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Re: In Search of the Humourous Archivist



<From: Gloria Bartowski ...
BTW:  Many of the funniest, wittiest people I know are archivists, who
definitely do not disguise this characteristic in any way!!  :):)>

I agree.  Someone (I don't remember who and my copy is "somewhere" at home)
on the 1986 SAA China Archives Study Tour did a compilation of funny
comments heard on the tour.  (Pardon me please is that the Chufu China
Choo-choo?)  It was a hoot!

Also, didn't someone do a humorous archives publication back in the 70's or
80's???

I've found humor can be a useful tool.  Our director and I used low key,
tasteful humor to supplement a "Dog and Pony Show" (slide presentation) on
the AHC that we gave in the 1980's to build our presence and increase the
donation of historical materials to historical, genealogical and civil
groups.  As we generally spoke after meals, the humor helped keep our
audience awake.

More recently, in the first half of the 1990's we started a volunteer group
to supplement staff in our research room to handle the increasing number of
family historians.  To thank them we hosted an annual Christmas party that
included lunch (everybody on staff sisgned up to bring something) and some
sort of humorous sketch.  The themes included:

        Humorous awards

        Cammark (Arkansas Art Pottery) the Magnificant:  Volunteer quotes a
take off on Carson's Carmack

        Spinning Wheel of Misfortune (Funny misfortunate events involving
staff and volunteers)

        AR Ferguson (our director) and the Vault of Doom (amazing, humorous
or odd things from Arkansas' past found among our holdings...)

        AR Karaoke  (Staff members performed: "I've got kin in low places"
by Garth Brooks, the psychic genealogist hot line, "Stop in the name of
film" by Diana and the Microphotographers, "King of the Rolls (not road)",
and my "Genealogist" to the tune of Desperado and "Quality Management" to
Buffet's Volcano, etc.)

Unfortunately, our volunteer group dissolved over time through volunteer
moves, changes in interest, health problems and deaths.

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