Ellen Swain
Associate Professor of Library Administration
Archivist for Student Life and Culture
19 Main Library
1408 W. Gregory Dr.
Urbana, IL 61801
217.333.7841
eswain@uiuc.edu
Previous Position(s)
- 1996-1999: Assistant Archivist (1998-1999) and Project Archivist (1996-1998), Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America Archives, Elk Grove Village, IL.
Education
- 1995 - M.S., Library and Information Science: University of Illinois, Urbana, IL.
- 1993 - M.A., American History: Indiana University, Bloomington, IN.
- 1990 - B.A. Honors, Sociology/Anthropology, Earlham College, Richmond, IN.
Awards and Distinctions
Awards
- Archival Fellowship, National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC),
(2003-2004).
- Chancellor's Recognition of Faculty Excellence, (2001-2007).
- Thornbrough Award (for best article to appear in the
Indiana Magazine of History in 2001), (2001).
Grants Awarded
- 2006: "Mary Elizabeth's Stories," UI Library Research and Publication Committee.
- 2006: NEH Challenge Grant (co-recipient).
- 2005: NEH Challenge Grant (co-recipient).
- 2003-2004: NHPRC Archival Research Fellowship, “An Investigation of Student Organization
Websites for the Development of Appraisal and Capture Guidelines" (co-recipient).
- 2000: UI Campus Research Board, Alumni Oral History Project.
- 2000: UI Library Research and Publication Committee, Alumni Oral History Project.
Recent Publications
Articles
- Swain, Ellen and Chris Prom. “Documenting Student Life through Web Capture.”
Proceedings of the International Council on Archives (ICA) Section on University and Research
Institution Archives (ICA/SUV), East Lansing, Michigan,September 6-9, 2005. Reprinted in
international refereed archival journal,
COMMA, (2008 Forthcoming).
- Swain, Ellen. "Review. Pugh, Mary Jo."
Providing Reference Services for Archives and Manuscripts, Journal of Archival
Organization, 4: 3-4 (2007).
- Swain, Ellen and Christopher Prom. “From College Democrats to the Falling Illini: Identifying,
Appraising, and Harvesting Student Organization Web Sites.”
American Archivist, v. 70, no. 2 (Fall/Winter 2007).
- Swain, Ellen. “The College Student as Archives’ Consultant?: A New Look at Outreach
Programming on Campus.”
Archival Issues, v. 29, no. 2 (2005).
- Swain, Ellen and Tamar Chute. “Navigating Ambiguous Waters: Providing Access to Student
Records in the University Archives.”
American Archivist, v. 67, no. 2 (Fall/Winter 2004).
- Swain, Ellen. “Connecting Students of the Past, Present, and Future: An Activist Approach
to Collection and Use of Student Documents in the University Archives.”
Journal of Archival Organization, v. 2, no. 1/2 (2004).
- Swain, Ellen. “Oral History and the Archives: Its Documentary Role in the 21st Century.”
American Archivist, v. 66, no. 1 (Spring/Summer 2003).
- Swain, Ellen. "Remembering Alma Mater: Oral History and Documentation of Student Culture."
Archival Issues, V. 26, no. 2 (2002).
- Swain, Ellen. "Review Essay: Archibald, Robert. A Place to Remember: Using History
to Build Community; Ellis, William. The Kentucky River; Utley, Dan and Seeley, James, Guided
with a Steady Hand: The Cultural Landscape of a Rural Texas Park."
Oral History Review, v. 29, no. 1 (Winter/Spring 2002).
- Swain, Ellen. “From Benevolence to Reform: The Expanding Career of Mrs. Rhoda M. Coffin.”
Indiana Magazine of History, v. XCVII, no. 3 (September 2001).
- Swain, Ellen. "Review: Bacon, Margaret Hope. Abby Hopper Gibbons: Prison Reformer
and Social Activist."
Quaker History, v. 90 (Fall 2001).
