As always, the Spring Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference held in Alexandria, Va. was more than worth the price of admission. My previous post hit the high notes of Rand Jimerson’s amazing plenary, and this entry will spotlight the incredibly useful Improving Grant Writing Skills pre-conference workshop.
MARAC’s organizers provided a great service for those of us who attended the workshop. They gave us access to leaders in the field, who actively engaged us in discussions and exercises designed to increase our grant-winning success. Our speakers were Lucy Barber, Deputy Executive Director of the National Historic Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC); Elizabeth Joffrion, Senior Program Officer, Division of Preservation and Access at the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH); and Christa Williford, Program Officer at the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR). In these days of economic challenges, when many cultural heritage institutions are depending on grants to support their work, I cannot overstate the importance of this workshop and the ability to meet and learn from these three key women.
Prior to the workshop, we were sent three sample grant proposals, one from each organization represented by the speakers. They were not full proposals, but enough material to gain an understanding of what would make a successful submission. At the end of each proposal was a list of criteria for review. I was pretty critical in my review of each proposal so that I would have questions for the workshop. It was interesting to see what was required by each organization, and how detailed (or, in some cases, brief) the proposals were.
The handouts we received at the workshop were particularly helpful. We were handed a sheet providing an overview of what each organization does and does not fund. Further, we received a booklet that goes into much greater detail regarding the organizations’ exact grant programs, awards granted in 2010, and grant evaluation materials, among other handy facts.
During the workshop, each speaker described her role in the organization and how she helps grant applicants. Projects that tend to succeed as well as excellent tips were shared during their introductions. The speakers also talked at length about the importance of applications that lay the groundwork for best practices in the field (especially in the areas of digitizing collections (NEH); more product, less process (NHPRC), and cost control (CLIR).
I was very impressed by how invested they were in the applicant’s success. Christa Williford (CLIR) explained that her organization requires a pre-proposal as well as a final proposal in order to give applicants a chance to make corrections during the process.
After a break, we split into three groups. Each focused on one of the organizations, and was facilitated a speaker. Because I was particularly interested in the “Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives” program at CLIR, I chose that group. We reviewed the sample proposal and looked at the scholarly value of the collection, viability of the project plan, and technical approaches. Then we determined whether we would recommend the project and why, as well as suggested improvements.
It was a useful exercise because we were able to speak with and ask questions of our speakers in a small group. Afterward, each group shared their lessons learned, and the speakers gave us even more great tips. These are my favorites:
1. Make the project compelling – entice the reviewers to visit the collection and help them visualize the outcome.
2. Be explicit in explanations – spell out the innovation(s) in the plan; how is it a model for other organizations?
3. Work out as much detail as possible in addressing all the points, but be succinct.
4. Remember that you are writing for other archivists and curators in the field.
5. Collaboration is a winning strategy (work with other organizations to achieve the goal together).
6. Cost-sharing proposals tend to receive funding.
Finally, our speakers encouraged us to contact them during our grant writing process. They welcomed questions and made themselves available after the workshop for one-on-one conversations. Overall, I left the workshop feeling much more comfortable with the task of writing a grant application, and feeling much more likely to succeed.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
My Time at MARAC, Spring 2011 – Part 1, Rand Jimerson’s Plenary
The recent Spring Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference held in Alexandria, Va. had many useful and interesting things to offer its attendees, but my favorites were the “Improving Grant Writing Skills” workshop and the plenary by Rand Jimerson. This post will hit the high notes of Jimerson’s talk, while the next one will spotlight the workshop.
Jimerson, Professor of History and Director of the Archives and Records Management MA Program at Western Washington University, is a very well-known figure in archives and special collections circles. 
In fact, it was pretty exciting to hear him speak after having read some of his papers for MLIS courses at Rutgers. Jimerson spoke at length about the role archives play in the area of social justice. Afterward, he signed copies of his latest book, Archives Power: Memory, Accountability, and Social Justice
.
In these days when electronic records are disappearing so quickly without a thought to their future usefulness, Jimerson reminded us of Enron’s shredding and Oliver North’s record destruction. I sat in the audience remembering when I worked for a company that didn’t keep files older than three years. Even then, not knowing I’d later choose a career in archival science, I didn’t understand how we could simply throw these materials into the recycling. They had value.
I fear that our collective history (especially the present) will not be as richly populated with archival materials as our past because the evidence no longer exists. That’s the problem with these remarkable MARAC speakers – they get into my mind and rattle around for a while, calling me to action.
Jimerson spoke about archivists having the power to shape collective memory. He moved us with stories about how archival work in South Africa is a process of reclamation and restoration. “Archivists cannot remain neutral or passive,” he said. Archival activism requires that we, as workers in that field, be more responsive to social needs.
He focused on nine ways we can be responsive and ensure archives by and for the people:
Jimerson’s talk inspired me to take action where I can. He also helped me realize how fortunate I am to have “cut my teeth” at a place like Plainfield Public Library, that seeks to increase diversity in the collections, and is actively collecting oral histories from community members. I hope that in my future work, I can continue to follow Jimerson’s instructions above to be a better archival activist.
Jimerson, Professor of History and Director of the Archives and Records Management MA Program at Western Washington University, is a very well-known figure in archives and special collections circles. In fact, it was pretty exciting to hear him speak after having read some of his papers for MLIS courses at Rutgers. Jimerson spoke at length about the role archives play in the area of social justice. Afterward, he signed copies of his latest book, Archives Power: Memory, Accountability, and Social Justice. In these days when electronic records are disappearing so quickly without a thought to their future usefulness, Jimerson reminded us of Enron’s shredding and Oliver North’s record destruction. I sat in the audience remembering when I worked for a company that didn’t keep files older than three years. Even then, not knowing I’d later choose a career in archival science, I didn’t understand how we could simply throw these materials into the recycling. They had value.
I fear that our collective history (especially the present) will not be as richly populated with archival materials as our past because the evidence no longer exists. That’s the problem with these remarkable MARAC speakers – they get into my mind and rattle around for a while, calling me to action.
Jimerson spoke about archivists having the power to shape collective memory. He moved us with stories about how archival work in South Africa is a process of reclamation and restoration. “Archivists cannot remain neutral or passive,” he said. Archival activism requires that we, as workers in that field, be more responsive to social needs.
He focused on nine ways we can be responsive and ensure archives by and for the people:
- Ensure diversity in the archival record.
- Welcome the stranger into the archives, seeking especially to include previously marginalized groups. “Records become witnesses to a silent society,” Jimerson said.
- Document our decisions regarding the acquisition and appraisal of materials, and make these criteria available to donors and the public.
- Provide oral testimony by creating oral histories. These incredibly valuable records provide intimate accounts of a large part of the world whose history only exists in oral form. Importantly, make the audio/video available, not just the transcription. Collect generations of stories from descendants, if possible, to preserve the oral tradition.
- Make archival description systems sensitive, meaning that we need to be more sensitive to social construction and think more about the way we present our finding aids.
- Provide inclusive access and be sensitive to culture, especially when it comes to reference service.
