Library 106: Library Field Practice
Pasadena City College
Shatford Library Archives
By
Jared Burton
Under the mentorship of:
Mary Ann Laun, Joanne Kim, and Mane Hakopyan
Spring 2008
According the Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science, an archive is defined as “the records of any institution, public or private, preserved because of their value.” At the Pasadena City College Shatford Library, the archives lives up to this definition and brings the notion of valued records to its community of students and public patrons. The task of tracking the rich and deep history of Pasadena City College is in the hands of those dedicated to the tradition of preserving it. Over the many years of Pasadena City College’s various incarnations, individuals and organizations have taken great care to ensure the posterity of its many treasures. These treasures illuminate the path the institution has traveled to become the respected, forward-thinking, and integral part of its larger community. It has been my pleasure to have been under the mentorship of some of these individuals, and to learn skills required to ensure the multi-faceted veins of history of Pasadena City College found in the Shatford Library archives.
The tasks that were set before me included: 1) Reviewing (and updating) the Policy/Procedure Manual, 2) Acquainting myself with the organization and breadth of the archives, 3) Creating a weblog to voice my progress and thoughts, 4) Organizing the recently acquired Proof Sheets/Negatives of the Courier from the Journalism Department, 5) Creating finding lists for a newly acquired cabinet, and 6) Assisting Mary Ann Laun with the Campus Archive Project, 7) Finding and making available information for a patron who requested information from the archives. Within these tasks were several other tasks, which include the development of other skills: filing, sorting, housing, and labeling.
The first of the two tasks are related. The Policy/Procedure manual details the how items should be processed and filed in the archives. It also serves as a good introduction for those who are interesting in using the archives. I was able to gain a general overview of the organization of the archives. The Policy/Procedure manual can be updated slightly for the current use of the archives in terms of dates, but overall it is sufficient. As the archives begin to take on a more active role in the upcoming decades of preservation, it will need to be updated to include the digital methods of preservation. The second task of acquainting myself with the organization and breadth of the archives came out of physically exploring the holdings. There are so many facets of the archives that one could spend an entire year poking around without running out things to learn. Nevertheless, I was able to orient myself and create a simple floor plan map. Among the many treasures are Department Chair reports to the President from the early 20th century. These, to me, wonderfully give a wonderful and lasting impression of the richness of history preserved in the archives.
The third task of creating a weblog was fun. While I discontinued its use after the 9th week, it is still a valuable insight into my progress. I was able to, for the first time, set up a feed burner so that others can subscribe to the blog and become contributors (as Mane and Mary Ann did). The reason for discontinuing the blog was because of its collaborative limitation. As originally suggested by Mary Ann, a wiki might have provided a better platform for my projects in the online environment. A wiki can be instrumental in the world of archives because they can allow collaboration with the outer community. If, for instance, a series of photographs were to be found, they could be scanned and posted on an “Archive Wiki” where members of the community would be able to help identify persons captured in the images. The blog, while allowing for comments, is not as collaborative friendly as a wiki. I can foresee wikis playing an active role in the future of the Campus Archive Project.
The fourth task dealt with the Courier archive project. This entailed taking thousands of proof sheets and putting them into new 3-ring binders. These proof sheets originated from the Courier department where they were kept over for over three decades in deteriorating folders and manila envelopes. I transferred the proof sheets and labeled the new folders. Before the actual transfer I made a list of al the material that was found and constructed a database of it. This allowed me time to examine the amount of material and decide how to organize it in the new folders. A new finding list was then made which puts them all in findable order. Almost all of the original sets of proof sheets have original finding lists that describe each proof sheet, give the number of corresponding negative, the photographers name, etc. This I put into clear plastic protector sheets to allow a user to examine them without damaging them any more. The Courier archives are very complex and cover a large range of time. Before the Spring Semester of 1987, there was no division in “general” pictures and “sports” pictures. After this semester, the Courier staff began to separate these categories. The new folders respect this as provenance.
The new cabinet consists of several drawers of material, which comprised by fifth task. Some are ALA Read posters from the early eighties, Artist In Residence posters, Black History posters, old PCC blueprints, etc. I put much of this in alphabetical order to the degree that made sense for each drawer’s contents. The most useful thing that was accomplished was the making of new finding lists for each sub-section of the cabinet. Included were the labels for the drawers. The cabinet is much better than the one that was being used before, but unfortunately there seems to be a lot of material that needs to find a space in the cabinet that can not fit.
