When collections arrive there is a certain level of excitement. We love to get our hands in them, begin describing, and always look forward to what we will find. We also tend to learn something new with each collection, and we get to see bits and pieces of others’ lives.…
Note: This blog post contains many references to parts of a finding aid. It may help to reference another blog post, So, what is a finding aid? if you have any questions. How many archivists do you know? If you’re reading this blog, probably at least three, but if you were…
Finding aids. If you have never used an archive, you may have never heard this term used in this, or any, context before. Many first-time users of archives are often confused by the term “finding aid,” and then once they read one, they can be confused by the finding aid…
“So, what does an archivist do?” It’s a question I hear a lot from pretty much everyone, from researchers and other faculty members, to people I meet in my everyday life. I generally give them the short answer, which is that I preserve and make accessible papers and records, such…
When and where: Saturday, October 15, 11 am – 4 pm. Archives, Consortium Library Room 305. Parking is Free! If you can’t make it on this day, contact us: we’ll see what we can do to accommodate you. uaa.archives@alaska.edu Are you interesting in sharing your side of Alaska? Do you…
Wednesday, October 5, is #AskAnArchivist Day over on Twitter. This is a national thing–October is Archives Month–so archivists all over the country will be watching extra hard on Twitter for any questions you might have. Several Alaskan archivists will be participating too, so if if you have any questions for…
Do you have photographs of your time at UAA/ACC/all the other initials that you want to have digitized? Are you looking for an opportunity to share those photos with the world (or at the very least, other UA types)? Would you like to further our educational mission by making your photos available…
As an archivist I am often asked “what does someone use an archive for?” The question may seem easy to answer—many assume that most users of archives are scholars or historians. But researcher questions vary with each researcher who walks through the door, calls us on the phone, or sends…
Our crew’s professional reading today was the proposed user metrics document created by a SAA and ACRL/RBMS* joint task force. Sound boring? It’s not at all! And it’s incredibly important work because in the end, pretty much everything archives do is about our users. User statistics help us serve our…
It’s that time of year for another Archives’ potluck based on an exhibit. Our first ever exhibit potluck, Convalescent’s Banquet, while a learning experience, was pretty tasteless, and last year, Alaska Lunch, provided some interesting Alaskan based dishes. But this year, we decided to do things a little differently. We based…
