ArchivesInfo

Finding My Platinum Presence

noreply@blogger.com (melissa mannon) — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:58:00 +0000

Standing in front of a room of friendly faces, eager to hear what I have to say.

Sitting across a table of people. All eyes on me. Judging if I am the right person to join them.

Speaking on the phone to a client, explaining my thoughts with the authority they need to hear to give them the unequivocal assurance to move forward with their ideas.

We have all experienced moments like this. With twenty-years of a professional experience, I have experienced all of these things over and over again. Now I experience them with a confidence that I previously did not have.

I do not want to stereotype, but I believe that many of us who choose the library sciences as a profession would classify ourselves as "introverts." According to the book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, "Studies show that one third to one half of us are introverts." Being introverted has its advantages. Usually, feeling comfortable in the presence of others is not one of them.

To say that Cheryl Dolan's "Platinum Presence" workshop has changed my professional journey is an understatement. Cheryl Dolan has changed my life. Truly. I have mentioned in this blog in the past that I consider myself an introvert. I am full of ideas. I love to share them, but I always have a niggling feeling when I am with groups. It's a feeling that tells me I'd rather be at home alone with a book or communicating through social media rather than face to face. When I was a young professional, I had a horrible time speaking to an audience. And even though now it is one of my favorite things to do, I replay every talk I give over and over in my brain for hours after the event. "Did they like me? What do I need to change? Did they like me?" In fact, when I interviewed for the first professional position that I eventually landed twenty years ago, I couldn't speak in my interview with the library director. Yes, I literally couldn't speak because I was so nervous. He was kind and patient and saw something in me that lead him to hire me.

My Platinum Presence class sits on their exercise balls.
That's me on the right.

Almost twenty years later, Cheryl gave me an opportunity to experience her two day class. She provides practical information about how to present oneself in many situations. She has us do a series of exercises that have us in front of a small group. We do some storytelling. We bounce on big exercise balls to ground ourselves and steady our voices. (It absolutely works! I now use the ball at home before I head out the door to speak to anyone!) We laugh. We learn. We get to know each other in a very relaxed and supportive atmosphere. I realized that everyone, even the people whom I would consider extroverts, had similar concerns about how they come across to others in different situations.

The group offers only positive feedback. I first thought that the positive feedback thing might not work. How could I possibly improve what was wrong if they only told me the positive? But really, I already knew what was wrong. I didn't fully know what was right. Now I can focus on my strengths and the bad stuff moves aside.

I want to thank my friend and new mentor, Cheryl Dolan for this terrific program that she has developed. It is a lifeline. It has given me a piece of myself that was missing. I have a new appreciation and understanding for how I come across to others. It has made me more attuned to my presence in a very positive way. It has given me the knowledge to show my Platinum Presence in any situation.

***
And finally, because my fellow Platinum Presence student Erica Holthausen of Honest Marketing Revolution shared her final class project, I am sharing mine.

5 Mistakes New Archives Consultants (and Others) Make in Small Institutions

noreply@blogger.com (melissa mannon) — Tue, 22 May 2012 19:41:00 +0000

The biggest mistake I see new consultants make is jumping into a situation with theory at the forefront of their brains. It is not practical for every repository to reach the pinnacle of archival perfection. Theory should be kept in the back of the brain while one evaluates a site and determines how much theory can be realistically applied to a certain situation.

1. Aiming for the Ideal - Before you think about and present what is ideal, ask a lot of questions about how the institution functions now. How can you build off that? Shoot for improvement. Aim for what is practical. Determine where ideal and practical intersect.

Recently, I was working with another consultant who launched into the type of furniture a certain client needed to install in a new facility. This client had been working for years to raise the money necessary to convert an old building in town. The building would afford them much needed additional space. I took a step back. I saw the expression on the client's face as she considered information about "furniture off-gassing". I remembered that she had already shown me some storage pieces that were donated for the new facility. I asked, "Do you already have furniture or will you be buying new?" When she confirmed that she already had furniture even though no work had yet been done on the facility renovations themselves, I knew that we needed to talk about how to mitigate the off-gassing of existing furniture and not to talk about how to find perfect furniture.

Look for what situations must
be remedied. Set priorities.

2. Overestimating what is fiscally feasible - Don't forget that small facilities probably have very limited resources. Cultural heritage institutions often function on shoestring budgets and grants. Think small. Think what must be done now versus what can be done down the road. Give clients a sense of what is important now and what is important for the future. Distinguish these things from a bucket list of to-dos that can make things easier, but that are not mandatory. Create a practical timeline for getting things done with goals and milestone activities for which they can aim. Provide options for getting things accomplished.

For example: Does the institution need a computer? Is price a consideration? Do you have contacts to help them get items at a discounted price? Are there people who might even be able to donate a computer? The job of a consultant for a small institution extends way beyond what is normal for the profession. Learn about related businesses. Network to find who can help you get your client what they need at affordable prices.
Consider: Where are the limited resources your client has best spent? Should they purchase preservation supplies or fix the leak over the collections? How can they raise money to do both? Clients will not always tell you the extent of their money issues. You need to ask and dig to learn what they can monetarily afford.

3. Overestimating Staffing - Many small institutions have small staffs. Many others operate with only volunteers. Be reasonable about their time. Things may move slower in a small institution. (On the other hand, sometimes there is less red tape, so things could move faster. Make yourself aware of the situation.) Sometimes there are no hands available to help. You may need to help rally troops to get things done. Information about finding and keeping volunteers may be useful.

Consultants may also sometimes overestimate or even underestimate the expertise of volunteers. Be reasonable about what can be accomplished by non-professionals, but also be encouraging. Part of the consultant's job is to be a teacher. How much of what you do can be taught to volunteers who can in turn teach other volunteers? Prepare for the possibility of unexpected teaching moments.

4. Forgetting or Not Realizing Political Considerations- The board may want things in the institution to be aesthetically pleasing to satisfy the mayor. A donor may encourage you to take a collection that you don't want before they give you money to support a new facility... You may need to figure out how to make everyone happy and this may sometimes take precedence over perfection.

Try not to get caught in the politics of the place. Talk to as many people as possible to get all views about issues and functions. Use your background and knowledge to make recommendations based on what you know, but keep in mind those political considerations. You play an unusual role as a consultant. Your opinion doesn't always matter. You are most often viewed as an outsider. Yet, your words can give your client leverage to make good things happen. Use your power wisely, but be aware of your place.

Help organize community support.
Look for teachable moments.

6. Discounting Community - The most successful projects in which I have had a hand have incorporated community involvement. A consultant can serve as a sort of cheerleader, presenting possibilities that an institution may not otherwise see. Consider members of the community who may want to take part in improving a cultural heritage institution. The local historical society, library, and museum should be a source of local pride. If the community feels the institution's value and is given a stake in its success, projects move forward more successfully. When appropriate, encourage clients to use you as a source for workshops for the public. Provide ideas for other ways and resources for community outreach.

The best skills a consultant can have are the abilities to listen, learn and exchange information. Be open-minded when you go into a new situation. Use your background and knowledge, but try to check your ego at the door and be open to new possibilities.

The Importance of "Our" History

noreply@blogger.com (melissa mannon) — Sat, 19 May 2012 16:06:00 +0000

Recently, I stood in front of a room and told one of my most personal stories. It is MY story and I have known for a long time that some parts of it would interest others.

I wasn't quite prepared for the reaction that I got.

My audience told me that it was powerful. They told me that it made them realize the importance of their own history.

I once thought everyone realized the importance of their own history. As a seasoned archivist and public speaker, I now know that is not true.

As I have said before in this space, history is directly connected to each individual. History is important now because it is about now. We are the center of history. People existed before us. Events happened before we got here. People will live and events will happen after we are gone. Therefore, we are the center of history. History is memory of the now -- whenever that "now" is. Those memories will only become part of permanent history if we document the now properly. This is why archives are important. We are the spoke that keeps the memories of the history wheel turning. Without archives to keep memory safe, we lose that memory.

The story I told my audience was the story of my family escaping from the Holocaust. I realize that many people feel that my story is more "dramatic" than what they think they have to share. My grandparents' story is one of struggle, horror, and hope. I have learned a lot from my family history, but I have learned a lot from others' stories too.

My family did not come to the United States on the Mayflower. One of the reasons that I moved to New England was because I loved hearing those "other" stories of early settlers that were not related to my own family history. They seemed a bit romantic to a young girl. As I settled into my adult years, I realized that the Mayflower stories really weren't so "other." They were stories of a different struggle to survive. Though I could never be approved for membership in the DAR, I could certainly tie my history to those of DAR ancestors. There are stories of struggle and hope in everyone's past.

When I stood in front of an audience with my story a couple of weeks ago, I asked those listening to close their eyes and picture a circle with a timeline through it. I explained that they were the circle. The line to the left was all the people who came before them. The line to the right was all the people who will come after. The people who came before influenced their lives. Their lives in turn will influence the lives of those who come after them. This center of history timeline provides a good visual of why our actions matter; why our history matters. why our stories matter.

You are the center of history

Those of us in cultural heritage fields can use our own personal stories and the stories connected to the objects we keep to explain the importance of history. We can't assume that everyone knows the value of what we do. We need to find ways to connect people of all ages to the idea that history matters. In order to do this, we need to connect individual history to "other" stories and to larger cultures. Now, more than ever, we have opportunities to do this through social media and quickly changing ideas about society. Now, more than ever, we MUST do this BECAUSE of these quickly changing ideas. The records of history are mutating. We must raise awareness about their importance to efficiently collect the information they embody, provide appropriate access to this information, and make sure that personal digital documents migrate to formats in which they can be read in the future.

For a long time, I have connected MY story to the lives of the people I encounter when I work on collections. I hope that I connect the stories of my contemporaries to these collected memories too.

***
Earlier this year, on a whim, I made these CafePress products to broadcast this idea: http://www.cafepress.com/archivesinfo#

The Diary Project Continues: Making Connections

noreply@blogger.com (melissa mannon) — Thu, 17 May 2012 13:26:00 +0000

Catch up on former Diary Project entries here: http://archivesinfo.blogspot.com/2012/04/mystery-solved-1882-diary-writer.html
***

The cemetery where my diary writer is buried. I now have a
stronger interest in the man who served as a town minister.
Did he officiate over any burials here?