- Embrace new technologies. Promote openness and flexibility.
- Support open government, accountability, and democratic societies.
- Support public advocacy in support of the broader interest, and become whistle blowers, if need be (within a self-preserving construct).
Jimerson’s talk inspired me to take action where I can. He also helped me realize how fortunate I am to have “cut my teeth” at a place like Plainfield Public Library, that seeks to increase diversity in the collections, and is actively collecting oral histories from community members. I hope that in my future work, I can continue to follow Jimerson’s instructions above to be a better archival activist.
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
Book Review: This Book Is Overdue! By Marilyn Johnson
This Book Is Overdue
is more than a year old, but was new to me when Sarah, the archivist at Plainfield Public Library handed it to me and said, "You will love this." She was right.
I enjoyed Johnson's book because it is a candid look at librarians and archivists from the view of a writer who adores libraries and people who work for them. (I nearly typed "people who work in them," but she writes extensively of the librarians who work within Second Life and who provide web-based services, so that terminology wouldn't be entirely accurate.)
The book focuses on exactly what library folks do to serve their patrons. Johnson relates story after story of how librarians and archivists go to great lengths to locate information, books, manuscripts, and more for writers and ordinary people who might not exactly know what they need. She gives high praise to helpful reference librarians, and well she should. The reference interview is not only a great tool, it is one that can be customized by its gifted user to yield world-changing results, as Johnson demonstrates throughout her book.
Among other topics, the author covers the eternal battle of IT vs. everyone else, but increasingly, I see job ads for "digital librarian," "electronic records manager," or "information systems librarian." As budgets continue to tighten, and because library schools are now "i" schools (she did mention the Rutgers name change that happened during my first semester in the MLIS program), we all must have some grounding in digital applications.
One topic that Johnson did not discuss in depth is the movement in the archives and special collections communities to use EAD (encoded archival description) in collaborative ways to bring more collections into the view of potential users via their online finding aids. The Online Archive of California is a great example of that EAD collaboration. On the other hand, I am very glad she wrote about the virtues of WorldCat, one of my favorite tools for locating materials.
Of course, I am biased, but I thought perhaps the world of the archives and special collections might deserve its own book (and maybe I need to write that book, as Mom often prods me to do). But it was interesting to read about David Ferriero's work at NYPL prior to his current post as the 10th Archivist of the United States (AOTUS). And, it was touching to read about how an archivist processed her late husband's papers for inclusion in Rutgers' special collections (although I would have saved the ephemera because I love the kind of snapshot in time it gives a collection).
If you are a librarian or archivist, like me, you will recognize your friends, former classmates, colleagues, and library bloggers in this book. But we are not the only ones who should read this work -- I'd recommend pointing your local congressperson to its catalog page in the local library and not-so-subtly suggesting that he/she check it out and read it. This Book Is Overdue is a quick read because Johnson is a fine writer and tells an engaging story, but it's an important read because she goes a long way to provide valuable library advocacy in her book with the hero librarian on the cover.
is more than a year old, but was new to me when Sarah, the archivist at Plainfield Public Library handed it to me and said, "You will love this." She was right.I enjoyed Johnson's book because it is a candid look at librarians and archivists from the view of a writer who adores libraries and people who work for them. (I nearly typed "people who work in them," but she writes extensively of the librarians who work within Second Life and who provide web-based services, so that terminology wouldn't be entirely accurate.)
The book focuses on exactly what library folks do to serve their patrons. Johnson relates story after story of how librarians and archivists go to great lengths to locate information, books, manuscripts, and more for writers and ordinary people who might not exactly know what they need. She gives high praise to helpful reference librarians, and well she should. The reference interview is not only a great tool, it is one that can be customized by its gifted user to yield world-changing results, as Johnson demonstrates throughout her book.
Among other topics, the author covers the eternal battle of IT vs. everyone else, but increasingly, I see job ads for "digital librarian," "electronic records manager," or "information systems librarian." As budgets continue to tighten, and because library schools are now "i" schools (she did mention the Rutgers name change that happened during my first semester in the MLIS program), we all must have some grounding in digital applications.
One topic that Johnson did not discuss in depth is the movement in the archives and special collections communities to use EAD (encoded archival description) in collaborative ways to bring more collections into the view of potential users via their online finding aids. The Online Archive of California is a great example of that EAD collaboration. On the other hand, I am very glad she wrote about the virtues of WorldCat, one of my favorite tools for locating materials.
Of course, I am biased, but I thought perhaps the world of the archives and special collections might deserve its own book (and maybe I need to write that book, as Mom often prods me to do). But it was interesting to read about David Ferriero's work at NYPL prior to his current post as the 10th Archivist of the United States (AOTUS). And, it was touching to read about how an archivist processed her late husband's papers for inclusion in Rutgers' special collections (although I would have saved the ephemera because I love the kind of snapshot in time it gives a collection).
If you are a librarian or archivist, like me, you will recognize your friends, former classmates, colleagues, and library bloggers in this book. But we are not the only ones who should read this work -- I'd recommend pointing your local congressperson to its catalog page in the local library and not-so-subtly suggesting that he/she check it out and read it. This Book Is Overdue
is a quick read because Johnson is a fine writer and tells an engaging story, but it's an important read because she goes a long way to provide valuable library advocacy in her book with the hero librarian on the cover.
Wednesday, June 01, 2011
Tour of The University of Arizona Museum of Art
Introduction
Note: For a short history of the University of Arizona in Tucson, please refer to the previous post.
When I travel, I research local cultural heritage institutions to visit. It is my great fortune to tour some of them specifically for this blog. Still others remain lovely memories of a visit to a unique place. For example, I recently visited two spectacular museums in Phoenix -- the Musical Instrument Museum and Heard Museum, as well as the Desert Botanical Gardens. If you are interested in seeing some of my photos of those great institutions, visit my Picasa site.
In Tucson, I already knew that I would be visiting the University of Arizona because it is home to many cultural heritage institutions. But when I began to dig a bit deeper, I found that the school’s Museum of Art was about to begin construction on its Archive of Visual Arts. This I had to see!
I contacted the Museum’s Executive Director, Charles Guerin, who graciously invited me to visit and tour their collections and new facility (previously the home of a local blood bank). He gave me an excellent guided tour of the museum’s current exhibits and drove me to the site of the archive-to-be. When we visited the archive building, I could see its potential for long-term storage of valuable holdings and a sizable reading room.
The construction workers were taking a break from demolishing the interior walls and repairing portions of the building as Guerin and I walked the length of the building from the back to the front. I saw immediately the appeal of using a former blood bank for the archive – a big cold storage vault for photos and other preservation needs. The team has a big job ahead of it to modernize the building and its HVAC system to protect the art archive, but they are definitely on their way. I decided not to photograph the building during its construction, but promised to return after the archive was up and running to take another tour.