The sixth task was to assist Mary Ann in the Campus Archive Project. While the project itself is far from being complete, the insight I gained from it is invaluable to my understanding of archives. The Campus Archive Project stems from a survey that was conducted by Mary Ann which can be found in her On-Ramps to Digital Highways. This survey was an attempt to find the level of participation of the digitization of archival materials by community colleges in California. From this survey stemmed another survey done interdepartmentally at PCC. PCC has several different sites around campus that deserve special attention to their historical material which is aging and in danger of being lost. The Geology Library houses material that should be archived as well and the Performing and Communication Arts. Dean Douglass and James Arnwine, respectively to each aforementioned department, were highly cooperative in meeting with Mary Ann and me to discuss and review materials they house. These materials are barely the tip of an iceberg for the amount of material that can be digitized and housed for posterity.
My seventh task was to assist a patron who wished to find specific information from the archives itself. This patron was interested in the historical records of a past employee by the name of Mabel B. Peirson. He had found old letters between her and her brother and was fascinated by the narrative he found. He wished to find any old pictures of her. I was given the task of finding this information for the patron, if possible, and making it available. I was able to find pictures of Peirson and he chose one that best fit his needs. Because he is not a student, he had no access to the scanning computers in the Research Zone, so I made him several digital files of the image and transferred it to a number of his flash drives. This task was particularly important to me because it showed the power of preserving the materials and reinforces the need for doing so.
In conclusion, the archives have provided a wonderful place for me learn about the history of PCC and the importance of archival work. I am considering focusing on Archival Science while working toward my MLIS at San Jose State. It has inspired me to think carefully about documents that portray an aspect of history and how to consider them worthy of preservation. I have learned the care and patience to do what seems to be tedious work but which is very valuable to the future patrons who seek specialized information. Looking forward for the Shatford archives, I see that the space allotted needs to be expanded in some way. The room itself needs is running out of shelving areas. Mary Ann has suggested that more locked cases be purchased to house some of the materials in the archives and I hope that plans to buy them are approved. They will provide the necessary space to reorganize the archives and move forward with the Campus Archive Project.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Week 8: Overview and Updates
Overview:
Note: This blog has been posted late!
For students all over campus, this week is filled with thoughts of Midterm Examinations. Not only must I prepare for a Midterm but also a Final. This Final is for a short term course I have been enrolled in for the past 8 weeks, Essentials of Marketing. I also think that there is a need for this course, the Archive Internship, to evaluate my current progress.
Research Project: Mabel B. Peirson
I met with the patron who requested information about Mabel B. Peirson this past Tuesday. I found a plethora of materials for him that he was very happy to have. I found a picture of her in the 1906 Item Annual that is of very good quality (see picture to the left). He was very pleased with this picture. I agreed to make a scan of it which he can obtain after Spring Break. I will give him a copy of the picture as a jpeg when we meet again. He is not a student, but a member of the public. I do not think he has a library membership, but even so, he has a right to information. This is why I agreed to go out of my way and make him a scan of the picture. Otherwise, he does not have access to the computer or the scanner in the Research Zone. Even if he did, he made it clear that he does not have the necessary skills to use the computer and scanner. I do believe that the patron's needs are the most important thing, so this is another reason why I agreed to go out of my way for the picture. I will follow up on the next post about our next meeting.
Courier Project Update
The use of the spreadsheet is making all the idiosyncracies very clear in this project. The first years of material is not as organized. For example, there is no separation of Sports and General like in later years. As I continue to fill the spreadsheet with information, it will become obvious how to finally organize the Courier material in an accessible way.
Campus Archive Project (CAP):
No luck on any more meetings. I will continue to send out emails.
Cabinet Project Update:
Drawer 2 is still in the works!
Next Week (after Spring Break):
1) Continue with the Courier Spreadsheet.
2) Set up meetings for CAP.
3) Continue Cabinet Project.
Note: This blog has been posted late!
For students all over campus, this week is filled with thoughts of Midterm Examinations. Not only must I prepare for a Midterm but also a Final. This Final is for a short term course I have been enrolled in for the past 8 weeks, Essentials of Marketing. I also think that there is a need for this course, the Archive Internship, to evaluate my current progress.
