90409 - Archival and Information Science

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student must have the following knowledge and skills: - Knowledge and understanding: have the necessary knowledge for a first approach to the problems related to the training, management and conservation of digital archives. - Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: be able to face a project of digitization and enhancement of documentary resources, highlighting the criticality of long-term preservation and possible solutions; be able to access historical documentary sources also through the use of digital descriptive resources (especially through archival information systems). - Autonomy of judgment: know how to establish the criteria to be followed in the phases of description, reordering and inventorying of historical archives through the use of archival description software, motivating its methodological choices. - Communication skills: know how to illustrate with logical rigor and terminological issues also techniques related to a specific topic. - Learning ability: know how to deepen independently the issues related to the discipline

Course contents

1. Distinction between analog and digital. The concepts of analog, digital and hybrid archives.

2. The documentary typologies in digital archives: the digital representation of text documents, images; audio recordings and video recordings.

3. Storage media for digital archives.

4. The digitization of documentary resources and their fruition and exploitation.

5. The long-term preservation of digital resources: problems and strategies.

6. The digital document.

7. Cryptographic systems and electronic signatures.

8. Transmission systems for electronic documents: traditional e-mail; certified e-mail.

9. Systems for personal identification: CIE, CNS, SPID.

10. Laboratory activity on training and management of digital archives.

 

Note: The course contents for non-attending students is the same as that for attending students.

 

Readings/Bibliography

In addition to the teaching materials provided by the teacher and covered in class, the following texts are sources of study for the exam:

- STEFANO PIGLIAPOCO, Progetto archivio digitale, Torre del Lago (Lucca), Civita editoriale, 2018

- MARIA GUERCIO, STEFANO PIGLIAPOCO, FEDERICO VALACCHI, Archivi e informatica, Torre del Lago (Lucca), Civita editoriale, 2010

- MARIA GUERCIO, Archivistica informatica, Roma, Carocci, 2019

- STEFANO ALLEGREZZA, RAFFAELLA BISCIONI (a cura di), Gli archivi fotografici personali nell’era digitale: memorie private e public history, Torre del Lago (Lucca), Civita editoriale, 2021

 

Suggested readings:

- GIOVANNI MANCA, Le firme elettroniche. Normative, standard, scenari e modalità di utilizzo, Roma, Themis, 2021

- VINCENZO LOMBARDO, ANDREA VALLE, Audio e multimedia
Quarta edizione, Apogeo Education - Maggioli Editore, 2014 (for an in-depth study of digital sound archives)

Teaching methods

The course includes:

- theoretical lessons;

- guided tours;

- laboratory work on the use of IT tools for training and management of digital documents;

- laboratory activity on the use of software for archival description.

 

In consideration of the type of activity and teaching methods adopted, the attendance of this training activity requires the prior participation of all students in modules 1 and 2 of training on safety in the study places, in e-learning mode.

Assessment methods

Learning is assessed through an oral test consisting of a discussion of the topics covered in class and of the assigned study texts aimed at ascertaining the knowledge and skills acquired, the exhibition and communication skills and the autonomy of judgment.

Students who will demonstrate that they have achieved a comprehensive understanding of the topics covered in the lessons, showing critical sense and using adequate means of verbal expression, will be evaluated with an excellent score (A = 27-30 with honors).
A predominantly mnemonic acquisition of the topics covered in the course, associated with not fully satisfactory verbal expression and logical skills, will be evaluated with a score between good (B = 24-26) and satisfactory (C = 21-23).
A minimum acquisition of the topics covered in the course, associated with inadequate verbal expression and logical skills, will be evaluated with sufficient score (D = 18-20).
The absence of a minimum acquisition of the topics of the course combined with inadequate verbal expression and logical skills will be evaluated with insufficient score (E).

For students attending the course, the assessment of the learning can be carried out, alternatively, through a written test, which will be held at the end of the course, and which will consist of closed questions and open-ended questions on topics covered in class.

Students who are not in possession of knowledge of basic archives and computer science are invited to attend the courses of "Management and organization of the archive" and of "Information technology for cultural heritage".

Teaching tools

Further information on the availability of handouts, bibliographic details and resources on the web will be provided during the course. Students with specific learning disorders may contact the teacher for activation of appropriate test support tools for the exam.

Office hours

See the website of Stefano Allegrezza