I never made it to Maine over spring break to do diary research. The weather was iffy and time flew by with other things. Despite putting aside the diary for awhile, I do have some news. Recently I was contacted by a gentleman in New Jersey who has been researching the life of the minister who officiated at my diarist's wedding. The researcher came across my last blog post on how I found my diary writer. Based on what I said, he realized that the minister to whom I was referring was probably the one he was researching.

The Internet has opened up so many opportunities for researching and sharing information. Just a few years ago, this researcher and I probably would have done our work totally separately without any opportunity to share information; without the opportunity to know that the other person existed. Here are some thoughts about this:

Blogging is great for tracking your life, sharing your views, sharing information and making connections. I've met so many people around the world through participating in social media. These people have influenced my thinking, my career, and my personal life.
Through the Internet, I have found information about my diarist and connected more easily with archives that have information to assist me.
I have been able to plan my trips to Maine to do research by using the Internet. I knew virtually nothing about Maine before this project. The Internet has allowed me to set a strategy for my work in a more organized way than I could do without it.

I think we all know the advantages of the Internet...but the value of visiting archives themselves and really making human connections to find information is illustrated by this project. During my last visit to Maine, I visited a repository and queried the assistant there to get information for my research. The repository lacked a finding aid and I needed to rely on the knowledge of the person who was helping me. I asked for church records thinking that marriages would be recorded there and was told that there were none. I needed to backtrack and rethink and re-frame the question. I made a list of other possible materials the archives might have. I asked for records or publications related to marriages in the town. Bingo! None of this information is on the Internet. As much as we would like to think that the Internet is the end all for all our information needs, it is not. In fact, few small repositories have the resources to connect their resources to the digital world. This repository still did not even have their materials "indexed" on paper.

The gentleman I spoke with on the phone has also done some digging for records in Maine. He told me that his minister lived in NJ, Maine, and California. That he always had health issues and seemed to keep moving in part because of these health issues. In addition to being a clergyman he also studied medicine. I suggested that my new friend query the Town Hall for records. In Massachusetts and New Hampshire, old church records fall under the jurisdiction of the Town Clerk when a church goes defunct or can no longer care for its archives. Perhaps he would find some mention of his man in the Town Hall vaults.

In case you're interested - Mass. General Laws Chapter 66 "Section 16. If a church, parish, religious society, monthly meeting of the people called Friends or Quakers, or any similar body of persons who have associated themselves together for holding religious meetings, shall cease for the term of two years to hold such meetings, the persons having the care of any records or registries of such body, or of any officers thereof, shall deliver all such records, except records essential to the control of any property or trust funds belonging to such body, to the custodian of a depository provided by the state organization of the particular denomination or to the clerk of the city or town where such body is situated and such clerk may certify copies thereof upon the payment of the fee as provided by clause (25) of section thirty-four of chapter two hundred and sixty-two. If any such body, the records or registries of which, or of any officers of which, have been so delivered, shall resume meetings under its former name or shall be legally incorporated, either alone or with a similar body, the clerk of such city or town or the custodian of said depository shall, upon written demand by a person duly authorized, deliver such records or registries to him if he shall in writing certify that to the best of his knowledge and belief said meetings are to be continued or such incorporation has been legally completed. The superior court shall have jurisdiction in equity to enforce this section." It is certainly worthwhile for any researchers to understand what records are held in public trust. There are often many records that reflect local citizens lives held by Towns. http://www.malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleX/Chapter66

So here's my thinking today... because my diarist was pharmacist and I now know that his minister was a doctor, I wonder if there connection goes beyond "business." They were both upstanding citizens of the community, considered in the higher echelons of Town life. I wonder if beyond the pulpit, perhaps the "hung out" together? Did they sip tea together? Professionally, did the doctor write any prescriptions that were filled by my pharmacist? I may never know the answers to these questions, but at least now I have another thread to pull.

I think that before summer arrives, I will write to my friends at the Maine State Archives to see if they have any information for me. I will then plan to make a visit this summer. My mentor, who originally worked as the archivist at the Portsmouth Public Library when I was a college student, is now at the Maine Archives. She and I have stayed connected, but we haven't seen each other in over a decade. It's time to catch up. Nancy, here I come!

5 New Ways to Think About Your Personal History

noreply@blogger.com (melissa mannon) — Sat, 12 May 2012 12:08:00 +0000

Today I am going to bring together some ideas from my talks, my recent book, and my experiences to help you think about the value of your own personal history. In fact, these ideas are not "new," but I do hope that presenting them this way will help you better understand your place in society and the role your personal papers play. I want you to get a broad view of your personal documentation; to consider how you can approach it and care for it to add to the historical record. [The historical record is the documentation we keep that allows us to look back and better understand our history.]

From the Albert Ryan Collection at Waltham Public Library.
I'll be talking about the influence of one man's collection on
a city at a talk in Waltham this summer.

So, without further ado (I've always wanted to say that), here is the ArchivesInfo 5 for personal history:

1. Others are interested in your story

You say, "But my story is MY story. It's personal. Why would anyone care about MY story?" I've heard this many times. In fact, humanity goes around on personal stories. I used to stand in front of a room and give out information about how to care for your things. I slowly started adding personal stories to my talks. People kept telling me that I'm a good storyteller and that I should add more personal stories. So, I did. I peppered them in with information about preservation and organization and archives management. Then yesterday, I stood in front of a room and did a talk that was pretty much solely based on a personal story. The response that I got was overwhelming to me. The audience loved my story. They could relate. It made them think about their own personal stories.

People want to hear about other people. It's in our makeup. We want to know that we share experiences; that we're not alone. You should tell your personal story because it is a community story. It may seem personal, but it is human and real.

2. Your history is not linear

I was born. I went to school. I got a job. I got married....history and our personal timelines seem very linear, but they are not. They are becoming less linear, in fact. At least in our heads... One of my favorite recent archives project is the project to care for the Salmon Rushdie Papers at Emory University. Rushdie did not only donate his paper files arranged all nice and neatly in folder to the University Special Collections, he also donated his computers. How does an archivist care for one's personal information on a computer so that other can use it and learn from it? That's the question for archivists today and that is something for you to think about too. On a computer our thoughts take many twists. We jump from Twitter to sitting and writing a blog post to doing our bills online. I jump to thinking about my sister on Facebook, to thinking about you in this blog post, to reading emails sent home from my daughter's teachers. Our lives are more than a straight progression. There are many aspects to our lives that tell our story. We should be thinking about it all. What makes us? Who influences us? We shouldn't just think about our milestones. (And my genealogist friends, this goes for your ancestors' history too. Think "What made them tick?" Not just when they were born and when they died.)

3. Your digital files and paper files make up one collection

And Salmon Rushdie leads me to another point...our personal "papers" are not just papers anymore. The sub-headline here is misleading. Your personal papers are your paper files, your audio tapes, your video, and your digital files. (That just seemed a little too long to put in a sub-heading title.) So when you think about the documentation that tells your story, you need to consider it all. Think about it as a collection. This "documentation" spread all over your house can even be brought into one room so you can better see it as a collection. All of these pieces tell the story of you and all are equally important for telling that story. Format doesn't matter. It's the information that matters.

4. You have the power to build a legacy

So with this knowledge comes great power. You have the power to help build your legacy. How do you want to be remembered? Have you recorded all the pieces of your life that you consider worth remembering? What doesn't get recorded will likely be lost somewhere down the line. How do you want your great-great-grandchildren to know you? What do you want them to think about you? What would you tell them if you could meet them in person? What would you tell your future community members generations down the line? What impact have you had on society?

5. You are the center of history

You ARE the center of history. Yes. You. You are the center of history because you matter most to you. Of course you do. And again, history is not linear. We can always swing it back to whatever point we want when we think about it. So, I am the center of history. (Yes, I know that I just told you that you are, but bear with me for a moment and pretend that I am.) I am the daughter of two people who were raised in New York City in the mid twentieth century. They bring with them views born of the Second World War and watching the introduction of the television and the Beatles. They in turn are kids of parents with early twentieth century ideas. Most dramatically, on one side of my family are grandparents who escaped from the Holocaust. (That's the personal story I told you about sharing at the very beginning of this post.) I could go back further to tell you about other family members and the society around them, but you get the idea. Instead, I'm going to spring forward to me, born in the seventies, watching the introduction of the computer, raised on Madonna and Michael Jackson. I will tell you how the generations that follow me will be influenced by what I am living through and my perspective on it. In short, in your case, I want you to recognize a timeline of history with you at the center. People came before you. People will come after you. We are all influenced by our families AND the society around us. We all are reflections of that. Our stories and our documents are reflections of that. Our stories are important to tell because indeed we are the center of history - this non-linear history with twist and turns and webs of events and people who all influence each other.

Consider your papers and mold your legacy. Think of the power of your story to reflect others. Reflect on how your story sits in the middle of developing civilization and how that story is a piece of a much larger understanding of US.

Revisiting Our Historical Communities: Melissa the Riveter

noreply@blogger.com (melissa mannon) — Tue, 08 May 2012 12:48:00 +0000

In March, I blogged about creating a context for our personal images . In that post, I included a photo of me doing something a bit unusual for most people and said, "What conclusions might one draw about me based on this image? What do you think I'm doing here and why? Do you think this is an important part of my story or just a simple snapshot? (This is in fact a highly significant moment in my life and an activity that has an ongoing presence in my household almost ten years after this photo was taken." A reader asked me to explain the story behind it. So here it goes....(Sorry to take so long Jacqi)

In this picture with the safety goggles and goofy grin, I was sitting in our former home where my husband had a remarkable basement workshop. In this workshop, my husband began building his airplane. Yes. It is a real airplane - a two seater that he will pilot in the air and not from the ground. When I tell people that he is building and airplane, they usually think I mean the model airplane kind. Nope. It's the real deal.

The plane now sits in parts in our newer home and at the airport. The completed wings are in the hangar at the airport and I requested (insisted?) that the body of the plane remain on his side of the garage so that I can keep my car on "my" side. We were a little disappointed that we didn't manage to obtain a three car garage for our new home so that my car, his truck, AND his plane could sit comfortably under shelter.

