You know, I really struggled with being able to fully articulate my interests in this program. After receiving feedback from Rory, I was forced to sit down and really think about my own mission and how it is ultimately complimentary but distinctive from the the goals of Special Collections and Archives. I re-examined my entire thought process and totally reworked the basis for my groundwork paper. After many painful hours of sorting through my brain, I was finally able to connect what it is I want to do in all aspects of my life, with the work in the archives just being a small part. It was frustrating and uncomfortable at first, but man, have I missed some serious “bigger picture” issues!! The portion I posted below is the introductory paragraph to my groundwork paper. All the dots are finally beginning to become connected:

In being able to fully determine what is most important to me, I first had to examine the topics of interest that resonate with my past experiences, are applicable to my present interactions, and have the ability to motivate me towards future endeavors. One specific subject, above all others, emerged as a vein through which I assign meaning to all other facets of my life. I am infinitely concerned and personally invested in the means by which people are able to experience an exchange of information – the outlets that people utilize in order to convey a message, share a thought, or foster collective dialogue through cultural representation. As I am gradually beginning to realize, the core of my work centers itself predominately within the realm of media outlets that warrant such exchanges. This notion has led to a detailed examination of media types through forms of communication such as the written/printed word, auditory devices, visual images or symbols, physical presentations of objects or artifacts, face to face discussion, or the implementation of virtual, interactive, digital sources. The focal point of my own research centers on the “struggles over social meanings that play out through media and popular culture forms…[focusing on] the processes through which individuals and groups negotiate, articulate, change, and disseminate these meanings” (Mahon, 2000, p. 468). Upon reflecting on this concept, I recognize that it is not only directly built upon the framework created during my undergraduate major in Communications and Media Studies, but also correlated with my involvement within Special Collections and Archives. The idea of further investigating this common thread proves to be both exciting and substantially promising in my ability to fully assert myself in this specific program and otherwise.

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The citation was from the reference I posted below. It proved to be incredibly helpful in my research.

Mahon, Maureen. 2000. The visible evidence of cultural producers. Annual Review of Anthropology 29, : 467-92.

Goucher Study Abroad, Summer 2009

• Goucher College Communication and Media Studies Department. ICA: Croatia and Slovenia. February 5, 2010. http://metelkova.goucher.edu/

This link is to a website I created as a part of a collaborative study abroad program, “Alternative Media and Culture in Croatia and Slovenia.” As a group of Goucher undergraduates, we traveled to Ljubljana, Slovenia, to document an alternative, volunteer-based community called “Metelkova.” There was little to no representation of this unique community outside the heart of the city itself and definitely nothing to serve as a guide for English-speakers. Our goal was to do justice to Metelkova and the people within its walls by conducting oral interviews, recording audio and video, writing reflective and historically relevant pieces, and taking photographs to document the culture. Along with my partner, Ross, I took all the information that was collected and synthesized it into a user-friendly, creative, engaging website. We continue to receive feedback from people all over the world, so that ultimately makes our efforts worthwhile and personally fulfilling.

Z on TV – Popular Culture Blog

• Baltimore Sun. Business, Culture, and Craziness on Television. Blog Homepage. 4 February 2010. http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/zontv/

This is a link to a website I find absolutely brilliant. David Zurawik, who works at the Baltimore Sun (among other places; he’s quite a multi-tasker), was my professor last semester for a class called “An Examination of Popular Culture.” This class was life-changing for me because it provided me with critical methods that could aid in the study of how we communicate through major media outlets. Zurawik talked a lot in class about how we must challenge hegemonic structures and continue to question the modes of communication that are so often utilized. I enjoy reading entires in his blog not only because I find the general content entertaining and relevant (plus, he’s hilarious), but also because I like to see exactly how he is able to engage the audience by creating a space for collective, public dialogue.