Research Project: Mabel B. Peirson
I met with the patron who requested information about Mabel B. Peirson this past Tuesday. I found a plethora of materials for him that he was very happy to have. I found a picture of her in the 1906 Item Annual that is of very good quality (see picture to the left). He was very pleased with this picture. I agreed to make a scan of it which he can obtain after Spring Break. I will give him a copy of the picture as a jpeg when we meet again. He is not a student, but a member of the public. I do not think he has a library membership, but even so, he has a right to information. This is why I agreed to go out of my way and make him a scan of the picture. Otherwise, he does not have access to the computer or the scanner in the Research Zone. Even if he did, he made it clear that he does not have the necessary skills to use the computer and scanner. I do believe that the patron's needs are the most important thing, so this is another reason why I agreed to go out of my way for the picture. I will follow up on the next post about our next meeting.
Courier Project Update
The use of the spreadsheet is making all the idiosyncracies very clear in this project. The first years of material is not as organized. For example, there is no separation of Sports and General like in later years. As I continue to fill the spreadsheet with information, it will become obvious how to finally organize the Courier material in an accessible way.
Campus Archive Project (CAP):
No luck on any more meetings. I will continue to send out emails.
Cabinet Project Update:
Drawer 2 is still in the works!
Next Week (after Spring Break):
1) Continue with the Courier Spreadsheet.
2) Set up meetings for CAP.
3) Continue Cabinet Project.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Week 7: Overview and Update
Overview:
This past week was very productive. One of the most delightful incidences was the fact that I met Paul Kilian, a past PCC music Professor and Dean. He was hard at work in the archives, doing research for a history he is writing of the Pasadena City College Music Department. We had a chance to talk about the importance of archival material and he expressed how vital the Shatford Archives are to his research. I couldn't help but mention the phonautogram, invented by Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville and recently discovered by French historian David Giovannoni in a Parisian archive. The machine recorded a voice singing "Au Clair de la Lune" that predated Edison's recording of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" by seventeen years! Dr. Kilian and I both agreed that such a discovery truly illuminates how important it is to save historical documents and objects.
Courier Project Update:
I have begun a spreadsheet for the Courier proof sheets and negatives. This will help me develop an accurate finding list once all of the proof sheets are in binders and negatives in boxes. It will also allow for a quick glance of the extent of what is held by the archives of this material.
Campus Archives Project (CAP):
Mary Ann and I met with Dean Douglass of the Natural Sciences division last Tuesday morning in his office of the U Building. He had brought some items with him to the office to give us an idea of the history contained in the geology lab. One of the most important were digitized photographs on DVD. These images were taken from scrapbooks made by Jack van Amringe (past faculty) in 1938. This is exactly the kind of thing that CAP is attempting to both encourage and hopefully be able to offer to all departments in the future. Dean Douglass also had a copy of the Academic Master Plan (1980-1985), Anniversary Brochures for the Geology Club (DANA Club), and related ephemera to show us.
We then moved to the Geology Library in the H Building where Dean Douglass pointed out several things. The Geology department has US Geology Journals dating back to the time when John W. Powell was the president. These types of things should probably stay in the Geology Library, but could definitely use some mending/preservation attention. Dean Douglass showed us the physical scrapbooks from many years ago (the 20s and 30s) which had drawings by students, photographs, and text of past field trips. The field trip scrapbooks have not been scanned, but parts of other scrapbooks have. These scrap books are acidic and deteriorating. The digitization of these scrapbooks represent a significant part of what CAP can offer to the Natural Science department. There are cans of film, CDs, and DVDs which Dean Douglass said needed to be looked at in order to know what kind of information they contain. The films are in danger of deteriorating and should be examined soon. CAP is the perfect vehicle to help with such an endeavor and to suggest digitization if it necessary.
Dean Douglass ended our meeting by taking us to the Stanton Hill Geology Museum which was absolutely stunning. There were all kinds of rocks, gems, crystals, and the like of which I have no knowledge to name. Meeting with Dean Douglass was a truly wonderful introduction to the Campus Archive Project. Later in the week, I contacted Dean Douglass and we met in the Shatford Library to track down a year book his grandmother is in. We found her senior class picture in the 29-30 copy of Campus and he left with a very good copy.
Research Project: Mabel B. Peirson
I will be meeting with the patron who requested information on Mabel B. Peirson on Tuesday, April 8th at 3pm in the Shatford Library to give him the materials I collected. I look forward to this and I will recount our meeting in the next blog.
