archivistrising321.blogspot.com

The lot next to the library is now newly paved and they are starting to line it.  With our new grass, no fence, new entry way and lights the lot looks fantastic. I can't wait to park in it again. 

  My interns are wrapping up their summer work. Here's a blog from Natalie Kaczmarek. Hello, my name is Natalie, and I am just finishing my senior year at Central Michigan University. I am studying Public History and Museum Studies. My goal after attaining my degree is to work in an Archives. I currently plan to take a year off and then go back to school. I have been a digital intern at the Clarke Historical Library under the supervision of Marian. During this internship, I learned how to HTML code, type film descriptions, and create, edit, and encode finding aids. As my internship was done entirely online, I missed working physically with the collections. However, I am confident that when I return to school, I will be able to gain the necessary experience. By having my internship be entirely digital, I have found that I will be able to adapt to any situation that arises, especially another pandemic. During my internship, I also learned good time management skills and to work on my...

Friday we received another deposit of Ann Arbor Railroad materials which arrived in 2 grocery paper bags. I think I have processed more AARR material than any other Michigan archivist. If I am wrong about that, contact me and we will have a chat. There are 2 letter-sized and 2 legal-sized boxes containing binders with reports. I have a student who will work for me in fall who will begin physically processing then, so I'm leaving these for her. To date, just in multiple primary sources we have memos, reports, time tables, waybills, organizational minutes, lube charts, schematic drawings, images, notes, manuals, tickets, account volumes, among others and that's just for cars and engines. We also have several collection on the AA RR ferries. In addition, we have a large number of publication by and about railroads.

Apply by Aug. 23 at https://www.jobs.cmich.edu/postings/34060

 https://www.nedcc.org/about/nedcc-stories/jekyll-island-wallpaper-part-1 The NEDCC recently conserved Chinese export wallpaper glued and nailed to a ceiling in a fancy cottage in Georgia. To see the challenge they faced and the amazing work they did, click on the url.

  CMU men's basketball practice Dec. 1975, in one of Finch Fieldhouse practice courts. The ceiling lights there were awful and distinctive in appearance. The rooms were very dark due to the lights. We used to have records stored in one of the extra courts, too many records jammed into too small a space with junk shelving. We climbed through the shelves on our knees sometimes to find a box we needed as some of the boxes were stored 3 deep. It was awful. I hated going over there. With the density of the boxes and shelving there was no air flow either. Yuck. Talk about less than ideal records storage. Somehow in this film I found the tube socks comforting. Perhaps it is because as they were the sock of choice the 1970s and early 1980s when I was in middle and high school. This is from early Dec. 1975 Channel 9 & 10 News film. 

  Today while reviewing Channel 9&10 film for Dec. 10, 1975 we found these images described by 9&10 film crew as "Edmund Fitzgerald." There is a large group of people of various ages, family and probably friends and peers of the crew. They sit and stand in the bright sunshine. Two vessels are behind them in the water. The crowd is addressed by a man at a podium, possibly a priest. At one point, third image from top, a man on the closest vessel rings a small bell. This may be the first outside memorial held for the families. It looks very warm for December in Michigan, however during the next week, of December 15th, the temperature in Detroit was a balmy 57 degrees. There is no location information on the film. The Shipwreck Museum in Whitefish Bay has held annual memorial services for the Fitz since it sank on November 10, 1975, so this likely was near the museum.

Our older, shorter parking lot lights are being replaced by much taller ones.  I also noticed that a raised brick flower area which was overgrown with weeds for years was removed and replaced with grass and two trees.  Today the N/S sidewalk between the library building and fountain was dug up. Lastly work on Finch continues.  The end result is a better lit, easier and less expensive to maintain campus.

  We recently received material related to CMU's Training School, or lab school, for elementary students. Here you see some newspaper clippings, photographs, booklets, Dear Parents letters, and information regarding students. The lab school provided hands on experiential opportunities for CMU student teachers and included students from diverse backgrounds. 

My former intern JoAnna Lincoln's blog for the CMU Libraries is found at this link https://blogs.cmich.edu/library/2021/07/08/internships-opened-doors-to-my-career/

  We  recently received an addition to an existing family papers collection. There were a few objects in it. The top image is a box that once held rectangular baby announcements. 1 of the cards is glued on the top. It is just precious. The dots on the stuffed animals are raised bumps. While this is not archival, I enjoyed seeing it. The lower image shows 2 railroad service pins, a moose lodge emblem or pendant, and then a mother-of-people pen knife. 

7 carts of materials were donated yesterday. I am pleased that I won't be responsible for processing any of it because it is all periodicals. 

Today is my 25th work year anniversary. I don't think anyone knows it but me. On July 5, 1996 I parked in the small lot west of Park Library and took the elevator to 4th floor. I had just cracked my windshield and was so embarrassed about it. My desk was in a work room with a kitchen where everyone ate, no privacy at all. My first job with a few students was processing Senator Griffin's 400 cubic foot collection. I had a brand new, huge computer that wasn't plugged in yet. It took up most of my desk space. When I taught Lib 197 we did so in a room where only I had a computer. My job has morphed so much since then. I am grateful for all the positives over the years and through my various jobs. Mostly it's been good. I try to learn from the good and the bad. I thank God for  this job and the interesting work I've done, and mostly for my amazing students throughout the years, and all the wonderful people on and off campus I've met and collaborated with and been pri...