Lawrence J. Mykytiuk

Liberal Arts Books on Demand: A Decade of Patron-Driven Collection Development, Part 1

The Purdue University Libraries was an early implementer of purchasing rather than borrowing books requested through interlibrary loan. This pioneering user-initiated acquisitions program, started in January 2000 and called Books on Demand, is managed by the interlibrary loan unit. Now that the program has reached its tenth year, the authors revisit their initial 2002 study to analyze books purchased in the six top subject areas across the whole decade. In their review of the liberal arts titles selected, subject librarians found that the books were appropriate additions and that these titles expanded the cross-disciplinary nature of the collection. The Books on Demand service offers a seamless method for all users, especially graduate students, to provide input into the collection building process.

Strengthening Biblical Historicity vis-à-vis Minimalism, 1992–2008, Part 1: Introducing a Bibliographic Essay in Five Parts

This is the first in a series of five articles that cover one aspect of a debate in biblical and ancient Near Eastern studies. In question is the historical reliability of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). Historical/biblical minimalism, the side in the debate that finds the Hebrew Bible almost completely unreliable as a source for history, has already received substantial bibliographic treatment. Therefore, this series attempts to provide balance by covering the literature in support of historical reliability. These articles focus not on modern histories of ancient Israel, but rather, on publications related to the historicity of the nonmiraculous assertions and references in the biblical text. Because of the nature of the debate, the series treats works in English from 1992 through 2008 on the historicity of the biblical content regarding the periods preceding the return from exile (itself disputed) soon after 539 BCE. The other planned articles are Part 2, the literature of critique, methodology, and perspective; Part 3, the literature on the Hebrew Bible in general that supports historicity; Part 4, the literature that supports historicity within particular periods, and Part 5, the literature on internal evidences in the Hebrew Bible.

Archival Literacy Competencies for Undergraduate History Majors

Abstract Undergraduate history majors need to know how to conduct archival research. This article describes the second phase of a project to identify “archival literacy” competencies. Faculty, archivists, and librarians from baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral/research institutions commented on a draft list. This resulted in competencies in six major categories: accurately conceive of primary sources; locate primary sources; use a research question, evidence, and argumentation to advance a thesis; obtain guidance from archivists; demonstrate acculturation to archives; and follow publication protocols. Archivists, faculty, and librarians can collaborate to integrate the competencies throughout undergraduate history curricula in their institutions.

Strengthening Biblical Historicity vis-à-vis Minimalism, 1992–2008 and Beyond, Part 2.1: The Literature of Perspective, Critique, and Methodology, First Half

In this series of articles the author covers scholarly works in English which can, at least potentially, be associated with a positive view of biblical historicity regarding the periods preceding the Israelites’ return from exile. Part 2 covers works that treat the concepts and methodological issues at the center of the maximalist–minimalist debate. Parts 3–5 will cover works on evidences. In this article, the first half of Part 2, the author focuses on works that provide a framework in which there exists the realistic possibility for large amounts of Hebrew Scripture to stand as valid historical source material—while still subject to comparison with other sources. These works are by J. Maxwell Miller and John H. Hayes, Megan Bishop Moore, Lester L. Grabbe, James Barr, Bob Becking, Amihai Mazar, Hans M. Barstad, Ronald S. Hendel, and Mark S. Smith. The article leads up to this focus by beginning with bibliographic selections in earlier works, works that offer long-term perspectives, and a summary of good effects and misguided aspects of minimalist publications. In Part 2.2 the author will discuss works on methodology by authors who espouse biblical historicity unless it is proven wrong.