So this picture is of me in the great workshop. The kicker is that I was pregnant at the time it was taken. (pun intended.) I had been helping my husband build his plane, but about half way through my pregnancy nine years ago I stopped. The baby didn't like the sound of riveting. (Go figure!) Zip, Zoop, bam. (That is the sound of riveting and then a baby giving me a good solid kick in the gut.) "Cut it out Mom!"

A few months down the road as I slept off labor. My husband followed the nurse down the hall of the hospital and peeked in the window where they tested babies' hearing. He held his breath. He was sure that we had damaged her with a few "zip, zoops." Baby is actually perfectly fine, but this image remains to remind me of it all.

I chose to re-address this image today because yesterday I had the opportunity to talk again about our historical communities. I've mentioned in this blog in the past how we should all think about those who helped create a path for us to live in contemporary society. Perhaps most especially, thinking about historical communities is a great way to get kids to appreciate history and to understand what archives are. When I talk to kids, I explain about people in the past who did things that people still love today. A little league player can relate to old photos of Babe Ruth. Dancers (like my babe) can related to motion pictures of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. We all can reach back and find historical figures that shed light on our own activities and interests.

I am proud to call Rosie the Riveter part of my historical community - as a woman, an American, and a riveter!

Rebranding the Community Library: "Shhh is a Four Letter Word"

noreply@blogger.com (melissa mannon) — Thu, 03 May 2012 22:01:00 +0000

A marketing friend sent me a link to the Imaginibbles video about Anythink Library. "Shhh is a Four Letter Word" piqued my interest right off the bat because of its clever title. However, as someone who values the quiet that I can find in library spaces, I also had some concerns.

Anythink Library is the name adopted by the Rangeview Library District in Colorado in an attempt to re-brand their institution. The library and its employees have gotten much recognition and praise for their work. Library Journal devoted an article to them and described their remarkable turn-around and forward thinking perspective. When learning about them, I was impressed about their "rethinking" of all they do. As a self-proclaimed anti-Dewey decimal person, I was equally happy to hear that they dropped the numbered system in favor of a subject based system. (That works well for my archivist sensibilities, at least.) I love their proclamation in the video that they aim for "connecting with books and experiences." There is certainly a lot to love here in searching for a new 21st century vision for community libraries.

There are some things that I didn't love.

What do YOU think about this statement by the narrator of the Imaginibbles video?

"I want a library that's not outdated and irrelevant. A place where I can explore my curiosity instead of being shushed out the door. A place where discovery reigns. I want to be encouraged to get loud and get involved. I want a library where anythink is possible."

I don't know about you, but this strikes me as slightly disconcerting. As a kid, my library was the place where I could "explore my curiosity" and "discovery reigns" in my mind every time I open the door of a local library. What's with all this loud stuff?

I am not a shushing librarian, but there is something to be said for quiet spaces. Here is where I come from on this... I am currently reading the book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking. This book talks about the advantages of quiet for communities and for thinking. I am basically a quiet person. I like my quiet library. Quiet talks about why society values extroversion over introversion. Are the extroverts taking over our libraries too?

I have nothing against group activities in a library space, but I hope that Anythink isn't throwing the baby out with the bathwater, so to speak. One of the advantages of libraries is they give us a place to be by ourselves, to think on our own. In the video, one woman tries to show another woman something that she is reading. The woman she shows "shushes" her. The shusher is approached by the library police who tell her that "Shhh is a four letter word." Really?! I hope that the library isn't going whole hog on this idea. I hope that they offer quiet spaces and loud spaces. Why the complete reversal?

There was one other thing that struck me negatively in the video. Librarians are called "guides." I am a proud librarian. Yes, I have guided library patrons to find resources they need for life long learning, but I do that as a librarian - not as a "guide." I understand that they want to make the librarians more approachable at Anythink and that they value the skills of the non-librarian in creating a great learning space for people, but why devalue our expertise in the process? To me, it feels like that is what they are doing. Rather than getting rid of the word "librarian," perhaps the word itself can be rebranded along with the library?

My post is not trying to put down the work of Anythink. In fact, I love more than I dislike here. Everything I've seen and read about this library indicates that they are trying to make things better. They are not afraid to change and probably not afraid to change back when things aren't working. I love the obvious community feel they have established. I love that they see themselves encouraging not just reading, but also music, video, science and more. However, while they are showing that "magic can come from chaos" I hope that they also show that magic can come from solitude and lone contemplation and that there is nothing wrong with that. There is nothing wrong with being a "librarian" either. In fact, I think it's pretty great.

One Versus Many and Other Semantics

noreply@blogger.com (melissa mannon) — Tue, 01 May 2012 13:25:00 +0000

When I walk into a consulting situation, I often find that my first task is to set up expectations about words. This is especially valuable to recognize in small institutions that handle diverse resources such as historical societies. (I was reminded of this recently and thought I'd quickly address it here until I move onto my consulting reports for the day.)

We all use a lot of jargon in the cultural heritage fields.

Sometimes we use different words to mean the same things

ex. collection development policy versus collection management policy

Sometimes we use the same words to mean different things

ex. label - most commonly used in archives for identifiers used for digital information or for applying descriptive words to materials such as photos. More commonly used in the museum field for descriptive information in exhibits

Sometimes, what one group does automatically does not make sense to the other group until it is explained

ex. natural versus artificial collections in the archives field describe materials that come from the same creator versus materials, usually with a similar subject, that are brought together for perceived ease of use and are the arrangement is not based on provenance

I have found that often the biggest hurdle non archivists and archivists must overcome to communicate is the idea of one versus many, which is tied to the natural versus artificial collection jargon. Archivists try to add groups of materials to collections, rather than individual documents. (Though there are times when we will take in important individual records.) We care for many items arranged in smaller series and larger fonds (which are basically groups of series). We place groupings of papers in folders with inclusive names that we hope have been ascribed by the creator of the records. We try to adhere to any original order given to materials.

The curators with whom I have worked have tended to design their own groupings based around a subject rather than an original order. Incoming collections are sometimes broken up so that items can be placed in appropriate "artificial collections" based around subjects of interest to the local community. Individual materials within the group each get special attention. Individual documents might each have their own plastic enclosures, for example.

I highly recommend to clients that they try to stick with "natural collections" that reflect the thoughts of the people who created and originally organized their items. Working with groups affords materials the protection they need while also making our work faster, easier and cheaper. (No need for an enclosure around every item.) Practically speaking though, sometimes the subject arrangement works for ease of use and to accommodate small donations of items in a small museum / historical society setting.

When archivists and curators work together, we must understand and respect our differences. Cut through the jargon and explain the principles behind your thinking. I think it benefits everyone when all cultural heritage professionals can speak each other's languages and understand each others' methods.

The History Books Forgot About Us

noreply@blogger.com (melissa mannon) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:18:00 +0000

In the 1960s, the study of history began to change. My teachers in the decades that followed compared the "new social history" to the study of what they called "dead white men." The 1960s shift lead to the development of various branches of history including research based on gender, ethnicity, and more. We weren't just studying the famous or powerful in the late twentieth century. We began considering how various communities influenced society, molding and changing civilization.

The shift continues today with the Internet. Outside the scholarly world of history, individuals are finding their own voices. They are recording their memories for posterity -- perhaps not always consciously. They broadcast their ideas to the world. Archivists are paying attention. We are thinking about how we are going to save these individual voices for the future.

Our words are important to the study of history

The Voices

The Internet, and social media in particular, provides a unique platform for the history of the future. And the platform is quickly changing to emphasize those individual voices. Consider Facebook's shift to its "timeline," for example. The platform are giving us the tools to share our life stories as completely as possible. If we can save these voices and stories, historians will have a new unique tool to explore our heritage in a whole new way. The history of dead white men is truly dead. Millions of voices are replacing it.

History is About Us

I am curious to see how history books will not forget us in the future. How will historians sort out the voices to project them in a logical way to students? A few years ago, I came across a theory about teaching history backwards. The concept behind this is that if students see themselves as part of history, they can reach back to better understand the context of events. How did historical events get us to where we are today as a society? How has history helped create the life you live today? History is about us and if we start from that perspective, the context and importance of it all can neatly line up from there.

An Archivist's View

This is my own view and does not necessarily reflect the views of my fellow archivists. (I am interested to hear their comments.) Over the past ten years, I've promoted the idea that caring for your personal papers and caring for the papers of your community can lays a foundation for our archives work in small institutions. This approach fits quite well with the idea of studying history backwards. If we take care of what is most important to us -- our own personal papers and digital records -- and learn to recognize how they fit in with a larger society or collections of papers, than we have more of a vested interest in saving archives. Society has an opportunity to ensure that history books will no longer forget about the general populace. Saving our own memories in recorded form gives historians the tools they need to consider larger groups. Furthermore, a plethora of safely stored recorded information cannot be ignored.

The Internet gives us a unique new tool for the study of history. It is changing our ideas of what a "community" is. It is giving us more communities to consider. Still, our presence is recorded beyond the computer. The papers in our homes still provide a valuable perspective on our lives. Our individual histories exist online and offline. We have the opportunity to care for these recorded perspectives so that history remembers us. Our descendants will look to our lives to better understand their own if we give them the tools.

Reminisce

noreply@blogger.com (melissa mannon) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:11:00 +0000

My mother sent me a stack of magazines the other day. A friend of hers in Florida had given them to her to pass on to her archivist daughter. I am thoroughly fascinated and thought some of you might be as well. The publication is called "Reminisce." Its web site describes it this way:

NOW CELEBRATING 20 YEARS in PUBLICATION!

Reminisce, North America’s top-selling nostalgia magazine, “brings back the good times” of the 1930s, ’40s, ’50s, ‘60s and early ’70s. A variety of true, heart-felt stories are mainly written by the readers, not professional writers, which makes our magazine-and website-unique.

Each issue is packed with fascinating vintage black and white photographs and early color slides. Most photos are sent in by readers who’ve searched through family albums or attics to share the best from their past. Fun-to-read short and feature-length memories bring smiles, laughter and even poignant tears to readers of all ages. Memories span every subject…from the corner store and soda fountain, outhouses and old-time remedies, Model Ts to fifties Fords with fins, early radio and TV, surviving the Depression, World War II, fashion fads and prices from the past. The real thrill of reminiscing comes when someone reads a memory or sees a long-forgotten item and realizes: “Hey! I remember that!
***

My own remiscing...baseball with my Dad in the 1970s.
Great sideburns Dad!