About the Museum's Executive Director
Charles Guerin’s background in printmaking and painting no doubt informs his work at the Museum. Prior to becoming Executive Director of the Museum, he was Acting Director of the Center of Creative Photography at the University of Arizona (located more or less across the street from the Museum). He also served as Director of the University of Wyoming Art Museum, and consulted on the design of the American Heritage Center at the U of W as he built the Art Museum.
During my visit, Guerin was very generous with his time and spoke with me at length about why the museum created the archive.
He also talked with me about how he obtained the Museum’s first record collection, the papers of Robert T. McCall, arguably one of America’s most important illustrators. He is best known for illustrating and documenting much of the American space program. One of McCall’s most famous works hangs in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington , D.C., where a collection of his drawings also can be seen online.
McCall, an Arizona resident, passed away in March 2010, but before he died he had served on the board of the University’s Department of Astronomy. Guerin mentioned that he had been looking for a place to house many of his illustrations because although he had been selling the copyrights to use the works on postage stamps, etc., he did not sell those actual pieces. Guerin was very happy to accept the donation of McCall’s illustrations because illustration is an important field of study at the University’s area of Visual Communications. He also had the foresight to ask McCall for his archive of correspondence. Now, 20 cubic feet of McCall’s papers are waiting patiently for the new archive to take shape.
Guerin’s long-term vision is to target major artists, mainly in Western states, for inclusion in the Museum’s collections. He also wants to avoid circumstances where an artist passes away, and his/her children have all the artist’s boxes, which they might not want to keep and simply bring to the dump. Presently, Guerin has convinced several artists to leave their records and/or art to the Museum.
About the Collections
The best part of having a guided tour of a collection (especially by the institution’s Director) is having an expert on hand to answer all kinds of questions. But, when a cultural heritage institution uses archival records, such as letters, postcards, prints, and sketches, it helps put that artist into context and helps explain why these people are important. For example, in the series of photos below, you can see the exquisite photorealism of Audrey Flack’s work, Marilyn (Vanitas) II. The original transparency for the work was made in 1976, but Flack recently uncovered the study in her archives and made a Cibachrome print of it. The first image shows how the museum mounted the print on the railing above the painting hung in the main staircase. The second image shows the painting, and the third shows the print. All photos are displayed with permission of the Museum.
At the time of my visit, the Museum also exhibited a collection of works by Arthur Diehl, a late 19th/early 20th century “speed” painter who happened to be the grandfather of a Museum board member. The collection is on loan from a private family collection. Guerin pointed out how the Museum uses the family’s archive to further shape the exhibit. Below, the series of photos show the archival displays accompanying the Diehl exhibit.
I especially enjoyed seeing Diehl’s sketches for his paintings and the ephemera associated with the collection (shown below).
Conclusion
The University of Arizona Museum of Art has many claims to fame, including the remarkable Fernando Gallego and His Workshop: The Altarpiece from Ciudad Rodrigo exhibit. Arizona Public Media produced a great documentary on the conservation of the work. However, my favorite part of the Museum is its curators’ use of archival materials to better tell the story of the artist and his/her work. I look forward to returning when the Archive of Visual Arts has been completed and populated with artists’ archives.
Contact Information
Charles Guerin
Executive Director
The University of Arizona Museum of Art
1031 N. Olive Road
P.O. Box 210002
Tucson, AZ 85721-0002
(520) 621-7567
caguerin@u.arizona.edu
http://artmuseum.arizona.edu/archive/index.shtml
Note: For a short history of the University of Arizona in Tucson, please refer to the previous post.
When I travel, I research local cultural heritage institutions to visit. It is my great fortune to tour some of them specifically for this blog. Still others remain lovely memories of a visit to a unique place. For example, I recently visited two spectacular museums in Phoenix -- the Musical Instrument Museum and Heard Museum, as well as the Desert Botanical Gardens. If you are interested in seeing some of my photos of those great institutions, visit my Picasa site.
In Tucson, I already knew that I would be visiting the University of Arizona because it is home to many cultural heritage institutions. But when I began to dig a bit deeper, I found that the school’s Museum of Art was about to begin construction on its Archive of Visual Arts. This I had to see!
I contacted the Museum’s Executive Director, Charles Guerin, who graciously invited me to visit and tour their collections and new facility (previously the home of a local blood bank). He gave me an excellent guided tour of the museum’s current exhibits and drove me to the site of the archive-to-be. When we visited the archive building, I could see its potential for long-term storage of valuable holdings and a sizable reading room.
The construction workers were taking a break from demolishing the interior walls and repairing portions of the building as Guerin and I walked the length of the building from the back to the front. I saw immediately the appeal of using a former blood bank for the archive – a big cold storage vault for photos and other preservation needs. The team has a big job ahead of it to modernize the building and its HVAC system to protect the art archive, but they are definitely on their way. I decided not to photograph the building during its construction, but promised to return after the archive was up and running to take another tour.
About the Museum's Executive Director
Charles Guerin’s background in printmaking and painting no doubt informs his work at the Museum. Prior to becoming Executive Director of the Museum, he was Acting Director of the Center of Creative Photography at the University of Arizona (located more or less across the street from the Museum). He also served as Director of the University of Wyoming Art Museum, and consulted on the design of the American Heritage Center at the U of W as he built the Art Museum.
During my visit, Guerin was very generous with his time and spoke with me at length about why the museum created the archive.
He also talked with me about how he obtained the Museum’s first record collection, the papers of Robert T. McCall, arguably one of America’s most important illustrators. He is best known for illustrating and documenting much of the American space program. One of McCall’s most famous works hangs in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington , D.C., where a collection of his drawings also can be seen online.
McCall, an Arizona resident, passed away in March 2010, but before he died he had served on the board of the University’s Department of Astronomy. Guerin mentioned that he had been looking for a place to house many of his illustrations because although he had been selling the copyrights to use the works on postage stamps, etc., he did not sell those actual pieces. Guerin was very happy to accept the donation of McCall’s illustrations because illustration is an important field of study at the University’s area of Visual Communications. He also had the foresight to ask McCall for his archive of correspondence. Now, 20 cubic feet of McCall’s papers are waiting patiently for the new archive to take shape.
Guerin’s long-term vision is to target major artists, mainly in Western states, for inclusion in the Museum’s collections. He also wants to avoid circumstances where an artist passes away, and his/her children have all the artist’s boxes, which they might not want to keep and simply bring to the dump. Presently, Guerin has convinced several artists to leave their records and/or art to the Museum.
