History of The Curator, 1996-2002
By Dustin Witsman
This article appeared in the Volume 1, Issue 1 Spring/Summer 2019 issue of the Appalachian Curator. Click here to view a PDF of the full issue.
The Appalachian Curator takes its inspiration from, and pays homage to, The Curator, a print newsletter published by members of the Regional Collections Committee of the Appalachian Consortium from 1996-2002. The original iteration of The Curator was geared toward what are now commonly referred to as “Lone Arrangers” – archivists working as the sole custodian of a repository’s collections materials – stationed in various cultural heritage institutions entrusted with overseeing the preservation and care of Appalachian-related collections. The newsletter worked to help archivists at small Appalachian archives to “feel a part of the overall professional archival community.”
A typical issue of The Curator featured a calendar of events, an archival Q & A column written by then University of Tennessee at Knoxville archivist Jim Lloyd, lists of preservation professionals, lists and reviews of relevant books published at the time, conference updates, collection showcases, and updates and conversations regarding archival theory and practice.
Though somewhat outdated in much of its pre-digital era discussion, The Curator offered up interesting case studies as well as fundamental archival advice which still provides sound guidance to its readers. For example: “A wise curator also designs the simplest and most flexible system possible, knowing that an elaborate set of forms and procedures can easily become an end in itself rather than a tool for making research resources easily available…” (Ellen Garrison, Volume 1, Number 1, p3).
The new Appalachian Curator seeks to continue, and update, the legacy began by The Curator. The new iteration is published by the Appalachian Studies Association’s newly-formed Special Collections Committee. We hope to provide helpful, up-to-date information on the work being done in the field of Appalachian archives.
