Welcome! This site has been developed to allow the University Archives to share the research findings of its professional staff. It includes occasional contributions from recently conducted research studies, conference presentations, and analyses of current archival and records issues. In instances where this site serves as a pre-print forum for works submitted to professional journals, the works may be removed from this site when the published version appears.
William Maher (Vitae): My research interests center on programs for cultural archives in institutions of higher education and policy issues in the management of archives. Building on the experience of the University of Illinois Archives in providing a model for the selection, preservation, and use of the records of professional associations, I have focused on academic archives and the use of archival service agreements for the management of association archives and continue to receive requests on these topics. In addition, I have a developing interest in intellectual property law and the rights of librarians, archivists, and users, especially in the historical context of United States copyright law. Representative research papers include:
- “Ten Things Every Archivist Needs to Know About Copyright” 2011
- SAA Copyright Workshop Readings List,” June 29-30, 2017, Ames, Iowa
- 2017 SAA Copyright Workshop Resource Book 5-0
- “Copyright Chronology” for SAA 2017 Copyright Workshops
- “Fear and Loathing (Of Archives) in a Post-FOIA World,” International Council on Archives, Annual Meeting, Brussels, Belgium, November 24, 2013
- “Stepping out from the Shadows: Is Impartial Decision-making in Archives a Myth?” Prague, Czech Republic, September 30, 2010
- “Perspectives on the Profession of University Archives” New England Archivists, Fall Meeting 2007
- “Freedom of Information Laws in the University Environment: A Challenge to the Archival Mission?” 2006
- “Heritage Under Lock, but No Key: The Troubled Status of Unpublished Works in Digital Archives Projects” October 14, 2005
- “Copyright Concerns of Archivists and Special Collections Librarians: The Problem of ‘Orphan Works’
- International Copyright Issues for Archivists, 2004
- Report of 1790-1800 Copyright Registrations Found to be “Old Works” in re their state copyright status, research completed 2005
- Copyright Term, Retrospective Extension, and the Copyright Law of 1790 in Historical Context (2002)
- Fundamentals of Archival Theory and Practice for Law Librarians (2001)
- The Future of College and University Archives (2000)
- Chaos and the Nature of Archival Systems (1992)
Comments and suggestions for papers are welcomed. Editors and others interested in publishing these works are encouraged to contact the authors at the listed address. Copyright in the works on this site is held by the individual author/co-authors, except as noted. Readers are hereby granted permission to link to any of the papers on this site and to make single prints for personal study. Written permission of the author should be obtained before making electronic copies or multiple prints. Disclaimer: The views expressed in these papers are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign or of the University of Illinois Library.