Articles

Archival Mission and User Studies

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Abstract

User studies provide archivists with a useful tool for internal planning and analysis, but they are less reliable when used to justify programs to authorities outside the archives. They should be based on a well-defined sense of institutional mission rather than serving as the basis from which to create such purpose. User studies are normally limited to reference services, implying that reference is the primary function of an archives. Although such a definition may be more appropriate for manuscript repositories, it places government archivists at a serious disadvantage and devalues archival functions other than reference. Appraisal and disposition of records are the key activities, and any definition of use should reflect such activity. The author uses examples from his experience at the Illinois State Archives to demonstrate the futility of developing programs in response to perceived needs based on studies of existing patterns of use. The key to user studies in a governmental context is to broaden the definition of use to include all areas in which the archives acts so as to reflect the governmental as well as the cultural function that the archives serves. This can provide the basis for embedding the archives in the processes of government so that standard operations are automatically funded.

How to Cite:

Turnbaugh, R. C., (1986) “Archival Mission and User Studies”, Archival Issues 11(1), 27–33. doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/archivalissues.10532