Marija Dalbello
Coordinator of the Archives and Preservation Concentration
Professor of Library and Information Science
dalbello@rutgers.edu
Archives and Preservation Concentration
This concentration prepares you to assume roles where you identify and preserve analog and digital records as trustworthy evidence and memory of the activities of individuals, families, and organizations.
Goals and Objectives
You will learn the skills you need to perform preservation roles in organizations and for stewardship across media forms, including digital objects and digitized materials. You will become proficient in appraising records for acquisition and selection, planning, executing and monitoring preservation actions and processes, and in creating a wide range of research tools aimed to make the holdings of archives known to the public.
Courses focus on:
- Archival theory of arrangement and description
- Appraisal theories and practices for diverse organizations
- Preservation principles
- Technology migration management
We emphasize the ethical dimension and policy grounding surrounding preservation and archives.
Learning Outcomes
- Learn how to make records accessible to current users and future generations in heritage institutions and how to make them available to the public.
- Explore the institutions preserving cultural and scientific knowledge amid the changing perspectives and in diverse social contexts.
- Learn about the tensions around privacy, access and memorial contestation as well as about the role of records, documents and archival institutions in human rights and social justice.
Requirements for Archives and Preservation
As part of the MI program, students must complete the program's core requirements (9 credits) in addition to the concentration's core requirements (12 credits) and select concentration and general electives (18 credits).
-
36 credits, plus 3 zero-credit courses
Zero-credit Courses (required for all students)
- 17:610:501 Introduction to Library and Information Professions
- 17:610:502 Colloquium in Library and Information Studies
- 17:610:503 Professional Capstone
Technology Requirement (3 credits)
All students (unless specializing in Data Science) must take one of the following technology courses to fulfill this requirement.
- 17:610:550 – Introduction to Information Technologies
Waivers for the technology requirement or for courses requiring it as a prerequisite may be granted with approval. Please contact Associate Teaching Professor Anselm Spoerri, course coordinator, regarding questions or waiver requests for this course.
OR
- 17:610:552 – Computational Reasoning
Students specializing in Data Science must take 17:610:552 – Computational Reasoning to fulfill this requirement. Please contact Assistant Teaching Professor Suchinthi Fernando, course coordinator, regarding questions or waiver requests for this course.
This requirement applies to all students pursuing the Data Science concentration who begin the program in Fall 2026. Students who started prior to Fall 2026 and are in the Data Science concentration are encouraged to take Computational Reasoning, but it is not required.
Foundational Coursework (Select 2 courses / 6 credits)
Note: Refer to the specific course study plans to see if a particular foundation course is required for your concentration.
-
Concentration-specific Requirements (Select 4 courses / 12 credits):
-
Concentration Electives (Select 3 courses / 9 credits)
- 17:610:522 Cataloging and Classification
- 17:610:524 Metadata for the Information Professional
- 17:610:554 Information Visualization and Presentation
- 17:610:557 Database Design and Management
- 17:610:586 The History of Books, Documents, and Records in Print and Electronic Environments
- 17:610:566 Digital Curation
- 17:610:569 Digital Preservation
General Electives (Select 2-3 courses / 6-9 credits)
The general elective courses and field experience you choose should match your career objectives. All are subject to the approval by the Archives and Preservation concentration faculty coordinator.
- Field Experience - Must be arranged only with official sites and include organized learning experience.
- Individual Study - One individual study is allowed with full-time faculty only.
- Any course offered in the MI program and/or Cultural Heritage and Preservation Studies (CHAPS) program in Rutgers Art History (recommended course: 16:082:530 Cultural Heritage and Preservation Studies)
General elective courses and field experience should match your career objectives and they are subject to the approval by the Archives and Preservation concentration faculty coordinator, Professor Marija Dalbello. Please see the Archives and Preservation Concentration Requirement worksheet for additional information.
MI Student Ryan Green Preserves Stories Through Film and Archives
While it feels like I’ve just started, I can now look back at 26 years in the trenches as a documentary filmmaker. During that time, I have been honing not just my style as an artist, but also the types of stories that I want to share with the world.
I did a thorough job of researching master’s programs and prioritized a few parameters. As a working dad with three young children, I could only commit to a fully online program. After studying the Archives and Preservation concentration requirements and attending the virtual information session, I was drawn to the flexibility of the MI curriculum.
-Ryan Steven Green, Award-winning Documentarian
Have Questions?
We're here to help.