May 14
The Arc of Oblivion— Rescued from oblivion: Preserving archives through science-based practices
Program Description
Throughout history, archival preservation has been driven, enabled, and informed by scientific advances and technological change. Archivists, conservators, and special collections librarians have used advanced technologies to reveal information about centuries-old documents, rare books, and artifacts in ways that provide deeper meaning and understanding. At the same time, new advances in science continually shape approaches to digital preservation as we navigate the proliferation of personal digital archives and work to safeguard digital cultural heritage across the globe. This presentation will explore some of the ways that archivists, conservators, and special collections librarians are engaging with science to enhance access, facilitate discovery, and ensure continued access to archival collections for future generations.
Film Synopsis
Explore the strange world of archives, record-keeping, and memory through a filmmaker's quixotic quest to build an ark in Maine.
From executive producer Werner Herzog (Cave of Forgotten Dreams; Grizzly Man) and director Ian Cheney (King Corn), The Arc of Oblivion is an unexpectedly playful search for an answer to a deeply existential question. Set against the backdrop of the filmmaker’s quixotic quest to build an ark in a field in Maine, the film heads far afield — to salt mines in the Alps, fjords in the Arctic, and ancient libraries in the Sahara — to illuminate the strange world of archives, record-keeping, and memory.
Photo credit: Sandbox Films
About the Speaker
Angela Fritz teaches graduate courses in archives and digital preservation at the School of Library and Information Science at the University of Iowa. She has a PhD in Public History and American History from Loyola University-Chicago. She holds a master’s degree in library science with a concentration in archival administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from the University of Iowa. She is the author of Sustainable Enterprise Strategies for Optimizing Digital Stewardship: A Guide for Libraries, Archives, and Museums.
Beth Stone serves as the Collections Conservator with the University of Iowa Libraries. She holds an MFA in Book Arts from the University of Iowa Center for the Book and recently completed an MA in Library Science, also from Iowa. Beth is a member of IMALERT (Iowa Museum, Archives, & Libraries Emergency Response Team), which advises cultural institutions in Iowa during events affecting the physical preservation of their collections.