This week at AAMLO I have developed something of a rhythm. I found that when scanning negatives, as I have been, that as the equipment warms up that the negatives tend to curl. So, I have been scanning 10 or so at a time and stopping to work on something else for an hour while the scanner cools again.
We have worked out the snippets for out METS they are small and annoying but necessary. There is just getting approval for the unlimited Dropbox account between us and getting the digital objects up on the OAC. I can't wait to see the end product.
It is interesting how quickly I can get used to the repetition of entering the metadata. The first few seemed to take forever to enter but after 4 or 5 I was rolling right along.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Good week
This has been a good week. I received my ACA exam results. I passed, Yeah!
I began volunteering at MPDSF this week. I am planning on going in twice a month. I just went in for an interview but ended up jumping right in and working. I started easy; just re-foldering clippings from the SF Opera. Just a little something to dip my toe into this extensive collection and indulge a little of my curiosity. I was fun to see photos of photos of young Beverly Sills, so pretty.
I began volunteering at MPDSF this week. I am planning on going in twice a month. I just went in for an interview but ended up jumping right in and working. I started easy; just re-foldering clippings from the SF Opera. Just a little something to dip my toe into this extensive collection and indulge a little of my curiosity. I was fun to see photos of photos of young Beverly Sills, so pretty.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
SAA conference
Made it to New Orleans. I spent the weekend sightseeing and today is the first day of the SAA conference. It is a light day as such things go. I vised the Amistad archives on the Tulane campus. They have actually more staff than I would have expected. Full time, part time, and grant positions.There is a large processing area and nice stacks on tracks. They use Archon, which I haven't tried yet. Collections go back to the 18th century.
I would like to see AAMLO grow to that sort of capability. Hiring an archivist this year is a big step in the right direction but with some additional resources it could be a real force in the area.
Back to the conference. I will spend today deciding which sessions I want to attend. It is easier for me to do that now that I have the actual booklet than it was when I was looking at the PDf. The ACA exam is tomorrow morning. I hope I have studied enough. I guess I will find out.
I would like to see AAMLO grow to that sort of capability. Hiring an archivist this year is a big step in the right direction but with some additional resources it could be a real force in the area.
Back to the conference. I will spend today deciding which sessions I want to attend. It is easier for me to do that now that I have the actual booklet than it was when I was looking at the PDf. The ACA exam is tomorrow morning. I hope I have studied enough. I guess I will find out.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Starting to digitize
I got to work on digitizing the Roberts collection this week. It was great to put some practical experience to all that I had been reading about. It is so much easier to understand and remember histogram and bit rate, for instance, once you have actually used them. It is not as dry as my research would suggest.
We have not yet been able to get the METS working, it is some problem with the CaliSphere protocols. I don't entirely understand why yet. I am hopeful that once I get to actually do a few wrappers that I will know better.
On a different topic; I tested with the state archives a couple of months ago but apparently didn't pass the oral interview. So, I took the test for program technician last week and passed. Today I saw a posting at the Secretary of State department. It is my plan to try starting there as a tech and once I have a better understanding of the workings of the various departments that I will try again. Anyway, it is a plan.
We have not yet been able to get the METS working, it is some problem with the CaliSphere protocols. I don't entirely understand why yet. I am hopeful that once I get to actually do a few wrappers that I will know better.
On a different topic; I tested with the state archives a couple of months ago but apparently didn't pass the oral interview. So, I took the test for program technician last week and passed. Today I saw a posting at the Secretary of State department. It is my plan to try starting there as a tech and once I have a better understanding of the workings of the various departments that I will try again. Anyway, it is a plan.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Turner posting
Finally finished the Morrie Turner finding aid last week. I was able to do the EAD from beginning to end, posted on the OAC and entered it in Archivist's Toolkit. So far I don't see why it is so desirable to be able to use Archivist's Toolkit. It seems a useful thing and pretty easy to use. Of course I have not explored its full functionality yet but I think I could pick it up quickly.
