Richard J. Cox Professor University of Pittsburgh School of Information Sciences Archival Studies

Welcome to my homepage. At this site you will find information about the University of Pittsburgh's graduate archival education program, my research interests, statements on crucial professional issues, and other matters of concern to me about the archival profession.

I am the lead educator in the University of Pittsburgh School of Information Sciences' Archival Studies Specialization. My current research interests include various aspects of the history of archival studies and recordkeeping, the management of electronic records, evidence and accountability in recordkeeping, archival appraisal, the public awareness of archives and records in the modern information age, the administration of records and public policy, and archival ethics.

I hope you find this site of use to you and welcome comments and communications about any aspect of its contents and the management of archival records.

For a sense of my perspective on all matters archival, I recommend a glance at my blog, "Reading Archives," where you can find descriptions of new or recent scholarly and other publications concerning (broadly) the nature and importance of archives in society (and so I am just sending out this message to all of you -- you can ignore if you wish). You can find this blog at http://readingarchives.blogspot.com/ Without question, there is more analysis of archives, the archival profession, and the archival mission than ever before. Although it is questionable that there is at present broad public comprehension about what archivists do or even how archival holdings are formed, few would argue with the notion that the public and scholarly perception is improving (but certainly at a glacial rate). What most certainly can be agreed is that it is essential to adopt a broad and systematic (as systematic as possible) regimen of reading across disciplines and through both scholarly and popular venues in order to gain any useful understanding of archives. With this blog, I am offering, as regularly as possible, critical observations on the scholarly and popular literature analyzing the nature of archives or contributing to our understanding of archives in society. I am not commenting on basic practice manuals, technical guides, or best practice reports; these I will continue to describe in my monthly column published in the Records & Information Management Report, a technical report I edit and that is published by M.E. Sharpe.

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

EDITOR, RECORDS & INFORMATION REPORT

PUBLICATIONS EDITOR, SOCIETY OF AMERICAN ARCHIVISTS

MY MARYLAND ROOTS (AN EXTENDED ESSAY ON ARCHIVAL WORK AND HISTORY)

PUBLICATIONS

• Comprehensive List of Publications



• Major Books



• Resources for Archival & Records Management: Readings and Websites

POSITION PAPERS AND PAPERS PRESENTED

• Certification and Its Implications for the American Archival Profession: Changing Views, 1989 and 1996



• Final Thoughts About the American Archivist



• Professional Associations and Selling: The Wrong Paradigm



• Messrs. Washington, Jefferson, and Gates: Quarrelling About the Preservation of the Documentary Heritage of the United States



• Drawing Sea Serpents: The Publishing Wars on Personal Computing and the Information Age



• The Society of American Archivists and Graduate Education: Meeting at the Crossroads



• Declarations, Independence, and Text in the Information Age



• Searching for Authority: Archivists and Electronic Records in the New World at the Fin-de-Siécle



• The Information Age and History: Looking Backward to See Us



• The Great Newspaper Caper: Backlash in the Digital Age



• The Day the World Changed: Implications for Archival, Library, and Information Science Education



America's Pyramids: Presidents and Their Libraries


• The Creativity and Beauty of Preservation



• Rappin with Cappon: Reflections on the Career and Scholarship of Lester J. Cappon



• Listservs and Difficult Appraisal Decisions: The Archives & Archivists Listserv Great Debate
This is a brief conference paper based on "Listservs and Difficult Appraisal Decisions: The Archives and Archivists List Great Debate," Records & Information Management Report 23 (September 2007): 1-14 and "Listservs and Difficult Appraisal Decisions: The Archives and Archivists List Great Debate (Part Two)," Records & Information Management Report 23 (October 2007): 1-14.


• Appraising the Digital Past and Future

Presented at the Digital Curation Conference, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, May 2007. Abstract: Archivists, and others working in the digital realm, need to reconsider archival appraisal approaches and concepts as a means of exercising rational and strategic control over what they select for digitization and select from the digital documentary universe. Control has been a defining aspect of the contemporary Information Age, and it is not something archivists and digital curators should shun. This paper briefly discusses the notion of archival appraisal and several contributions it might make to the digital curation schema.

CONSULTING

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RESEARCH

Functional Requirements for Evidence in Recordkeeping

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ARCHIVAL STUDIES PROGRAM

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The course syllabi provided here are for the courses in taught by Dr. Cox.

SYLLABI (most recent term taught is provided)

• LS2220 - Archives and Records Management (Fall 2008) Richard J. Cox and Bernadette Callery
  
  
• LS2222 - Archival Appraisal (Spring 2008) Dr. Richard J. Cox



• LS2223 - Archival Access, Advocacy, and Ethics (Spring 2008) Dr. Richard J. Cox



• LIS3100 - (Fall 2005) Doctoral Seminar, Defining Information Ages: A Reading Seminar Dr. Richard J. Cox



• LIS 3100 - (Fall 2006) Doctoral Seminar, Rethinking Professional Education Dr. Richard J. Cox
  
  
• LIS 3000 - (Fall 2009) Doctoral Seminar, Introduction to the PhD Program Dr. Richard J. Cox
  
  
• LIS 3100 - (Spring 2010) Doctoral Seminar, Historical Research Methods, Diaries and Blogs
  
  
• LIS 3200 - (Summer 2008) Doctoral Seminar, Readings in Archival Research Dr. Richard J. Cox
  
  

If you have any further questions, please feel free to e-mail me at rcox@mail.sis.pitt.edu. Otherwise, you can reach me at the following:

Richard J. Cox
Professor, Archival Studies
Chair,Library & Information Science Program
Chair, Library & Information Science Doctoral Studies
School of Information Sciences
University of Pittsburgh
648 LIS Building, 135 N. Bellefield Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
TEL: 412/624-3245
FAX: 412/648-7001