The End, Part Six: Epilogue

On my last day, I composed a quick breakdown of information in regards to the collection.  I have included my closing words to whomever continues processing the Nugent collection.  It's rather useless to everyone but those in the archives.  However, I find it a very good summary all that I've done:

The Basics

The collection, as of December of 2010, consists of six accessions totaling 79 boxes of materials.  In addition, there are currently 11 boxes (and counting) of materials to return or discard; these include article reprints, print journals, and copies of published works.  A handful of the boxes have been deemed inappropriate for archiving.  The collection has several restrictions of varying time frames in multiple locations across each accession.  In short, it is complicated.

The Plan

An approved processing plan includes seven series, each with at least three main sub-series.  A full listing of the series and other planning documentation can also be found stored in the archive network.  Inside this folder are several Word documents noting the locations of materials in each series.  This should be useful!  Each series and its sub-series is broken down by accession number, box number, and folder; this is a comprehensive list of where to go to find what is needed to fully process a series.  In addition, one large file, named “Nugent Collection Container List” includes all boxes and folders of each accession with listings of series and sub-series; this container list is a bit messy and has been edited with proper names of publications and persons.  Also included is a short list of restrictions, but it is lacking in specificity; talk to Phil for details.

Thus Far

As of 12/2010, processing has been ongoing but is far from complete.  Thus far, only the Publications series has been processed, and not in its entirety.  The collection contains sensitive information that will need further restriction (i.e. grad student files), photographs, and multiple forms of audio and video.  (I have made note of the locations of audio/visual materials in the series lists.) Be wary of sensitive materials.

The collection is on shelves throughout the archives in a few locations: on the back shelf in the back storage area; on the wall shelves in the main processing area, and under the big processing table.  Four boxes from accession 2010/088 are in shelving near the table in the back storage room—these will be returned or discarded.  The main reprints/discards boxes are on the top of the back shelves in the back storage area, above the still-to-be-processed materials.

Much has been done, yet much remains.  Hopefully the plans made and notes taken will be useful.  Good luck!

Reading Response Nine: Electronic Records In Manuscript Collections

Yale archivist Michael Forstrom discusses some of the basic strategies for capturing digitally-born records in “Managing Electronic Records in Manuscript Collections:  A Case Study from the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.”  This 2008 work uses the case of author George Whitmore to exemplify the challenges archivist face in preserving, describing, and providing access to electronic documents.  Forstrom discusses a series of pilot programs at Yale designed to improve upon electronic document archival workflows, as well as the challenges in conforming to descriptive standards such as DACS (Describing Archives:  A Content Standard).  The results at Yale thus far have been positive; the current study is ongoing through 2012. 

Part of the digital workflow at Yale utilizes proprietary software to render a multitude of file types.  While presently effective, the use of proprietary software is a danger to the long-term sustainability as well as accessibility of archival records.  As a general rule, archives should attempt, whenever possible, to utilize open source tools.  Of course, creators of digital documents will most likely use proprietary software in the creation process.  Understanding the provenance of the document will go a long way to better deliverance of archival-quality preservation.  Digital documents born today contain at least basic metadata for use by archivists.  Mr. Forstrom concludes his remarks stating, “Staff members in collecting repositories need to be proactive.  …repository employees are creating and sharing digital preservation guidelines with authors, conducting records surveys, developing new done and legal agreements and transfer tools, and arranging snapshot accession of authors’ digital archives.” Such a stand is aggressive and a difficult practice to apply with any consistency, nor can an archive expect to reach a great percentage of prospective donors with such a program.  However, if the message is publicized, perhaps a little bit of information for potential manuscript donors will go a long way.  This program certainly may become a new trend in the way archives approach collection development and electronic records preservation.

Forstrom, Michael. “Managing Electronic Records in Manuscript Collections: A Case Study from the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.” American Archivist, Volume 72, No. 2, Fall/Winter 2009, pp. 460-477.

Reading Response Eight: Better Practices For Presidential Libraries

Former Truman Library Director Larrry J. Hackman argues in favor of new procedures in the administration of presidential libraries in “Toward Better Policies and Practices for Presidential Libraries.”  Hackman finds the overall administration, direction, and policies of today’s presidential libraries to be incomplete and somewhat wrong-headed.  These libraries, which often have museums attached to them, are under the purview of NARA, the National Archives and Records Administration; yet often formulate their own missions, collection policies, and budgetary choices.  Presidential libraries, though centers for American history, are not necessarily fulfilling their obligation as a well-rounded educational enterprise.  Furthermore, Hackman goes on to state that each library can vary widely in their programming, leaving gaps in some areas so to under educate researchers and visitors.  The authors goes on to enumerate a significant list of problems currently associated with the presidential library system, then lists a multitude of solutions aimed at increasing collaboration between the libraries and NARA as a means to improve the collections, policies, and educational capabilities of the libraries and museums.

The article touches on several points that make a reader take notice.  Presidential libraries are ideally suited to become centers for national educational programming, yet Hackman states this is not necessarily the case.  In fact, he claims some libraries exaggerate the roles and accomplishments of their namesakes simply because of a need for publicity and recognition.  This is a breach of ethical protocol in the information profession, where the librarian or archivist, is not meant to bend history to support the fact but instead to present the facts for others to contemplate.  The presidential library and museum system is decentralized with more local governance than national direction; a more equal partnership would go a long way to standardizing historical content and education.  One can only hope that an effort to utilize the best practices of the profession will allow for improving libraries, comprehensive in collections and strong in educational programs for the millions of visitors to them across the country.