First, I wonder, how many other "nostalgia" magazines are there? The magazine includes photos and stories from readers who want to share their past. I'm going to preface my praise with the caveat that this magazine doesn't seem to portray a well-rounded view of the past. For example, it's tagline reads, "The magazine that Brings Back the Good Times." And an article I read in it about an orphanage stood out as particularly stripped of the "bad." Still, here's why the publication is so fascinating:

From an archivist's perspective, the publication is making its own "artificial collections" that group and tell stories of American society. Brilliant!
The magazine is basically crowdsourcing history. What is important to you? What do you want to share? What should we reminisce about? What should we remember?
The idea behind this magazine is taking a large community (American citizens) and breaking them into smaller communities -- pointing out commonalities among people and giving them back connections that we sometimes see as broken in today's society. Again. Brilliant!

I am rolling this all through my mind and trying to figure out what to take away from it. Can cultural heritage professionals encourage crowdsourcing through publication like this and apply their expertise as curators, archivists, and librarians to help people make sense of their own stories?

Over and over again I hear people who tell me that their kids and grandkids don't appreciate their history. But truly, this magazine shows that there is something for everyone to appreciate and it could serve as a model for us. When we encourage people to think of themselves as part of history we make ourselves stronger. When we all reminisce or stop for a moment to think about how the events in our lives play a role in society, we are appreciating the work of cultural heritage.

Reminisce includes such topics as tales of "early aviation." The smile of a female aviator shines from the cover of the April/May 2010 magazine, which caught my pilot husband's eye from the top of the pile on the coffee table. (I'd like to think that it's because of the plane and not the woman.) It also includes pieces such as "Memories of Real Romances" from 2011 that might appeal to a totally different group. "Reminisce" let's us peek at others' histories and neatly connects them to our own. I love it!

Sharing Diaries - Nature Journal 1920s

noreply@blogger.com (melissa mannon) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:27:00 +0000

Cover of 1925 diary loaned to me by a friend.
It seems to be a handmade cover with printed
fabric glued on board.

A friend heard about my 1882 diary project and was reminded of a diary she found in an antique shop many years ago. She brought it to me to share and has allowed me in turn to share it with you. (I get goosebumps when I examine these things!)

My friend wondered if the diary was a real period piece and if it is really a "diary". I think, in fact, it's creation may have been a school journaling assignment. The manuscript covers the month of April, 1925. The writer talks about her teacher. Some of the sentences are short and a bit out of context, as if the text tumbled out of the writer's head with a little preview of her life. So, I don't think it is fantasy or a creative fiction writing assignment. I am left wanting to know more about this personal story, but I feel that she has established a sense of place for the narrative that describes her surroundings.

I am assuming that this booklet is written by a girl based on the cover, the subject matter (which includes fairies), the writing, and the tone that she uses to reveal reverence for nature and for her teacher. The girl talks of studying in Manchester. I believe this must be Manchester, New Hampshire because she mentions traveling to Keene, which is located one hour west of this city. (Coincidently, I live right outside of this city, while the friend who owns this diary lives in Massachusetts.) The cover of the book reminds me of one made by my elementary-aged daughter for a recent school writing assignment. Eighty-five years later, we recognize that some crafts are still worth teaching.

Bluebird feathers are pressed into the diary,
which talks in-depth about nature.

Our diary writer was very observant of nature and I think this must be in part because she was told to be so. As an enthusiastic gardener, I find it a perfect assignment to write about nature as the birds and plants wake up in April! In the diary, there is talk of the sky, sunset and outdoor surroundings.There are photographs from an early spring snowfall and the journalist also discusses all kinds of weather changes - warmth, wind, snow, rain - that are typical of New England. (In fact, there is a saying around here that if you don't like the weather here you should just wait twenty minutes.) She even includes transcribed nature poems to accompany her own observations.

The writer shared found objects, including flowers that have since lost their blossoms and retain only their stems. She talks of her found objects keeping her diary company. The most beautiful among these saved treasures are blue feathers that she claims are "bluebird" feathers. They have retained their color even after three-quarters of a century pressed into a book.

A flower once graced these pages.
All that remains now is a stem.

Objects pressed into the booklet, including the
bluebird feathers, leave behind their imprints on the opposite pages, as acids from organic materials migrate from one page to the next.

The writer cut images out of publications
to illustrate some of her words.

One thing struck me as unusual and lends itself to the idea that this is more of a creative writing assignment than journal... The author cut images out of printed materials and pasted them here. They serve as illustrations to her words. I wonder: did she find things to illustrate her words or did her words illustrate things she found? I wonder where she found these pictures and wish she discussed more about what prompted her to incorporate each into her writing.

The aging of the paper seems about right for 80 years, with found objects and clippings leaving their browning impressions on opposite pages. The book is in very nice condition. Pages had been tied together with green thread that retains its color and still holds some of the papers in place. Though the string is not fully looped and dangles at the book's center. Despite some browning, the pages are not brittle. I think I will add some interleaving sheets between for my friend before I return the book to her. That way, pages can be a little better protected in the future.

Our author ends by saying goodbye to her booklet. Based on the author's goodbye page below, I wonder if it was getting passed on to the teacher to be returned the following autumn. Will the writer have the same instructor come fall? Manchester was a thriving mill town at this time. I first imagined a one room school house scenario where many kids of different ages had the same teacher year after year. On second thought, I doubt this was the case here. I may need to try to find some time to examine Manchester school records to see if I can find our Miss Hodgdon!

Mystery Solved! 1882 Diary Writer Discovered

noreply@blogger.com (melissa mannon) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 12:10:00 +0000

I like to frequent antique shops regularly because they're fun and because I am always on a mission to find sample materials for teaching about archives and cultural heritage. Last year I made my best antique shop find ever when I stumbled across a diary from 1882 that covers six months in someone's life. You can read about my early 1882 diary explorations here:

The Diary Project Begins

The Diary Project - First Stop. Biddeford, Maine

The Diary Project Continues - Kennebunk and Kennebunkport, Maine

I quickly realized that my diary was from Kennebunkport. I have taken my time and do research when I get an opportunity to do it. I've puttered on the Internet looking for information about the town and its 1882 inhabitants. Last week I made my third trip to Maine to do some research in local libraries and archives there. While on my previous two trips, I keyed in on names mentioned in the diary, so I knew with whom my diary writer was friendly. I was lucky in that my diary writer included first and last names of the individuals with whom he had contact. This time, I aimed to focus in on particular events that seemed pertinent to figuring out exactly who this person is.

I first intended to start my research with a minister who appears a few times in the diary. The diary even said that he married my diarist, but the recording of a marriage was so casual, that I thought I misunderstood "This afternoon I was married..." (If this indeed was a marriage in the sense I was thinking of it, I realized that this book was most assuredly written by a man because it was addressed so cavalierly. Surely a nineteenth century woman would have more to say about this occasion? I had other clues indicating this was written by a man, including the purchase of an overcoat and the mention of running a shop, but I still was not positive of the gender.)

This is the only mention of a marriage in my 1882 diary: "This afternoon I was
married by Mr. Lyman Chase at the parsonage at half past two in the afternoon."

Unfortunately, the research center in Kennebunkport had no finding aids. I had to rely on the knowledge of the assistant helping me. With tables turned -- archivist as researcher -- this was exceptionally hard to do. I can appreciate researchers who want to explore our vaults despite our rules to the contrary. I was in a similar boat, but the lack of any sort of collection index was particularly frustrating.

As I asked questions about the minister, I quickly realized that this was perhaps the wrong tact. I shifted gears and asked if the Center had any marriage records. They did and the booklet recording nineteenth century marriages was arranged alphabetically, not by date. Preparing for a long morning of browsing names, I was pleasantly surprised to find what I was seeking within a matter of minutes. A record of a gentleman married to a woman named Nell was written with the date my diary casually mentions its writer being married. Nell is mentioned over and over again in my diary. I thought Nell was just a friend. Turns out she's my diarist's wife. (See? A man!)

Kennebunkport. My new research home away from home.

I am not quite ready to reveal who my diarist is, but I will say that he was well-known in Kennebunkport. The information about his life neatly unfolded before me. I found out where he was buried and visited his grave. I found out where he lived and visited his home, which is still standing. I found out where he worked and think that the building may still be standing, but I need to do more research on that. What remains for me is in the details. I know who this man was. I know that there is a lot of information out there about him. Some of the things I found in my diary I suspect will shed a little light on how things worked in town, or at the very least, will tie together some long lost stories.

Mystery remains about the exact location of the diary
writer's business

The diary includes mostly just a few sentences each day from January to June 1882, but they are sentences packed with relationships, activities, and news. My elementary school-aged daughter will continue to assist me on this project. I found this latest information without her by my side, but she will accompany me on a trip back to Maine over her spring vacation. I will show her the burial site, the house, and downtown where our diary friend worked. My daughter plans to draw photos of these sites. I am also helping her to pick one aspect of the diary or this gentleman that she can focus on for her own research. Perhaps she can learn about his children. Perhaps because this is a sea side town, she might want to explore something about the beach...I will leave it to her, but will help her make a list of possibilities.

Today I welcome a new member of my historical community. I never knew him and he would never have suspected that someone like me would take any interest in him one day. But here I am. Our legacies will be woven together in a historical timeline that often takes human stories to very unexpected places.

Perhaps the next big mystery is: How did this little diary end up in a small shop on Route 13 in northern Massachusetts? I've got a few ideas for figuring out its provenance, so stay tuned!

Avoiding Obsolescence in Contemporary Society: The Small Historical Society Part II

noreply@blogger.com (melissa mannon) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 16:45:00 +0000

Good exhibits grow from strong administrative tools and
strong collections like this at the George Peabody House Museum

Last week, I began discussing some of the challenges small historical societies face when considering their future. The post focused on some basic ways to revitalize a typical historical society's exhibits. Today's post will address ways to ensure the historical society has a solid foundation, including proper documentation and administrative tools, to prepare for more dynamic display and description. Not every organization will need to address all of these issues and some may need to consider alternate stumbling areas. These bullets provide some idea of things that an organization may want to address. I presented these points as part of an initial proposal of things a professional can do for and with a local historical society in an attempt to help them plan for the future.

