Article Review

O’Toole, J. M., (1990). The archivist’s task: Responsibilities and duties. In Understanding archives and manuscripts (pp. 61-69). Chicago: Society of American Archivists.

Regardless of the size or type of collection, all archivists are concerned with preserving the valuable records of society. The job of archivist is varied one. Some of the task involve:

Saving and acquiring new records: Records are identified, appraised, and acquired, and necessary preservation steps are taken.

Records must be arranged: Arrangement will depend in large part on the type of collection. For example, a collection might be arranged by departments in an organization or by activities for a personal collection (letters, photographs, etc.).

Once records are arranged, they must be described: Similar to classifying library materials, archival records must be classified and metadata applied.

Records are made available physically and/or virtually: This must be done in an ethical, fair manner.

Archivists must publicize and share their collections: A variety of methods are available including publication in journals and societies. Exhibits and outreach programs are also an important tool for public relations and awareness.

Article Review

Sommer, B. W. & Quinlan, M. K., (2002). The oral history manual. Walnut Creek, CA: AlltaMira. Pgs. 1-20.
Oral history is a collection of information of first-hand experiences. It should not be confused with recorded reminiscences about “the good old days.” As Sommer and Quinlan point out, “the purpose of the oral history is to obtain detailed and lengthy responses to open-ended questions.” (p.3). Oral histories can fill in the blanks of previously recorded information or bring to light new information or deeper dimensions. Oral histories are generally one of two categories:
1) Life Interview which is usually multiple sessions with one person, or 2) Oral History Project which focuses on an event or specific topic and uses interview of multiple people.

Although there is some doubt about the reliability of information mined in an oral history, oral historians believe that a thoughtful, well designed interview can be a valuable and reliable source of new and/or expanded information. Many factors affect an oral history interview. For example, how the interviewer and the narrator interact can have an effect on the results. Also whether the event being explored happened in the distant or recent past may have an effect on the narrator’s memory. Many different entities are interested in oral histories—historical organizations, communities, teachers, government agencies, public and private organizations, and families to name a few.

Considerable planning and organization goes into an oral history. Besides the obvious of determining who to interview, one also must consider key personnel, budgeting of both time and money, location and equipment for the interview, background research, and interview questions prior to conducting the interview. There are also legal and ethical matters to consider. Copyright, consent forms, documentation and ownership of the final product are just some of the issues that need to be addressed.

The Journey Continues...

Ok, it hasn't been all work and no play. The weekend of the 4th was a busy one. It started off with the Fourth of July parade which the whole town showed up for! It was pretty typical small-town parade (although better than some bigger towns...) but had a variety of entries
and floats. There was also an art fair with some really nice things, but nothing this poor nomad student needed or could afford.

The Hopi festival was happening that weekend also with lots of dancing. Their dancing must be working because the monsoons have started!


But there was also still a fair amount of blue sky this past weekend so Kristen and I went to Wupatki, a pueblo ruins. Very interesting and in a beautiful setting.

I still need to go to the Lowell Observatory and the Coconino County Art Museum in town and, in the area, the Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde and/or Canyon de Chelly. Oh, and I'd really like to hike to the top of Humphries, the tallest mountain in Arizona, which is less than ten miles from here. So much to do and so little time!

Article Review

O’Toole, J. M., (1990). Recording, keeping, and using information. In Understanding archives and manuscripts (pp. 7-25). Chicago: Society of American Archivists.

Records are created for a number of reasons:

• Personal: narratives such as memoirs and diaries, or records of significant events such as entries in a family Bible
• Societal: for groups of individuals, for example, meeting participation and minutes
• Economic: records of money management, payroll
• Legal: government, property, court proceedings
• Functional: blueprints, maps, scientific data
• Symbolic reasons: photographs, diplomas

Beginning with early clay tablets, the technology of making records has evolved. Paper/pen/pencil, the printing press, and typewriters were early inventions. Early storage methods evolved from filing systems and photographic records to computers.

Although technology aided record keeping, it also inhibited record keeping. For example, correspondence that was once written and kept was replaced with telephone conversations that are usually not recorded. Because of the abundance of information, archivists must look at the big picture rather than at individual items. Archives are useful for personal, societal, corporate, and research purposes.