Hackman, Larry J. “Toward Better Policies and Practices for Presidential Libraries.” The Public Historian, August 2006, Vol. 28, No. 3: 165–184.

Photographic Evidence

I snapped a few pictures during the course of the semester, simply to display the collection processing in some fashion.  Here's a few pictures before processing:

All the boxes you see on the table in the first picture and on the shelf in the second are part of the Nugent collection.  There are a few more out of range of the camera.


Once I began processing, I was able to consolidate a number of boxes.  My workspace increased as the number of boxes on the table decreased.

Here you can see a typical day processing: my notes, an unprocessed folder to the bottom left, and a stack of processed materials to the top left.  I had plenty of space to work during my internship.  By the last day I had managed to clear off the entire table, thanks to some openings in shelving courtesy of Dina.

The End, Part Five: Resolution

And so, the last week of the internship has come and gone.  This week was like many others, save a few hours to clean up loose ends and discuss my progress to date with my supervisor, University Archivist and Archives Director Phil Bantin.  I was pleased to hear positive feedback in regards to the work I have done.  I processed, by my own estimation, somewhere around one-third of the entire collection, and probably nearly half of what will be deemed archival materials at the end.  I also revised my folder lists and notes to remove any potential of confusion for my successor.  Thankfully Phil also gave his seal of approval on the the notes I have left for the next Nugent processor, whomever that shall be.  The work was not easy, nor was it necessarily what I expected when I began my internship in August.  As any reader of this blog will attest, there were times I spent scratching my head.  Yet, I kept working and I believe accomplished good work, for my part.  I am sad to be leaving the work incomplete; I despise leaving a project unfinished.  I can take solace in the fact I have given the next processor a jump start in his or her work, once they too wrap their heads around an interesting if not overly difficult collection to process.

I want to thank all of the wonderful people in the Archives for being kind, supportive, and helpful during the course my internship.  Thank you Dina, Carrie, Kate, Brad, and Phil.  You are a fantastic group, and the University is lucky to have you all.  I also want to thank my fellow interns for offering a helpful hint or two when asked.

As for the Archives, I will be back next week not to intern but to continue working on the Board of Trustees minutes, and to begin work on the Bloomington Faculty Council Minutes.  The work, in all varieties, is never done.  At least, archivists hope not.

The End, Part Four: Falling Action

I spent the last month of my internship almost exclusively processing the collection.  At times I found a folder I had missed or been improperly assigned to a sub-series.  However, I found the work pleasant.  My earlier frustrations seemed less mind-boggling, and the archive seemed less intimidating.  In processing, I came across deeds, financial documents, and death certificates from the Civil War Era.  I found that to be very exciting.  Those records were in fine condition; however, a group of newspaper clippings from the 1940s fared far worse.  The clippings would have been in poor shape in any circumstance, yet these had been taped to some type of construction paper, leaving shards of tape, construction paper, and newspaper peeling.  Nearly half of the text from these clippings was unreadable due to the adhesive.  Newspaper clippings are going to be a part of collections for the foreseeable future but one cannot help but contemplate the useful time remaining for the billions of these likely in collections across the world.  In the proper conditions, newspaper can be made to last for a lengthy period of time but the proper conditions are hard to come by.  

In a past life I worked with paper for 40 hours or more each week.  I am fascinated by the history of paper, its various constructions, and the paper choices of users.  I may be digressing but I believe the paper a person uses can speak of something about the individual.  Obviously current production standards may dissuade one from accepting this argument, yet if a person chooses to use 70 pound over the standard 20 pound, that speaks to their socioeconomic status, taste, or fads of the time.  It's a part of history overlooked by many, and one I still think about today, surrounded by boxes of the paper from all comers.

The last few weeks of my internship passed very quickly.  I spent the day before Thanksgiving processing and encoding up until the close of business. The last two weeks were spent processing and helping out with a reference question or two.  I tossed more than a few old, rusty paper clips into the trash.  (I am less fond of paper clips now.)  Interestingly enough, Professor Nugent had copied several dozen oral histories from archives across the country.  On these he had made front-page notations of what chapter the history might belong to in his forthcoming book on the subject.  In respect to archival copyright, I made photocopies of the first page and pulled the remainder as a reprint.  In this manner, the notes are preserved and the archive can be easily contacted for more information on the oral history if a researcher finds it necessary in the future.  In many ways, processing is the direct opposite to working in a print production facility.  Instead of pulling out blank sheets for imprinting, an archivist takes the imprinted paper and stores it away.  I find the analogy slightly off but personally pleasing nonetheless.

The End, Part Three: Climax

I had a plan, but I did not have the means to execute that plan.  Yet, this was not a point of frustration.  I found my way back to make a list of items, for this time my planning involved specific boxes and folders.  For example, for the Publications series, I went through my large container list and pulled out all folders associated with each publication.  I listed each publication chronologically, carefully noting the boxes and folders containing materials for each title.  In this manner I created a comprehensive list of all folders for each series, sub-series, and record group for the entirety of the Nugent Collection.  I thoroughly enjoyed hammering out an action list from the outline of my overall processing plan.  Finally, this archive thing became exciting and, for lack of a better word, fun.  Now I was on to something.

