Can a Human Archivist be Built with AI?
Archivists are also the only reason researchers have useful access to materials in the first place. Any historical collections you use in an archive probably started out sitting in boxes, waiting for an archivist to map out exactly what was in there, make decisions about how to order and preserve that material, and write a guide to the collection—often the most valuable thing an archive can provide in digital format. And when I say “waiting for an archivist,” I really mean “waiting for the archive to have the time, money, and staffing to be able to process the materials it wants to make available to researchers.”
This experience and expertise is part of why visiting an archive is valuable for scholars. When I visit an archive, there are files I know I am going to look through, but many times an archivist recommends additional files. They help researchers make connections between their subjects, helping us see the larger story in front of our eyes. Archivists suggest other repositories that might have similar or other helpful materials, either nearby or far away. They put you in touch with other archivists or researchers who have worked on similar projects or have expertise that might help your work. As your work moves from research to writing and presenting, archivists want to hear your findings and how your visit made a difference in your project. Archives often invite researchers to lecture or participate in workshops, they also might ask for a copy of your thesis or dissertation. I know this because there is a copy of master’s thesis at the Johnson Presidential Library.
My thesis research there prepared me well for dissertation research in physical archives. For the past 4 months, I have been living in India as a ...
This work by AJ Fish is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