About the Collections
The best part of having a guided tour of a collection (especially by the institution’s Director) is having an expert on hand to answer all kinds of questions. But, when a cultural heritage institution uses archival records, such as letters, postcards, prints, and sketches, it helps put that artist into context and helps explain why these people are important. For example, in the series of photos below, you can see the exquisite photorealism of Audrey Flack’s work, Marilyn (Vanitas) II. The original transparency for the work was made in 1976, but Flack recently uncovered the study in her archives and made a Cibachrome print of it. The first image shows how the museum mounted the print on the railing above the painting hung in the main staircase. The second image shows the painting, and the third shows the print. All photos are displayed with permission of the Museum.
 |
| From University of Arizona |
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| From University of Arizona |
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| From University of Arizona |
At the time of my visit, the Museum also exhibited a collection of works by Arthur Diehl, a late 19th/early 20th century “speed” painter who happened to be the grandfather of a Museum board member. The collection is on loan from a private family collection. Guerin pointed out how the Museum uses the family’s archive to further shape the exhibit. Below, the series of photos show the archival displays accompanying the Diehl exhibit.
 |
| From University of Arizona |
 |
| From University of Arizona |
 |
| From University of Arizona |
I especially enjoyed seeing Diehl’s sketches for his paintings and the ephemera associated with the collection (shown below).
 |
| From University of Arizona |
 |
| From University of Arizona |
Conclusion
The University of Arizona Museum of Art has many claims to fame, including the remarkable Fernando Gallego and His Workshop: The Altarpiece from Ciudad Rodrigo exhibit. Arizona Public Media produced a great documentary on the conservation of the work. However, my favorite part of the Museum is its curators’ use of archival materials to better tell the story of the artist and his/her work. I look forward to returning when the Archive of Visual Arts has been completed and populated with artists’ archives.
Contact Information
Charles Guerin
Executive Director
The University of Arizona Museum of Art
1031 N. Olive Road
P.O. Box 210002
Tucson, AZ 85721-0002
(520) 621-7567
caguerin@u.arizona.edu
http://artmuseum.arizona.edu/archive/index.shtml
Monday, May 23, 2011
Tour of the University of Arizona’s Special Collections
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| From University of Arizona |
Introduction
During my April trip to Arizona, I looked forward to touring the University of Arizona’s Special Collections (in the Main Library whose exterior is shown above), especially the school’s book collections and the photographs. However, my time to visit shrank to 30 minutes due to an accident on the only major road between Phoenix and Tucson. An overturned tractor trailer had spilled a container-load of strawberries onto the freeway and caught fire about two miles ahead of me.
Once all the local radio stations had announced that the freeway was closed and I had been sitting in the desert sun for 25 minutes, I took out my cell phone and hoped for coverage. I saw a single, small bar on my phone and called my tour host, Chrystal Carpenter, who was very gracious and understanding. Unfortunately, by the time I arrived in Tucson (more than 2 hours late for our appointment), we didn’t have much time because her guest speaker for that night’s event was about to arrive at the airport and she needed to leave to collect him.
Despite the major snag, Chrystal gave me a great short tour and inspired me to return when we both have more time for a visit.
Background on the School
When I read the early history of the University of Arizona, I thought, "This is a story of the wild, wild West." It begins in 1885, when the Arizona Territorial Legislature convened in Prescott, the then-capitol, to discuss a variety of topics including where the territory’s insane asylum would reside and where the University of Arizona would be established. Those early settlers must have been very confident that Arizona would eventually become a state to start planning its university. Statehood didn’t occur until 1912.
The Tucson delegation intended to petition the Territorial Legislature to have the capitol moved from Prescott to Tucson. However, their wagons had gotten stuck in the mud from torrential rain, and they didn’t arrive until after the monies had already been divided. (Today, it takes between 4 and 5 hours to drive north from Tucson to Prescott – imagine how long it must have taken with a horse-drawn wagon on dirt roads and paths.) Because the Tucson delegation was so late, it missed out on the $100,000 that went with the asylum, and instead received $25,000 for the University of Arizona. Six years later, the school’s first student (a 14-year-old girl) signed her name in the registration book. Special Collections contributed materials to an excellent video about that girl’s experience with the school. Watch Clara Fish’s story here.
About the Archivist
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| From University of Arizona |
Allow me to introduce my affable and accommodating tour host, Chrystal Carpenter, the Manuscript & Congressional Archivist at the University of Arizona’s Special Collections. Chrystal has been in her current position for three years. Previously she served as the photo archivist at the Arizona Historical Society in Tucson, and an archives and library assistant at the Arizona State Museum. She earned her Master in Information Resources and Library Science from the University and later obtained her certification from the Academy of Certified Archivists.
She fell in love with the profession as an anthropology/archaeology undergraduate student at the University. Chrystal explains, "I had the opportunity to work at Special Collections, and it is here that I developed a passion for archives. I found that an archival career would be similar to an archaeological career except I wouldn’t get as dirty!"
While she knew she wouldn’t get as dirty, Chrystal certainly didn’t expect that she would be called in to oversee the collection of mementos and personal tributes to the victims of the January 8th attempted assassination of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Arizona Public Media’s interview below shows Chrystal describing her process of working with the many volunteers who helped collect and package the materials, as well as decisions she made about how to handle this collection. She also does an excellent job of explaining the archival process and Special Collections without being technical or jargony.
I asked Chrystal about her upcoming and current projects. She told me about some of the fascinating work she’s doing and the big projects on schedule for the summer.
A priority for Special Collections is our Borderlands Cultural Community project. With this in mind I have been working toward acquiring collections that fit its scope, as well as prioritizing our processing activities. This summer, we will be processing the Humane Borders archive as well as a bilingual education collection. I also will be integrating the Arizona Architectural Archives (AAA) into our collection. The AAA materials contain about 600 linear feet of architectural and business records and include over 22 collections that were curated by the University’s Architecture department.
I found Chrystal to be particularly impressive in the area of training. In an innovative move, she trained a subset of catalogers from Technical Services to provide archival processing services as well as their regular work. This initiative allowed her to add 100 hours a month of processing to Special Collections and yielded 2.5 full-time processors. Her work, as well as that of her colleague Erika Castano, also helped add value to the metadata of the digital collections and taught the catalogers highly marketable skills.
Exhibits and Public Outreach
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| From University of Arizona |
Whenever I visit an archive, university special collections, or any other cultural heritage institution, I am often intrigued by the displays and exhibits. The University of Arizona’s exhibit space (renovated in 2001) shown above and immediately below provides the archivists with a great deal of attractive, modern space where they show the role played by archival materials in history.
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| From University of Arizona |
The Special Collections department changes its exhibits every six months. At the time of my visit, the exhibit space focused on the life and impact of Stewart Lee Udall ("I’m for Stew" was its apt title). According to the Special Collections web site, he was an Arizona congressman who also served as Secretary of the Interior from 1961-1969 (under both Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson). Udall was "a champion of civil rights, an avid conservationist, a lawyer, a B24 gunner during WWII, and a University of Arizona alumnus," says Special Collections. The next exhibit will focus on Arizona history from 1600-1912 in commemoration of the 2012 Arizona Centennial.
Remember Chrystal’s guest speaker for the night of my tour? He was the second speaker in a three-part lecture series on "Stew." Robert G. Stanton, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior and Director of the National Park Service from 1997-2001, spoke on Udall’s environmental work and how he became a leading voice in American environmentalism.
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| From University of Arizona |
The photo above shows the public reading room used for lectures like Stanton’s. There also is another large space inside Special Collections that is frequently used for meetings and other University events.
