Filed under: History, Links, Professional, Thoughts, archives | Tags: Book review
I just started my internship at the Carnegie Public Library Oliver Room as the lone processing intern, under the direction of Greg Priore. It was pretty quiet last week, but next week there is a researcher coming in, while I’ll be in the midst of finishing the processing of a collection.
I’m currently working on the Department of Public Works for the City of Allegheny Files from 1890ish to 1913. Most of the files are concerned with the running of the Carnegie Free Library which was later made into a regular Pittsburgh library system library in 1956.
I’m loving every minute of it. And it’s because you can see glimpses of stories. Not the whole story, but bits and pieces. Reoccurring names of librarians and clerks, knowing where they lived and what they were paid. It makes them tangible in a sense.
Which brings me to the other thing: Everyone should read “Into the Tunnel.” It’s one of the best books of it’s type. It’s not long, it’s not terribly dense, but it is haunting in its description of the details of Marion Samuel’s life before she died at Auschwitz-Birkenau. She has a prize named after her and was virtually anonymous until this book. Based on documentation about her parents and relatives and some school records, this is a touching and sparse account of one young girl’s life in Nazi Germany.
Stories like this are part of the reason I started being interested in Archives in the first place. Real stories are often more interesting.
Filed under: Links, Not so ancient History, Thoughts, archives, librarian | Tags: Politics, search terms
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/04/04/usfunded-health-sear.html
This is absurd. I’m really ticked off. This story has been picked up by multiple blogs already, but we were discussing Thesaurus(es? i?) in class yesterday, I thought it was really interesting.
Limiting search terms hurts everyone. By removing a commonly used MEDICAL TERM from the thesaurus with no warning is irresponsible and is a violation of trust.
By limiting results as a search, both sides are hurt. Anti-Abortion rights activists cannot access information that would help him, and Pro Abortion Rights activists cannot access information that would help them. It doesn’t matter what side of this debate you are on, the censorship of a common medical term hurts everyone. Say you wanted to write an editorial about abortion and wanted to search this database for information to make your point… because it is a federal funded database, you wouldn’t be able to get your information.
Now, how about that for not being a good thing?
http://bottledmonsters.blogspot.com/2008/03/history-of-medicine-viagra-10-years.html
Is Viagra part of history now? Yes, yes it is, in my opinion. Just think of the cultural changes since 1998. Now think of the political changes. And the economic changes. Yes, 1998 is history now.
http://www.archivesnext.com/?page_id=124
Nominate movers and shakers in the archive community. Due date is April 30th.
http://feministlawprofs.law.sc.edu/
Want to learn new and interesting things that may or may not have to deal with Feminism and law? Here’s the spot for you!
You’d be surprised how many times records and documents come up here. Speaking of which:
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/04/01/libraries-and-the-oc.html
Someone’s written a dissertation on how library cataloging systems marginalize the occult and make books about it difficult to find. How cool is this student?
