Karen Suurtamm | Trent University (original) (raw)
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Published Articles by Karen Suurtamm
KULA: Knowledge Creation, Dissemination, and Preservation Studies, 2022
Migrating archival description from paper-based finding aids to structured online data reconfigur... more Migrating archival description from paper-based finding aids to structured online data reconfigures the dynamics of archival representation and interactions. This paper considers the knowledge implications of transferring traditional finding aids to Discover Archives, a university-wide implementation of Access to Memory (AtoM) at the University of Toronto. The migration and translation of varied descriptive practices to conform to a single system that is accessible to anyone, anywhere, effectively shifts both where and how users interface with archives and their material. This paper reflects on how different sets of knowledge are reorganized in these shifts. Discover Archives empowers researchers to do independent searches using the full breadth of their domain expertise, seemingly unbound from archival gatekeeping. At the same time, these searches are performed in the absence of archivists' unstructured mediation, where searches benefit from human interaction and the kinds of knowledges that reference staff draw on to handle complex reference questions, especially those from novice archival users. We explore the extent to which that lost knowledge can be drawn back into archival interactions via rich metadata that documents contexts and relationships embedded within Discover Archives and beyond. Internal user experience design (UXD) research on Discover Archives highlights a gap between current online description and habitual user expectations in web search and discovery. To help bridge this gap, we contributed to broader discovery nodes such as linked open "context hubs" like Wikipedia and Wikidata, which can supplement hierarchical description with linked metadata and visualization capabilities. These can reintroduce rhizomatic and serendipitous connections, enabled by archivist, researcher, and larger sets of community knowledges, to the benefit of both the user and the archivist.
Canadian Journal of Education Revue Canadienne De L Education, 2006
Canadian Journal of Physics
Here I consider the life and work of Dr. Ursula Martius Franklin, research physicist, metallurgis... more Here I consider the life and work of Dr. Ursula Martius Franklin, research physicist, metallurgist, pacifist, and feminist, and explore her archival records, deposited at the University of Toronto Archives. We give an overview of Dr. Franklin’s achievements and research; her work as a pioneering woman in science, technology, and engineering; and her commitment to pacifism and the social responsibility of the scientist.
Archival Science, 2013
This article reports the first stage of a research collaboration that is elaborating the multiple... more This article reports the first stage of a research collaboration that is elaborating the multiple relationships between archives and social justice. Specifically, it is developing narrative frameworks and diagrammatic representations to identify, understand, illustrate, and deploy the actual and potential social justice impact of archives, archivists, and archival repositories. A discussion of the broader and historical social justice landscape culminates with a working conceptualizationframework of social justice followed by an examination of the many methods and modes by which social justice can be an object of research. This is followed by an examination of the rising presence of social justice as an explicit and accelerating concern in four key English language archival journals before offering a working articulation and approach to an archival -social justice framework. A discussion of understanding and measuring impact, with specific reference to the framework of impact that we have chosen to deploy, culminates with an analysis of the social justice impact of archives as evidenced through two exemplary case studies. This is followed by a summation of key findings and a discussion of future plans to expand this research. The overall objective of these efforts is targeted towards elucidating how archives can be cast as having both positive and negative social justice consequences and demonstrating how archival work can serve social justice goals.
Canadian Journal of Physics, 2018
Canadian Journal of Education, 2006
29, no. 2 (2006): 596–602.
Ottawa, ON: Canadian Policy Research Networks, Jun 1, 2007
This report focuses on the role of education in improving civic learning for youth. We ask two qu... more This report focuses on the role of education in improving civic learning for youth. We ask two questions: What knowledge and skills serve as a basis for models of civic learning for young Canadians? What changes to learning processes are needed to encourage youth participation in democratic processes? To answer these questions, the report examines the various perspectives represented in the literature on youth and civic literacy. It also offers the various perspectives of Ottawa students and teachers in relation to government curriculum ...
