The turning point in 1985. The history of appraisal and disposal of records in Iceland

The article sets off with a brief summary of the history of appraisal and disposal of records as processed at the National Archives of Iceland (NAI) since its establishment in 1882 to present times. Rules on appraisal and disposal of records introduced in 1900, 1911, and 1916 were ignored and all records were kept. Status quo remained until 1985 when a new National Archives Act was passed. The appraisal and disposal process adopted then is described and explained. It included the publication of instructions on records management as well as forms relating to records management. The influence of acts of law on the appraisal and disposal process is explained. Finally the experience with the arrangement of organised appraisal in Iceland is described.     

Metaphor and Totem: Exploring and evaluating prior experiential learning

The evaluation and recognition of prior experiential learning is now well established. A significant issue in such evaluations has been the centrality of the learner and his/her empowerment in the educational process. However, most models of evaluation require equivalency between the unique experiences of the subject and existing course analogues. In these models evaluation is based on metaphor, on finding varying degrees of similarity between the experience being assessed and currently existing academic structures. The present paper calls for a richer perspective to be taken in assessing prior experiential learning with particular interest being seen in the notion of totemism as characterised by anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss. A replacement of metaphor by totemism may restore power, ownership and centrality of the experience to the candidate for assessment, while allowing evaluators an opportunity to engage in a novel but authentic articulation of the underlying academic equivalency of the experience.     

The Uncertain Future for Digital Visual Collections in the University

Digital documents in the networked information environment fundamentally change the ways that visual materials can be used in education and scholarly discourse. These new uses raise questions about research library strategies with regard to digitized visual materials as a part of their collections, challenge assumptions underlying intellectual property rights for images and their scope, and offer ways in which visual literacy can become a more integral part of the common educational experience.     

That vision thing.

The 1991 Janet Doe lecturer describes the vision held by the founders of the Medical Library Association of medical information being readily accessible to health professionals no matter how far they were located from major medical centers, and traces the pursuit of this vision to current outreach activities.