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Adventures in the Archive - ENG00133I

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  • Department: English and Related Literature
  • Module co-ordinator: Prof. Gillian Russell
  • Credit value: 10 credits
  • Credit level: I
  • Academic year of delivery: 2021-22
    • See module specification for other years: 2022-23

Module summary

The aim of this module is to introduce you to the mutual relevance of literary and archival work, and more broadly to expose you to the possibilities and implications – aesthetic, literary-historical and practical – of the archive as an institution, a collection, a moral choice and a prompt to creativity. The module will be run in partnership with, and at the premises of, local organizations, such as the Borthwick, the National Railway Museum, and York Explore. You will meet archivists to hear about and discuss the ethics and pragmatics of particular collections, and will approach a range of texts, images, media and sites in new ways.

You will read texts about archives (e.g. The Aspern Papers, Archive Fever, texts about archival methodologies and research (e.g. Marion Thain’s recent ‘Perspective’ on digitization of diaries, Helena Michie and Robyn Warhol’s Love in the Archives, Kate Eichhorn The Archival Turn in Feminism, as well as texts held by archives (letters, albums, travel guides). This module will give you a glimpse of new sectors of work (editing, information technologies, heritage, curation). You will be encouraged to develop the research skills in archival research, research design and public engagement which will assist you in preparing for your third-year dissertation work.

The teaching will take place as 4 talks plus workshops on site within a single block, and will be taught as far as possible ‘on site’, so you must be prepared to travel off campus. After an initial introductory lecture based on or around the ‘primary’ texts by the convenor, outlining the nature and potential of the module, the lectures will take the form of talks by, or interviews conducted by the convenor with, archivists and/or curators, and the workshops will focus on selections of the holdings of each institution.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Summer Term 2021-22

Module aims

The aim of this module is to inform you about how archives come about, what challenges they pose, what ethical questions they raise, and how they might feed into literary scholarship.

Module learning outcomes

On successful completion of the module, you should be able to:

  1. Demonstrate an informed understanding of and engagement with archival research, and research design
  2. Examine relevant critical and cultural contexts for the possibilities and implications – aesthetic, literary-historical and practical – of the archive as an institution
  3. Successfully manage a collaborative project, making use of digital tools where appropriate.
  4. Deliver a presentation, demonstrating proficient oral, written, performance, and/or digital skills.

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Oral presentation/seminar/exam
Presentation		 N/A 100

Special assessment rules

None

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Essay		 N/A 100

Module feedback

You will receive feedback on all assessed work within the University deadline, and will often receive it more quickly. The purpose of feedback is to inform your future work; it is designed to help you to improve your work, and the Department also offers you help in learning from your feedback. If you do not understand your feedback or want to talk about your ideas further you can discuss it with your tutor or your supervisor, during their Open Office Hours

Indicative reading

  • Henry James, The Aspern Papers,
  • Kate Eichhorn, The Archival Turn in Feminism,
  • Robyn Warhol and Helena Michie Love in the Archives


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.