Closing an Era Historical Perspectives on Modern Archives and Records Management

Subjects:

• Library & Information Science » Library & Information Science (General)
• Library & Information Science » Library Management

Reviews:

• Cox is known for his outspoken opinions on the need for archival scholarship in history, theory, and practice, his advocacy for strong programs of graduate archival education, and his participation in one of the most influential studies so far on the management and description of digital records. These nine essays bring all these interests together and provide a challenging group of readings for intending and practicing archivists alike.
  —Libraries and Culture Fall 2003
• Closing an Era is important as it presents the views, opinions, and insights of an archival educator on a broad range of topics....Cox's book should be required reading in our academic programmes.
  —Archivaria 51 Spring 2001
• ...this book is a worthy purchase for individuals and libraries wishing to understand more about the history of records and their management.
  —The Australian Library Journal August 2001
• With this book, Cox has made a significant contribution to the body of publications focusing on the records profession; for archivists, librarians, and records managers. Closing an Era is a book worth reading.
  —College & Research Libraries

Table of Contents:

• Preface
• Mythic Modern Origins and the History of Records Management
• The Birth of Records Management: The Ancients to the Dawn of the Industrial Age
• The Birth of the Modern Records Regime and Profession
• Building a National System of Records Administration
• Shifting Strategies in Appraising, Scheduling, and Maintaining Records
• Archives, Records, and Memory
• Educating Records Professionals in a Hostile Age
• Archives, Documentary Editing, and the Quarrel about Preserving Our Documentary Heritage
• History's Future: American Archivists, Cyberculture, and Stasis
• Index