This step seems obvious now, and I can only imagine an experienced archivist heartily laughing at my trials.  Part of being a novice is realizing your limitations, and I certainly was confronted by those each day.  In any case, with more lists than ever in my hands, I went back to that first box, pulled out the first folder, and...  started processing.  Slowly at first, then with more efficiency, I began to make my way through the research, correspondence, and drafts associated with Professor Nugent's first published monograph.  The papers were nearly 50 years old, and required new folders and the removal of very rusty paper clips.  I tagged folders with photographs for later special processing.  Within an hour I had processed more than a dozen folders.  I was finally, FINALLY, putting all those hours surveying, note-taking, and list-making to good use.  Relief.  Happiness.  Self-confidence.  This is the work I was meant to do.

The End, Part Two: Rising Action

Frustration.  Confusion.  Trepidation.  All these things I felt at the onset of my internship.  I longed for administrative files from a student group, or financial records from a campus department.  Anything more basic than what I found before me.  Nevertheless, there was work to be done, and I was determined to do my part.  The sheer volume of materials combined with various restrictions, formats, and miscellaneous personal items made for one confused intern.  Yet, one thought kept coming back to me: if I can do this, then I would prove to myself that I could do this job.  

After a few weeks of studying the Nugent papers, I began to formulate the overall arrangement of the collection.  I recognized common themes and slotted documents into series based upon these.  I decided to create a massive list of all folders in all 79 boxes.  From this list, which took at least 20 hours to create, I noted publications.  Then I recognized professional organizations.  Soon, I also began to see general correspondence, logs, special projects, academic positions, and finally, personal items.  Seven series were born from those boxes, and once I had a plan, I had something to work from.  Happily, my processing plan was approved!  So I began to process.  I opened the first box, pulled out the first folder, and looked at it.  

I had no clue what to do next.

The End, Part One: Exposition

As I end my internship this week, I want to speak on the variety of experiences, impressions, tasks, and thoughts that have come to mind over the course of the last few months.  Though the internship was a mere 180 hours, I was able to learn a tremendous amount about the fundamental day-to-day work of an archivist. Some of this I learned by doing, some I learned by reading, and some I learned by listening.  In any case, the amount I know now greatly exceeds what I knew a few short months ago.  This Fall has easily been the most challenging and most rewarding of my time in graduate school.

As I began, I knew I needed to learn.  And learn.  Then learn some more.  I have always felt that one cannot fully grasp anything by simply reading--you have to experience it too, at some point.  I had never worked professionally in the role of archivist, yet I knew I wanted to enter the profession.  The very nature of archival work suits my appreciation of the past, respect for the preservation of the present, and hope that future researchers will be able to do good work based partially upon my efforts.  I do not believe these ideals to be idealistic but instead, simply aspirations for society.  History deserves respect.  An archive may be the ultimate tool to showing that appreciation for the past.

Yet as I started my work, I often felt unsure of myself as I made my progressions in processing my collection.  The "doing" was more confusing than I anticipated.  A few stops and starts did little to add to my confidence.  I worked for years before graduate school and always quickly rose to the challenge; unexpectedly, this was not something I could grasp quickly despite my background knowledge and eagerness to learn.  Sadly, the archive was not the most fun place in the world at 8 a.m. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.  I began to wonder....  why did I choose this again?

Reading Response Seven: What's History Got To Do With It?

Tom Nesmith discusses the relevance of historical background knowledge in archives with “What’s History Got to Do With It?  Reconsidering the Place of Historical Knowledge in Archival Work.”  Early on, Nesmith states, “…archivists could draw more deeply on historical information and interest in order to perform better their distinctive archival work and to meet the challenges they face as a distinct profession.”  Understanding more about the history of a record, going even beyond its provenance, may allow an archivist to form conceptual relationships beneficial to institutional memory and historical research.  Through appraisal and the creation of online finding aids, archivists are becoming part of the document history as well.  Nesmith connects the necessity for complete metadata associated with electronic documents with acknowledgement and understanding of the importance of historical relevancy.  In other words, all documents from all eras benefit from framing within the properly associated context.  The movement toward digital repositories creates new challenges but also new means of creating these historical connections.  Archivists are historians—perhaps not in a traditional sense—and a strong knowledge base will not only allow the archivist to better understand the collections present but to also develop a deeper grasp of the gaps in the historical record within the archive.  To refute historical knowledge, to attempt to set learning aside because it is not a specific part of the job description, is heresy.  An archivist’s job is to preserve those records deemed worthy of such treatment.  In doing so, the archivist helps mold the known history, and in doing that, is a part of the history itself.  The least the archivist can do is take the time to understand what brought their institution—and themselves—to today.

Nesmith, Tom. “What’s History Got to Do With It?:  Reconsidering the Place of Historical Knowledge in Archival Work.” Archivaria, Spring 2004.

Sidenote: Encoding Work In The Archives

One of the more enjoyable aspects of my time in the University Archives has been unrelated to my work as an intern. I was hired at the beginning of the fall semester to encode the minutes of the Indiana University Board of Trustees as part of an ongoing project. The Board of Trustees (BoT) meets approximately once every two months, and has done so for well over a century. My task is to utilize pre-scanned minutes of past meetings and Microsoft Word documents of present meetings to create a digital representation accessible for the public. The project has been ongoing; the minutes are currently encoded from present day to 1959.

