Cheryl Oestreicher, an associate professor and head of special collections and archives for Albertsons Library, recently authored the book Reference and Access for Archives and Manuscripts, which is volume four of the Archival Fundamentals Series III.
Archivists need to be familiar with who their users are, understand why they’re using archival collections, and engage in outreach so that they can provide excellent reference services.
The reference book helps new and experienced archivists become more familiar with their users and their motivations by outlining components of:
- providing physical, intellectual, and virtual access,
- acquiring reference knowledge and skills,
- navigating legal regulations and ethics, and
- designing use policies and effective outreach.
As the book jacket explains, Oestreicher contextualizes how these components fit within other archival functions and offers strategies and detailed practices for creating comprehensive reference programs that archivists can adapt for any type of institution.