Create a collection development policy to strengthen collections, engage the community and pursue grants. Review administrative materials for collections. Perform a survey of records and artifacts collections. Note gaps in records. Note areas where collections can be stronger.
Using the information garnered in an initial collection review, create a plan for appropriate rotating exhibit themes. For example, if there are many materials related to World War Two and the soldiers, this might be considered for an exhibit. Design exhibit ideas with an eye toward your town's cultural heritage.
Record information about the Historical Society’s exhibits. Take photographs, record society members’ memories about exhibits, and use any appropriate administrative information that tells more about collections to ensure that the Historical Society’s past exhibition history is remembered.
Redesign exhibit spaces keeping in mind themes by subjects or dates and based on the exhibit theme plan. Create a space plan that incorporates existing display cases and recommends new furniture if necessary. Discuss how to make the exhibits more interactive and engaging. Create or help create appropriate labels for new displays that places items in context.
Create a space plan for storage of materials when they are not on display. Recommend appropriate furniture etcetera. Discuss the different needs of archives versus objects.
Review the Society’s current procedures and create a formal procedure manual. Include information about creating finding aids and other indexing tools. Add a section for creating appropriate exhibits. Review and update procedures for labeling items. Add information and resources for creating programs launched from exhibits.
Make recommendations for the preservation and conservation of collection items in need of repair and better maintenance. Add information about the preservation needs of the collection to the Society’s procedure manual. Discuss how exhibits can lend themselves to collection wear and how this can be addressed.
Create a volunteer manual that provides information about finding and managing volunteers. Discuss the appropriate diverse roles for volunteers in the institution and how to generate volunteer enthusiasm.
Look to the future and consider all of the above to create a long range plan. Once the institution puts its on-site procedures in order, it should consider reaching out, which involves creating an outreach plan and establishing some social media policies.

Before an institution one can take good advantage of new technologies and new ways to reach out to diverse communities, the institution's core and vision of purpose needs to be strong. That is where I find many institutions fail. It is exciting to immediately jump into exhibits and programs, but without a strong mission, vision and collection policy, without a procedure manual and planning documents, local organizations flounder without the money and support needed to perform all the activities they would like to do. Take the time to build strong tools to guide you and let them become the foundation that keeps you going and your community behind you.

Avoiding Obsolescence in Contemporary Society: The Small Historical Society

noreply@blogger.com (melissa mannon) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 20:46:00 +0000

Many small historical societies are struggling with their identities. Run by local volunteers and aiming to re-define their roles in a global society, many such organizations are afraid to spend time and money to change the way their activities "have always been done." Feeling grounded in a solid / beloved local history and retaining a strong sense of identity is beneficial. Yet, being unwilling to rethink strategies for attracting new visitors and neglecting to look for ways to make sure you remain relevant in the lives of long-time visitors can cause the downfall of a local institution. Small institutions can easily become marginalized and irrelevant in a quickly changing society.

With this in mind, I recently presented the following ideas to a local historical society in an effort to help them re-energize their exhibits. At the outset of our meeting, the Society president defined her goals. She aimed:

1. To make exhibits more interesting and interactive for a 21^st century audience

2. To encourage increased visitation

3. To provide appropriate labeling in order to offer a context for historical subjects to which visitors can relate, connecting the past and the present

3. To ensure that artifacts are properly cared for and preserved

After an initial review of the institution, I suggested the following:

A. Focusing and rotating exhibits periodically will allow the Society to create more interesting displays and programs. It will also encourage visitors to return to see things they have never seen in the past.

B. Rotating exhibits will enable the Historical Society to better preserve materials. Displayed items (especially archival materials) are negatively impacted by light and other environmental factors. They are better protected in proper boxes and can be rotated out of secure storage for periodic viewing. Stored materials can be monitored and volunteers can work on preservation techniques while items are not on view.

C. Development of new exhibits will encourage more active community participation by highlighting areas for collection development and drawing out areas of interest. (I am a strong proponent of collection development policies with mission, vision and goals. These bring the purpose, value, and shared community interests of your Historical Society directly to your audience and can help encourage an active interest in the success of your institution.)

D. Updated exhibits will enable volunteers to more easily address issues of context through an emphasis on focused ideas (built around eras or themes) and more appropriate label copy. Focused brochures, interactive exhibit design, and updated programs can also be part of emphasizing context. Context is especially important in this modern era. It is valuable to connect our past to our present and future -- to show why history is valuable to each individual.

In order to accomplish these goals and activities I made some recommendations that would help the Society achieve success in steps while re-examining some basic administrative tasks. I will address these in a post next week.

***

Many articles in recent years have talked about re-conceptualizing the role of the historical organizations and the need for change. Here are a couple of creative ways to think about the "new" historical society that I have found very interesting:

How Cultural Heritage Tourism Organizations Can Beat The Recession

Entrepreneurship in Historical Organizations

My Top Five Archives Supplies for Home Collections

noreply@blogger.com (melissa mannon) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 18:23:00 +0000

This is a simple post for readers caring for family papers. These are supplies that I keep on hand to care for my own family materials. Keeping some basic supplies handy makes the task of caring for your archives easier and you can tackle the process of organizing and preserving your materials whenever you have a few moments. Purchase these materials from a reputable online archival supplier. Do not trust materials in a box store that say "Preservation safe" or "archival." These are not standard terms and will not necessarily provide security for your materials.

1. Letter sized manuscript boxes - Boxes come in every shape and size you can imagine, but "standard" manuscript boxes are most useful for the majority of items. I store documents, ephemera, and photos in these boxes. If you can do nothing else with your prized family papers, place them in a box to keep out dust and light and to afford some protection to your items. Consider purchasing special sized boxes for oversized materials, smaller photos, and other irregular items. (Albums are an expensive alternative to boxes for photos, but are a nice edition for images you prize and frequently view.)

2. Folders - If you can only afford two items to care for your personal materials, second up on your supply list right after boxes should be folders. Folders help you give order to your materials and provide some support for items. Placing similar materials in a folder allows you to easily find things. Label folders to assist with your organization. You can even use folders creatively to support other folders.

3. "Interleaving" paper - Sometimes items in your collection need to be separated from others because of a little problem you notice. For example, the booklet to the left includes images with unstable red ink that bleeds from one page to the other. I have placed thin buffered paper sheets between pages so that when that ink migrates, if it continues to migrate, it will affect the interleaving sheet rather than the opposite page. I use interleaving sheets in folders too to separate different kinds of paper. I also fold these plain white sheets in half to make envelopes for small items or to use in place of paper clips and staples to keep items together within a folder.

4. Microspatula - I love my microspatula! I joke in presentations about my handy husband's tools. I am not a terribly mechanical kind of girl (at least in my own mind I'm not when I compare myself to my husband.) I have my garden tools (the non-motorized kind); I have camera equipment; and I have a microspatula. This tool is a small metal spatula that can be used to remove staples and to help you peel photos off sticky "magnetic" album. It is very useful and can save a lot of time and frustration.

3. Pencil / safe pen - Every photo in your collection should be labeled, either directly on the back of the image, on a label on the back of the image, or on the supplies in which you store your materials. Some people do not like to directly mark their photos. A basic tenet of archives management is "never do anything that is irreversible." So instead of writing on a photo, some people prefer to write on the album or a plastic sleeve that contains the photo. I've seen too many images separated from their storage supplies, so I belong to the camp that says go ahead and write on the back of the photo CAREFULLY. Be sure to use a pencil, if the surface is not too slick or purchase a special pen that will not harm your photo collection. (Some inks will "eat" your images and bleed through because of their acidity.) Be sure to not press too hard when you write on the back of your images. Include the names of the people pictured in the image, where and when it was taken and even how you know the people. The more information you can include in your labeling, the better for future family historians.

Happy "archiving"!

Images in this post were taken from a filmed presentation of my "Unofficial Family Archivist" talk by Derry Community Television. I'd like to give them special thanks for their work. See excerpts from my presentation on YouTube.

Video Blog - Presentation on Narrative and Preservation in Derry NH, edited clips

noreply@blogger.com (melissa mannon) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 17:10:00 +0000

Over the past couple of months, I've done numerous presentations related to caring for personal papers as part of my "Unofficial Family Archivist" New England tour. Recently, the Derry Public Library in New Hampshire invited me to speak and had their local community access station film the event. Here, I share excerpts from my talk. I would like to thank Debbie Roy of Derry Community Television for allowing me to edit and use her recording to share some of my words with you.

"Don't Open Until Halley's Comet": Time Capsules

noreply@blogger.com (melissa mannon) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 13:01:00 +0000

From font to outfit - straight out of the 80s
http://bit.ly/H924sD

1980s Time Capsule

On my current consulting project, I ran across a box in a Town Vault that is labeled "Don't open until Halley's Comet reappears in 2061." Vaguely remembering the last time Halley's Comet appeared, when I was in high school in 1986, I was fascinated by the idea of a comet time capsule. I can vividly imagine the 80s capsule. Besides our thoughts about the comet, perhaps this time capsule would include small items and documentation demonstrating early video games, the Commodore 64 and the earliest Mac, Nintendo, mismatched earrings, Walkmans, Miami Vice, Ray bans, Rubiks Cube, Trivial Pursuit, and Jane Fonda Aerobics videos...Though I've often encountered time capsules in the past, the idea of creating one to celebrate a comet seemed especially geeky and appealing. So I went online to explore how many other towns had the idea to celebrate Halley's Comet. I was surprised by how much information I found on the topic. It seems like Halley's Comet time capsules were the thing to do.

Time Capsules through History

Time Capsules: A Cultural History by William E. Jarvis describes time capsules as a "significant attempts to transfer cultural information across the millenia." According to Jarvis, the making of time capsules has roots back thousands of years, but it seems to me that our modern attempts can be linked back to the 13th century with the act of laying cornerstones.

I like that..."an Earth-based time capsule..."

It seems that time capsules really capture our imagination about the future -- where humans will be and what future generations will think of us. Time capsules are like archives repositories on steroids in that they encapsulate humanities achievements in a punctuated way that yells, "Hey, look at us! Hear our stories! Pay attention to what we have done and what we think at this moment!"

