Archiving
In this section I will present the focus of my career, as well as what has thus far been the bulk of my school career. The work I have outlined here is an example of the practical experiences of which I have taken part, as well as the theoretical exercises experienced through coursework. The hands-on experiences, in particular, have given me a great understanding of archiving - from original order and document preservation, to the importance of digital preservation and access. I am so proud to have done my part in preserving and making accessible documents, photos, and items that might otherwise have been degraded or forgotten.
San Francisco Zen Center summer fieldwork
Tal Noznisky, Lara Schott, Joe Tennis, myself
For a month during the summer of 2012 I joined my professor Joe Tennis and my peers Tal Noznisky and Lara Schott at the San Francisco Zen Center. Our goal was to build upon two previous years of students' work in the ZC's small library and with their huge amounts of records stored somewhat haphazardly in boxes and filing cabinets. It was a daunting project, one of which we only scraped the surface of during our month there.
The first of our foci was to continue uploading the ZC's library catalog onto the web service LibraryThing. The library's holdings are contained on a card catalog, and over the past few years students have been transcribing the cards onto the web site so that those outside of the walls of the ZC will be able to see what the library's holdings offer. Students from previous years had already made great headway, and volunteers at the library had continued on in the tradition. We continued by pulling the cards, checking against the holdings to make sure the books were still available, and faithfully transcribing the bibliographic data to the website.
The first of our foci was to continue uploading the ZC's library catalog onto the web service LibraryThing. The library's holdings are contained on a card catalog, and over the past few years students have been transcribing the cards onto the web site so that those outside of the walls of the ZC will be able to see what the library's holdings offer. Students from previous years had already made great headway, and volunteers at the library had continued on in the tradition. We continued by pulling the cards, checking against the holdings to make sure the books were still available, and faithfully transcribing the bibliographic data to the website.
A rat's nest in a slide viewer
Our next task at hand was finding and identifying the contents of dozens if not hundreds of cardboard boxes and filing cabinets full of files stored throughout the City Center and the ZC's secondary practice center at Green Gulch farm in Marin County. We took several trips out there to save boxes from the damp and degrading conditions in which they were stored. After retrieving them we set about identifying the contents, cleaning what we could, and tossing what we could not. Much of it was waterlogged or compromised by rat infestations, so it was a dirty task. In the end we were able to successfully transfer the contents of dozens of boxes to more long-term housing, uncovering many treasures of the ZC's history along the way.
Our third task was to extract as many photos as possible from the various boxes we uncovered and clean and scan them onto the ZC's website. 2012 was the 50th anniversary of the SFZC and they wanted a showcase of the ZC's history to display. Between the four of us we scanned over 1500 photos and, with the help of the residents of the ZC, identified many of the occupants of the photos. Now they are forever digitally preserved, protecting them from the possibility of physical degradation.
During all our work, the four of us lived at the ZC and participated in day-to-day life there. This included getting up at 5am to participate in meditation and service, working in the kitchen prepping the meals and in the temple cleaning. As a Zen novice this was a daunting excursion, but in the end one of the most valuable experiences of my life, educationally, spiritually, and emotionally. You can read more about my experience at the blog I kept for part of my trip. You can also view the powerpoint below that we compiled at the end of our trip to display our accomplishments to the residents of the ZC and the UW.
While this was an amazing opportunity for my colleagues and me, it was also great for the ZC. As they have no full time librarians or archivists, they rely on volunteers and students like us, and with 50 years of history stored across three centers of practice, that is a lot information to process. Our scanning of photographs and Dharma talks ensured that students from all over the world would have access without having to journey to San Francisco, and our efforts to preserve materials that were improperly stored will ensure that this information will survive until the next group of students has time to digitize it.
Our third task was to extract as many photos as possible from the various boxes we uncovered and clean and scan them onto the ZC's website. 2012 was the 50th anniversary of the SFZC and they wanted a showcase of the ZC's history to display. Between the four of us we scanned over 1500 photos and, with the help of the residents of the ZC, identified many of the occupants of the photos. Now they are forever digitally preserved, protecting them from the possibility of physical degradation.
During all our work, the four of us lived at the ZC and participated in day-to-day life there. This included getting up at 5am to participate in meditation and service, working in the kitchen prepping the meals and in the temple cleaning. As a Zen novice this was a daunting excursion, but in the end one of the most valuable experiences of my life, educationally, spiritually, and emotionally. You can read more about my experience at the blog I kept for part of my trip. You can also view the powerpoint below that we compiled at the end of our trip to display our accomplishments to the residents of the ZC and the UW.
While this was an amazing opportunity for my colleagues and me, it was also great for the ZC. As they have no full time librarians or archivists, they rely on volunteers and students like us, and with 50 years of history stored across three centers of practice, that is a lot information to process. Our scanning of photographs and Dharma talks ensured that students from all over the world would have access without having to journey to San Francisco, and our efforts to preserve materials that were improperly stored will ensure that this information will survive until the next group of students has time to digitize it.
Episcopal Diocese of Olympia Volunteering
During March of 2013 I began volunteering for the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia, working directly under the Archival and Records Manager, Diane Wells. Serving 31,000 people and over 100 churches in Western Washington, the archives provides support by housing records, photos, and artifacts in the head office in Capitol Hill, as well as in churches across the state. Diane is the only archivist on staff and is in need of extra help accomplishing the dozens of projects she has going at any one time. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to hone my skills and assist with a worthy cause!
Some of my duties include:
Though at the time of this posting I have only just started volunteering, I am already extremely excited about this opportunity. Diane has been an archivist for many years and I know there is a lot I can learn from her. Also, there is so much work that needs to be done that I know I can be of help to her and the organization as a whole.
Some of my duties include:
- Weeding and destroying documents in accordance with their retention periods
- Creating and updating finding aids
- Scanning photos and documents
- Utilizing records to create informational documents for the community
Though at the time of this posting I have only just started volunteering, I am already extremely excited about this opportunity. Diane has been an archivist for many years and I know there is a lot I can learn from her. Also, there is so much work that needs to be done that I know I can be of help to her and the organization as a whole.