We’re a teensy bit late on May Day this year. On May 1, we often celebrate May Day by doing something to help us out with preservation or disaster recovery planning. We’ve been getting some collections with old stills in recently so we decided it was time to figure out…
We kept busy in April, with the launch of our podcast, Archiving AK, as well as the 5th iteration of our annual Eating from the Archives potluck. Here’s what we did last month: Collection description: HMC-0370: Christine McClain papers; 1907-1992. 0.5 cubic foot addition. Articles and drafts of fiction stories…
The good news is, parking is free on campus from now through May 20. In additional good news, the Consortium Library has a major renovation project going on this summer that will replace some very elderly heating and cooling equipment. The slightly less good news is that this project will…
Welcome to the first episode of Archiving AK. In this episode, your three hosts, Veronica, Gwen, and Arlene, interview each other and answer questions about Archives. In the first part of the episode, we explore some broader questions: What do archivists do and how do they differ from librarians and…
March has been a busy month for us! Must be all that extra light we’re getting right now that’s letting us get all this work done! Collections described: Ruth Hart papers; 1964-2003. HMC-1279. The collection contains the papers of Ruth Hart, which mostly relate to her years designing costumes and…
Occasionally when we are filling reference requests, describing photographs for Alaska’s Digital Archives, or describing new collections, we come across photographs, documents, and audio recordings that lead to more questions than answers. Like what are those two little boys in the background of the photograph fighting about? Why is the…
Wondering what we could possibly offer this spring to outdo our past years’ Eating From the Archives events? Do we have a doozy for you. Perhaps you may remember, with varying degrees of fondness or lack thereof, some of our past food events. The Convalescent’s Banquet. Alaska Lunch. Lunch on…
At first glance, February does not appear as busy as January, but all three of us are currently in the middle of various projects, and both Gwen and Veronica have been busy writing grants. We also interviewed and hired two new student workers: Bri and Conner. They will be doing…
Welcome to the first installment of “New in the Archives,” a series of monthly updates about what’s going on in Archives and Special Collections. “New in the Archives” will feature newly described collections, items recently uploaded to Alaska’s Digital Archives, exhibits, and events that we have hosted or participated in.…
When I teach class sessions on archival research and I’ve been asked to discuss primary sources, this letter is one of the standard ones I use. I pass copies out to the students, give them a few minutes to read it, and then ask: okay, is it primary or secondary?…