Comment:

The NAU SCA collection focuses on the Colorado Plateau. It houses several million items, some of which are letters, diaries, photographs, maps, and oral history interviews. Over 5,000 of these items are available through the Digital Archives.

7/9/08

I’ve written a fair amount of text, pulled a number of quotes, and have a bit of a start on the labels for the images. I sent out what I have so far to team members for editing. I have already heard back from Karen and Richard, and they both like what I’ve written so far. (a relief!)

Jess has two batches of images printed and mounted already and they’re looking really good! I have requested everyone’s help to start gathering “stuff” for the cases—things that will add interest.

7/7/08

Went to Jerome for Katie’s oral history. She wasn’t feeling very well but didn’t want to postpone the interview. Most of her answers were fairly canned but I managed to throw some surprise questions in. We had to stop part way through as she was coughing. I asked if she wanted to continue and she wanted to know what the rest of the questions were. Unfortunately, some of the “good stuff” about her views of population problems was off camera. Lesson learned—don’t reveal the questions beforehand.

We met with Noel, the web designer. Peter mostly talked with him while I showed Katie images I had so far. She didn’t want to look at the Glen-After images but said it was okay to include them in the case.

Article Review

Stanford Copyright and Fair Use Center, (2007). Copyright overview (NOLA), retrieved June 6, 2008, from http://fairuse.stanford.edu/.

Most anything can qualify for copyright protection as long as it is in a physical form for at least a brief period of time. It must be original—the author cannot copy another person’s work—and it must have creative effort. For example, there needs to be more creativity than the white pages of a telephone book. The author’s ideas, however, are not protected by copyright. The foundation of copyright lies in encouraging creativity, and copyrighting ideas would certainly hinder the purpose of the law.

While anything published prior to 1923 is in the public domain, there are various rules regarding copyright expiration after 1923. It is best to assume copyright protection until proven otherwise. One exception is the fair use rule whereby use is permitted if it is for education, scholarship or for public benefit. Fair use will depend on the amount of material used, purpose, and how the material is used.

Because it is often difficult to determine when a work is published on the Internet, it is best to assume that it is copyrighted and ask permission of the author before using.

Copyright ownership can be transferred, for example to a book publisher. Ownership can be transferred as an “assignment” that transfers all rights, or as a “license” that transfers some of the rights. Ownership, however, can be revoked by authors or heirs 35 to 40 years following transfer.

Comment:

The Katie Lee exhibit is an unusual exhibit for NAU’s Special Collections and Archives since we do not yet own and/or have copyright permission for her collection. This especially impacts the virtual exhibit. Normally, exhibits are of collections that SCA already owns and the virtual exhibit is housed on SCA’s Digital Archives of the Colorado Plateau. For this exhibit, however, the virtual exhibit will be hosted on Katie’s commercial website with links to SCA’s.

Internship Notes

7/3/08

The photo on the left is the first two of the three flat cases as you walk into SCA. The photo on the right is looking back at the entrance and shows four of the five upright cases.

The push this week was to get as many photos to Jess as possible and I'm happy to say I have probably 80% to him with sizes marked. This will be a fluid process--as I start working on the cases, I expect to find that different sizes are needed or different pictures. I’ve already changed my mind on some of the wall images that I had given him, fortunately before they were printed. I’m starting to think more actively about the various artifacts that can be used. Apparently most anything can be used so I’m considering a range of items from jewelry to hiking boots, a Raggedy Ann doll and a cake mix. Hmm, should be interesting.

I have put together a three ring binder with sections for each of the eight cases and I have printed out the photos, text, and lists of artifacts I plan to use, along with miscellaneous notes. I feel oh-so organized! (This is especially helpful since the photos I put up around my desk refuse to stay on the walls. Blue tape, which is all I’m allowed to use, is not the best for hanging stuff.) I also drew out a map with the cases and wall images marked. That really helped me to visualize the exhibit.

I met with Peter and Richard this week to update them on my progress and get their suggestions. We discussed the photos and also the oral history questions. Everyone has given me suggestions for the questions so I feel pretty good about the list. Peter and I will go on Monday for the interview.