interested in archives and preservation, electronic records management, information governance, and related fields are highly encouraged to visit this blog often. Managed by MARA Program Coordinator and Professor Patricia Franks and written by a current MARA student, this blog will keep you current with the MARA community and what’s happening in the profession.

MARA Blog

An Archivist by Any Other Name

Published: March 21, 2016 by Anna Maloney

David Casavant, a 25-year old stylist and fashion archivist, has a large collection of vintage items from high-profile designers. Using eBay and vintage clothing stores to grow his assemblage, Casavant transformed his collection into a business, renting pieces to celebrities, including Kanye West and Rihanna, for as much as $1,000 a week.

MARA Blog

Save the Date–MARA Colloquia

Published: March 14, 2016 by Anna Maloney

On Wednesday, March 23, from 1-2PM PT MARA will host guest lecturer Sarah Romkey, the Archivematica Program Manager. Ms. Romkey will introduce Archivematica, discuss its use by large and small institutions, and expand on the importance of open-source solutions for digital preservation. This promises to be a very interesting presentation for those interested in emerging technologies and the future of archival management! We hope to see you there.

MARA Blog

MARA Student INFO Elective Choices

Published: February 24, 2016 by Anna Maloney

Dr. Pat Franks and MARA Student Assistant Anna Maloney recently distributed a survey to MARA Students regarding their INFO elective choices. Every MARA student is required to take three INFO electives from a pre-approved list, ranging from text and data mining to oral history. The survey asked students to reveal which INFO electives they had already taken or were planning to take, with an option to share their experiences with INFO electives. For the two weeks the survey was completed by 46 current and former MARA students. 

MARA Blog

History Harvests

Published: February 24, 2016 by Anna Maloney

A few weeks ago, the University of Louisville and the Kentucky LGBT Heritage Initiative in Louisville, Kentucky hosted a history harvest. The goal of the event was to collect stories, photographs, newsletters, and other documents related to the LGBT community in Kentucky. The January 31st event was the third of its kind hosted for the KY LGBT Heritage Initiative, but it was not the first such event held nationally.

MARA Blog

Wisconsin Open Records Law

Published: February 19, 2016 by Anna Maloney

A few weeks ago, the MARA blog covered the Netflix docuseries Making a Murderer, and the influx of records requests that Manitowoc County, Wisconsin has seen since the series premiered in December 2015. Wisconsin open records laws are now being publicly examined after a state board expanded the definition of “transitory records” to include correspondence (electronic and analog), interim files, and recordings used for training purposes.

MARA Blog

SJSU iSchool Offers Advanced Certificates

Published: February 12, 2016 by Anna Maloney

Did you know that in addition to its degree offerings, the SJSU iSchool offers Advanced Certificates in Digital Assets and Services? Just like the MARA degree, all courses are offered 100% online and current students can count courses taken toward certificate requirements.

MARA Blog

KMWorld Magazine

Published: February 8, 2016 by Anna Maloney

On January 31st, KMWorld, a leader in the content, document and knowledge management industries, published an article on knowledge management graduate programs.

MARA Blog

Assessing Archives and Records Management Policy in Japan

Published: February 4, 2016 by Anna Maloney

In April of this year, Japan celebrates the fifth anniversary of the Public Records and Archives Management Act. Passed in the 2011, the act implemented a uniform management plan for administrative documents; introduced a records schedule; created requirements for reports on the management practice of government ministries; established a system of inspection and recommendation; and funds external professionals and the promotion of historical public records and archives.

MARA Blog

Save the Date — Washington’s Digital Preservation Model

Published: January 27, 2016 by Anna Maloney

Welcome to the spring semester! Our first MARA guest lecturer this year is Debbie Bahn, who will be presenting Washington’s Digital Preservation Model on February 11th from 5:30-6:30 PST. Ms. Bahn is the Electronic Records Archivist for the Washington State Archives and will discuss the development of the institution’s digital repository, which was developed entirely in-house.

MARA Blog

The Records of “Making a Murderer”

Published: January 21, 2016 by Anna Maloney

If you have Netflix or a social media account, you have probably heard something about the sensational true crime docuseries Making a Murderer. The Netflix Original Series follows the case of Steven Avery, a Wisconsin man who spent 18 years in prison for rape and attempted murder, but whose conviction was overturned by DNA evidence in 2003.

MARA Blog

The Internet Archive Turns 20

Published: January 28, 2016 by Anna Maloney

In 2016, the Internet Archive celebrates its 20-year anniversary. Created in 1996 to capture and preserve websites and web pages, the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine is the front-end, user interface for these archived sites. This week, Forbes’ Kalev Leetaru looks into the history of this complex data capture and the organization’s Worldwide Web Crawls. The image below, from February 20, 1997, is the first SJSU homepage capture available through the Wayback Machine.