Fourteen archivists present a mosaic of the research that represents the current state of archival science and introduces themes that will carry the profession into the future as a complex academic discipline. As the archival profession in the United States continues to evolve, the book honors one of its most prolific and influential thinkers and writers, Richard J. Cox, who retired from the profession in 2017 after a 45-year career. The book addresses the archival themes of accountability and evidence, ethics and education, archival history, and memory. Defining a Discipline demonstrates the importance of the role of archivists, archives, and archival institutions in communities, organizations, and the digital environment. It looks forward—a direction that the pioneering Cox promoted throughout his career.

Examines the evolving theory of archival literacy in relation to domain knowledge, primary sourceliteracy, and information literacy to facilitate meaningful use of archival and manuscript collections.

Teaching With Primary Sources is part of the series Trends in Archives Practice. It includes three modules: Module 9: Contextualizing Archival Literacy by Elizabeth Yakel and Doris Malkmus Examines the evolving theory of archival literacy in relation to domain knowledge, primary source literacy, and information literacy to facilitate meaningful use of archival and manuscript collections. Module 10: Teaching With Archives: A Guide for Archivists, Librarians, and Educators by Sammie L. Morris, Tamar Chute, and Ellen Swain Provides practical guidance to archivists, librarians,and educators on teaching with archival materials,offering tips for beginners as well as seasoned instructors. Module 11: Connecting Students and Primary Sources: Cases and Examples by Tamar Chute, Ellen Swain, and Sammie L. Morris Offers readers an analytical guide and example assignments for teaching with primary materials, based heavily on first-hand case study accounts and interviews with practitioners and experts in the field. As Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe notes in the introduction, "These three modules present a wealth of resources for meeting the challenges of primary source literacy instruction. They can be read start-to-finish to build a foundation for practice. Or, they can be dipped into as needed by the busy educator who needs practical ideas or inspiration for that next instruction session."