Cabinet Project:
I continued with the cabinet project by putting the first drawer's posters in alphabetical order. I also created a list of all the materials that are there for a specific finding list that I will print out and put in the Finding List Folder.
Next Week:
1) Continue spreadsheet for Courier Archive Project.
2) Create a spreadsheet of the CAP to track meetings, etc.
3) Set up meetings with more Deans for CAP.
4) Organize the Cabinet, drawer 2.
5) Organize the proof sheets and negatives of the other material outside of the Courier.
This past week was very productive. One of the most delightful incidences was the fact that I met Paul Kilian, a past PCC music Professor and Dean. He was hard at work in the archives, doing research for a history he is writing of the Pasadena City College Music Department. We had a chance to talk about the importance of archival material and he expressed how vital the Shatford Archives are to his research. I couldn't help but mention the phonautogram, invented by Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville and recently discovered by French historian David Giovannoni in a Parisian archive. The machine recorded a voice singing "Au Clair de la Lune" that predated Edison's recording of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" by seventeen years! Dr. Kilian and I both agreed that such a discovery truly illuminates how important it is to save historical documents and objects.
Courier Project Update:
I have begun a spreadsheet for the Courier proof sheets and negatives. This will help me develop an accurate finding list once all of the proof sheets are in binders and negatives in boxes. It will also allow for a quick glance of the extent of what is held by the archives of this material.
Campus Archives Project (CAP):
Mary Ann and I met with Dean Douglass of the Natural Sciences division last Tuesday morning in his office of the U Building. He had brought some items with him to the office to give us an idea of the history contained in the geology lab. One of the most important were digitized photographs on DVD. These images were taken from scrapbooks made by Jack van Amringe (past faculty) in 1938. This is exactly the kind of thing that CAP is attempting to both encourage and hopefully be able to offer to all departments in the future. Dean Douglass also had a copy of the Academic Master Plan (1980-1985), Anniversary Brochures for the Geology Club (DANA Club), and related ephemera to show us.
We then moved to the Geology Library in the H Building where Dean Douglass pointed out several things. The Geology department has US Geology Journals dating back to the time when John W. Powell was the president. These types of things should probably stay in the Geology Library, but could definitely use some mending/preservation attention. Dean Douglass showed us the physical scrapbooks from many years ago (the 20s and 30s) which had drawings by students, photographs, and text of past field trips. The field trip scrapbooks have not been scanned, but parts of other scrapbooks have. These scrap books are acidic and deteriorating. The digitization of these scrapbooks represent a significant part of what CAP can offer to the Natural Science department. There are cans of film, CDs, and DVDs which Dean Douglass said needed to be looked at in order to know what kind of information they contain. The films are in danger of deteriorating and should be examined soon. CAP is the perfect vehicle to help with such an endeavor and to suggest digitization if it necessary.
Dean Douglass ended our meeting by taking us to the Stanton Hill Geology Museum which was absolutely stunning. There were all kinds of rocks, gems, crystals, and the like of which I have no knowledge to name. Meeting with Dean Douglass was a truly wonderful introduction to the Campus Archive Project. Later in the week, I contacted Dean Douglass and we met in the Shatford Library to track down a year book his grandmother is in. We found her senior class picture in the 29-30 copy of Campus and he left with a very good copy.
Research Project: Mabel B. Peirson
I will be meeting with the patron who requested information on Mabel B. Peirson on Tuesday, April 8th at 3pm in the Shatford Library to give him the materials I collected. I look forward to this and I will recount our meeting in the next blog.
Cabinet Project:
I continued with the cabinet project by putting the first drawer's posters in alphabetical order. I also created a list of all the materials that are there for a specific finding list that I will print out and put in the Finding List Folder.
Next Week:
1) Continue spreadsheet for Courier Archive Project.
2) Create a spreadsheet of the CAP to track meetings, etc.
3) Set up meetings with more Deans for CAP.
4) Organize the Cabinet, drawer 2.
5) Organize the proof sheets and negatives of the other material outside of the Courier.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Week 6: Overview and Updates
Overview:
This week went very well. An ironic thing happened Thursday while I was working at the Circulation Desk. I noticed a young lady, perched on the staircase, preparing to take photographs. I had previously been told to interrupt photographers and inform them to request permission from Mary Ann in order to continue. Following this policy, I approached the woman and stated the rules. She was fairly upset with the policy because the photographs were to be used for an article to be published in the Courier!! To me, this was hilariously ironic. There I was, hindering a photographer for the Courier, while I spend time every week building the archive photopraphs for the Courier!