The minutes are encoded in TEI utilizing the XML Editor oXygen. TEI, or Text Encoding Initiative, is a markup language designed to ease the display and dissemination of information. I find it to be extremely enjoyable work. In prior course work, I have encoded in EAC (Encoded Archival Context) and EAD (Encoded Archival Description) and found those experiences challenging and quite frankly, fun. This position is my first working with TEI. I have been as pleased working in this markup language as I have others.

So far this fall I have encoded minutes from 2010 and 1958-59. The structure of the minutes has changed in the last half-century but the business of the University is unchanged. Encoding these meetings requires I enter the proper metadata, use the appropriate tags, and make certain the minutes are encoded in a structure easy to use for visitors to the BoT website. All this allows the University to serve the public in a manner it could not in the past.

Using TEI came naturally, I have gained a fundamental grasp of yet another encoding language. I will continue on in the Archives in the spring as the BoT encoder and have also accepted the position as encoder for the Bloomington Faculty Council (BFC) minutes as well.

Reading Response Six: Oral History in the Archives

“Oral History in the Archives:  Its Documentary Role in the Twenty-first Century” by Ellen D. Swain analyzes the array of challenges in the creation, preservation, accessibility, and future of oral histories in the archival community.  Historically, Swain notes, oral histories have not been seen as a large component of the archival mission; not until the latter half of the twentieth century did a move toward creation and storage these histories begin.  With oral histories, should archivists act as collection developers, as creators of material meant directly for archival storage?  Swain presents both sides of the argument, and then chooses to discuss the problems of copyright and access that plague the medium.  Furthermore, tape and video recordings will eventually degrade in the best of environments, so a move to digitize oral history original carriers is now underway.  Swain argues oral histories have their place in archives and will only continue to serve as key evidentiary pieces to the historical puzzle in the future.  Archives must face down any inherent issues, create, and preserve these histories for cultural memory.

The article specifies that oral historians need the skills of both historians and archivists to properly understand the methods in creating a worthwhile historical document.  Issues include the best methods of storing the original audio and visual interviews, choices in transcription, and the demand of digitization of each as obsolescence and degradation threaten old recorded oral histories.  The digital transference of recorded histories is essential in the sound and paper records.  Fully searchable digital transcripts are the dream of every archivist and researcher; unfortunately, resources to create such a scenario are slim.  Technological leaps in voice recognition may allow for digital sound files to auto-transcribe the oral histories.  One can expect other technologies to come forth to increase accessibility of these one-of-a-kind records.  Another debate is whether oral histories belong in an archive or library; this debate seems unnecessary, as the accessibility and preservation of these unique histories is most important, not where they are housed.  One would hope the debate would rage over the best manners to preserve history, not who is able to claim it.

Swain, Ellen D. “Oral History in the Archives: Its Documentary Role in the Twenty-first Century.” American Archivist, Volume 66, No. 1, Spring/Summer 2003, pp. 139-158.

Reading Response Five: Institutional Repositories

“Institutional Repositories and the Institutional Repository: College and University Archives and Special Collections in an Era of Change,” by Elizabeth Yakel and others, encompasses the results of a 2006 study of the growing archival involvement in the digital institutional repository, or IR for short.  The authors were desirous to learn the involvement levels of library and archival staff, the types of documents (archival or not) kept in IRs, and the viability of institutional repositories as an archival tool in the expanding digital era.  Through a series of surveys and questionnaires, the authors discovered the number of IRs increasing on college and university campuses as archives play a part in their growth.  Yet archivists often do not serve as the technical experts but instead continue to serve traditional roles as preservation and appraisal experts.

Indiana University has two institutional repositories worth noting for archivists and scholars alike.  IUScholarWorks serves as a repository for academic and scholarly publications.  Faculty and advanced students are encouraged to house their work in this institutional repository.  The other large IR is the Archives of Institutional Memory, or AIM, which serves as an archival tool for a variety of documents from departments across campus.  The AIM is not meant to serve academia but instead the operations of the University, including bulletins, newsletters, and reports.  Each serves an important purpose in maintaining the contributions and history of IU.

The institutional repository is a new tool for archivists in the ever-changing document production environment.  Their existence has the potential for simplifying the preservation of reports born in a digital environment.  I learned during my internship that the Archives of Institutional Memory houses documents in PDF-A format in order to ensure continued accessibility far into the digital age.  Policies such as this allow for electronic work to be processed, preserved, and accessed as easily, if not more easily, than their paper counterparts.  The need for expansive institutional repositories will only increase over time, and one can imagine a 2010 study identical to this 2006 work would produce fascinating results in comparison.  Hopefully archivists will develop more skill in working in digital technologies, increasing their impact on the structure as well as the content of a growing part of their archives.

Yakel, Elizabeth, et al. “Institutional Repositories and the Institutional Repository: College and University Archives and Special Collections in an Era of Change.” American Archivist, Volume 71, No. 2, Fall/Winter 2008, pp. 323-349.

Reading Response Four: Meeting the Challenge of Contemporary Records

In her Presidential address to the Society of American Archivists in August of 1999, Luciana Duranti chose to speak to the fundamental roles of the archival profession in the face of debate of the changes surrounding archival practice. Duranti compares a number of publications and opinions, alike and unalike, in order to frame the opinion that archives, no matter the change in methodology and technology, hold true to their mission as repositories of cultural heritage. Archivists take on as many roles as needed to fulfill their duties: as an administrator, employee, and public contact, to name a few. Duranti states to do so requires the archivist to hold true to the values archives have possessed since the French Revolution: to maintain for the public those records necessary to keep for the posterity of generations to come.

