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Intern Describes a Teacher’s Letter Collection

March 25, 2022 by Amanda VerMeulen

Hello readers!  My name is Zoey, and I am an intern at the St. Mary’s College of Maryland archives this spring.  I am currently in a graduate program for archives at the University of Maryland, and I graduate in May 2022!  The school requires each student to complete an internship before they graduate.

During my time here, I was assigned to read and describe the Lura Frances Johnson Letters (MSS 097) [link to: https://smcm.as.atlas-sys.com/repositories/2/resources/153 ].  I created the scope and contents notes within the finding aid for the archive’s website.  Before I go into detail about what the process was like, I would like to give some background information on Lura.  Miss Johnson was originally from West Point, Georgia and taught math at St. Mary’s Female Seminary, the predecessor institution of St. Mary’s College of Maryland, from about 1928-1943.  The majority of the letters were written to her mother.  The letters in this collection describe the daily events happening to her at the time.  This collection is a significant example of a teacher’s perspective on routine life at the school.

Lura Frances Johnson and Helen Leighley in Cleveland

Lura Frances Johnson (left) and Helen Leighley (right), a fellow St. Mary’s Female Seminary teacher, in Cleveland (MSS 097 Box 1 Folder 12)

Initially, I found the letters difficult to interpret.  Lura wrote most of her letters in cursive.  Since Miss Johnson was a teacher, I expected her to have neat cursive letters, but I was incorrect.  After reading through a couple of her letters, I began picking up on her handwriting, and it was much easier reading through them.  This assignment was the perfect task for me to dip my feet into the archival world.  It was challenging yet, rewarding when I finally deciphered Lura’s writing.

The key debate in archival work is whether we should process our collections with a minimalist or a maximalist perspective.  My mentor and I decided it would be best to take a maximalist approach when processing these letters.  Because these letters provide a unique perspective on the school’s history, we believed it would be best to summarize all the letters written by Miss Johnson.  By adopting the maximalist approach to these letters, we will be able to support our students in the future.  This is because we have a precise understanding of the information contained in these letters.  Robert S. Cox states in his article Maximal Processing, or, Archivist on a Pale Horse, “If a collection is less well described, less well organized, and less well understood, logic dictates that, all things being equal, it must take longer for archivists to navigate the collection when conducting reference work or when performing any of the other tasks that make use of the actual materials” (Cox, 2010).  By taking the time to read through and summarize these letters, we will be able to better help our students look for materials to support their research.  While the maximalist approach worked for this finding aid, we cannot use this approach to process all of the materials in an archive because it would take too much time to process.

Lura filled her letters with the daily activities of her life.  During part of her time at the college, Miss Johnson was completing her master’s degree.  She wrote her mother consistently about how her thesis was coming along.  Within these letters, you can practically feel the stress, joy, and relief when she finally finished her thesis.

Overall, I have learned a lot from my time interning at the St. Mary’s College of Maryland Archive.  I am so appreciative of this opportunity to learn the daily operations of a university archive.  The task I had of creating a scope and contents for these letters was a great first task in my archival career.  I cannot wait to see what is in store for my future and will be forever thankful for this opportunity!

Zoey Downs

Archives Intern

 

References

Robert S. Cox (2010) Maximal Processing, or, Archivist on a Pale Horse, Journal of Archival Organization, 8:2, 134-148, DOI: 10.1080/15332748.2010.526086

Filed Under: Archives, Library Collection Tagged With: featured, primary sources, Women's History Month

ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the United States

March 6, 2017 by Amanda VerMeulen

Mr. Cheese, one of the 69.9 million companion animals in the United States.

Mr. Cheese, one of the 69.9 million companion animals in the United States.1

The best know statistical reference publication in the country, published since 1878, the ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the United States is a single-volume reference source covering statistics on society, politics, and economics in the U.S. SMCM Library has access to both the print and electronic version!

Originally produced by the U.S. government, ProQuest began publishing the Statistical Abstract beginning in 2012 after the government announced that it would discontinue the title after 2011.

