Margaret Hedstrom
Associate Professor
School of Information
University of Michigan

Archives and Records Management Program

Archives and Records Management is an optional specialization for students pursuing a Master of Science in Information Degree at the School of Information (SI), University of Michigan. SI is a multi-disciplinary school, which draws faculty from library and information science, archives, organizational theory, psychology, business, economics, and history. All MSI students take five required foundations courses (15 credits). Students earning the ARM specialization take:

  1. One required course, SI 600:
  2. At least four of the following six courses:
Students are required to earn from 6 to 15 Practical Engagement points through course work with a practical component, directed field experience, internships, and practical engagement workshops. Students can gain practical experience at the Bentley Historical Library, other archival programs on campus, and with corporations, government agencies, and non-for-profit institutions in the region, across the U.S., and abroad.

Statement of Philosophy

The School of Information (SI) offers an integrated, multi-disciplinary degree (Master of Science in Information) with an optional specialization in archives and records management. Distinguishing features of our program include breadth (we offer seven courses in ARM), emphasis on modern records and modern technology (electronic records management, digitization, and on-line access systems), and the mixture of classroom instruction with practical engagement. Two full-time faculty are engaged in research in these areas. Students concentrating in ARM benefit from exposure to a multi-disciplinary program. Other specializations at SI include Human-Computer Interaction; Information Economics, Management and Policy; and Library and Information Services.

Research Interests

Electronic records management. Currently working with David Wallace on an NHPRC-funded project to investigate recordkeeping in collaborative work environments; Digital preservation, particularly the effectiveness of various technological options for long-term preservation; presentation and representation of archives (metadata and on-line representations of content); user behavior and under interfaces for on-line finding aids; and knowledge networking and reuse of digital information.