The Allegheny-Kiski Valley: Adopt an Artifact

• Historical Society, Allegheny-Kisky Valley. Homepage. February 5, 2010. http://www.akvhs.org/Adopt%20Artifact.htm

The Historical Society of Allegheny-Kiski Valley has taken the concept of engaging an audience to any entirely new level through the implementation of a program called “Adopt an Artifact.” Open to students of all ages, entire classes, home-schooled or “cyber” students, and/or Boy and Girl Scout Troops, this unique program simultaneously promotes community involvement, academic learning, and the development of practical skills. I was incredibly impressed with this initiative since the organization employs a “hands-on” approach, encouraging those involved to conduct their own research by using an artifact as their primary source. I would love to translate this idea within the scope of Goucher College. I believe some variation of this program would be a perfect way to excite all levels of involvement in Special Collections and Archives. (Thank you, Stephanie, for bringing this to my attention! I am extremely grateful).

Annotated Blog Links

Goucher College — Special Collections and Archives.

• Goucher College Special Collections and Archives. Homepage. 29, January 2010. <http://www.goucher.edu/x9158.xml>

This one is to the main Special Collections and Archives website. Check it out to see some collection highlights and become more aware of how this Goucher department operates on a daily basis.

• Goucher College Special Collections and Archives. Clinton I. Winslow Collection. 29, January 2010. <http://www.goucher.edu/x30118.xml>

This portion of the website was what I created as an extension of receiving a private research award for a summer internship. I processed the Clinton I. Winslow Collection which, as you can read, was an extensive collection of personal memorabilia and political Americana. As with archival and preservation standards, I created a finding aid to accompany the artifacts. There are actually two different versions of this finding aid in circulation; one separates the collection into general categories and topics of interest for easy access for researchers while the other version is a detailed inventory of each item within the collection. As a supplement to this internship, I put together an exhibit that was housed in our space in the former Julia Rogers Library (where we were in the basement of the library prior to moving to the Athenaeum). I also compiled these materials into a virtual exhibit that allows viewers to flip through photo galleries, view the finding aid as a pdf file, and read more about Winslow’s life and history. This project served as a learning experience and remains a continual work in progress. Considering we practically had no web representation before, I think we are at least striving towards a more updated approach through the utilization of advanced computer technology through web design.

• Goucher College Special Collections and Archives. Finding Aids. 29, January 2010. <http://www.goucher.edu/x37185.xml>

One of the major things I’ve been working on recently is a space to create a list of specific collections we possess as well as more general topics which could assist researchers, students, etc. Prior to this year, if you were not able to physically come to Goucher’s campus to access materials, patrons either requested information via telephone, email, or letter because there was no place on the web to search for any of these materials. Special Collections and Archives is working on compiling an updated, working list of collections which have been fully processed (they have also been directly linked to our catalog records). We continue to add more links to finding aids as they are finished, but I also believe it is important to incorporate a list of all our collections even if they have not been cataloged or organized yet. That way, at least we will be supplying people with the ability to acknowledge that the information actually exists!

Folger Shakespeare Library

• Folger Shakespear Library. Homepage. 30, January 2010. <http://www.folger.edu/index.cfm>

The Folger Shakespeare Library’s website is one that we use often as a reference for virtual representation. Personally, I think their website is extremely user-friendly and easily navigable. I like how they have created various sections that cater specifically to the needs of multiple types of people (visitors, students and families, k-12, scholars). FSL’s website is also fairly interactive through their widespread use of multimedia elements such as video clips, photo galleries, and links to networking devices like Twitter and Facebook. While I am not completely happy with absolutely everything they have incorporated on this site (for example, the information at times becomes a bit muddled because there is an overwhelming amount of text), I will continue to reference some of their style and content presentation methods.

Library of Congress

• Library of Congress. Digital Collections and Services. 30, January 2010. <http://www.loc.gov/library/libarch-digital.html>

 I think the LoC does a really great job making the information they hold available to the public, especially through the incredibly extensive portion of their website totally dedicated to digitized collections. All archival materials are accessible – from past exhibits, current exhibit, over 1 million prints and photographs…the list goes on and on. It’s amazing! I am inspired by their ability to deliver this knowledge in such a unique and instantaneous way without losing the essence of the materials themselves in the midst of a virtual portal. One feature that strikes me as particularly innovative is the link to “International Collections.” Within this link, the LoC includes a compilation of collection materials and presentations in multiple languages, some from actual exhibits overseas and others that focus specifically on elements of another culture or language. What a unique way to keep information relevant to, potentially, the entire world. We have quite a long way to go before SC&A’s representations – both physical and virtual – come within the caliber of the LoC, but it’s definitely something towards which to aspire.