... Bethany was representative of the group when she stated this: I usually try to volunteer whe... more ... Bethany was representative of the group when she stated this: I usually try to volunteer wherever because I want all those hours ... education can best be fostered in the formal educational setting. 59 Similarly, Caroline Beauvais, Lindsey McKay and Adam Seddon, in their ...
Papers by Karen Suurtamm
Migrating archival description from paper-based finding aids to structured online data reconfigur... more Migrating archival description from paper-based finding aids to structured online data reconfigures the dynamics of archival representation and interactions. This paper considers the knowledge implications of transferring traditional finding aids to Discover Archives, a university-wide implementation of Access to Memory (AtoM) at the University of Toronto. The migration and translation of varied descriptive practices to conform to a single system that is accessible to anyone, anywhere, effectively shifts both where and how users interface with archives and their material. This paper reflects on how different sets of knowledge are reorganized in these shifts. Discover Archives empowers researchers to do independent searches using the full breadth of their domain expertise, seemingly unbound from archival gatekeeping. At the same time, these searches are performed in the absence of archivists' unstructured mediation, where searches benefit from human interaction and the kinds of knowledges that reference staff draw on to handle complex reference questions, especially those from novice archival users. We explore the extent to which that lost knowledge can be drawn back into archival interactions via rich metadata that documents contexts and relationships embedded within Discover Archives and beyond. Internal user experience design (UXD) research on Discover Archives highlights a gap between current online description and habitual user expectations in web search and discovery. To help bridge this gap, we contributed to broader discovery nodes such as linked open "context hubs" like Wikipedia and Wikidata, which can supplement hierarchical description with linked metadata and visualization capabilities. These can reintroduce rhizomatic and serendipitous connections, enabled by archivist, researcher, and larger sets of community knowledges, to the benefit of both the user and the archivist.
Canadian Journal of Physics, Apr 1, 2018
Here I consider the life and work of Dr. Ursula Martius Franklin, research physicist, metallurgis... more Here I consider the life and work of Dr. Ursula Martius Franklin, research physicist, metallurgist, pacifist, and feminist, and explore her archival records, deposited at the University of Toronto Archives. We give an overview of Dr. Franklin's achievements and research; her work as a pioneering woman in science, technology, and engineering; and her commitment to pacifism and the social responsibility of the scientist.
KULA: Knowledge Creation, Dissemination, and Preservation Studies
Migrating archival description from paper-based finding aids to structured online data reconfigur... more Migrating archival description from paper-based finding aids to structured online data reconfigures the dynamics of archival representation and interactions. This paper considers the knowledge implications of transferring traditional finding aids to Discover Archives, a university-wide implementation of Access to Memory (AtoM) at the University of Toronto. The migration and translation of varied descriptive practices to conform to a single system that is accessible to anyone, anywhere, effectively shifts both where and how users interface with archives and their material. This paper reflects on how different sets of knowledge are reorganized in these shifts. Discover Archives empowers researchers to do independent searches using the full breadth of their domain expertise, seemingly unbound from archival gatekeeping. At the same time, these searches are performed in the absence of archivists' unstructured mediation, where searches benefit from human interaction and the kinds of k...
Migrating archival description from paper-based finding aids to structured online data reconfigur... more Migrating archival description from paper-based finding aids to structured online data reconfigures the dynamics of archival representation and interactions. This paper considers the knowledge implications of transferring traditional finding aids to Discover Archives, a university-wide implementation of Access to Memory (AtoM) at the University of Toronto. The migration and translation of varied descriptive practices to conform to a single system that is accessible to anyone, anywhere, effectively shifts both where and how users interface with archives and their material. This paper reflects on how different sets of knowledge are reorganized in these shifts. Discover Archives empowers researchers to do independent searches using the full breadth of their domain expertise, seemingly unbound from archival gatekeeping. At the same time, these searches are performed in the absence of archivists' unstructured mediation, where searches benefit from human interaction and the kinds of k...
