Jenny O'Brien
Archives Manager

Profile

Biography

Jenny has oversight of the Archaeology Data Service digital archives, developing and overseeing the implementation of policies ensuring that collections are managed according to best archival and curatorial practice, and leading on accreditation of the archives according to appropriate standards.

Jenny’s role as Archives Manager follows almost 20 years of experience in working with archaeological and heritage archives, specialising in digital archiving since 2012.  Jenny has built experience within the full data lifecycle- from being a creator of records as a field archaeologist on excavations between 2004 and 2011, to her previous role as Senior Digital Archivist, working with archive management systems and metadata record standards, advising on best practices and workflows, and the tricky balance between the two.

Jenny’s personal focus is on advocating for creative reuse of heritage digital archives and building connections between collections and metadatasets across institutions and disciplines.

Following her successful work in 2023 in leading the ADS to becoming an accredited archive service, Jenny is now also a peer reviewer of applications for Archive Service Accreditation.

Outside of work, Jenny is an avid reader of all things magic, mystery, murder and mayhem. Myth and folklore have been an influential part of Jenny's story from birth, her own name being influenced by British and family myth.  The stories we tell ourselves and each other continue to influence the potential Jenny sees for connection, collaboration, and community in her work as an archivist.

Research

Overview

Jenny has a particular interest in the power of descriptions and metadata to inform, engage, and build connections between disparate resources, different disciplines, and unknown audiences.

For the past five years, Jenny has been advocating for the curation of ADS metadata (for which she created and co-authored the ADS Curatorial Strategy), the implementation of standards within a flexible archive management system (for which she created and co-authored the ADS Cataloguing Policy), and a focus on collections care as a means to facilitate connection and community building.

External activities

Overview

• Peer reviewer for TNA Archive Service Accreditation