Archivists are expected to undertake a tremendous amount of personal stake in the repositories in which they work. The archive will achieve as the archivist achieves—an archive operated by a staff devoted to upholding the best practices and performing at the highest levels will grow to become an important institution. These are high-level thoughts and ideals, and in a perfect world even the best archivist cannot great the best archive. The work is hard and the expectations day-to-day are often difficult to overcome. Yet, one can attempt to do so. Duranti hopes that by reminding the profession of their long history of honored historical maintenance, conservation, and preservation, its professional membership will be reinvigorated and rise once again to the challenges at hand today.

Duranti, Luciana. “Meeting the Challenge of Contemporary Records: Does it Require a Role Change for the Archivist,” American Archivist, Vol. 63, No. 1 (Spring/Summer 2000), pp. 7-14.

Reading Response Three: Appraisal of Personal Papers

Riva Pollard discusses the plight of personal papers in her article “The Appraisal of Personal Papers: A Critical Literature Review.” Pollard comments upon the lack of respect personal papers have received in the archival discussion over time, noting Hilary Jenkinson stated archives are intended to work with official documents and records. Historically, personal papers were not seen as an important segment of the archive. Due to their so-called biased origin, institutional archives may have been fearful inclusion of personal papers in their repository would go against their inherent mission. In more modern times, personal papers, including manuscripts, have become more commonplace in institutional repositories. However, collection development in this area is inconsistent and problematic; the appraisal of the personal material is rife with difficulty. With no specific interactions or functions relatable to well-known components of the institution, the archivist must process and appraise personal papers as with a brand new and often unique construct. Yet the basic procedures are the same: appraise with the intent to preserve for the posterity of the individual while simultaneously looking for research value.

The collection I am charged with processing during my internship is composed entirely of personal documents, including letters, research, essays, and manuscripts. In order to process this collection, I found myself confronting many of the problems and issues noted by Pollard. I was forced to build a plan from scratch after careful study of the entirety of the collection at large. The actions and functions performed by Professor Nugent are unique to his life. This is not to say that other history professors or writers do not perform the same tasks, but instead to note that Professor Nugent performed these tasks in a manner unique to him. Personal paper appraisal means attempting to understand the life the subject lead, choosing the most appropriate functions, and only then beginning the appraisal process. I believe to do otherwise will invite the potential of disorganization and misappropriation of information. This article is a great read for anyone called upon to process and appraise personal papers.

Pollard, Riva. “The Appraisal of Personal Papers: A Critical Literature Review.” Archivaria, No. 36, Autumn 1993, pp. 136-150.

Reading Response Two: How Goes It With Appraisal?

In his fall 1993 article, "How Goes it with Appraisal," Terry Eastwood evaluates the historical background, methodologies, patterns, and inherent complications involved in the archival appraisal process. Eastwood approaches appraisal from the point of view of one consumed with the manner in which archives are perceived by the population at large; he believes archives are seen as sources of information but not proprietors of historical evidence. "Archives," Eastwood states, "are a means of memory, not memory itself, because there is no communal memory without someone acting upon archives as public dialogue."

Appraisal is everywhere, not just in the archival profession. The act of appraising documents determines what memories are left intact. Over time, the interpretation of the memory, and of the appraisal itself, may change. Documents are assessed, or appraised, from the moment of their creation; the archivist or records manager determines the continuation or refutation of a document life cycle. What is the true value of a document? Is it in its uniqueness? Person(s) or place(s) of origination? Or is in the value to future researchers? Nearly everyone would agree decisions are made based on multiple facets, not any one factor. Though appraising a document is not often the end-all-be-all in determining the historical record, the very possibility it may be is a perplexing realization. As Eastwood comments, appraisal is both narrow contextually as well as broad in view. Appraisal is never meant to advance any idea, philosophy, or agenda. To do so would violate the ideals of freedom of information and preservation of the historical record. Furthermore, archivists should never be guilty of haphazardly documenting world memory. From the largest of historical events to the smallest of transactions, appraisal best practices should hold true.

Eastwood, Terry. “How Goes It with Appraisal?”Archivaria , No. 36, Autumn 1993, pp. 111-121.

Rallying Cry of Simplicity

I neglected to mention in my last blog that my processing plan was given the go-ahead with some alterations. I created a seventh series for journals and writing logs. Organizationally this makes sense to me, as those don't necessarily fit into correspondence. This change brought the total number of series in the collection to seven, with each possessing at minimum two sub-series each. At times, materials simply cannot be grouped under an established record group. Simplicity does not mean forcing a small number of series into existence; simplicity means the formulation of the best method for arrangement and use. Ideally researchers will visit this collection time and again, and my task remains to aid those future researchers by doing good work today.

While the series are now set, essentially in stone, I have chosen to tune up my sub-series as I move through the folders once more. The best example of a change is a sub-series of book and article reviews written by Professor Nugent. I chose to slot these under the series 'Other Work and Projects', as I felt it proper to definitively distinguish original published works researched and written from reviews written. Two sub-series exist within the 'Publications' series--monographs and articles and essays. Yet as I began in earnest to think about the the book and article reviews, I could not deny the facts at hand: 1. each is an original work by the creator of this collection, 2. each review is a published work. Therefore, I have chosen to move the sub-series 'Reviews' into the 'Publications' series. I have debated whether to split the book reviews from article reviews to create sub-groups within the sub-series. However, I believe that would be unnecessary. I want to create a functional and accessible system without making it convoluted. Simplicity, after all, is a decent rallying cry. I dare to believe I can accomplish that goal as I continue processing.