About the Collections
The University of Arizona’s Special Collections was established in 1958 to house materials on Arizona, the Southwest, and the U.S./Mexico Borderlands. Today it includes audio; video; film; cassettes; electronic records; photographs; and paper-based collections including personal and corporate records, sheet music, maps, and blueprints in a wide variety of areas.
The processed manuscript collections come in at about 12,000 linear feet and growing. The unprocessed materials are about 3000 linear feet and shrinking. Below is a photo of Special Collections’ unprocessed stacks.
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| From University of Arizona |
Because the University also has a library school, Special Collections makes use of paid graduate and undergraduate student assistants as well as interns to help the seven full-time and two part-time employees accomplish their work. Three of the seven full-timers are archivists.
Most of Special Collections’ patrons are associated with the University, whether undergraduates, graduates, faculty, and/or visiting researchers. However, Chrystal notes "We also have a number of researchers from around the country and internationally, as well as local users." They see approximately 50 visitors per week, and host a long-term researcher utilizing the political collections. "More often than not, our long-term researchers are working with our political collections, University-related materials, or early Tucson research," explains Chrystal.
Because the school is renowned for its astronomy, among other research areas, the Special Collections reflects that focus in its rare books holdings. Chrystal showed me a particularly interesting volume by Galileo, published in 1610. (She holds the volume in the photo above in "About the Archivist.") A researcher, who had located the book in World Cat discovered through his descriptive bibliography work that the book was one of three existing hand-edited works by the astronomer. Below are three photos of the book (the first is the title page, the second shows a hand-edited page, and the third is a close-up of the edit).
 |
| From University of Arizona |
 |
| From University of Arizona |
 |
| From University of Arizona |
The University of Arizona’s Special Collections also contain a small percentage of three-dimensional objects such as wigs, trunks, costumes, and paintings. Below are two examples of objects that are part of the school’s very popular American Vaudeville Museum collection and related vaudeville collections. First is a pair of pants decorated with shell buttons, worn by a vaudeville actor.
 |
| From University of Arizona |
Next is a box of wigs, also worn by vaudeville actors.
 |
| From University of Arizona |
Chrystal also showed me some of Special Collections’ Western Pulp Fiction holdings. Below is some of the creative labeling used for that collection. Following the photo is a very short video of Chrystal in the stacks talking about the Western Pulp Fiction.
Embed photo:
 |
| From University of Arizona |
Other popular Special Collections at the school include the Josias Joesler collection of architectural renderings and blueprints and the Stewart L. Udall and Morris K. Udall political collections. Chrystal’s favorite collections are the Stewart L. Udall and the Don Alonzo Sanford Collections. She likes Udall’s because it contains so much documentation "from his early life growing up in a rural Arizona town and his life as a WWII B-24 bomber, to the vast documentation on his eight years as the U.S. Secretary of the Interior," she says.
Chrystal is especially interested in the Don Alonzo Sanford collection because it "provides a snapshot into the everyday life of a pioneer businessman/politician and his family in the Arizona Territory--from what it would cost for Tucson to install street lights to what it was like for a Eastern woman to travel across country and take up residence in an unfamiliar western territory."
 |
| From University of Arizona |
Some of the undiscovered or underutilized gems of the collection include the incunabula holdings (books that were printed prior to 1501), science fiction and fanzines collections, and de la Torre family collection which focuses on the Cristero Movement in Mexico.
Conclusion
The University of Arizona’s Special Collections makes significant contributions to the effort to preserve the region’s collective historical memory. Its acquisition, processing, and digitization programs related to projects like the Borderlands Cultural Community program allow its archivists and librarians to work with community groups in the borderland region to acquire collective histories. With proactive and innovative leaders such as Chrystal Carpenter, the future of Special Collections looks especially bright.
Contact Information
Chrystal Carpenter
Manuscript & Congressional Archivist
University of Arizona Libraries, Special Collections
1510 E. University Blvd.
Tucson, AZ 85721
(520) 621-6423
carpenterc@u.library.arizona.edu
http://speccoll.library.arizona.edu/
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Field Trip: The Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts, Philadelphia
Remember this map? It, the other map I found, and a very interesting scrapbook are now in the very capable hands of the conservators at The Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA) in Philadelphia. After a nice bath, the map will be lined with Japanese paper and wheat paste, and given a good, sturdy housing for its return trip to the Plainfield Public Library and eventual storage. CCAHA also offers digitization and facsimile services for clients who wish to keep their treasures safe while offering their content to patrons in usable formats.
Sarah Hull, Plainfield Public Library Archivist, and I drove down to Philly on a rainy day with our precious cargo in an archival tube and box in the back of my Subaru Forester. While the maps' plans are set, we were getting a quote on what it would take to remove newspaper clippings that had been glued onto the scrapbook's pages. Why just a quote, and (more importantly) why remove the clippings at all?
It appears that those clippings are on top of content written on the pages of a ledger from one of the Vail family's stores. In their heyday, the Vails were one of the more prominent Plainfield families, and the Library holds quite a few items related to their history.
The photo below shows the cover of the scrapbook. If CCAHA takes it on, the cover will likely be unbound to address the clipping issue.
In the photo below, you can see that the clippings are dated, so they have some value and will be saved, if possible.
Below, the mystery of the hidden ledgers peek out from among the clippings.
Our host for the tour (and the person who talked with us about our conservation needs) was Corine McHugh, Paper Conservator (shown below in the book area).
The CCAHA building is a former candy factory, but now it holds several rooms of specialists in the areas of books, manuscripts, artworks on paper, maps, historic wallpaper, posters, and photographs. When we arrived, Jim Hinz, Director of Book Conservation, was assessing an elephant folio (a very large format book) of John James Audubon's Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America. Published in the mid-19th century, the book is a follow-up to his famed Birds of America.
Below is a page in the book. For scale, see Hinz's index finger near the spine of the book.
His plans for the book include washing some of the plates. However, because some of the prints had been hand-touched with a water-soluble ink after printing, they will not be able to go into a water bath. Hinz will disbind the book, send the plates to the paper lab, and when they return, he will reconnect and sew the book together.
Above, you can see one of the original end bands, which Hinz will replace with cotton rather than silk (the original) because silk becomes acidic over time. The image above also shows that the books pages do not rest flat. After Jim's repairs are complete, the book will be able to be displayed and/or used with its pages open flat. He said that they see a lot of Audubons, and apparently there are a few around. The Plainfield Public Library recently received a donation of three Audubon prints.
As our tour continued, we moved on to the paper area (shown below).
We also saw other large workspaces and tables prepared for making enclosures.
Corine showed us a suction table that acts (as you might expect) like a large draw. Marilyn Kemp Weidner, who started the Conservation Center in the 1970s, invented the table. In the photo below, Corine stands to the right of the table (which has a tiny sign that reads "I love this!" on it) and in front of homemade tubs for bathing large objects. If you are interested in learning more about suction tables and Marilyn's work, the American Institute for Conservation has made some of her papers available online. This one has photos of the table in use.
