From History to Library and Information Science: A Case Study of Archival Education at Wayne State University

This article provides a case study of the development of archival education at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. The study investigates the emergence of an archival concentration within the Department of History and the transition of that concentration to a jointly run interdisciplinary program more closely aligned with the School of Library and Information Science. This progression demonstrates both the challenges and the benefits that the lack of an independent institutional home had on the development of archival education, particularly in regard to curriculum development and administration. It argues that the transition has been especially difficult because different groups involved with the administration and growth of the archival curriculum had varying notions of the primary purpose of archival education.