Read Up on—and Write—SAA Case Studies

Several new case studies have been added to some of the Society of American Archivists’ dynamic Case Studies Series. These open access works, peer-reviewed and edited by various SAA component groups, feature examples of archival practice drawn from real-life scenarios and illustrate archival issues worthy of broad discussion and debate. The eight series include:

• Case Studies in Archival Ethics
• Campus Case Studies
• Case Studies on Diversifying the Archival Record
• Government Records Case Studies
• Case Studies on Teaching With Primary Sources
• Case Studies on Access Policies for Native American Archival Materials
• Records Management Case Studies
• Trends in Archives Practice Case Studies

Most recently, Case Studies on Teaching With Primary Sources, sponsored by SAA's Reference, Access, and Outreach Section, published “Personalizing the History of Mathematics through Institution-Specific Archival Materials.” Christine Latulippe, associate professor of mathematics at Norwich University, takes students to the archives to help them see mathematics as a human endeavor, using archival documents to illuminate historical context and encourage students to explore mathematical problems the way people of the past would have experienced them.

SAA’s newest case study series is Access Policies for Native American Archival Materials, which began in 2019 and is sponsored by SAA’s Native American Archives Section. Four case studies share how institutions are adapting the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials for use in a variety of contexts. The latest installment—“Our Sustained Commitment to Native Communities: Adoption of the Protocols as Ongoing Collection Management Process” authored by Brave Heart Sanchez, Elizabeth Dunham, Renee D. James, Joyce Martin, Lorrie McAllister, Allinston Saulsberry, Alexander Soto, and Alana Varner—reports on the Arizona State University Library’s adoption of the Protocols, from gaining more knowledge of the Protocols, implementing the Protocols, and creating institutional support to continue the work.

The Case Studies Series are open ended and looking for authors. So, if you have completed an archival project or have an experience that illuminates one of the topics in the case studies series, then consider writing about it! Case Studies are typically 1,500 to 5,000 words in length with submissions accepted on an ongoing basis. All are welcome to submit.