Book Chapters
- Swain, Ellen, 2008. "Remembering Alma Mater: Oral History and Documentation of Student
Culture." in
College and University Archives: Selected Readings, forthcoming.
- Swain, Ellen, 2007. “Ethnography of the University Initiative: An Undergraduate Student
Archives.” in
Proceedings of the International Council on Archives-Section on University and Research
Institution Archives (ICA/SUV), Dundee, Scotland, August 13-18, 2007.
- Swain, Ellen, 2006. "Oral History and the Archives: Its Documentary Role in the 21st
Century." in
Oral History Reader.
- Swain, Ellen and Chris Prom, 2005. “Documenting Student Life through Web Capture.” in
Proceedings of the International Council on Archives- Section on University and Research
Institution Archives (ICA/SUV), East Lansing, Michigan, September 6-9, 2005.
- Swain, Ellen, 2003. “Eileen D. Cook (1928-2000)” in
Dictionary of American Library Biography, 52-55.
- Swain, Ellen, 2003. “Vernon Dale Tate (1909-1989)” in
Dictionary of American Library Biography, 209-211.
Editorial Work
- Swain, Ellen and Christopher Prom, 2008.
College and University Archives: Selected Readings, SAA.
Recent Presentations
- Swain, Ellen. “Ethnography of the University Initiative: An Undergraduate Student Archives.”
Proceedings of the International Council on Archives-Section on University and Research
Institution Archives (ICA/SUV), Dundee, Scotland: August 13, 2007.
- Swain, Ellen. “Students Documenting Their Culture and Community.”
Midwest Archives Conference Annual Meeting, Columbus, Ohio: May 3-5, 2007.
- Swain, Ellen and Chris Prom. “Documenting Student Life Through Web Capture.”
International Council on Archives-Section on University and Research Institution Archives
(ICA/SUV) Meeting, East Lansing, Michigan: September 9, 2005.
- Swain, Ellen and Chris Prom. “Documenting Student Life Through Web Capture.”
Society of American Archivists Annual Meeting, Boston, Massachusetts: August 7, 2004.
- Swain, Ellen and Chris Prom. “Documenting Student Life Through Web Capture.”
NHPRC Archival Research Fellowship Symposium, Boston, Massachusetts: June 11, 2004.
- Swain, Ellen and Tamar Chute. “Navigating Ambiguous Waters: Providing Access to Student
Records in the University Archives.”
Midwest Archives Conference, Milwaukee, Wisconsin: April 29, 2004.
- Swain, Ellen. “Connecting Students of Present, Past and Future: An Activist Approach to
Collection and Use of Student Documents in the University Archives,”
Midwest Archives Conference, Detroit, Michigan: October 24, 2003.
- Swain, Ellen. “Volunteers in the Academic Archives: Implications and New Opportunities.”
Society of American Archivists Annual Meeting, Los Angeles, California: August 23,
2003.
- Swain, Ellen. “Using Volunteers in the Archives: Some New Perspectives.”
Midwest Archives Conference, Kansas City, Missouri: April 24, 2003.
- Swain, Ellen. Chair, Session entitled, “We Are Not Alone: Exploring Other Professions
that Document History.”
Midwest Archives Conference Fall Meeting, Grand Rapids, South Dakota: October 11, 2002.
- Swain, Ellen. “Oral History in the University Archives: Documenting Student Experience in the
Great Depression at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.”
Midwest Archives Conference Fall Meeting, Indianapolis, Indiana: October 19, 2001.
- Swain, Ellen. “Oral History in the University Archives: Documenting Student Experience in the
Great Depression at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.”
Oral History Association Annual Conference, St. Louis, Missouri: October 18, 2001.
- Swain, Ellen. Chair, session entitled “Town and Gown: Local History and Academic
Repositories.”
Society of American Archivists, Washington, D.C.: August 31, 2001.
Professional Service
- Society of American Archivists (SAA).
- Midwest Archives Conference (MAC).
- Committee on Institutional Cooperation - University Archivist Group.
- Oral History Association.