Time Capsules in a Digital World

Time capsules have come a long way. We realize that the future is a digital world and we have brought our thoughts about time capsules online by describing past projects and making digital spaces for recording future projects. Finding lost time capsules has been a significant problem in the past, when excited time capsule makers often forgot to leave good clues about where their capsules can be found. In fact, in the last public library where I worked, the director brought in metal detectors to try to determine where in the walls an old time capsule was located. Though online time capsules are gaining popularity, but we are still excited about the idea of leaving actual objects behind, like a present waiting to be opened.

Two years ago, I served as an advisor to a high school student who made a time capsule for her senior project as a member of the first graduating class of the new local school. Today, if you look up "time capsule" online, the information about how to make one is plentiful. Believe it or not, it was difficult to find information about the topic a couple of years ago. Content on the Internet has exploded recently and the tools for finding worthwhile information have improved. At the time, I queried my colleagues through a listserv for information and was answered by an employee of the State of NJ Archives and Records Management division. He was nice enough to send me a packet on the ins and outs of time capsules.

Best Practice and Links

If you are looking to create a time capsule of your own, here's a little summary of best practice:

Consider placing your time capsule in archives safe housing in a climate controlled repository (as my client's Halley's Comet time capsule is stored) rather than burying it.
If you feel you must bury it, use an aluminum or stainless steel container. Seek out appropriate containers from specialized suppliers.
Keep a record, in an easy to find location, of where your time capsule is and register it with the International Time Capsule Society.
Make a list of the items in your time capsule.
Make sure everything is clean when you put it in your capsule and wear cotton gloves when placing items for storage.
Use proper containers for diverse materials and do not store unstable items such as food.
Don't forget to record information about the time capsule event itself.

Some Ideas for Outreach and Time Capsule Projects

Creating a time capsule can be a very rewarding and engaging project, highlighting the important moments in our lives.

I think perhaps maybe I'll plan such a project for my own daughter's tenth birthday in a couple of years. I think this would certainly make a worthwhile family lesson!
My town is creating a Town Common area. In addition to selling bricks (another vogue type of project), perhaps a time capsule can be kept at the library up the street or buried under the newly installed gazebo? Time capsule are perfect opportunities for community projects.
Archives repositories should take advantage of time capsule events to explain how what we do relates to time capsules to capture human ingenuity and imagination. Professionals should use the opportunity to offer expertise and show our skills.

Blogging Our Posterity

noreply@blogger.com (melissa mannon) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 14:21:00 +0000

A friend recently posted this question on her Facebook page:

"Do bloggers really want honest feedback or are they just looking for affirmation? Blogs used to be filled with interesting ideas and cutting edge information, but now in a time when everyone and their monkey has a blog, I am beginning to wonder what the purpose is..."

After a little back and forth banter, I responded:

"I've actually thought about this a bit from a professional point of view - as an archivist. People now have an opportunity to have their words and lives saved in a way they thought they never could before. Perhaps posting online is a way to validate yourself, make a statement, and know that the words will be there 'forever.' I often spend time convincing my audiences at programs that historical societies are interested in their family papers. While people seem to intuitively 'get' that the Internet is waiting for their words and that in a digital environment people care what they say, they don't translate it to papers at an institution, but it's the same thing. It's sort of as if the Internet has given them permission to have their ideas saved for posterity."

In an age where we explore our identity online -- from "Lifestreaming" to personal timelines to "curating our world to show our own unique point of view to spitting out what is on our mind at any particular moment -- what is the purpose of the blog? And how does this all fit together from a documentation / community / life story perspective. Do people post with an expectation that others will read and converse? Are people just trying to make their own mark on the world?... or maybe a little bit of both? Is blogging a bit like graffiti tagging or is it more permanent like having your collection of personal papers in an archival repository? (And yes, I do want your honest feedback, as always. I don't need personal affirmation here.)

What Does "Community" Mean in the 21st Century? Why is it important?

noreply@blogger.com (melissa mannon) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 19:24:00 +0000

Last week, I Asked on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+: "What is community? Where do you find it? Is the idea of community changing?" This post explores what community means in the 21st century and why it is still important.

As someone who specializes in helping local communities, I use that word - "community" - quite a bit. I realize that it is hard to define, a bit squirmy, and loosely tossed around. So after my friends at the "Library as Incubator Project" sent me their guest post article on Serving Artists in Your Community last week, I began to try to nail that word down again by getting input from others on its definition. I thought that perhaps the idea of community is changing and that it means different things to different people. While these thoughts were confirmed, I was also surprised by how some others interpret that word.

The ideal of "serving the community" is something I think that all cultural heritage institutions can ascribe to. I have long believed that the prime purpose of archives, libraries, and museums is to document and support communities. In order to claim such a lofty goal for all of our work, the term needs to better understood. Defining "community," would in part show how our audiences overlap and how we can better work together to serve a common purpose.

Preparing early in the week for the "Library as Incubator Project" post had me thinking about the idea of a general audience for museums, libraries and archives. The specific focus of the Project's work from the perspective of librarians got me thinking about whether or not archivists could create similar tools and outreach efforts to focus on a particular "community." Can archivists, curators and librarians share communities and offer different services that target the same audience, perhaps even in a collaborative way? Are we all serving the same "community"? Are we even all part of the same "community"? Is the idea of "community" changing in a way that can enhance our efforts to reach out to our public audience?

Definition of Community

Here's the definition of "community" that I offered in my blog post on the subject last year. It is in fact still the post for which I consistently get the most hits on my blog site:
"A community is a formal or informal group with a common history or culture. The community can be based around a geographic area, trait, or topic of interest. Communities come in the form of:

Families
ethnic groups
civic organizations
governments
informal and formal social groups
educational institutions
colleagues
causes
geographical locations / neighborhoods"

To me, "community" is a noun representing people. It matches this idea presented by a Twitter friend:

"[Community is] A supportive/interactive membership of individuals with a common interest - tho[ugh they] may possess a different outlook/set of goals."

I was surprised by some other people's responses though. Not everyone defined a "community" in people terms. Not everyone defined "community" as a noun. And some people even saw it as a negative thing rather than a positive one. Here are some alternate definitions that were shared:

Community as Action

On Twitter, someone responded: "Community is the act of sharing, kindness, collaboration, support & combining resources." I responded to the person who wrote that, that I had not thought of community it as a verb. The writer wrote back to me: "... Community involves participation, therefore it is an action." Okay. Great. I think I like the general thought behind that idea.

Community as a Feeling

Facebook allows for more detailed responses. Some one wrote, "Community to me is a sense of belonging. The first communities for many of us were those within a family and grew to include our neighborhood, school, or community. As our physical boundaries grew, so did our sense of community -- such as identifying with a specific region, or state, or nation. But as we grow and age, I think it evolves into many differing layers which are by choice and not happenstance - those kindred spirits which become a community - those sharing common ideals or interests. Those first layers of community may stay, evolve, or dissipate."

I like the idea of community as a feeling, more than just as people. It makes sense to me that collections can help foster that feeling and the differing "layers" the writer describes by shedding light on overlapping communities.

Community Eroding

Another person on Facebook poetically described the erosion of "community" and the idea that we were losing that sense of belonging and losing that idea of comfort and kindness. I wonder, can promoting libraries, archives and museums, as "community" hot-spots that serve to retain the ideal of collaboration and shared knowledge help re-boost the sense of security that people like the writer may find slipping away in a faster paced society?

Community as Place

One person didn't see "community" relating to people at all, but saw it as inherent in buildings. "community is buildings with memories. Community is where I grew up and where I remain active now…." I asked for clarification and received this response: "[Community is] buildings who have seen some years- where people say 'if these walls could talks.' [They] can be beautiful or ugly but have stories." I asked for more clarification. I asked if buildings embody communities that go back many generations and the writer responded: “often times yes. Not all buildings do though. A church or community hall, yes. But a 1970s roller rink can sometimes but not always. A church for sure, but a 1990s roller rink can have memories of a community too….i think bldngs can be the most concrete part of a memory. May not remember exactly what happened but people remember bldngs."

I think that this point of view would certainly serve to show the importance of cultural heritage institutions serving as community building blocks, but rather than the collections serving the purpose alone, the edifice in which the collections are housed are just as important. I think the idea of the geographical locations or neighborhoods that I included in my bulleted list of communities fits in with this idea.

Community as a Romantic Construct

Another person responded "Community is hard to define, yet historians use it to understand the way people lived. It is mostly a romantic construct… Any negative memories are lost in the retelling over time."

I'd like to think that positive and negative build communities and it is not all romanticized. Yet, another person responded that the idea of "community" could be an old-fashioned one where people believed in safe spaces and perfect neighborhoods for all, even though they never really existed.

Community Representing Class Distinctions

Along these lines, my U.K. friends on Twitter pointed out that overseas " 'community' started out in 80s as euphemism for housing estate, working class, black..usage widened..but still mealy mouthed…" In response, I pointed out that the word "community" is centuries old and hasn't always meant that. The writer responded: "indeed, i was thiking of its more recent currency in culture and politics..slippy, slidey,elisions of meaning."

This was a new idea to me and a way of using the term that I don't think we use in the United States. It brought home the point that community is a "squirmy" word and not necessarily a positive one to everybody.

Cultural Institutions Nurturing Community, Dialogue and Engagement

The definition that I think I like best is the last that I saw. It was not directed at my question, but I saw it on Twitter under #musesocial, which was considering the idea of serving community from its own angle last week: "Perhaps "community" is not group of people so much as safe space for nurturing dialogue/participation."

Along these lines, I would like to emphasize that is what cultural heritage institutions do best, or what they have the potential to do best if they accept that niche, is nurture dialogue and civic participation. By recognizing a common audience and like-minded goals across instiuttions, perhaps we can together use the term "community" to foster our sense of purpose, to promote knowledge in many forms, and to provide that "secure" space for public engagement.
***
Do these ideas of community resonate with you? What else would you add? How do you see the idea of community serving cultural heritage, organized human knowledge, and society in general?

