The document discusses the implications of user participation for archival theory and practice, including whether user participation is a new phenomenon or similar to previous volunteering initiatives, the role of professional archivists in moderating user-contributed metadata, and the impact of user participation on information seeking in archives and issues around the accuracy and reliability of user contributions.

1. Implications of User Participation for Archival Theory and Practice Alexandra Eveleigh The National Archives’ PhD Day 24 January 2011 Audio: University of Chicago Symphony, 2005

2. Serious Leisure: Amateurs or Experts? “I hope there always will be, room for the Amateur, and in large numbers…the Local Official or other enthusiast whose Archives do not need and cannot claim the whole of his time; but who can find enough to undertake their listing or repair or photographing and wishes to acquire, within those limits, something of a professional technique.” Hilary Jenkinson, October 1947. Inaugural lecture for a new course in Archive Administration at University College London.

3. Volunteers and Professionals

4. Archives 2.0

5. Description

6. User Collaboration at The National Archives

7. Revolution or Evolution in Archival Practice and Professionalism? Crowds or communities - is user participation a new phenomenon, or similar to previous outreach and volunteering initiatives? What are the implications of collaboratively authored descriptions for archival authority and control? What role does the professional archivist have to play in the moderation of user-contributed metadata? http://www.flickr.com/photos/nationalarchives/4457274453

8. What motivates participation? What are the optimal frameworks for participation? How can systems be designed to motivate and reward contributions? Might some models of contribution operate more effectively outside of the mainstream archives sector? Are some communities more inclined to participate than others?

9. What is the impact of user participation upon information-seeking in archives? Are user contributions accurate and reliable? How and when should user contributions be integrated into the professional catalogue? What are the options for ‘expert’ review and moderation contrasted against critique and correction by the ‘crowd’? Does user participation help promote serendipitous discovery? http://www.flickr.com/photos/nationalarchives/4457274461

10. Alexandra Eveleigh alexandra.eveleigh.09@ucl.ac.uk http://twitter.com/ammeveleigh http://www.flickr.com/photos/-bast-/349497988/