The whole incident got me thinking about how it would be wonderful if the Courier did an article on the Shatford Archives. I bet there would be some interest there! The last two issues of the Courier have had articles about the library - the latest was about the noise in the Library. Should we contact the journalism department and see if they would like to do an article on the Archives?
Courier Project Update:
I am happy to report that the Courier Proof Sheets are all in chronological order and ready to begin the transfer into folders (once they arrive). It took some time going through all of the boxes of envelopes with proof sheets. I have a feeling that some folders will be able to fit only one semester, and others up to three. The amount of proof sheets per semester is not consistent.
The Negatives are in order also and ready to be put in boxes. I am thinking that the grey archive boxes will be the best.
If the folders do not come tomorrow then I will begin to sort out all of the other publications like Airplay, Focus, etc. There is a fair amount of material there.
Campus Archives Project (CAP):
Dean Douglass from the Natural Sciences department has invited us over his archives Tuesday, April 1st. I am very excited! Dean Robert Miller (Academic Support) emailed me to let me know that he has no archival material to speak of.
I read in the most recent Courier that Dean Ellen Ligons (Career & Technical Education)was in a car accident, so I don't expect we can visit her for a fair amount of time. I did not hear back from Dean Don Paxton (Business and Computer Technology) or Dean Alex Kritselis (Visual Arts and Media Studies).
I will continue to email Deans throughout the week to set up a meeting for April 22nd.
Policy/Procedure and Finding List Folders:
I had the chance to organize these folders a little more. I hope to start updating some of the text of the Policy/Procedure Folder just to make it up to date. Next week I intend to make copies of the finding lists that Mane has created (hanging on the shelves) to put in the Finding List Folder.
Glass Case for Celebration:
Mane is really coming up with some great ideas for the Glass case display. We talked about how to convey the current age's use of computers and the Internet in the display. She found a beautiful picture on the cover of a Psychology textbook that I think will work wonderfully! I like the idea of having a tiny computer with something on the screen like ProQuest's home search page.
Mane and I talked about the idea of collages also. I would love to help with this project as the time gets closer! I love making collages.
Research Project: Mabel B. Peirson
The highlight of the week was being taught by Mane how to search for information in the Archives. A patron asked Mary Ann if the archives has any information about Mabel B. Peirson, a past chairperson of the Biological Science division. So, Mane took the request of the patron and showed me how to search for pictures and other information regarding past faculty. I had a wonderful time finding pictures in past year books, catalogs, and I even poked around the past Chairman Reports to the President. The whole project was a great success and I can't wait to get the materials I made copies of to the patron.
Next Week:
Goals for next week:
1) Meet with Dean Douglass.
2) Organize more of the Courier materials and possibly the other publications.
3) Set up meetings with the Deans I have emailed and and send more meeting requests.
4) Work on the Cabinet.
5) Continue updating Policy/Procedure and Finding List folders.Work on the Cabinet project.
6) Send the materials about Mabel Peirson to the inquiring patron.
This week went very well. An ironic thing happened Thursday while I was working at the Circulation Desk. I noticed a young lady, perched on the staircase, preparing to take photographs. I had previously been told to interrupt photographers and inform them to request permission from Mary Ann in order to continue. Following this policy, I approached the woman and stated the rules. She was fairly upset with the policy because the photographs were to be used for an article to be published in the Courier!! To me, this was hilariously ironic. There I was, hindering a photographer for the Courier, while I spend time every week building the archive photopraphs for the Courier!
The whole incident got me thinking about how it would be wonderful if the Courier did an article on the Shatford Archives. I bet there would be some interest there! The last two issues of the Courier have had articles about the library - the latest was about the noise in the Library. Should we contact the journalism department and see if they would like to do an article on the Archives?
Courier Project Update:
I am happy to report that the Courier Proof Sheets are all in chronological order and ready to begin the transfer into folders (once they arrive). It took some time going through all of the boxes of envelopes with proof sheets. I have a feeling that some folders will be able to fit only one semester, and others up to three. The amount of proof sheets per semester is not consistent.
The Negatives are in order also and ready to be put in boxes. I am thinking that the grey archive boxes will be the best.