Collecting data from both public and private sources, the Statistical Abstract is published yearly with the most recent data available. As the name suggests, it’s primary focus is on the U.S., but it does include some international statistical information. On top of just being dang fun, the information in the Statistical Abstract can help you find data to enhance your research and track down elusive data sources.

The current print edition is available at the Reference desk in the “Ready Reference” section. Previous editions are available in the Oversized collection on the second floor, call number HA 202 .S72.

Electronic version is available under “S” in the A-Z Database List.

1American Veterinary Medical Association. (2015). Table no. 1253. Household pet ownership: 2011. ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2015 (p. 794). Lanham, MD: Bernan Press.

Filed Under: Library Collection Tagged With: in the collection, primary sources, research, statistics

Everyday Life & Women in America

March 2, 2015 by Amanda VerMeulen

The Queen of Fashion

The Queen of fashion [serial]., Volume – 22, Issue – 7
© Sallie Bingham Center for Women’s History and Culture, Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, Duke University Libraries
Available via Everyday Life and Women in America

Everyday Life and Women in America is a collection of pamphlets, rare books, periodicals, and broadsides from the 19th and very early 20th century in the United States. It’s a fantastic collection of primary source materials and digitized history for anyone interested in the history of American women, domestic life, gender relations, marriage and sexuality. It’s a rare glimpse into the very personal lives of women, men, and children at a time when the world was changing rapidly.

I spent the morning browsing through this collection, which I’ll admit to not having looked at until today, and was blown away by some of the amazing things I found like

  • Etiquette lessons
  • Suggestions for promoting “beautiful feet and hands”
  • Marriage advice
  • Career opportunities for the 19th century woman (including library work!)
  • Fashion plates (and advertisements for “healthful” corsets)

If you have even a passing interest in the lives of your great-great-grandmothers, or what a daily routine might be for a 19th century woman, take a moment to browse this excellent collection.

 

Filed Under: Library Collection Tagged With: 19th century, databases, early 20th century, in the collection, primary sources, Women's History Month

Slavery, Abolition & Social Justice

February 23, 2015 by Amanda VerMeulen

Opening page of 'The Interesting Narrative of The Life of Olaudah Equiano

Opening page of ‘The Interesting Narrative of The Life of Olaudah Equiano’
© The British Library, London

Historical researchers, be they students or faculty, are always interested in primary source materials–original photos, essays, letters, legislation, newspapers, etc.–that may open a door to the past. Among the St. Mary’s Library’s digital primary source collections is Slavery, Abolition & Social Justice, a database that brings together documents from archives and libraries around the Atlantic world.

Included in this online resource are documents covering the following themes:

  • Slavery in the Early Americas
  • The African Coast
  • The Middle Passage
  • Slavery and Agriculture
  • Urban & Domestic Slavery
  • Slave Testimony
  • Resistance & Revolt
  • The Underground Railroad
  • The Abolition Movement
  • The Legacy of Slavery

This is just a sampling of the various topics covered in this truly amazing collection. Take a few minutes to explore.

Filed Under: Library Collection Tagged With: Black History Month, history, in the collection, primary sources

19th Century African American Newspapers

February 23, 2015 by Amanda VerMeulen

Frederick Douglass greeting

The Library has a great collection of 19th century African American Newspapers that you can access online through Accessible Archives. Primary source research has never been this easy! Included in this collection are the following historical newspapers:

  • The Christian Recorder
  • The Colored American/Weekly Advocate
  • Frederick Douglass Paper
  • Freedom’s Journal
  • The National Era
  • The North Star
  • Provincial Freeman

Take a few minutes, explore the collection, and learn more about this amazing collection of first-hand reports from the 1800s.

Filed Under: Library Collection Tagged With: Black History Month, history, in the collection, newspapers, primary sources

Happy Birthday Rosa Parks

February 18, 2015 by Amanda VerMeulen

Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks in November 1956
Photograph: Photographer not identified/Library of Congress

February is Black History Month, and while we all take time to recognize and reflect upon our nation’s history, present, and future, we can also make Black History Month come alive thanks to the Library of Congress.  Today (February 4) would have been Rosa Parks’ 102nd birthday, and surely not by coincidence, an exhibit of her letters and photographs opens at the Library of Congress.