One of paper's enemies is light, but it can be used effectively to treat certain issues such as intensive foxing. Corine gave the excellent example of how hanging sheets to dry in the sun helps to bleach them. In the photo below, she shows us how plant grow lights are used (with eye protection to protect conservators and a curtain to protect other items in the lab) to treat black and white prints. The works are immersed in water and the lights are turned on for a period of time until they bleach as much of the foxing from the prints as possible. The conservator will check on the prints periodically to ensure that the results are as expected.
Finally, Corine showed us the CCAHA digital photo studio and the very big printer.
Visiting the CCAHA made Sarah and me want to go back to school to become conservators. It is a field that combines science with history, art, and technique. The pros at CCAHA who do the hard work conserving art and historical materials are very lucky indeed.
Contact Information
Corine McHugh
Paper Conservator
Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts
264 S. 23rd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
cmchugh@ccaha.org
215-735-9313
http://www.ccaha.org/
 |
| From Plainfield Public Library |
Sarah Hull, Plainfield Public Library Archivist, and I drove down to Philly on a rainy day with our precious cargo in an archival tube and box in the back of my Subaru Forester. While the maps' plans are set, we were getting a quote on what it would take to remove newspaper clippings that had been glued onto the scrapbook's pages. Why just a quote, and (more importantly) why remove the clippings at all?
It appears that those clippings are on top of content written on the pages of a ledger from one of the Vail family's stores. In their heyday, the Vails were one of the more prominent Plainfield families, and the Library holds quite a few items related to their history.
The photo below shows the cover of the scrapbook. If CCAHA takes it on, the cover will likely be unbound to address the clipping issue.
 |
| From Plainfield Public Library |
In the photo below, you can see that the clippings are dated, so they have some value and will be saved, if possible.
 |
| From Plainfield Public Library |
Below, the mystery of the hidden ledgers peek out from among the clippings.
 |
| From Plainfield Public Library |
Our host for the tour (and the person who talked with us about our conservation needs) was Corine McHugh, Paper Conservator (shown below in the book area).
 |
| From Plainfield Public Library |
The CCAHA building is a former candy factory, but now it holds several rooms of specialists in the areas of books, manuscripts, artworks on paper, maps, historic wallpaper, posters, and photographs. When we arrived, Jim Hinz, Director of Book Conservation, was assessing an elephant folio (a very large format book) of John James Audubon's Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America. Published in the mid-19th century, the book is a follow-up to his famed Birds of America.
Below is a page in the book. For scale, see Hinz's index finger near the spine of the book.
 |
| From Plainfield Public Library |
His plans for the book include washing some of the plates. However, because some of the prints had been hand-touched with a water-soluble ink after printing, they will not be able to go into a water bath. Hinz will disbind the book, send the plates to the paper lab, and when they return, he will reconnect and sew the book together.
 |
| From Plainfield Public Library |
Above, you can see one of the original end bands, which Hinz will replace with cotton rather than silk (the original) because silk becomes acidic over time. The image above also shows that the books pages do not rest flat. After Jim's repairs are complete, the book will be able to be displayed and/or used with its pages open flat. He said that they see a lot of Audubons, and apparently there are a few around. The Plainfield Public Library recently received a donation of three Audubon prints.
As our tour continued, we moved on to the paper area (shown below).
 |
| From Plainfield Public Library |
We also saw other large workspaces and tables prepared for making enclosures.
 |
| From Plainfield Public Library |
Corine showed us a suction table that acts (as you might expect) like a large draw. Marilyn Kemp Weidner, who started the Conservation Center in the 1970s, invented the table. In the photo below, Corine stands to the right of the table (which has a tiny sign that reads "I love this!" on it) and in front of homemade tubs for bathing large objects. If you are interested in learning more about suction tables and Marilyn's work, the American Institute for Conservation has made some of her papers available online. This one has photos of the table in use.
 |
| From Plainfield Public Library |
One of paper's enemies is light, but it can be used effectively to treat certain issues such as intensive foxing. Corine gave the excellent example of how hanging sheets to dry in the sun helps to bleach them. In the photo below, she shows us how plant grow lights are used (with eye protection to protect conservators and a curtain to protect other items in the lab) to treat black and white prints. The works are immersed in water and the lights are turned on for a period of time until they bleach as much of the foxing from the prints as possible. The conservator will check on the prints periodically to ensure that the results are as expected.
 |
| From Plainfield Public Library |
Finally, Corine showed us the CCAHA digital photo studio and the very big printer.
Visiting the CCAHA made Sarah and me want to go back to school to become conservators. It is a field that combines science with history, art, and technique. The pros at CCAHA who do the hard work conserving art and historical materials are very lucky indeed.
Contact Information
Corine McHugh
Paper Conservator
Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts
264 S. 23rd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
cmchugh@ccaha.org
215-735-9313
http://www.ccaha.org/
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
Tour of the Utah State University's Special Collections and University Archives, Part I
Introduction
When I initiated this project of visiting libraries, archives, and museums to spotlight their gems (hidden and otherwise) on this blog, I had no idea my world would expand as much as it has. Experiencing (and sometimes holding) important historical objects, books, and manuscripts is life-altering for sure. However, my favorite part of this project is visiting with some of the best storytellers I've ever met. These historians, archivists, and curators enthusiastically share the history of their collections in such a way that I always leave wanting to see more.
My hosts at Utah State University Merrill-Cazier Library's Special Collections and Archives were no exception. Despite spending a day in Logan, UT (about an hour and a half north of Salt Lake City), seeing a wide range of collecting areas, I could easily return many times and still only experience a fraction of their treasures. The fact that the school is located in the gorgeous Cache Valley doesn't hurt either!
Copyright 2009 David Densley.
Background on the School
Since we're at the beginning of the Civil War Sesquicentennial, it is fitting that the history of Utah State University (USU) begins with an act signed into law in 1862 -- the Morrill Act. According to the Department of State,
Like Rutgers, USU counts itself as one of those public land-grant schools. When it was founded in 1888, it was known as the Agricultural College of Utah, but eventually became Utah State University in 1957. (The school still uses a typographic "A" as its symbol, though, because the students are "Aggies.") In the early 20th century, USU's educational offerings were greatly limited because state lawmakers feared that it would overshadow the University of Utah. They tried to combine the two schools, but failed. Instead, "the legislature passed a bill limiting [the school's] curriculum to agriculture, domestic science, and mechanic arts. Many once-thriving programs in the arts, humanities, education, and others are closed, despite the college's initial mandate that it offer such instruction. By 1927, all curricular restrictions except law and medicine are lifted," says USU.
During World War I, USU turned into a military installation, with enlisted students housed in barracks that would later become lab space and classrooms. USU also is known as "The West Point of the West" because it has graduated more officers than any other school outside the Army academy.
In the 1950s, the Space Dynamics Laboratory and the Utah Water Research Laboratory were established. (For those who may not know, a great deal of the US space program's testing happens in Utah.)
At about the same time, the University Archives and some of the historical collections were brought together by History Professor S. George Ellsworth. The Special Collections and University Archives department was formally established around 1967. For more USU history, visit the History and Traditions page.