If the folders do not come tomorrow then I will begin to sort out all of the other publications like Airplay, Focus, etc. There is a fair amount of material there.
Campus Archives Project (CAP):
Dean Douglass from the Natural Sciences department has invited us over his archives Tuesday, April 1st. I am very excited! Dean Robert Miller (Academic Support) emailed me to let me know that he has no archival material to speak of.
I read in the most recent Courier that Dean Ellen Ligons (Career & Technical Education)was in a car accident, so I don't expect we can visit her for a fair amount of time. I did not hear back from Dean Don Paxton (Business and Computer Technology) or Dean Alex Kritselis (Visual Arts and Media Studies).
I will continue to email Deans throughout the week to set up a meeting for April 22nd.
Policy/Procedure and Finding List Folders:
I had the chance to organize these folders a little more. I hope to start updating some of the text of the Policy/Procedure Folder just to make it up to date. Next week I intend to make copies of the finding lists that Mane has created (hanging on the shelves) to put in the Finding List Folder.
Glass Case for Celebration:
Mane is really coming up with some great ideas for the Glass case display. We talked about how to convey the current age's use of computers and the Internet in the display. She found a beautiful picture on the cover of a Psychology textbook that I think will work wonderfully! I like the idea of having a tiny computer with something on the screen like ProQuest's home search page.
Mane and I talked about the idea of collages also. I would love to help with this project as the time gets closer! I love making collages.
Research Project: Mabel B. Peirson
The highlight of the week was being taught by Mane how to search for information in the Archives. A patron asked Mary Ann if the archives has any information about Mabel B. Peirson, a past chairperson of the Biological Science division. So, Mane took the request of the patron and showed me how to search for pictures and other information regarding past faculty. I had a wonderful time finding pictures in past year books, catalogs, and I even poked around the past Chairman Reports to the President. The whole project was a great success and I can't wait to get the materials I made copies of to the patron.
Next Week:
Goals for next week:
1) Meet with Dean Douglass.
2) Organize more of the Courier materials and possibly the other publications.
3) Set up meetings with the Deans I have emailed and and send more meeting requests.
4) Work on the Cabinet.
5) Continue updating Policy/Procedure and Finding List folders.Work on the Cabinet project.
6) Send the materials about Mabel Peirson to the inquiring patron.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Week 5: Photos
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Here I am next to the sorting shelves where the Courier archives are kept temporarily while I organize them!
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Proof sheet folders and envelopes in sorting area.
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Negative boxes in sorting area.
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Spine of old proof sheet folder.
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Finding list inside the old proof sheet folder.
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Proof sheets inside the old folder.
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Outside of a negative box.
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Inside of a negative box.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Week 4: Overview and Update
Overview:
Well this week has trully been special because of yesterday's Courier article which announced the ACRL Excellence in Academic Libraries Award. I am so pround to be a student/intern/worker here! Shatford Library is trully getting the attention it deserves.
Also, late last week I came across a book and DVD we have in circulation entitled Cultivating Pasadena: from Roses to Redevelopment. It presents old photographs of street perspectives (archived by the Automobile Club of Southern California) and juxtaposes them next to photographs taken from the same angle in the present day. The results are remarkable! There is even a perspective of PCC included! The DVD is filled with interviews and unique interactive photgraphs. I hope to show these to Mane for inpiration for the glass case she is preparing for the award celebration.
Yesterday was also marked by an interaction I had with a gentleman at the Circulation Desk who inquired about the Archives. Mane was out yesterday, so I could not direct him to her, but I did mention that I am an intern in the Archives. He then asked about accessing past catalogs to make copies for course description verification, etc. I gave him Mane's phone number and directed him to the reference desk to obtain an Archive Request Form (I failed to find any at Circulation, so I will make copies to have on hand for next time). It was enlightening to have an experience with someone requesting access to archival material because it directly showed me how the material is still sought after and emphasized the importance of preserving past catalogs.
Okay, now down to business! As mentioned in the last blog, I was not here on Tuesday because the campus was closed for Flex Day. I was still able to accomplish some things though.
Courier:
I am glad to announce that I have a prototype folder of proof sheets ready for review! Jennifer gave me a folder to use that is like the ones that she ordered earlier this week. I used it and Mane gave me tab dividers and clear sleeves. Mane and I had a short meeting on Wednesday to discuss ideas on how to organize the folder I followed what we discussed with some minor changes. I chose the 1977 Folder of proof sheets to create this prototype. Quite a few interesting issues came up that I can't wait to discuss!