Serving Artists in Your Community by the team at the Library as Incubator Project

noreply@blogger.com (melissa mannon) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 16:29:00 +0000

Today I am pleased to feature a guest post from the ladies of the Library as Incubator Project. These ladies caught my eye with their out of the box thinking about how librarians can focus on and serve a select aspect of their community. Today's blog post follows my earlier one this week on Strengthening Community Ties with an audience focus. The Library as Incubator project demonstrates how librarians can serve artists in their communities, but also serves as a model for cultural heritage professionals seeking to engage any audience. Pick a group in your community with a common interest and focus on their needs. Show how your library, archives or museum can be an information hub for any group you choose. Check out the Library as Incubator Project on the platforms they list at the end of the article for more inspiration. Thanks so much to the Library as Incubator Project team for sharing your unique point of view with ArchivesInfo!

***

Image from http://www.chestertownspy.com/art-and-book-sale-benefits-food-pantry/

The Library as Incubator Project was founded in 2011 by Erinn Batykefer, Laura Damon-Moore, and Christina Endres, while we were students in the UW-Madison School of Library and Information Studies. The goal of the Project is to highlight artists whose work has been “incubated” in some way by libraries, and to give artists and librarians a place to connect. Here we present some ideas for library/archives staff on how to reach out to and support the artists in your community.

1. Help artists get to know the libraries in your community.

Don’t assume that every user group in your community knows about the library and - more specifically - what it can offer them as professionals or hobbyists. A lot of fine and creative artists know and appreciate their public, school, or college library but might not know that the services it offers that can really help them develop as artists, writers, and performers. There are a number of ways that you can reach out to artists to create a mutually beneficial library/user relationship.

● Invite local arts organization members to a special library open house geared toward artists. Showcase the collections and services the library provides that would be especially useful to that user group. Or, offer to attend an arts council or arts organization meeting to talk about the library and how it can be of particular use to artists.

● Prepare a set of materials that talks specifically about these collections and services for artists to pick up at the information or reference desk. A generic list of library services can be overwhelming for some people, but putting a special spin on the services (like explaining that the business reference materials can be particularly useful for creative artists starting their own small business) can help focus the guides and make them clearer for users.

● Does your library have gallery space? Make it clear where people can find information about showing their work in the library, online and in the library itself. Brochures located near the gallery space means that users can have their questions answered quickly. Include an FAQ section that outlines artist submission guidelines, timeline/scheduling information, and a specific staff member to contact with follow up questions.

2. Gear (some of) your resources toward artists.

Even if your library doesn’t have the budget for a full-blown makerspace, studio, or performance space doesn’t mean you can’t support artists with library resources. Bibliographies, finding aids, and book lists are always helpful - why not try creating one specially geared toward a type of artist (like reference books for writers, or great books for fiber artists)? Of course, inspiration for creative projects comes from everywhere, not just books written by peers. So you won’t be able to address everything - nor need you! Just put a note at the bottom of a book list to remind users that if they have questions, they can always ask for assistance.

The nice thing about “the arts” is that there are plenty of people who do them professionally or as a hobby - at the next staff meeting, ask if there is a great knitter among you who would be interested in putting together a book display of his/her favorite knitting books. This is a fun way to involve staff from multiple departments.

Artists may also be looking for ways to turn their work into a business. Promote materials that may be of use to artists and writers trying to monetize their work, perhaps through a “Business of Art” book display. Include books with details about money and finances, but also about other practical skills like framing and building a website. Include a list of online databases and resources that may also be of use.

3. Promote workshops to the artists in your community.

If your library holds arts-related workshops, chances are the artists in your community will be interested. Find out about your local artist groups, crafting communities, and arts organizations and promote your workshops through their newsletters, listservs, or even Facebook pages. Even if you think a workshop may be too basic for more seasoned artists, you might capture the interest of a collage artist who has been meaning to learn to paint, or a poet who is interested in photography. Workshops are also a great venue to introduce artist patrons to other resources and materials that may be helpful to them at the library.

Keep in mind that artists may also be looking to learn skills that are not necessarily directly related to the arts. Make sure that the artists and writers in your community know about computer software trainings, small business workshops, and social media how-to’s. Try marketing to the creative community on social media sites where extra plugs to a specific user group come at no extra cost.

4. Encourage artists to share their work with the community.

One incredibly useful role of libraries in the lives of artists, writers and performers is as a venue for displaying or presenting their creative work. Consider ways that your library can fulfill the role of “venue” for the artists in your community. Serving as a gallery or as a reading/performance space may be an obvious answer, but think about ways to extend that involvement - or to still be supportive of creative work even if you can’t actually showcase it in the library. Artists can curate book displays, prepare recommended reading lists, and facilitate workshops. Offer the option for artists to facilitate a workshop based on their work and incorporate it into your programming schedule (relatively simple if you plan it when you book their gallery show/event). Be sure to discuss what the library will offer in terms of support (whether it’s just paying for supplies, or whether the artist will be compensated).

5. Show artists you’re there for them, 24/7.

One of the most popular responses we get from artists on our survey about how they use libraries is that they wish the library was open 24/7 for those days when the most productive hours are between 11 pm and 3 am. Of course, the library has to close at night, but the web is always open. Make sure that artists in your community know about the great online resources your library offers at all times of day and night.

It helps to talk to a few artists and writers. Ask them what kinds of resources they would find helpful when the creativity strikes at midnight. Make these resources easy to access and locate. Create a page on your website, or even a category for artists within your existing resources page, with links to rich visual resources like the Smithsonian Galaxy of Images, NYPL Digital Gallery, or images from your local/state archives. If you subscribe to databases that include art, poetry or other creative resources, highlight these as well. Post bibliographies and booklists online, so users can place hold on those items at any time of day.

There is a lot that can be done to serve artists at the library, and sometimes you have to start small. Take one or two of these steps, reach out to the artists and writers in your community, and build from there. The artists we’ve talked with appreciate all the small things librarians do to make their lives easier, and there’s much for the library to benefit from these relationships as well.

We want your ideas and tips on how to connect your library/archives with artists too! Feel free to get in touch with us at libraryasincubatorproject @ gmail.com, or connect with us through Twitter (@IArtLibraries) or Facebook (Library as Incubator Project). We are always looking to start conversations with new colleagues!

Who is your audience? Strengthening Community Ties with an Audience Focus

noreply@blogger.com (melissa mannon) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 17:06:00 +0000

Sometimes cultural institutions get caught up in the things they do and forget about for whom they are doing them. Today's post discusses the value of keeping audience in mind when performing work in a cultural heritage institution. Later this week, I will introduce a guest post from the ladies of the "Library as Incubator Project." They will share their ideas for targeting artists as an audience from a library perspective. I thought before I put up their piece, it might be nice to take a step back and consider a wider audience for museums, libraries and archives.

Each institution must consider it's potential audiences based on the institution's function, but also on the unique profile of the community it serves. (A description of this community should be part of the organization's mission statement.) Each institution should make plans to reach the groups that will be best served by their materials and activities. Strengthening ties to community in this way makes cultural heritage institutions a more visible and viable part of these communities.

Each person who attends a library, archives, or museum has different informational and entertainment needs that may be based on their interests, circumstances, ages and backgrounds. They will be receptive to what we offer them based on these factors. Quite basically, a child in a library will not be served in the same way as a senior. Yet, while it is easy to consider age -- which is a set factor that contains clearly recognizable groups of children, teens, young adults, adults and senior -- other categories are more difficult to define. Our work is often successful to the extent that we can tailor our work to attract diverse interests.

Examine your resources and determine what potential groups can be served by your diverse holdings.
Examine the large community you serve and determine what smaller communities exist within it.

By identifying your resources and your communities, you can then target your outreach to reach the audiences who will have interest in them. You will likely have the potential to aim your outreach efforts at more audiences than you have time to focus on each. Using your mission and collection policy can be an ideal way to start the ball rolling by determining where your strengths and weaknesses lie. For example, do you have a very strong collection of materials related to the Civil War? Do you have a local reenactment group? It would make sense to show them how your materials suit their interests. Alternately, if you know you have a strong reenactment group and your collection related to their interests is weak, you can ask them how you can better serve their needs and call on their support for your efforts.

Think about your "audience" as active participants in the work that you do.

"Our audiences are not passive spectators. They increasingly expect museums to offer them participatory experiences and that should be reflected by the way in which the modern museum approaches them.

Don’t think of the people who walk through your doors or interact with you online as audiences, think about what you can do for your participants." - The Audience is Dead. Let's Talk Participants Instead http://www.museumnext.org/2010/blog/museum_audience_development

In a way, archives and libraries have always had this point of view. They have more direct interaction with their "audience" or their "patrons" through reference services and more opportunity for a give-and-take relationship. But these encounters are not always used effectively by librarians and archivists to strengthen ties with their communities. We often serve up information without retrieving feedback about whether patrons found what they want or need. We often make plans for collection growth and programs without outside input, even when we have an audience willing to give us beneficial feedback - IF we just ask.

Encourage general comments by putting out a suggestions box or placing an online feedback button on your web or Facebook page, but also target specific groups and ask them very pointedly if your institution is serving their needs.

Targeting specific audiences for your institution and requesting feedback can change the dynamic of your work. Strengthen community ties by evaluating what you do internally, seek feedback externally, and tailor your work to match the desires and needs of specific groups you can serve.

More Finds at the Local Antique Shop - Creating Context

noreply@blogger.com (melissa mannon) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 16:23:00 +0000

Last week, I wrote that archivists focus mainly on the materials that they keep and not necessarily the people who make those materials. Now that I've cleared up a little confusion I found among some of my contemporaries about an archivist's role, perhaps this will befuddle matters once again... It's time for another round of "More Finds at the Local Antique Shop." This time I have an agenda beyond my interesting finds. Of course archivists don't keep things just to keep "stuff." There is certainly more to it than that. So take a look at these two photos. Form your impressions about them and then read on...

These photos reflect diverse subjects and portray different sensibilities. The first feels like a snap shot. The second is most definitely a posed studio photo. The first gives us a sense of place. The second does not. The image with the building impels us to focus on the setting much more than on the people pictured, whereas the image of the woman makes us focus on the details of her dress, pose and expression -- essentially on her. Most obviously, the first image is one that can stand as representative of poverty and the second as one of wealth.