About the Collections
The USU Special Collections and University Archives currently houses approximately 80,000 volumes (including theses and dissertations), 18,000 linear feet of manuscripts and university archives, and 500,000 photographic images. In other words, the department is gigantic.
The size of the western collections I have visited never fails to impress me. The general scale of pretty much everything seems about 10 times larger than here in New Jersey.
USU's Special Collections and University Archives employs 10 full time (five faculty, three professional, and two classified) staffers and one part-time worker. They include four archivists and one processing assistant, although some of the archivists hold the title "Curator." The staff serves about 30 patrons per week, including USU faculty and students, community users, and outside researchers. Their long-term researchers include one person working on a local history project and another researching historian Leonard Arrington. This summer, they are expecting another professor from Alabama who is researching Brigham Young.
The school's collecting areas are regional history, the Mormon experience, and the history of the West. They also have strong collections in Western literature and the Western environment. "Our university archive is extremely strong and complete back to the founding of the university," says Brad Cole, my gracious primary tour host and the Associate Library Dean.
Brad has been at USU for 18 years. "I graduated with a Master’s degree in history and was not sure what I was going to do for employment. A position opened up in the Special Collections and Archives department of the library and that was how I started," he says. Primarily he works on donor relations and larger projects. In fact, he and his Folklore staff are finishing a ranch documentation oral history project.
His favorite collections are those related to environmental issues -- the Sierra Club papers, Utah Wilderness Association, and diaries about the environment, among others. Brad explains, "I guess I like these collections because they really relate to Utah State and also to very current issues in the American West."
I asked Brad to tell me about some of the items in the collections that don't receive as much attention as they probably should. He names a few,
Books and Manuscripts
USU's Beat Poetry collection comprises 10,000 volumes. I was especially impressed with the Wallace Berman Semina collection. Below, Brad tells me a bit more about the seminas and why they are important to the university's special collections.
Below are close-ups of the materials Brad showed in the video.
Moving backward in time from the mid- to the early 20th century, USU holds one of the largest collections of first-edition Jack London books. But, they're not classified as books in the Special Collections -- they're manuscripts. Why? Well, I'll let Brad tell you.
Below are some close-up photos I took of these remarkable manuscripts.
To see the collection of books inscribed to Charmian online, visit USU's Jack London exhibit. Additionally, Jack London researchers might also be interested in USU's 42 boxes of his papers.
On the topic of manuscripts, I had an opportunity to meet briefly with recent Conference of Intermountain Archivists Service Award recipient and outgoing Manuscript Curator Stephen Sturgeon about USU's 400 collections of unpublished papers. He spoke with me about several of the key collections. One of the school's largest manuscript collections is the Leonard J. Arrington Historical Archives. According to the archives' site, Arrington is known as the "Dean of Mormon History," having published many books and papers on the subject as an economics professor at USU and afterward. He served as "Church Historian" at the LDS Church Archives in Salt Lake City from 1972-1982, and later transferred to head the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Church History at BYU in 1982.
Arrington kept voluminous diaries (kept sealed in the collection until 2010) as well as correspondence and other papers. This collection, measuring 319 linear feet, has become a premier research resource on Mormon, Utah, and Western history.
In addition to collecting in the area of the Mormon experience, USU actively collects regional history. For example, a new collection the archivists are processing is Utah Representative Jim Hansen's papers. So far, they have processed 400 of those Hollinger boxes (below).
Design Workshop Landscape Architecture Archive and Exhibit
A few days prior to my visit, USU had announced the creation of the Design Workshop Landscape Architecture Archive and Digital Collection. It was well coordinated with their hosting of the American Society of Landscape Architects Annual Meeting. The new archive is a three-way partnership between the USU Special Collections, USU Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning, and Design Workshop, a legendary landscape architecture firm founded by two class of 1963 USU graduates.
Below, Brad shows me early examples of digital landscape architecture drawings in the collection.
One of the challenges USU is addressing is the lack of map cabinets to store all the drawings flat (it's a very common issue as map cabinets are expensive). Their solution is to use acid-free tubes to store the drawings rolled. Below is an image of some drawings that have been processed and stored in the tubes.
There are approximately 5,000 more tubes in storage. So far, the materials are being processed by landscape architecture professors and graduate students who can assess the drawings and describe them accurately. Upstairs, in the Merrill-Cazier Library was a sizable exhibit showcasing Design Workshop's long history as a trailblazer in urban planning. A few photos of the exhibit are shown below.
Preservation
Brad helped produce the exhibit with Rose Milovich, Preservation Manager and Exhibition Program Director. She's been with USU Special Collections and Archives for 15 years and USU for 21 years. Rose has managed the Preservation Lab since 2008, and previously, she was Curator of Art and Book Arts. She comes from a museum studies background, and you can see that influence in the exhibits and her conservation projects.
Below is a short video of Rose showing me one of 80 custom boxes she and her students made for the Larry E. Elsner sketch book collection.
In some cases, they would find ephemera in the sketchbooks. In others, the students would make cushions to help protect the spiral-bound notebooks. Below are two close ups -- one of the enclosure and one of the sketchbooks open to a page of drawings.
Because this feature on USU's Special Collections and Archives is quite long, I have broken it into two parts. The remainder of the tour begins with University Archives on this page.
When I initiated this project of visiting libraries, archives, and museums to spotlight their gems (hidden and otherwise) on this blog, I had no idea my world would expand as much as it has. Experiencing (and sometimes holding) important historical objects, books, and manuscripts is life-altering for sure. However, my favorite part of this project is visiting with some of the best storytellers I've ever met. These historians, archivists, and curators enthusiastically share the history of their collections in such a way that I always leave wanting to see more.
My hosts at Utah State University Merrill-Cazier Library's Special Collections and Archives were no exception. Despite spending a day in Logan, UT (about an hour and a half north of Salt Lake City), seeing a wide range of collecting areas, I could easily return many times and still only experience a fraction of their treasures. The fact that the school is located in the gorgeous Cache Valley doesn't hurt either!
Copyright 2009 David Densley.
Background on the School
Since we're at the beginning of the Civil War Sesquicentennial, it is fitting that the history of Utah State University (USU) begins with an act signed into law in 1862 -- the Morrill Act. According to the Department of State,
The act gave to every state that had remained in the Union a grant of 30,000 acres of public land for every member of its congressional delegation. Since under the Constitution every state had at least two senators and one representative, even the smallest state received 90,000 acres. The states were to sell this land and use the proceeds to establish colleges in engineering, agriculture and military science. Over seventy "land grant" colleges, as they came to be known, were established under the original Morrill Act; a second act in 1890 extended the land grant provisions to the sixteen southern states.
Like Rutgers, USU counts itself as one of those public land-grant schools. When it was founded in 1888, it was known as the Agricultural College of Utah, but eventually became Utah State University in 1957. (The school still uses a typographic "A" as its symbol, though, because the students are "Aggies.") In the early 20th century, USU's educational offerings were greatly limited because state lawmakers feared that it would overshadow the University of Utah. They tried to combine the two schools, but failed. Instead, "the legislature passed a bill limiting [the school's] curriculum to agriculture, domestic science, and mechanic arts. Many once-thriving programs in the arts, humanities, education, and others are closed, despite the college's initial mandate that it offer such instruction. By 1927, all curricular restrictions except law and medicine are lifted," says USU.