My goal listed for last week was to sort as much as possible, but instead I only worked on the prototype folder as it took priority.
Campus Archives Project (CAP):
I met with Mary Ann on Wednesday to discuss the priorities of the emailing list to Deans. I obtained a list of 16 Deans and Mary Ann gave me three dates to set up meetings (3/18, 4/1, 4/22).
I sent emails to Alex Kritselis (Visual Arts and Media Studies), Ellen Ligons (Career & Technical Education), Don Paxton (Business and Computer Technology), David Douglass (Natural Sciences), and Robert Miller (Academic Support). Hopefully I hear back from them soon! I can't wait to visit their resources.
Mary Ann has mentioned the idea of the Library buying more locked, glass cases to house some of the materials in archives outside of the main room. This would allow for more space to be available for the materials obtained from the other departments. I think this is a wonderful idea because we definitely need more space!
One thing I noticed is that the list of deans I was given at my meeting with Mary Ann does not match the list of surveys in the report. For example, I have no copy of a survey given to the English Dean, Amy Ulmer. I don't know if this means that there was no survey given/received. I hope to figure this out next week!
My goal last week mentioned that I would come up with a sheet of some kind to note was transpires at the meeting. Each meeting will most likely be unique so I will just bring my laptop and write during and after the discussion.
Policy/Procedure and Finding List Folders:
I did not have a chance to work on these!
Next Week:
Normal shedule next week!
Goals for next week:
1) Have a discussion about the Courier prototype folder and progress with it.
2) Organize more of the Courier materials with special attention to the negetives.
3) Set up meetings with the Deans I have emailed and and send more meeting requests.
4) Continue updating Policy/Procedure and Finding List folders.
5) Discuss the glass case display for the award celebration with Mane.
Until Next Monday!
Friday, March 7, 2008
Week 3: Overview and Update
Overview:
This is the week when the scope of the types of projects for the internship came into clear view. My meetings with Mane over the past two weeks have completely oriented me to the structure of the Archives and now I am immersed in the Courier Archive project. My meeting with Mary Ann last Friday determined the nature of the Campus Digital Archive project and I have begun to organize for the upcoming meetings with participating departments on campus. These two projects have the highest priority on my list of goals and objectives.
Lower in priority (but not importance!) are the new cabinet's organization (and finding list), updating all the location lists, updating the Policy/Procedure manual, and basic organizational duties. There are certain tasks that may take higher priority in the future such as the digitizing of the bound campus newspaper archives.
Courier Update:
My headway in the Courier archives is going very well. I have begun to sort the many envelopes by date. Once I have them in chronological order, my task will be to examine the contents (proof sheets). I have three sections of folders (proof sheets) developing: 1) General, 2) Sports, and 3) Mixed General and Sports. This stems from the journalism department's method of organizing. It seems that before 1974 there was no distinction between General and Sports, hence the Mixed category. The envelopes (proof sheets) will also be shelved with the folders as they are sorted.
I am excited to say that I have found envelopes that include proof sheets for Airplay, Focus, and Prism (originally marked separately). These have been put in a different area to reduce confusion from the Courier archives. While important, I am guessing that these proof sheets will take just a notch less priority than the Courier archives. They can be housed in the same manner (folders) and in tandem with the Courier archives.
Campus Archive Project (CAP) Update:
First and foremost I have read Mary Ann's reports and I find them fascinating. The fact that digital archiving is a viable means of storing and making available a campus' rich history is an impetus for grant writing and masters theses across the state! With the proper funding, a whole new era of archiving can bloom.
I look forward to setting up meetings between Mary Ann, myself, and the departments that responded to the survey that Mary Ann included in her PCC report. I can't wait to see what treasures and invaluable historical information is out there!
Next Week:
Note: My usual Tuesday schedule for working in the archives has been thwarted by Flex Day, so I will have to do my work on Monday,Wednesday, and/or Friday.
Goals for next week:
1) Continue sorting and organizing the Courier archives. If I finish the sorting, I will begin to examine contents.
2) Obtain Mary Ann's schedule and draft an email to send to the departments. I will also develop a simple sheet to take to the meetings that can be used describe the contents of the departments' archives for general statistics on the volume and nature of material that needs to be digitized.
3) Continue updating Policy/Procedure and Finding List folders.
Until next Monday!
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