[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: "Underpaid...and not Well Understood"
It seems to me that the profession needs to clone the David Gracy (known
affectionately among some of us around here as The Rev. Dr. Gracy) about
a thousand times and give those clones the full responsibility on setting
the world straight on what archivists do and how important that work is.
David gave a wonderful (as always) talk on the 20th Anniversary of the
Arizona Paper and Photograph Conservation Group last October. In his
talk, he said something to the effect, "Many say, 'I'm
an archivist,' while I say, 'I'M
AN ARCHIVIST!!!'
Maybe we are different at the Arizona State Archives, but we do a lot of
outreach. We are the primary organizers of our annual POP (Preserving Our
Past) Fair which involved 43 museums/archives last year. I give a lot
talks to genealogy groups on preservation, workshops on in-house
bookmending to librarians and get-wet-and-dirty disaster workshops for
everyone.
The archivists have created several slide shows on how to do research in
archives, researching Hispanic genealogy, etc. Their monthly genealogy
programs always attract a full house. While looking through some probate
records a couple of years ago, they discovered the records for a Jenny
Bauter, a saloon keeper in a roaring mining town around 1900. They
especially noted the 6 or 7 tents, numerous kimonos, 6 or 7 beds, and
bingo! Jenny also provided entertainment out back! They even discovered a
relative living in Chicago who provided a portrait. By the way, Jenny was
gunned down in the street. The current residents of the mining town
really loved this program (as have many others) and went looking for
"Jenny places" immediately afterwards.
We are proud of what we do, and we certainly don't try to hide it.
Michael McColgin
Conservation Officer
Arizona History and Archives Division
mimccol@dlapr.lib.az.us