Manuscripts and Archives Management

The Manuscripts and Archives Management (MAM) Department at the University of Miami Libraries coordinates the arrangement and description of manuscripts, archives, artifacts, and born-digital materials across the University of Miami Libraries following professional best practices. The processed materials are then made available for study and research to students, faculty, and scholars at the University of Miami and beyond who have an interest in primary source materials curated by the University of Miami Libraries Distinctive Collections. For access to archives and manuscripts please visit the Cuban Heritage Collection, Special Collections, and University Archives to request archives and manuscripts, for reading room schedules and to plan your visit.

Inclusive Metadata Remediation Working Group

The University of Miami Libraries’ (UML) Inclusive Metadata Remediation Working Group assesses and revises potentially harmful language used to describe archival collections relating to communities of color, LGBTQ+ experiences, and other marginalized groups that are part of UML Distinctive Collections’ holdings. The Manuscripts & Archives Management team, along with staff and faculty from Metadata and Discovery Services and Digital Strategies, updates descriptive policies to broaden inclusivity and improve discoverability and access to documentation of historically marginalized communities within our collections. This work adopts an anti-racist framework to build an “anti-oppressive archival description” practice, inspired by the work of Archives For Black Lives in Philadelphia.

Harmful Content Statement

The University of Miami Libraries are working to assess past and current descriptive practices to ensure that materials accurately and respectfully describe the communities featured in our collections, with special attention paid to remediate language that is outdated or harmful to our patrons.

For more information, please see the Libraries’ Harmful Content Statement.