KULA: Knowledge Creation, Dissemination, and Preservation Studies, 2022
Migrating archival description from paper-based finding aids to structured online data reconfigur... more Migrating archival description from paper-based finding aids to structured online data reconfigures the dynamics of archival representation and interactions. This paper considers the knowledge implications of transferring traditional finding aids to Discover Archives, a university-wide implementation of Access to Memory (AtoM) at the University of Toronto. The migration and translation of varied descriptive practices to conform to a single system that is accessible to anyone, anywhere, effectively shifts both where and how users interface with archives and their material. This paper reflects on how different sets of knowledge are reorganized in these shifts. Discover Archives empowers researchers to do independent searches using the full breadth of their domain expertise, seemingly unbound from archival gatekeeping. At the same time, these searches are performed in the absence of archivists' unstructured mediation, where searches benefit from human interaction and the kinds of knowledges that reference staff draw on to handle complex reference questions, especially those from novice archival users. We explore the extent to which that lost knowledge can be drawn back into archival interactions via rich metadata that documents contexts and relationships embedded within Discover Archives and beyond. Internal user experience design (UXD) research on Discover Archives highlights a gap between current online description and habitual user expectations in web search and discovery. To help bridge this gap, we contributed to broader discovery nodes such as linked open "context hubs" like Wikipedia and Wikidata, which can supplement hierarchical description with linked metadata and visualization capabilities. These can reintroduce rhizomatic and serendipitous connections, enabled by archivist, researcher, and larger sets of community knowledges, to the benefit of both the user and the archivist.
Canadian Journal of Education Revue Canadienne De L Education, 2006
Canadian Journal of Physics
Here I consider the life and work of Dr. Ursula Martius Franklin, research physicist, metallurgis... more Here I consider the life and work of Dr. Ursula Martius Franklin, research physicist, metallurgist, pacifist, and feminist, and explore her archival records, deposited at the University of Toronto Archives. We give an overview of Dr. Franklin’s achievements and research; her work as a pioneering woman in science, technology, and engineering; and her commitment to pacifism and the social responsibility of the scientist.
Archival Science, 2013
This article reports the first stage of a research collaboration that is elaborating the multiple... more This article reports the first stage of a research collaboration that is elaborating the multiple relationships between archives and social justice. Specifically, it is developing narrative frameworks and diagrammatic representations to identify, understand, illustrate, and deploy the actual and potential social justice impact of archives, archivists, and archival repositories. A discussion of the broader and historical social justice landscape culminates with a working conceptualizationframework of social justice followed by an examination of the many methods and modes by which social justice can be an object of research. This is followed by an examination of the rising presence of social justice as an explicit and accelerating concern in four key English language archival journals before offering a working articulation and approach to an archival -social justice framework. A discussion of understanding and measuring impact, with specific reference to the framework of impact that we have chosen to deploy, culminates with an analysis of the social justice impact of archives as evidenced through two exemplary case studies. This is followed by a summation of key findings and a discussion of future plans to expand this research. The overall objective of these efforts is targeted towards elucidating how archives can be cast as having both positive and negative social justice consequences and demonstrating how archival work can serve social justice goals.
Canadian Journal of Physics, 2018
Canadian Journal of Education, 2006
29, no. 2 (2006): 596–602.
Ottawa, ON: Canadian Policy Research Networks, Jun 1, 2007
This report focuses on the role of education in improving civic learning for youth. We ask two qu... more This report focuses on the role of education in improving civic learning for youth. We ask two questions: What knowledge and skills serve as a basis for models of civic learning for young Canadians? What changes to learning processes are needed to encourage youth participation in democratic processes? To answer these questions, the report examines the various perspectives represented in the literature on youth and civic literacy. It also offers the various perspectives of Ottawa students and teachers in relation to government curriculum ...