Being One With Frustration

One of the more frustrating aspects of processing this collection has been my own doing. I have previously mentioned the importance of keeping clear, full notes, so that during processing there is less confusion and back-tracking to be completed. Though I did make that adjustment mid-way through my survey of the accessions, I have once again found during processing that my notes just aren’t quite what one would hope. I know the exactness I expect is often difficult to attain; some folders leave only contextual clues, a hidden scrap of a note, or nothing to determine their contents. I don’t find this surprising, yet each time I come across the word “unknown series” in my notes, I grow slightly unsure why my past self chose to leave the decision-making to present self. The more full the entry, the more complete the title, name, and folder description, the more efficient processing later. This is obvious but accurate and a lesson not to forget when mired in Box 45 of your collection.

Sometimes appearances can be quite deceiving. Early, during my initial survey of the accessions, I came across a few names and associated them with a monograph written by Walter Nugent. The folder name and contents seemed to clearly discuss the main themes and topics in the book; yet, later on, I came across more correspondence between Nugent and these individuals, in regards to a much earlier article on the same general topic! Upon review, it became clear that my early assignment of those first folders was incorrect. Indeed, even the best of notes and best of intentions can still lead to a mistake. I am happy I was able to correct my mistake, though I remain weary that other mistakes may lurk in other areas.

Finally, I also find my ability to recognize relationships in folders and record groups has improved dramatically. Familiarization with the overall collection certainly is the primary reason. Secondarily, I believe I have continued to develop my sense of the structure of archival processing. When working with personal papers, such as I am with my collection, inferences became nearly second nature after a time. I am not certain a small collection could have taught me some of those skills this quickly. I certainly continue to learn much.

Reference

This week I took some time away from work on my collection to answer a reference question.  The question was actually composed of ten questions: each a query of some sort in regards to a former faculty member at the University.  The information required ranged from a single item, such as date of birth, to full biographical information.  While this may seem a daunting task, the Archives has developed a wonderful faculty catalog for just such reference information.  Faculty members each have a curriculum vitae listing basic background information and any important information relevant to their work at IU.  In some cases a second file exists which includes newspaper clippings or other some newsworthy publications.

Therefore, to properly answer the reference query, I went through the emailed list of names and found the appropriate CV, and if available, file folder of other information.  The faculty files included all the information requested and then some!  The Archives have a wealth of resources available in order to aid researchers of all kinds.  Preparation allows for reference work to be interesting and fulfilling rather than stressful.  In this case I was able to answer the question and correspond with the researcher, all within a matter of hours.  The handful of reference questions I have answered thus far have been enjoyable, and I like aiding in disseminating information.

Where Art Thou, Efficiency?

I began to put my processing plan into action last week. After surveying the collection, I believe the entirety of the materials can be arranged into six series, with assorted sub-series throughout. Since a great deal of audio-visual material is embedded among research notes and publications, I considered creating a seventh series solely for audio-visual; however, I ultimately chose to leave the materials listed with associated research. The six series are very broad as to encompass as much material as possible: academic life, publications, professional organizations, other works and projects, general correspondence, and finally, personal life. Of course the names of those series are subject to change. In any case, I chose to take my container lists and began slotting folders into proper series and sub-series. I did find a few instances where I either needed to completely change, add, or subtract a sub-series. I was pleased to find most of materials easily fit into my arrangement scheme.

Comparing my notes from my first day to today was an eye-opening experience. My notes at the beginning are vaguer; in fact, a few are completely unhelpful in retrospect. I find this a bit frustrating, as I pride myself on my detail-oriented nature, but I can understand the reasons behind it. As I began my internship, I did not have the knowledge of what specific details were most helpful. Secondly, I did not know the scope and content of the collection as a whole; consequently, I did not note potential series or sub-series as readily early on. In the future I believe I should take more care to note possible series, even if I scrap them later. The more detail, the better. Conversely, my notes from last week are precise, with folders arranged in my notes as I listed them. My ability to recognize folder relationships streamlined the arrangement process, at least on paper! I believe the next go-round with a collection will be much less stressful and certainly more efficient.

Accessions

This week I had the opportunity to learn about the accession process.   Several boxes of materials from a former IU faculty member came in over the weekend; about half contained loose papers in old beaten-up boxes and the remainder was found in old letter boxes.  I should mention an accession material in the custody of the archive but not yet processed with a complete finding aid made available to the public.  My job was to ascertain the contents of the new accession, note the various folders (where present), form some kind of organization, and re-box the papers into our standard archival boxes.  Few things are more horrific than a pile of papers lying haphazardly in a dusty box, yet little-by-little I was able to find a system, and thankfully some jumbled notes in the piles of papers.  However, before I could re-box, I first had to learn how to build a box.   This was initially harder than it looked.  Yet after being told not once, but twice, how to construct an archival box, I discovered I had a knack for box-building.  I labeled each box with its number in the sequence.  Sixteen boxes later, I completed my organization scheme and made extensive notes on the papers within each box.

