Week One

Hello Blogosphere!  I am new to this blogging thing, but I hope that those who read enjoy what I have to say (or type).  This blog is part of the Indiana University Archives’ “Blogging Hoosier History” project.  I will be posting at least weekly as a way to share my experiences as an intern this fall at IU's Office of University Archives and Records Management.  In a past internship I kept a daily learning log with a new thing I learned each day, so maybe this can be a weekly version of that.  We'll see! 


So perhaps I should say a bit about myself first.  I'm in the archives and records management specialization at the IUB's School of Library and Information Sciences.  I decided that I wanted to be an archivist when I was a sophomore in undergrad.  I visited my adviser in a panic about what I was going to do with a major in history.  He advised me to take his class in public history and when we learned about archives it clicked.  Soon after I got a job at Ball State's Archives and Special Collections where I worked until I graduated.  After I graduated I volunteered at Minnestrista Cultural Center's Library and Archives in Muncie until I moved to Bloomington to start grad school.  Last year I started working at the Lilly Library with materials being moved to off-site storage, as well as with the subject librarian for history, religious studies, and the history and philosophy of science.  This semester, however, I will be living in IU's Archives, or at least it might feel that way.  But I'm sure I'll love it!

I just finished my first week interning at the archives with Carrie Schwier.  I began my week by going through seven boxes of files from the Jewish Studies Program.  It took me a bit to take in what all was there.  It helped when Carrie suggested that I type up a rough container list.  Seeing what was there typed out gave me a clearer picture of what I was dealing with.  I was able to finish my week by typing up a processing plan outlining my ideas for how I should proceed and how the collection will be arranged.  I look forward to moving on and processing the collection in a way that will make it usable to researchers.

One item that has already come up in this collection that could have been trouble was an unfoldered document in Hebrew.  I was advised to contact the Jewish Studies Collection Manager, Noa Wahrman.  She was able to tell me right away what it was and that it was in Yiddish as well.  She also gave me a summary and transliteration.  I was really impressed by her knowledge and helpfulness.  I was also reminded how important it is to remember that there are specialists to help you when you come across things that you don't know.  Now I know what I'm working with and can properly identify it.  Thanks Noa!

This week I also got to help out with a reference question.  It really reminded me how much I enjoy researching and finding answers.  Although it was a relatively easy question, who was IU's Homecoming Queen in 1967, I  was able to find the answer along with a picture from the yearbook and an article that could be sent to the patron.  I also learned in doing this research that there was a scandal involving discrimination in 1968 that disbanded the pageant until 1978.  I had to remind myself that that was not what I was researching and move on, though.  But I thought that was interesting still and may have to read about it more later.  You learn something new every day.


I really enjoyed my first week and all the people I'm working with at the archives.  It feels really good to be back in an archival repository.  Here's to a good semester and regular postings!