Reading Selection: Folklore’s Pathetic Fallacy by Robert Cantwell

If you click here, I linked Cantwell’s article for your reference. The quotes I talk about specifically are both located on page 59.

“…some think of folklore as in some fundamental ways directly or indirectly connected to their lives… Where the connection is absent, folklore is something either archaic, fanciful (and therefore trivial), politically suspect, or contemptible; where it obtains, folklore is immediate, actual, intensely personal, inherently and powerfully oppositional or revolutionary, and passionately defended, protected and loved.”

Cantwell continues on to say that “the office of the public folklorist is, first, to make for others the connection she has already made for herself…”

When I read this article before arriving at Goucher for our MACS residency, I immediately fell in love with its meaningful words and profound sentiments about the importance of preserving and sustaining folklore. Granted, I interpreted “folklore” to be a very loose term, instantly relatable to the work all of us are striving to assign meaning and relevance to as a part of this graduate program.

As Cantwell discusses, what we decide to do with the material, information, and knowledge that we absorb is entirely up to us. Ultimately, our actions are determined by the degree to which we have become invested in our subject matter (he refers to this personal investment as a “connection”). I was immediately struck by this insightful interpretation and I believe its validity within my own work is quite predominant. Fostering this connection with “folklore” (or history, community, language, song, dance, artifacts – whatever it is that surfaces as our, for lack of a better term, subject matter) is something I struggle with daily. A lot of my work in this class is based on my difficulty of communicating to others the importance of folklore’s direct connection to our own lives. This fundamental concept is crucial in our ability to sustain and preserve.

For example, the Archives can have access to every resource imaginable, but if those resources aren’t delivered and communicated to the public, then everything contained within the institution is rendered completely useless. My dilemma of how to attract the attention of the students, encourage community involvement, and highlight our archival holdings on a wider scale (hopefully making them known and available to those outside our local community) without being viewed as overly-pushy, utilizing commercialized advertisement campaigns, or coming across with a pompous “us/them” attitude is also something I continue to grapple with as I go along.

I wrote down three words – “protect, preserve, communicate” – after reading this particular section of Cantwell’s article. I feel as though the Archives places an incredible amount of emphasis on the first two words, but the last word, “communicate,” is a concept that is oddly foreign. I still don’t know the answer of how to effectively “make for others the connection [we] have already made for [ourselves],” but I’m hoping that I’m taking some of the steps to get me closer to finding a solution.

So, I have three questions that I would like to pose to all of you:

1. How do we encourage our peers (and the greater public, in general) to explore a subject matter that they do not feel directly connected to?

2. How do we become a part of “folklore’s” transformation from being viewed as old and insignificant to something which is embraced as “immediate, actual, intensely personal, inherently and powerfully oppositional or revolutionary, and passionately defended, protected and loved?“

3. How do we present our subject matter in a way that people are able to relate to its message/meaning by situating it within their own lives and assigning it a modern relevance?

After reading back over my last blog entry, I wanted to write a little bit more about my direct experiences “in the field” and how they relate to the themes I mentioned before.

This idea of “contact” and “interaction” is something that I am exploring in the research for my groundwork paper. I have been reading one particularly interesting article, pertinent to the work conducted in Special Collections and Archives. It’s talking about how it is becoming increasingly popular for museums to utilize technology in order to incorporate this element of “interaction” between subjects and audience. Is this technological aid really fostering this interaction or does it serve as a barrier, further increasing the spatial time and distance between the artifact and viewer? For me, this poses more questions than it answers. But then it hit me – why not use my technologically savvy skills and use them to benefit rather than hinder?

To some degree, I have already done this on a small scale. Or a big scale. I guess it all depends on your interpretation. Before I worked in Goucher’s Archives, there was absolutely no digital or virtual representation of the collections we have to offer the public. The only aspects that were illuminated on the web were simple, condensed descriptions of a few of the collections that we possess. After viewing this disappointing website, I had a long discussion with the College Archivist and Special Collections Librarian (who is also my wonderful boss), Tara. I communicated the importance of being able to show the world – not just those who happen to be on campus or local to the area (aka those who have the ability to physically visit the Archives and access the collections) – the wealth of resources, personal and academic, that we have to offer. She told me that if I was willing to initiate the beginning of this “digital” representation, then I had free reign as to how I wanted to utilize all virtual resources.

