Still Plugging away......

My third week of archival work has been a struggle for various reasons. First of all, the weather in Columbus, Ohio has been nothing short of horrendous. There is approximately 1 to 2 feet of snow on the ground depending upon where you look. I'm not happy about this......I tell my wife we were supposed to be in Florida by now. She just smiles at me and tells me to be patient. In addition to the weather, I have been sick.....and my mentor has been sick. This does not make for an optimal learning environment. However, I continued sorting through the "Tzagournis" collection as best I could.

When Kevlin and I finally had a chance to assess my progress, she seemed pleased. I was concerned that I was creating too many files per container (and subsequently too many sub-categories). She assured me that I was doing just fine, and that in all likelihood, I wouldn't make it through the entire collection within the imposed time constraints of my practicum. I was relieved to hear this. Since this experience (weeding, organizing, storing, etc...) was to be only 1 part of my practicum, I was concerned I would not get to the "Jesse Owens" portion. Having grown up in Ohio, and knowing of Jesse Owens' Olympic exploits, I am particularly eager to engage in the OSU Archives "History Day" project. Kevlin instructed me to begin thinking of ways we could increase online accessibility to this special collection...particularly for teens working on reports and projects. This will include the digitization of items, research and web development.

And so it goes...

The second week of my archival practicum did not differ greatly from my first week. I continued to wade through boxes of memos, newspaper clippings, brochures, photographs and personnel directives. I did make my mentor happy at one point by combining the contents of several boxes into one. Space is at a premium in the depository, so whenever there is an opportunity to conserve it....that's a positive. I am currently working on box #7 of 40 in the Tzagournis (former Dean of Medicine) collection. Generally speaking, my mission is to weed, organize, inventory, box and shelve these items. I have a long way to go, but I'm starting to get a better feel for the process.

Off and Running........

The first week of my practicum in archival work has been enlightening in several ways. First, I have had the pleasure of working under the supervision of Kevlin Haire, Ohio State University Archivist. Kevlin has made an effort to introduce me to the department's staff, show me around the building, and provide an introduction to the practices and terminology necessary for success in my endeavor.

I must confess, when contemplating my upcoming practicum experience last month, I had envisioned archival work as an exciting niche in librarianship. The reality I have encountered to date is quite different. My first assignment has been to wade through four boxes (from a total of 40) of paperwork belonging to a recently retired professor at the University Medical Center. Making judgment calls on what to keep and what to discard can be rather disconcerting at times. I have been given basic guidelines to follow, but much of the decisions are subjective in nature. I am scheduled to meet with Kevlin tomorrow to assess my progress. I'm hopeful that I am on the right track.