Unfortunately, these are "orphan" photos from an antique shop. I do not know who these people are. I do not know anything about their lives other than what I see here. Without doing some research, I do not know if my impressions about them are true or false constructs. I wonder if other materials that reflect the lives of these people exist somewhere -- either in a family collection or in a repository. I wonder if there is a collection that tells their full stories. If such collections exist, and if I were to somehow find them, would the other materials in that collection confirm my impressions of these people or would they negate them, A third scenario is that they may balance them, providing other dimensions to my first impressions to make me better understand the purpose of these images in the lives of the people depicted. Perhaps they would show the people in different circumstances, in different clothing, or in a different setting.

An archivist focuses on the materials for which we care, but equally importantly, we focus on the context of that material. Without context, all materials can easily be considered "orphaned." The collections archivists build aim to tell about their subjects by retaining a connection to those subjects or creators of the materials. We track from where materials came (provenance) to tell the history of the material itself and so that we can attest to its authenticity. We aim to keep order given to materials by their creators to further retain context. Though we keep groups of records with different provenances separated, we aim to put materials with related contexts together in larger "collections" with resources from multiple people and places reflecting a larger story. So while the safekeeping of materials is the archivist's main goal, it is a goal with a purpose of forming connections among similar materials to help shed light on the individuals, their communities, and the human condition.

***

Exercise: A Personal Item Out of Context

Pull a random item from your own collection. What does that item tell you about the person it reflects? If this is a subject you know well, is what you think of that item influenced by what you already know about the subject? Let's pretend you know nothing about the person or people pictured. Would you draw different conclusions about the image than you do with some background knowledge?

To make my point, here is an unusual photo of me from my family collection:

What conclusions might one draw about me based on this image? What do you think I'm doing here and why? Do you think this is an important part of my story or just a simple snapshot? (This is in fact a highly significant moment in my life and an activity that has an ongoing presence in my household almost ten years after this photo was taken. I'll tell the story about it one day...maybe in a new presentation somewhere or when I'm hurting for blogging ideas...)

While going through your own images and documents, consider their context. What context do your materials retain? What is missing? How difficult is it to retain the context of materials? How easily can context be lost?

Guest Post for ActiveHistory.ca

noreply@blogger.com (melissa mannon) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 15:23:00 +0000

Below is a link to my guest post for Activehistory.ca . Active.ca is one of my favorite blogs. I was honored to be asked to contribute to their body of work.http://activehistory.ca/2012/02/outreach-and-collections-encouraging-community-members-to-play-a-role-in-saving-history/

The People and Their "Stuff" - What is the Point of an Archivist's Work?

noreply@blogger.com (melissa mannon) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:34:00 +0000

An archival document showing human ingenuity at its best

I tend to remind people over and over that my work as an archivist helps tell people's stories, but I realized last week that to make a point, I've neglected the "stuff" of archives a bit and I need to clarify.

An archivist cares for the materials that are created by people - materials that tell their stories certainly, but materials that can also stand on their own in many ways. Archivists are not oral historians, genealogists, or even historians. As archivists, I would argue that our main focus is the "stuff" and not the people themselves. We care for archives and personal papers so that stories can be gleaned from them. We ensure that enough original items are saved so they adequately tell complete stories. Yet, we are more directly tied to the "stuff" and, at least on a professional responsibility level, more interested in what humans create than in the humans themselves.

What brought me to the realization that I need to clarify this? After beginning a web site redesign last week,I asked some friends for advice about what kind of imagery to use to highlight my work. A couple of them said that I should include more photos about people because "It's the stories about real people that [archives] is all about." It jarred me and got me thinking because I don't think that really is what it is all about.

As someone who is interested in the collections of museums, archives and libraries, I consider my work fitting within the field of "material culture." In short, "material culture is the relationship between people and things." (For more definitions see the web page for the Center of Material Studies at the University of Delaware.) The things people create tell us about them and about culture, but they also stand in brilliance on their own. I think that the easiest example to use to explain this is a painting. (This is not a perfect analogy because an archival document is usually not a piece of art, but I think perhaps this can help make the point.) We can admire a painting because we know about the artist and see how it fits in the context of his other work. Or, we can admire a painting because it reflects a particular subject and time. Or, we can admire a painting just because it is beautiful and excites the senses on its own.

A document, an old journal, a map, and all the other materials with which archivists work show the brilliance of humanity. Yes, it is important to collect materials that reflect the individuals in a society. BUT, the materials we collect also reflect a sort of human artistry that goes beyond the stories of real people. From the feel of paper to the the poetry of words strung together to the encapsulation of ideas on a web page, the "stuff" humans create reflect a brilliance that is somewhat separate from the humans themselves. While we want to tell the human story, we focus on the various media used to convey that story. And while my work as an independent archivist sometimes focuses more on stories about people than their stuff, it is because I have chosen to go outside of the box a little bit. Other archivists will sometimes consciously go outside of that box too because, as I've said all along, the work of archivists, librarians, curators and the audiences we serve can be closely intertwined. The ideas driving each of our fields can benefit us all in the promotion of history and cultural knowledge.

But when it comes right down to a definition, the Society of American Archivists describe an archivist in this way: "An individual responsible for appraising, acquiring, arranging, describing, preserving, and providing access to records of enduring value, according to the principles of provenance, original order, and collective control to protect the materials’ authenticity and context." Indeed, archives work IS about the stuff.

A "Heartwarming Story with a Little Surprise:" Don't Forget to Document the Mundane

noreply@blogger.com (melissa mannon) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

It took me a long time to learn how to speak to an audience. I am basically a shy person, but after over 40 years on this earth, I think I am finally learning how to be myself. Public speaking, like writing in many ways, has given me an opportunity to present the real me to the world. If you meet me one-on-one, I am not likely to tell you my personal stories with much detail. I always think, "Why would this person care to know so much about me?" (I am working to get over that.) I have never fancied myself a storyteller because I try to go light on the details and shut up as soon as possible.

I had been presenting a workshop for many years on preserving your family materials. I invited people to bring their personal items so I could tell them how to care for them. I kept the groups to twenty and under so that I would have the opportunity to look and talk about everyone's materials to give advice. It was (and still is) a fun presentation. But soon, people began asking me if I could accommodate larger groups. I needed to redesign the class, so I started seeking items with preservation issues at antique shops to use for demonstration materials. (If you are a regular reader of this blog, you now know how "More Finds at the Local Antique Shop" got started.)

When I began thinking about writing my book "The Unofficial Family Archivist," I started to learn to be a storyteller. My own childhood materials from the 1970s were perfect samples of imperfection. My yellowing Polaroids and browning "magnetic" albums would be great for demonstration. I began searching my collections for more materials for demonstration. Memories came flooding back. I began to incorporate my materials into my writing and my public talks. I also began telling stories behind the materials and most surprisingly to me, people have responded enthusiastically.

Stanscopes and slide viewer from my family collection

Yesterday I was working on a photo collage to use in a banner in a web site overhaul for ArchivesInfo. In the collage I included a photo of Stanhopes. I showed the collage to a few friends and asked them for their opinions on my design. My good friend, Erica Holthausen of Honest Marketing Revolution suggested that I leave out the Stanhope image because she didn't know what those things were. I wrote her the following: "the image on the right is of an old slide viewer from the 50s (the black thing) and old Stanoscopes [sic], which are picture key fobs with images put right inside. (Think viewmaster with one image built right in.) Stanoscopes [sic - I've since re-learned the proper name] were made as little keepsakes, often at touristy sites like Coney Island, which is where I suspect my father may have had one of these done. A picture of him as a little boy is inside.)"

Erica wrote back enthusiastically and I hope that she doesn't mind me sharing what she said here. "Oh, I love that story! Have you done a blog post on it? Totally blog-worthy! A great, heart-warming story with a little surprise: the photo of your dad as a little boy. Very cool...again, it's the story about the real person that makes the object so special."

Wow! My story - Worthy of telling - People want to hear. I am reminded of that once again.

In "The Unofficial Family Archivist" I made a point to tell my personal family stories to show how my family memories and archives are not so very much unlike yours. And when incorporating those stories into presentations, I see eyes shining in my audience and nods of recognition. Each of us has stories that make up a greater community story. Each story I have in my head has roots in some community with other people who experience similar things. The little surprise at the end is how each story is so personal. An object is an object until you figure out its purpose and then tell its history through a community lens. If you can put a personal lens on it, that makes it all the more special.

I have had two presentations each week this month. The presentation topic focuses on two chapters of "The Unofficial Family Archivist" and relates to personal narrative and preservation of personal papers. In working and reworking the presentation, I've had many memories flood back as I try to find personal stories to shed light on points I am trying to make. I am going to leave you today with a personal story I remembered the other day and incorporated into a presentation a couple of nights ago. The point of the story is to tell people that sometimes important things about our lives do not automatically get recorded. We automatically grab a camera for special occasions, but we usually need to think more about things that happen to us on non-"special" occasions. Some of the things we do every day may be worth recording to shed light on our own personal narrative or our own family history, and to show what it is like to live in this time and place. Grab the video camera to document a morning routine; write in a journal about the mundane events of your day; make a list of things that struck your fancy as you went about your business....here is one of those stories in my life.

There will never be another pizza like
mom's. This is not mom's pizza. This is from
Wikipedia.

When I was a kid, my mom made pizza from scratch every weekend. She would start the dough early in the afternoon - mix up the ingredients, put them in a glass bowl, and let it sit in the cold oven (which was warmer than the rest of the room even though it wasn't on.) She would come back to the dough a couple of times in the afternoon to pound it down and let it rise all over again. While the dough rose, she would defrost her home made tomato sauce. Mom kept a garden and would use the tomatoes for her sauce. My sister and I helped with the garden, though what I most remember about it was planting seeds and tossing cherry tomatoes in the air to catch them in our mouths. The sauce was kept in a downstairs freezer alongside meat we had delivered monthly and other frozen garden treats. Once the dough had sufficiently risen and this sauce was defrosted, Mom would roll out the dough and pull it into a square pan, then adding its toppings and placing it in the oven. Three little kids would hungrily peer into the square window while we watched the edges of the pizza brown and the cheese ooze on top.

This was every day life in my house. This story tells a lot about how I lived and what my mother valued. Perhaps it's a "heartwarming story with a little surprise." My eighties teen years were a holdover from a time that was quickly passing. My family, like yours, is a microcosm of life as we know it now, but we may soon forget. I have no pictures. I have only this blog post about mom's pizza. (I hope it wasn't too wordy.)