So I ran with the idea. I have digitally converted all of our finding aids on record, making them accessible to anyone who experiences the urge to browse in further detail. I scanned illustrations from rare books, maps from manuscripts, portraits, etc. on our state of the art digital scanner (which, prior to that point, had basically been used as a copy machine). I continually update and revamp the Archives’ website to make it more user-friendly and easily navigable.

It just goes to show that if you have the idea, the insight, the motivation, the passion to do something, you have the obligation to yourself that make that dream a reality. And I felt that obligation, deep within myself. I have pioneered my co-workers to also utilize the technological resources we have available and, for the most part, they have. The most beautiful aspect about the whole process is that we are finally able to share “our” information with the people.

It is an ongoing struggle on how best to represent the stories behind the artifacts, but I feel as though we have accomplished a lot in a short amount of time. At least these valuable resources are not holed away in some dark cabinet in the basement of a building (which is where a lot of them were hiding out when I worked in the former library before we moved to the Athenaeum).

It is difficult for me to initiate the conversations between artifact and audience, especially since my work has predominantly focused on objects that communicate no immediate connection. A lot of the “inventory” for collections that we have has either been acquired with no record of where it originally came from or donated by individuals that are now deceased. How, as an archivist, do I even begin to deal with those issues? That question completely blows my mind and I am not prepared, on any level, to provide an answer. It’s something that continues to circulate within the depths of my mind.

The Cultural Sustainability residency exceeded my wildest expectations. I have always wanted to be in a place where my passions were shared by others, a place where I didn’t have to constantly fight for my right to be respected, a place where I finally felt like I belonged. The residency created that place for me – I have never felt more welcome or cared for by a group of people (other than my family) in my entire life. 

Upon my enrollment in the MACS program, I had hesitations about whether or not my immediate field of study would actually be applicable to the ideals and values behind the concept of sustaining culture. After talking at length with members of my class, I have had the opportunity to build on my core foundations of interest. While I absolutely love working at the Archives, I have felt like I’ve been out of touch with a very important part of myself. And during the residency, I figured out what that part was: I want to communicate with humanity. I’ve always cared more about people than I have about things – more about relationships than artifacts – more about contact and interaction than static, ineffectual showcase.

But until the residency, this feeling had been something I had been unable to articulate. After two particular discussions (one with Susan Anderson, one with Jane Kamau), I had a profound personal realization about the various things I wish to accomplish and how much they mean to me as an individual. I can bring my skills to the table – I can offer my abilities to organize, process, catalog, and arrange – but on a deeper level than objects resting silently in an exhibit case. The artifacts themselves are living; they are equally as alive and breathing as the people themselves. Rather than being “incorporated” into a “historic” exhibit lying within often sterile walls or glass shelves of a museum, these physical objects need to be reconnected with the community. These artifacts are embodying the idea, the connection, the collaborative dialogue of the communities they came from. They should have never been separated – it is not the intention of the group that produced the artifact for these objects to be showcased for public consumption. This lofty idea got me thinking – what about if we simply (yet sadly) introduced the basic, fundamental idea of observation and interaction with these material representations in their own element: at the places of their own conception. 

While this concept of putting the artifacts back in the communities they came from is a seemingly wonderful idea, the reality of the situation is that the communities themselves do not have the ability or the means to control or overpower the institutions which possess their artifacts. So, it is vital to create a harmonious balance between communities and academic institutions. For me, I want to strive to create a dialogue between the two parties so that these “exhibits” become more about the people than the things – so that the integrity of these communities is not compromised. That’s what it has always been about for me, I just didn’t quite realize it until after talking to my fellow classmates.

Because of this realization, I must reinvent my role as mediator between the community and the institution. It does not always have to be a negative or authoritative interaction; in fact, I want to encourage communities to take advantage of the resources offered by larger institutions. If a partnership can be initiated between both parties, imagine the wealth of knowledge we could share together – collectively, collaboratively, genuinely – infinitely.

I’m hoping this blog will be more interesting than the “fascinating terms of service” I accepted upon the creation of this account. Hi everybody!

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