I am very proud to have finished this finding aid from beginning to end. During my internship I was able to enter mostly the overview section into OAC. This time I was able to get the container list, series, sub-series levels. And the beat your head against the desk until you figure out the error message, argh! The archivist had a great idea on that, just copy and past the error section and look at just that. You can even look at it in larger type. Made it so much easier to pick out the problem.
Check out my posting.
http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c83n24mg/
I am very proud to have finished this finding aid from beginning to end. During my internship I was able to enter mostly the overview section into OAC. This time I was able to get the container list, series, sub-series levels. And the beat your head against the desk until you figure out the error message, argh! The archivist had a great idea on that, just copy and past the error section and look at just that. You can even look at it in larger type. Made it so much easier to pick out the problem.
Check out my posting.
http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c83n24mg/
Sunday, February 24, 2013
On the same page
I met the new archivist at AAMLO and am pleased to see that we are on the same page as to the direction we need to head in. Thanks to DACS standard his finding aid template is only slightly different from mine. We want to get our finding aids up on the OAC as soon as possible and we (meaning he) need to get our donor files in order, many deeds of gift and such are non-existent.
I was telling him how much I wanted to take a class in XML but could not afford the classes. As it turns out he use to teach it and volunteered to help me. I am very excited to get started on that next time I go in. How awesome is it to have my own tutor?
I was telling him how much I wanted to take a class in XML but could not afford the classes. As it turns out he use to teach it and volunteered to help me. I am very excited to get started on that next time I go in. How awesome is it to have my own tutor?
Thursday, January 17, 2013
New beginning
So I finished school and forgot all about keeping this blog. But now I am realizing that I am starting to forget what I have been working on professionally since graduating.
I have been working, well volunteering at AAMLO twice a month since graduation. I have been arranging and creating finding aids. I have completed the finding aid for the Henry Delton Williams (Motown costume designer) and am currently working on the finding aid for Morrie Turner (creator of the Wee Pals comic strip).
AAMLO has been without an archivist for several years. They re-opened the position this summer and I applied for it but did not make it as far as the interview. I am afraid I was eliminated because I don't yet have ACA certification as was requested in the job listing. I am planning to take the test at the next SAA convention. One of the requirements of getting the ACA is that the archivist have one year as a professional, allowing up to one year to complete the requirement. Since I am a former student and current volunteer I don't think I am meeting that requirement. I am just hoping to have some position in time for the next exam, then a year later I will be good to go. I joined a study group this week.
At any rate, I do understand why I didn't get the job. It is a head of archives position and I really should have a few years as an assistant first. AAMLO hired a new archivist who started this week. I look forward to meeting him the next time I go in. I think we could work together and really increase the accessibility of the collection and make it the primo institution of its kind in the area.
I have enjoyed these past few months, catching up with friends and with my sleep. Now it is time to get back to work. Maybe try to fit in a class. Let's call this a new beginning.
I have been working, well volunteering at AAMLO twice a month since graduation. I have been arranging and creating finding aids. I have completed the finding aid for the Henry Delton Williams (Motown costume designer) and am currently working on the finding aid for Morrie Turner (creator of the Wee Pals comic strip).
AAMLO has been without an archivist for several years. They re-opened the position this summer and I applied for it but did not make it as far as the interview. I am afraid I was eliminated because I don't yet have ACA certification as was requested in the job listing. I am planning to take the test at the next SAA convention. One of the requirements of getting the ACA is that the archivist have one year as a professional, allowing up to one year to complete the requirement. Since I am a former student and current volunteer I don't think I am meeting that requirement. I am just hoping to have some position in time for the next exam, then a year later I will be good to go. I joined a study group this week.
At any rate, I do understand why I didn't get the job. It is a head of archives position and I really should have a few years as an assistant first. AAMLO hired a new archivist who started this week. I look forward to meeting him the next time I go in. I think we could work together and really increase the accessibility of the collection and make it the primo institution of its kind in the area.
I have enjoyed these past few months, catching up with friends and with my sleep. Now it is time to get back to work. Maybe try to fit in a class. Let's call this a new beginning.
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