by Camila Loforte
This exhibit (2021) showcases some noteworthy digital and physical archive projects and sites analogous to ours. The distinction in this research process between digital and physical archives refers, respectively, to those archives which live and are stored primarily online for the public to access, and those that are housed physically and invite the public to look through them at an on-ground site. These are a few highlights!
Note about selection: In choosing which archives to showcase on this page, an inevitable process of selection took place which is worth a brief explanation. This process had the objective of putting forth a varied microcosmic taste of the much larger pool of archives that were part of this research and the archives selected were arbitrarily ordered in this page and in no way take from the ones not mentioned here any value or deserved attention. For a deeper analysis of this topic, check out this article by K. J. Rawson.
View a spreadsheet with the full list of 50 archives (25 physical, 25 digital) researched in this exhibit.
Selected Digital Archives
The digital archives found through this research process range from large ones hosted by universities to small ones that are composed around a specific topic or project. However different these may be, they each contribute something useful to the world of archive research and they are each valuable in their own way.
Digital Transgender Archive
Notable Feature: "Learn" page with glossary of terms and other resources to guide the user
This digital archive is a project of collaboration that provides a collection of materials about transgender history. This archive offers materials from a wide variety of genres and topics, and has many tools to guide the user through learning and research.
First-Year Composition Archive
Notable Feature: Content contribution option for user to add any relevant materials to the archive site
Supported by several universities and institutions across the United States, this digital archive contains materials and resources about First-Year Writing that provide insight into the history of this discipline and support for faculty and researchers looking to engage with syllabi, assignments and other course materials.
Emory University Digital Collections
Notable Feature: Available material searching criteria by "Rights Status"
This University's digital archive site contains several collections of materials in different formats, geographical origins, and genres, among others. This archive is easily navigated and allows the user to discover materials for themselves as they browse through the many collections available.
Denver Public Library Digital Collections
Notable Feature: Image purchase option available through the site
Hosted by this this city's Public Library, the digital collections in this digital archive invite the user to browse through the materials contained in them in the form of maps, photographs, art pieces and more! With an emphasis on visual images, these collections offer a glimpse into the history of Western United States and serve as a useful tool for researching this topic.
Selected Physical Archives
The physical archives selected for feature in this section are different than the digital ones above since their intrinsic nature is distinct. While digital archives are quite transparent in showing all of their contents since they are meant to be accessed online, physical archives have an extra barrier for users since they require one to sift through them to actually get a good grasp on their contents, while only relying in a general overview of their materials through their online sites. Because of this, the research process to find information on these archives was quite different than it was for researching digital archives.
UC Davis - University Writing Program Records
This physical archive collection holds materials from courses in the writing program at the University of California Davis. Spanning from the 1980s until 2004, these materials could provide some insight into the nature of writing instruction during this period of time at UC Davis.
Duke University - University Writing Program Records
This collection ranging from 1997 to 2007 includes materials from various undergrad writing courses at Duke University under the umbrella of the University Writing Program, such as student essays on various topics.
Smith College - Department of English Records
A great resource for information on the historical nature of English programs, this physical archive contains materials from 1880 to 2001. Within this wide timeframe, this collection holds all genres of objects relating to the English Department at the Smith College, including syllabi, exams, and other course records.
Southern Methodist University - Rhetoric Program Records
This ongoing collection of physical archive materials starting from 1980 focuses on records from several first-year writing courses within the English department of Dedman College and provides some insight into the internal happenings within the Department.