Selections from the 10,000 item collection will be available for public viewing on the first floor of the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building from March 2 – 30, and then will be included in the current exhibition The Civil Rights Act of 1964: A Long Struggle For Freedom, which is open through September 12, 2015 on the second floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building.  Both exhibits are open Monday – Saturday from 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM.

Pictures of some of the items are available here from The Guardian (full article here) and just from these few pictures, the breadth of the collection is astonishing: there are images of poll tax receipts, a Presidential Medal of Honor, a pancake recipe, and even a letter complaining about not being allowed in the library.  Rosa Parks’ act of refusing to give up her seat on the bus is well-known throughout our country – it is rightfully regarded as a seminal moment in not only the civil rights movement, but the whole of U.S. history.  To be able to see her thoughts and words in her own handwriting provides a stark perspective of what led her to strike one of the first blows against Jim Crow.  Looking at and reading these documents allows us to appreciate the immense significance and courage of her actions – not just on that day in December 1955, but in the ensuing decades until her passing in 2005.

If you can’t make it up to D.C. to view the exhibit, fear not – the Library of Congress will be posting some of the collection online later this year.  And you can always check out some of the SMCM Library’s materials about Rosa Parks and the larger U.S. civil rights movement.

-Conrad Helms

Filed Under: Musings, Web Resources Tagged With: Black History Month, civil rights movement, library of congress, online archives, photographs, primary sources

The New York Public Library

June 11, 2013 by Amanda VerMeulen

As a librarian, I like to visit local libraries when I travel. As a tourist, I like to take photographs. Recently, I visited the main branch of the New York Public Library, in the Stephen A. Schwarzman building on 5th Avenue at 42nd. The building stands as an example of fine architecture and a symbol of the past, present and future of information, learning, and humanity.

026 (2)

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Unarguably, the NYPL has plenty to offer its metropolitan patrons, but it also has something to offer us. The NYPL hosts online resources and image galleries accessible to anyone, anywhere, which are packed with fun multimedia and primary source materials. Take a look.

The Online Exhibitions, which are web sites built to reflect physical exhibits displayed at the NYPL locations, offer a unique collection of images, essays, and even games.

For example:  Thirty Years of Photography at the New York Public Library

The NYPL has digitized over 800,000 images from its collections and made them freely available online in the NYPL Digital Gallery. The images include manuscripts, maps, vintage posters, rare prints and photographs.

Like this one: a collection of menus!
Miss Frank E. Buttolph American Menu Collection, 1851-1930.

Finally, best of all, the Digital Projects, an assortment of images and multimedia, are just fun and fascinating to review.

Here’s an example:  John Cage Unbound: A Living Archive
A searchable online archive of manuscripts and video interpretations of John Cage’s work, with timeline and brief bio. (It’s a collection of primary sources!)

If you use an item from one of the online resources, don’t forget about intellectual property!

More reasons why the NYPL is so great:

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Filed Under: Musings Tagged With: exhibit, online resource, primary sources

Victorian Popular Culture

May 30, 2012 by Amanda VerMeulen

Victorian Popular Culture

There’s a new archival collection in town, and its name is Victorian Popular Culture by Adam Matthew. This online resource is full of primary source documents perfect for History, English, or Women and Gender Studies students and faculty interested in this time period.

Major topics covered in this collection:

  • Spiritualism, Sensation & Magic
  • Circuses, Sideshows & Freaks
  • Music Hall, Theatre & Popular Entertainment

Documents include posters, playbills, postcards, photos, illustrations, rare books, periodicals and so much more! Take a few minutes and explore Victorian Popular Culture. For more information, visit the Adam Matthew site or talk to a reference librarian about how to use and incorporate this resource into your class or research.

Filed Under: Library Collection Tagged With: database, english, history, primary sources, victorian, wgsx

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