course-details-portlet

LBAS2001 - Archives and museums: Appraisal, access and dissemination

About

Examination arrangement

Examination arrangement: Home examination
Grade: Letter grades

Evaluation Weighting Duration Grade deviation Examination aids
Home examination 100/100 3 days

Course content

The course provides insight into the tasks and work processes in archival institutions and museums. Their role as custodians of cultural and natural heritage is explored, as is the use of history.

The term digitization applies to a wide array of phenomena that affect our lives. Politically, digitization has been hailed as the solution to many issues concerning cost and efficiency. Like in public management, digitization has re-shaped the way museums and archival institutions work and prioritize, and museum and archive professionals are faced with new tasks, opportunities, and challenges.

Despite the digital turn, archival institutions and museums are still responsible for large quantities of physical documents and objects. The course deals with how to work with analog archives and collections, and explores how digitization affects this work. Another aspect is how the analog archives and collections are made accessible to the public.

The archive-related part of the course largely deals with the tasks performed in archival depositories, such as appraisal, arrangement and archival description, depositing and transfer of custody, preservation, dissemination and outreach. Some topics are specific for analog archives, but digitization aspects will also be discussed.

The course gives an introduction to museum collections management as part of nature and cultural heritage management, and to the digitzation of objects and related documentation. An important question to ask is this: Can digital museum experiences replace the physical museums as we have known them?

Learning outcome

Knowledge

The student has knowledge about

  • the central responsibilities of archival institutions and museums.
  • digital tools used in archival institutions and museums.
  • the websites that museums and archival institutions have made available for users.
  • various dissemination and outreach practices.
  • different strategies for archive appraisal.
  • the principles of archive description.
  • classification and registration of objects in museums.
  • legislation, collection strategies and collection plans.
  • archives in museums.

Skills

The student can

  • assess the value of archives according to laws and regulations.
  • identify the various roles, responsibilities and division of labour in archival institutions.
  • identify the various roles, responsibilities and division of labour in museums.
  • find and use cultural and natural heritage websites.
  • plan and write a user report.

General competence

The student

  • has an overview of, and can critically assess and discuss, the standing of museums and archives in society.
  • can contribute to the preservation of archives and collections.
  • can contribute to the shaping of strategies and plans for acquisition, appraisal, and dissemination of archives and collections.

Learning methods and activities

A combination of lectures, excursions, written assignments, and placement. If practice institutions wish to use BA students for e.g. preliminary projects, workshops or trials of various kinds, we will facilitate cooperation.

Compulsory assignments

  • Practice rapport
  • User rapport

Further on evaluation

Exam

Off-campus exam. Duration: 3 days.

Mandatory activities

1. Practice rapport: 1-2 weeks placement in a records management office, a museum, archive, or other cultural heritage establishment, resulting in a written rapport.

2. User rapport: Write a user report on public internet portals of archives, museums or other cultural- or nature heritage institutions.

Mandatory activities are assessed on a pass-fail basis. Both activities must be passed before being allowed admittance to the exam.

Specific conditions

Admission to a programme of study is required:
Archives, Museums and Records Management (LTARKIV)

Course materials

The course reading list will be published on Blackboard at the beginning of term. Minor changes to the list may occur during term.

Credit reductions

Course code Reduction From To
ILU6003 15.0 SPRING 2017
More on the course

No

Facts

Version: A
Credits:  15.0 SP
Study level: Intermediate course, level II

Coursework

Term no.: 1
Teaching semester:  AUTUMN 2023

Language of instruction: Norwegian

Location: Trondheim

Subject area(s)
  • Social Sciences
Contact information
Course coordinator: Lecturer(s):

Department with academic responsibility
Department of Teacher Education

Timetable

List view
Calendar view

Examination

Examination arrangement: Home examination

Term Status code Evaluation Weighting Examination aids Date Time Examination system Room *
Autumn ORD Home examination 100/100

Release
2023-12-12

Submission
2023-12-14


09:00


15:00

INSPERA
Room Building Number of candidates
Spring UTS Home examination 100/100

Release
2024-05-06

Submission
2024-05-08


09:00


15:00

INSPERA
Room Building Number of candidates
  • * The location (room) for a written examination is published 3 days before examination date. If more than one room is listed, you will find your room at Studentweb.
Examination

For more information regarding registration for examination and examination procedures, see "Innsida - Exams"

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