Following re-boxing, I learned the procedure for assigning accession numbers to newly-arrived records.  Each new accession is assigned a number based on the current year as well as the current number of accessions in that year.  This was the 89^th new accession of the year 2010; hence, the accession number for this group is 2010/089.  This number is critical for tracking unprocessed records.  The date, accession number, creator, number of containers (in this case boxes), and initials of the processor are recorded for reference.  The next step was to enter the data collected during my initial survey of the records.  The Indiana University Archives utilized an internal database to track accessions.  The database is not made available to the public.  The Archives accession database system is a program named askSam, which allows for basic information entry in regards to accession number, creator, date ranges, and department of origin.  After this vital information, the next critical step is to enter the list of materials within each box.   Entering this information allows the Archives to have an electronic record available to quickly search if necessary in case a relevant research question comes in prior to actual processing.

The final step is the preparation of the boxes for long-term storage.  Due to the vast number of materials in the archive, new accessions are sent to the ALF for storage until the determination is made to process.  In order to facilitate quick and easy retrieval of these accessions, each box is assigned labels.  The accession number is written on each box and a barcode is attached.  These barcodes are entered into a database with the accession number and box number.  Finally, each box is secured with a plastic band.  At last the accession is complete and ready to be stored for processing at a later date.

So I helped accession a new group of records.  I always enjoy learning new things, so this was a fun process.  I learned some skills I will use for a long time and explored another aspect of the Indiana University Archives.  Finally, a quick tip for all future archival subjects:  when you donate your materials, please organize it neatly; it makes everything better!

Creating A Plan

I continued to survey the Nugent collection this week, progressing more quickly through the remaining accessions.  I believe I have ascertained the series and associated sub-series spanning the entirety of the collection.  The larger challenge lies in creating a comprehensive, or as comprehensive as possible, processing and management plan for the collection.  There are multiple considerations, including:  managing various time restrictions within and across series, removing files made by a secondary creator to another collection, and determining which materials are not long-term preservation material.  One issue concerns vast amounts of financial information (bills, receipts, etc.) is intermixed with correspondence; should the time be taken to go through each folder item-by-item to remove these documents or should the collection stay as-is?  These considerations are not uncommon and I will meet them again time and time again throughout my future career. However, this is my first go-round.  I look forward to completing my first proposed plan in the next week and submit it for review.  I'm certain I will have overlooked something or made a rookie mistake but it's part of the learning process.

Reading Response One: Macro-Appraisal and Social Value

For my first reading response, I chose to read "Macro-appraisal and Functional Analysis:  documenting governance rather than government" by well-known Canadian archivist Terry Cook.  I wanted to assess an article that focused on appraisal methodology and the role of the archivist plays in the processing of collections.  I am more familiar with appraisal, which deals with specific records, than macro-appraisal, which is done at the collection level.  So this article is both informative and answers some of my questions regarding the impact of archivists themselves in appraisal decisions.  Although not expressly intended or consciously undertaken, archivists do assume some role, small or large, in the creation process of archival collections.

Societal structure and functions of citizens imbue records with their importance.  Correspondingly, archivists act, in some way, as co-creators of collections by choosing those materials to archive and those to destroy.  As the records creation process is invariably a result of the iterations and movements of a functioning society, the role of the archivist as the final determining factor in the social memory must be as objective as possible.  The archivist is charged with appraising, processing, arranging, and preserving the functional memory of government, business, university, etc.; this is done by understanding the provenance and relevance of materials.  Whether top-down macro-appraisal or bottom-up appraisal is better is difficult to ascertain; in any case, those materials selected for the archives will tell the tale for future researchers.

Though the title of the article indicates a government-central theme, the actual content is applicable to a wide variety of businesses.  The main goals of an archivist, no matter the collection or its provenance, is to appraise the materials and leave with only the "best records" remaining.  Cook believes this is possible using the top-down approach of macro-appraisal and functional analysis.  The most intriguing aspects of the article focused upon the role social values and norms play in the record creation and appraisal process.  Cook states the work done by individuals interacting with or within the government (for example) has dramatic influence not only on the types of records created through said interaction but then again influence what records are appraised as archive-worthy.  In each case the values of the citizens interacting with the institution impress their current beliefs into and upon the acts recorded and maintained for posterity.  These social norms are visible through the functions created, maintained, or eliminated as time passes.  As Cook states, "The principal focus is on civil governance and citizen-state interaction, not on documenting the functions of government."  The article can be interpreted differently by each reader, much like one appraising a collection for those "best records."


Terry Cook, “Macroappraisal and Functional Analysis: documenting governance rather than government,” Journal of the Society of Archivists 25, no. 1 (2004): 5-18.

Hollinger Metal Mail, Fellow Interns

Earlier this week I arrived home to find a surprise in my mail.  I will admit to some excitement as I opened my first-ever personally-addressed flier from archival supply company Hollinger Metal Edge:

Certainly the marketing department at Hollinger is to be commended for their efforts!  This graduate student finds it all quite fascinating.

In other news, I want to take time to recognize my internship colleagues this semester.  I have included links to their blogs on the right side of my site.  Friends and aspiring archivists Mike Szajewski and Amanda Hunt are each interning in the University Archives.  My dear friend Brenna Bychowski is interning at IU's Lilly Library, an excellent rare books and special collections repository, this fall.  Brenna is not in the archival program but offers interesting insights into specialized collections activities.  Please take the time to visit their blogs this fall!

