Uses of Electronic Communication to Document an Academic Community: A Research Report
Abstract
The Bentley Historical Library Computer Conferencing Apraisal Project (NHPRC Grant No. 91-113) began in September 1991. Its aims were to explore whether or not computer conferencing has potential to document the intellectual, cultural, and social environment of colleges and universities, and then to make recommendations regarding the archival appraisal and accessioning of such materials. Two larger purposes of the project were 1) to propel the Bentley Library into facing the archival challenges--both intellectual and practical--presented by electronic communication at the University of Michigan and 2) to raise the level of discourse in the college and university archival community about the nature and administration of materials generated through electronic communication. This article provides an overview of computer conferencing systems, in particular the CONFER II software used at the University as well as many other academic and non-academic institutions, and then outlines the methodology and major findings of the project. The article also discusses some issues raised by the project that may well be generic to the archival management of electronic communication.
RÉSUMÉ
Le Bentley Historical Library Computer Conferencing Appraisal Project (NHPRC Subvention no 91-113) a débuté en septembre 1991. Ce projet visait à explorer le pontentiel des conférences informatiques an niveau intellectuel, culturel, et celui de l'environnement social des collèges et universités et de faire des recommandations quant à leur évaluation et à leur acquisition. Les deux principaux objets du projet étaient d'abord de placer la Bibliothèque Bentley devant les défis archivistiques (à la fois intellectuels et pratiques) que représentent les communications électroniques à l'Université du Michigan et ensuite, de relever le niveau de discours à l'intérieur de la communauté archivistique du collège et de l'université quant à la nature et à l'administration du matériel généré par les communications électroniques. Cet article brosse une vue d'ensemble des systèmes de conférences informatisées plus particulièrement celui du logiciel CONFER II utilisé à l'Université du Michigan aussi bien que dans d'autres institutions académiques on non et présente la méthodologie et les principales conclusions du projet. Cet article souligne également quelques questions soulevées par le projet susceptibles d'être communes à la gestion archivistique de la communication électronique.
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