Showing posts with label accessions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label accessions. Show all posts
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Today I continued entering items from the memorabilia cabinet into the accessions database. Brad and I also went through some orders for images and prints.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
While I accessioned memorabilia last week, I set aside any problem items I came across that I wasn't sure how to deal with. I spent most of the morning discussing these items with Brad and entering them into the database once our conversation had clarified what I needed to do with them. Brad also showed me the original accession system in the University Archives. It was used before the archives purchased the AskSam database software and relied on assigning ranges of numbers to particular university offices or departments and keeping track of accessions on cards. Brad indicated that many of the archives I might end up working in are likely to have the remnants of such a system.
Towards the end of my shift, Brad showed me how he goes about filling photo orders. He said that people from other Indiana University offices often contact the photographs department on the behalf of someone who has contacted them with a photographs request, but that it's always best for an archivist to work directly with the person with the request rather than working through intermediaries. In the case of the Indiana University Archives photographs department, there are forms that must be tailored to the requester's situation, if he or she plans to publish the image. The questions about the intended use of the image and the related fees make it particularly important that Brad be in direct contact with the person who needs the image.
However, working directly with the requester also provides the archivist with the opportunity to clarify the request or get more detail from the requester. It seems like this interaction would be the equivalent of the "reference interview" we discussed in my SLIS Reference course, and, just like the more traditional reference questions we worked with in that class, it seems that taking the time to work directly with the person who needs images from the archives can make things much easier in the long run by avoiding potential misunderstandings and problems.
We began filling a request for photographs of two chemistry professors who were at Indiana University during the 1950s, and we will complete this request tomorrow.
Towards the end of my shift, Brad showed me how he goes about filling photo orders. He said that people from other Indiana University offices often contact the photographs department on the behalf of someone who has contacted them with a photographs request, but that it's always best for an archivist to work directly with the person with the request rather than working through intermediaries. In the case of the Indiana University Archives photographs department, there are forms that must be tailored to the requester's situation, if he or she plans to publish the image. The questions about the intended use of the image and the related fees make it particularly important that Brad be in direct contact with the person who needs the image.
However, working directly with the requester also provides the archivist with the opportunity to clarify the request or get more detail from the requester. It seems like this interaction would be the equivalent of the "reference interview" we discussed in my SLIS Reference course, and, just like the more traditional reference questions we worked with in that class, it seems that taking the time to work directly with the person who needs images from the archives can make things much easier in the long run by avoiding potential misunderstandings and problems.
We began filling a request for photographs of two chemistry professors who were at Indiana University during the 1950s, and we will complete this request tomorrow.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
[10:45 a.m.]
Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone!
I'm at my internship right now, continuing to accession realia from the memorabilia cabinet and also working at the desk. It's pretty quiet, though, since it's spring break. No one is in the reading room at the moment.
I started accessioning items from a new box, and I've run across some interesting things. One of those things was a piece of rope used to pull the plow at the groundbreaking for the New Gymnasium at Indiana University on December 7, 1915. I would have thought the dead of winter, when the ground is frozen, wouldn't have been the best time for the groundbreaking on new construction, but I don't really know much about construction.
***
[11:30 a.m.]
I've just accessioned what is supposed to be the first touch-tone telephone installed in Monroe County. I wish I'd remembered my camera--I'd have taken a picture and posted it.
[12:00]
Finished the second box and started on a third.
Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone!
I'm at my internship right now, continuing to accession realia from the memorabilia cabinet and also working at the desk. It's pretty quiet, though, since it's spring break. No one is in the reading room at the moment.
I started accessioning items from a new box, and I've run across some interesting things. One of those things was a piece of rope used to pull the plow at the groundbreaking for the New Gymnasium at Indiana University on December 7, 1915. I would have thought the dead of winter, when the ground is frozen, wouldn't have been the best time for the groundbreaking on new construction, but I don't really know much about construction.
***
[11:30 a.m.]
I've just accessioned what is supposed to be the first touch-tone telephone installed in Monroe County. I wish I'd remembered my camera--I'd have taken a picture and posted it.
[12:00]
Finished the second box and started on a third.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Today, I continued accessioning realia from the memorabilia cabinet and finished my first box. Some of the things I added included a tie pin and key chain that belonged to Herman B. Wells. I also came across an interesting box with a lot of different things in it. I haven't added it to the database yet since I wasn't sure how to handle all the different pieces, but one of the things inside was an envelope of nineteenth century calling cards and invitations. These were some of my favorites.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
This morning, Brad showed me how to enter realia into the University Archives accession database, AskSam. We brought a box from the memorabilia cabinet up to the photographs area and went through several items together.
Basically, entering the items involves searching the database to make sure the accession number they have been assigned has not already been used, creating a new record, and then entering information about the object, including a description of the item and, if available, the date it was created, the person or entity who created it, the person or entity who gave it to the University Archives, whether there are any restrictions on use or reproduction of the item, and the item's location in the archives. While I may not use the same database program in my first job, this will still be useful experience, since most archives will probably keep very similar records of their accessions.
Some of the items I accessioned today included a bag of buttons from the Little 500 race, a paperweight given to Indiana University president Herman B. Wells, and a pin commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the Indiana University chapter of the fraternity Sigma Nu.
Basically, entering the items involves searching the database to make sure the accession number they have been assigned has not already been used, creating a new record, and then entering information about the object, including a description of the item and, if available, the date it was created, the person or entity who created it, the person or entity who gave it to the University Archives, whether there are any restrictions on use or reproduction of the item, and the item's location in the archives. While I may not use the same database program in my first job, this will still be useful experience, since most archives will probably keep very similar records of their accessions.
Some of the items I accessioned today included a bag of buttons from the Little 500 race, a paperweight given to Indiana University president Herman B. Wells, and a pin commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the Indiana University chapter of the fraternity Sigma Nu.
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