Who Keeps the Archives Alive? Introducing the Librarians and Archivists of the John S. Chase Architecture and Planning Library: Nancy Sparrow, Beth Dodd, Katie Pierce Meyer, Stephanie Tiedeken
Beyond offering expansive resources and historical collections, research institutions are defined by their commitment to experiential learning. Librarians and archivists play a critical role within this tradition, introducing students, faculty members, and researchers to sources of compelling scholarship and design reference. They are the protectors and extenders of our collective histories, serving as conduits to our future.
The John S. Chase Architecture and Planning Library was shaped by many, but perhaps most prolifically by Nancy Sparrow, the curatorial assistant for public services at the Alexander Architectural Archives. Sparrow began as a work-study student during late 1970s, falling in love with archives and libraries before formal degrees in the practice existed. She has continued taking classes and working hands-on in the archives at UT since 1989, engaging with the University’s architectural drawing and Benson Latin American Collection. During the 1990s, she processed the collections that led to the creation of the Alexander Architectural Archives’ first archival finding aids under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Throughout her tenure, Sparrow has taken part in immense transformations of recordkeeping practices, from paper cards to machine-readable encoded entries to open-source online access.
In 1995, Beth Dodd joined as curator of what was then known as the Architectural Drawings Collection, adding head librarian to her title from 2007 to 2015. As curator of the John S. Chase Architecture and Planning Library, Dodd directs the library’s renowned archival program, positioning the University as a leader in preserving and engaging with the cultural record.
Libraries are no longer just books and articles. Architecture, in particular — with immense digital assets and complex data points — pushes the envelope of archival practices. The digitization that began in the 1990s led to groundbreaking advances in access and engagement, but as technology and born-digital files evolve, new challenges and needs arise at a rapid pace. “Students need to be able to find and discern information — what is real, what is not,” says Dodd. “Digital literacy is immensely important, and the pace of these new literacies is extremely fast.”
Head of architectural collections since 2014, Katie Pierce Meyer is an international authority on digital preservation and archival tools for design data. She first engaged with the UT archives in 2005 through coursework as an architectural history student and was quickly enraptured, later joining the library team as student worker the year. “When I think of research, I think about the creation of knowledge,” says Pierce Meyer. “A research institution is designed to support that creative endeavor. For architecture, referencing the past can be a source of inspiration and reflection, but it’s also about finding new connections between existing and new information to create novel design work.”
Like many of her colleagues, Stephanie Tiedeken, archivist of access and preservation since 2015, also began her journey in the Alexander Archives as a graduate student, arriving in 2013 while completing her MSIS in the School of Information (now the School of Computing). In addition to overseeing accessions and developing new finding aids, Tiedeken trains and supervises the graduate student employees who help to process collections and create metadata. “Archival work is critical experience for students as they enter the profession. It’s integral to their education, especially at SOA,” she says.
Expanding their projects within UT's collections, the team has shaped effective and ethical use of large language models (LLM) in archives, particularly in the field of architecture. Tiedeken and Pierce Meyer have both conducted exploratory studies testing artificial intelligence for descriptive metadata creation. “These are great tools, but we’ve found that a human in the loop is still absolutely necessary and critical,” says Meyer. This human element is multifaceted, unfolding across an important reciprocal relationship between the archives staff, students, and faculty.
As the team prepares for reopening, they are elated about the return of the library as an essential hub of social culture and scholarship for the School of Architecture community. “The adjacency of our branch to the studios is so rare,” says Dodd. “Faculty cannot wait to get their students back into the physical stacks.” Meyer agrees: “Historical materials are valuable to engage with in their physical context — just as much as their digital form. There are so many ways to engage, but that tactile experience is wonderful.”