During World War I, USU turned into a military installation, with enlisted students housed in barracks that would later become lab space and classrooms. USU also is known as "The West Point of the West" because it has graduated more officers than any other school outside the Army academy.
In the 1950s, the Space Dynamics Laboratory and the Utah Water Research Laboratory were established. (For those who may not know, a great deal of the US space program's testing happens in Utah.)
At about the same time, the University Archives and some of the historical collections were brought together by History Professor S. George Ellsworth. The Special Collections and University Archives department was formally established around 1967. For more USU history, visit the History and Traditions page.
About the Collections
The USU Special Collections and University Archives currently houses approximately 80,000 volumes (including theses and dissertations), 18,000 linear feet of manuscripts and university archives, and 500,000 photographic images. In other words, the department is gigantic.
 |
| From Utah State University |
The size of the western collections I have visited never fails to impress me. The general scale of pretty much everything seems about 10 times larger than here in New Jersey.
USU's Special Collections and University Archives employs 10 full time (five faculty, three professional, and two classified) staffers and one part-time worker. They include four archivists and one processing assistant, although some of the archivists hold the title "Curator." The staff serves about 30 patrons per week, including USU faculty and students, community users, and outside researchers. Their long-term researchers include one person working on a local history project and another researching historian Leonard Arrington. This summer, they are expecting another professor from Alabama who is researching Brigham Young.
The school's collecting areas are regional history, the Mormon experience, and the history of the West. They also have strong collections in Western literature and the Western environment. "Our university archive is extremely strong and complete back to the founding of the university," says Brad Cole, my gracious primary tour host and the Associate Library Dean.
Brad has been at USU for 18 years. "I graduated with a Master’s degree in history and was not sure what I was going to do for employment. A position opened up in the Special Collections and Archives department of the library and that was how I started," he says. Primarily he works on donor relations and larger projects. In fact, he and his Folklore staff are finishing a ranch documentation oral history project.
His favorite collections are those related to environmental issues -- the Sierra Club papers, Utah Wilderness Association, and diaries about the environment, among others. Brad explains, "I guess I like these collections because they really relate to Utah State and also to very current issues in the American West."
I asked Brad to tell me about some of the items in the collections that don't receive as much attention as they probably should. He names a few,
Some of our collections include diaries from forest rangers, others are related to Utah State University’s role in developing Western agriculture. Other collections are about USU's involvement in Iraq and Iran during the 1950s. We worked a lot in that area of the world to help rebuild after WWII. In addition to these would be a large collection about Czech patriot, Thomas Masaryk, and one of the largest Beat Poetry collections in the US.
Books and Manuscripts
USU's Beat Poetry collection comprises 10,000 volumes. I was especially impressed with the Wallace Berman Semina collection. Below, Brad tells me a bit more about the seminas and why they are important to the university's special collections.
Below are close-ups of the materials Brad showed in the video.
 |
| From Utah State University |
 |
| From Utah State University |
 |
| From Utah State University |
Moving backward in time from the mid- to the early 20th century, USU holds one of the largest collections of first-edition Jack London books. But, they're not classified as books in the Special Collections -- they're manuscripts. Why? Well, I'll let Brad tell you.
Below are some close-up photos I took of these remarkable manuscripts.
 |
| From Utah State University |
 |
| From Utah State University |
 |
| From Utah State University |
 |
| From Utah State University |
 |
| From Utah State University |
To see the collection of books inscribed to Charmian online, visit USU's Jack London exhibit. Additionally, Jack London researchers might also be interested in USU's 42 boxes of his papers.
On the topic of manuscripts, I had an opportunity to meet briefly with recent Conference of Intermountain Archivists Service Award recipient and outgoing Manuscript Curator Stephen Sturgeon about USU's 400 collections of unpublished papers. He spoke with me about several of the key collections. One of the school's largest manuscript collections is the Leonard J. Arrington Historical Archives. According to the archives' site, Arrington is known as the "Dean of Mormon History," having published many books and papers on the subject as an economics professor at USU and afterward. He served as "Church Historian" at the LDS Church Archives in Salt Lake City from 1972-1982, and later transferred to head the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Church History at BYU in 1982.
Arrington kept voluminous diaries (kept sealed in the collection until 2010) as well as correspondence and other papers. This collection, measuring 319 linear feet, has become a premier research resource on Mormon, Utah, and Western history.
In addition to collecting in the area of the Mormon experience, USU actively collects regional history. For example, a new collection the archivists are processing is Utah Representative Jim Hansen's papers. So far, they have processed 400 of those Hollinger boxes (below).
 |
| From Utah State University |
Design Workshop Landscape Architecture Archive and Exhibit
A few days prior to my visit, USU had announced the creation of the Design Workshop Landscape Architecture Archive and Digital Collection. It was well coordinated with their hosting of the American Society of Landscape Architects Annual Meeting. The new archive is a three-way partnership between the USU Special Collections, USU Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning, and Design Workshop, a legendary landscape architecture firm founded by two class of 1963 USU graduates.
Below, Brad shows me early examples of digital landscape architecture drawings in the collection.
 |
| From Utah State University |
 |
| From Utah State University |
One of the challenges USU is addressing is the lack of map cabinets to store all the drawings flat (it's a very common issue as map cabinets are expensive). Their solution is to use acid-free tubes to store the drawings rolled. Below is an image of some drawings that have been processed and stored in the tubes.
 |
| From Utah State University |
There are approximately 5,000 more tubes in storage. So far, the materials are being processed by landscape architecture professors and graduate students who can assess the drawings and describe them accurately. Upstairs, in the Merrill-Cazier Library was a sizable exhibit showcasing Design Workshop's long history as a trailblazer in urban planning. A few photos of the exhibit are shown below.
 |
| From Utah State University |
 |
| From Utah State University |
 |
| From Utah State University |
 |
| From Utah State University |
Preservation
Brad helped produce the exhibit with Rose Milovich, Preservation Manager and Exhibition Program Director. She's been with USU Special Collections and Archives for 15 years and USU for 21 years. Rose has managed the Preservation Lab since 2008, and previously, she was Curator of Art and Book Arts. She comes from a museum studies background, and you can see that influence in the exhibits and her conservation projects.
Below is a short video of Rose showing me one of 80 custom boxes she and her students made for the Larry E. Elsner sketch book collection.
In some cases, they would find ephemera in the sketchbooks. In others, the students would make cushions to help protect the spiral-bound notebooks. Below are two close ups -- one of the enclosure and one of the sketchbooks open to a page of drawings.
 |
| From Utah State University |
 |
| From Utah State University |
Because this feature on USU's Special Collections and Archives is quite long, I have broken it into two parts. The remainder of the tour begins with University Archives on this page.
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