Boxes and More Boxes

I ended week two of my internship feeling cautiously optimistic I would be able to finalize a processing plan and perhaps, with a bit of skill and beginner's luck, begin to work processing the Nugent collection this week.  However, somewhere along the way last week I underestimated the sheer amount of materials still waiting to be surveyed.  Along with the 34 boxes in the initial accession I have surveyed, there are a handful of other accessions that add up to 31 more boxes of materials.  The other accessions have been stored at the Auxiliary Library Facility, or ALF, a specially-designed off-campus building with humidity and temperature controls for preservation purposes.  The Indiana University Archives, as well as University Libraries, recall items from the ALF when needed.  Imagine everyone's excitement in the Archives this week when I asked to recall another 31 boxes!  These other accessions have been previously analyzed by others.  However, I believe I should take the time to open each and take a look myself.  Each time I open a box and take notes as to its contents, I develop a better idea of the scope and arrangement of the overall collection.  As this week ends, I can claim progress as well as renewed humility.  Certainly there are more series and sub-series for me to discover in the Nugent collection.

As I survey the nearly half-century of materials in the Nugent papers, I am reminded of the sheer amount of paperwork, correspondence, and memorabilia each of us accumulates during our lives.  Of course, today the concept of "correspondence" has largely entered the digital realm; my generation may be the last to recall sitting down to write a letter by hand.  Those younger do not associate letter composition with pen, paper and postage.  The information age has made correspondence easier but has unintentionally removed this long-standing aspect of social history, as least conceptually.  Socially email is a better, faster, more efficient means of communication, and archivists and records managers will have to continue to be creative in developing preservation techniques.  Imagine if each email, of any type of relevance, was printed.  For most of us, that would mean mountains of material.  One look around the archives today and a few mountains may be visible here and there; I do ponder what an archive will look like in ten, twenty, fifty years.  What types correspondence will exist for those in another half-century, and what new challenges await future archivists like myself during that time?

Moving Along

My second week in the archives began with an email reference query from a patron.  I was asked to find some basic biographical information on a former professor here at IU.  The archives have accumulated several filing cabinets full of background information over the years, and in these I found the information sought.  A short time later the question had been answered.  I was more than happy to help the patron and I'm looking forward to more reference questions in the future.

Once again I delved into papers of the Walter Nugent collection this week.  This accession is currently composed of 34 boxes of personal materials and 7 boxes of reprinted materials (books and articles).  By the end of my time on Tuesday I had completed my survey of the papers.  As I surveyed the accession, I kept a list identifying the primary series, folders, and any other media in each box.  I was able to connect potential series and sub-series during this cursory review.  Though most of the materials are in very good order and follows a clear and organized pattern, some re-arrangement will be required.

I ended my week by typing out a container list.  The opportunity to review notes refreshed my own memory and allowed for the recognition of a few new arrangements.  Each time I survey the papers I become more familiar with the component threads woven throughout.  As a result, I believe I have developed a good plan for processing the accession; now I must take my ideas and put them to paper.  Next week:  a processing plan, and hopefully, execution of said plan!

First Week

Hello to all those interested in Blogging Hoosier History!  I will be publishing this blog as part of my internship in the Indiana University Archives.  Though I do not have much experience in blogging, I am no stranger to writing so this promises to be fun for me and I hope for any readers out there.  I will be posting an entry at least once per week, hopefully more as time allows.

I should begin by talking a bit about myself.  I am beginning the second year of the Master of Library Science program at Indiana University Bloomington, where I am working toward a Specialization in Archives and Records Management.  I do not have any prior experience working in an archive or records center; in fact, I have more experience working on the print and publication side of things!  However, I have always enjoyed historical institutions, archives, and museums.  I am an avid reader of historical literature, specifically works related to Indiana state history.  While earning my degree in history from Purdue University, I decided that if I loved history, then working toward the preservation of the historical record was right for me.  Thus far at IU, I have thoroughly enjoyed learning an array of archival theory and concepts, and I am eager to take those ideas out of the classroom and put them to use.  I have a lot to learn about actually doing archival work!

My supervisor for my internship is the director of the Office of University Archives and Records Management, Phil Bantin.  To begin, Phil went through the basic strategies for processing a collection and discussed the best ways for a newbie like me to begin.  Like all interns at the archives, I will be creating a processing plan prior to undertaking actual processing of the collection.  The processing plan is designed as an exercise to make one think about the organization, arrangement, and any special needs of a collection.  Indeed, I am certain each collection poses its own unique set of challenges.

In any case, I was assigned the paper of former IU Professor of History Walter Nugent as my first collection!  There are dozens of boxes of material associated with this collection to process.  As I began to work through a collection for the first time, I found it both exciting and a bit overwhelming.  However, the best thing to do is to jump right in.  In order to help myself gather a clear idea of potential series or even sub-series may be present, I took notes on folder lists and thematic content.  Dr. Nugent has written several books during his career, and I found it helpful that notes and source materials were mostly organized by research project.  The collection also contains a wealth of multimedia, including photographs, slides, CD-ROMs, VHS, audio cassettes, and a Zip100 drive.  I have a lot to learn about processing and preservation practices for all these data formats.

In my first week I have analyzed a few dozen boxes of material and began to see a general processing plan take shape in my mind.  In my second week, I hope to complete my first run through the collection and then write up a formal processing plan.  I am certain every week interning in the archives will bring something new for me!