... Bethany was representative of the group when she stated this: I usually try to volunteer whe... more ... Bethany was representative of the group when she stated this: I usually try to volunteer wherever because I want all those hours ... education can best be fostered in the formal educational setting. 59 Similarly, Caroline Beauvais, Lindsey McKay and Adam Seddon, in their ...
Migrating archival description from paper-based finding aids to structured online data reconfigur... more Migrating archival description from paper-based finding aids to structured online data reconfigures the dynamics of archival representation and interactions. This paper considers the knowledge implications of transferring traditional finding aids to Discover Archives, a university-wide implementation of Access to Memory (AtoM) at the University of Toronto. The migration and translation of varied descriptive practices to conform to a single system that is accessible to anyone, anywhere, effectively shifts both where and how users interface with archives and their material. This paper reflects on how different sets of knowledge are reorganized in these shifts. Discover Archives empowers researchers to do independent searches using the full breadth of their domain expertise, seemingly unbound from archival gatekeeping. At the same time, these searches are performed in the absence of archivists' unstructured mediation, where searches benefit from human interaction and the kinds of knowledges that reference staff draw on to handle complex reference questions, especially those from novice archival users. We explore the extent to which that lost knowledge can be drawn back into archival interactions via rich metadata that documents contexts and relationships embedded within Discover Archives and beyond. Internal user experience design (UXD) research on Discover Archives highlights a gap between current online description and habitual user expectations in web search and discovery. To help bridge this gap, we contributed to broader discovery nodes such as linked open "context hubs" like Wikipedia and Wikidata, which can supplement hierarchical description with linked metadata and visualization capabilities. These can reintroduce rhizomatic and serendipitous connections, enabled by archivist, researcher, and larger sets of community knowledges, to the benefit of both the user and the archivist.
Canadian Journal of Physics, Apr 1, 2018
Here I consider the life and work of Dr. Ursula Martius Franklin, research physicist, metallurgis... more Here I consider the life and work of Dr. Ursula Martius Franklin, research physicist, metallurgist, pacifist, and feminist, and explore her archival records, deposited at the University of Toronto Archives. We give an overview of Dr. Franklin's achievements and research; her work as a pioneering woman in science, technology, and engineering; and her commitment to pacifism and the social responsibility of the scientist.
KULA: Knowledge Creation, Dissemination, and Preservation Studies
Migrating archival description from paper-based finding aids to structured online data reconfigur... more Migrating archival description from paper-based finding aids to structured online data reconfigures the dynamics of archival representation and interactions. This paper considers the knowledge implications of transferring traditional finding aids to Discover Archives, a university-wide implementation of Access to Memory (AtoM) at the University of Toronto. The migration and translation of varied descriptive practices to conform to a single system that is accessible to anyone, anywhere, effectively shifts both where and how users interface with archives and their material. This paper reflects on how different sets of knowledge are reorganized in these shifts. Discover Archives empowers researchers to do independent searches using the full breadth of their domain expertise, seemingly unbound from archival gatekeeping. At the same time, these searches are performed in the absence of archivists' unstructured mediation, where searches benefit from human interaction and the kinds of k...
Migrating archival description from paper-based finding aids to structured online data reconfigur... more Migrating archival description from paper-based finding aids to structured online data reconfigures the dynamics of archival representation and interactions. This paper considers the knowledge implications of transferring traditional finding aids to Discover Archives, a university-wide implementation of Access to Memory (AtoM) at the University of Toronto. The migration and translation of varied descriptive practices to conform to a single system that is accessible to anyone, anywhere, effectively shifts both where and how users interface with archives and their material. This paper reflects on how different sets of knowledge are reorganized in these shifts. Discover Archives empowers researchers to do independent searches using the full breadth of their domain expertise, seemingly unbound from archival gatekeeping. At the same time, these searches are performed in the absence of archivists' unstructured mediation, where searches benefit from human interaction and the kinds of k...