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Morning, 11-27-2001 (Long?)



11-27-2001

Woke up early this morning.  4:30.  I've inherited Daddy's insomnia.  I have
to remind myself, as I have countless times before.  Is insomnia a present or
a gift?  All my life I've considered being able to sleep late true joy.  My
insomnia will likely not change and I consider the possibility of changing my
attitude instead.  Maybe it's time to consider insomnia a gift.  A gift of
time.  I don't have enough time to write as I'd like, and maybe this is it.

Then again, maybe not.

I briefly consider going to bed again.

I can't.  I scrap the idea; I'm already too much awake.  Like all confirmed
e-junkies, I've been online, writing off-list responses, even before my first
sip of morning caffeine.

With the sloshing of my caffeine, I pull out a slice of last night's leftover
pizza.  It's cold.  It's also still very good.  This is "passing the pizza
test," at least that's what we called it back in my college days.  It does
take anything special for pizza to taste good when it's still not.  The real
test is if it's good when it's cold.  Some call it a test of time.  I,
maintaining the mindframe of a college kid, call it the pizza test.

As with many 'holics, my mind reverts to my work and profession.  My true
love is manuscripts cataloguing.  For me, this is a major consideration in
any job I consider.  My geographic considerations have relaxed, but the drive
to catalogue mss does relax.  MARC has withstood the pizza test.  It
continues to be a good, solid mechanism for identifying, locating and
accessing mss.  By traditional library standards I'm a heretic, following and
pulling out Henson's APPM far more than AACR2.*  APPM has passed my personal
pizza test.  I recall the first copy I ever worked with, before I had my own.
 It was a co-worker's, and had been signed by Henson, inconsideration of
certain circumstances in which my co-worker had worked with Henson.  That, of
course, is someone else's story.  I consider asking him to sign mine, then
reconsider.  He's got other things to do.**

Will EAD pass the pizza test?  It seems a bit premature to be sure, even
still.  It has pros and cons, but it is still a major consideration in the
archival world.  Even those who find it unfeasible financially at this point
are not necessarily ruling it out.  Just saying "not yet."  Waiting for it to
pass the test.  It bodes well so far, though morning has yet to come.

There is now a band of light in the sky.

It is time to ponder Salutation to Dawn, as Tom B reminded us on the occasion
of this year's Thanksgiving, A thanksgiving unlike many experienced by many
USAmericans for who knows how far back.  The media tell us 9-11 has changed
the world.  The most recent cover of _Archival Outlook_ reminds us of this,
too.***  The list was bussing almost immediately.  I say "almost" because, as
with so many other things, the list essentially stood still that day, just as
the sun stood still for Joshua over Gibeon (Joshua 10: 12-13).  Only it
wasn't the brightness of sun but rather the darkness of terror that stood
still.  For many it was the beginning of experiencing a new world of feelings
about the world.  For me it was my childhood coming back to me.  The tension
I felt in '67 wondering if my father, USAF, would get out of Jerusalem as war
felt immanent; relief the he was able to get out on what was the last flight
out of Jerusalem before the out break of the Six Day War.

The sky is a soft blue now, with streaks of baby pink across the eastern
edge.

Not exactly rocket's red glare, yet I'm reminded again of a childhood of
flags on the military installation on which we lived.  Being careful of not
trying to appear too patriotic when off base.  At a time when Vietnam made
patriotism somewhat unPC, one learned to be circumspect about such things.
Worries about Daddy, a chaplain, having to wear a uniform to deliver "the bad
news" into homes in an unrestful downtown Detroit.

Beneath the clear blue and pink is soft ray silhouetted with denuded trees,
with the occasional pine darkening pieces of the silhouette.  I briefly
recall the dawning of the Age of Aquarius.  I discard it.  Maybe not yet.

But I do consider the dawning of the Age of Archivius.  With the advent of
ever increasing technological power the word "archives" is now a word no
longer foreign to the common man.  Have archivists missed an opportunity for
defining archives for the common man?  In the technological world most
"archiving" software seems to mean keeping everything.  I wonder, as many
archivists have, what happened to appraisal.  Is it too late to re-define
archives for the common man? Do we want to?

The image of the archival profession is a growing concern.  There are many in
one-person shops, lone arrangers, who carry the burden of the archival image
on the shoulders, often as the only identifiable archivist for miles around.
Where is their support?  Having done it myself I know the burden can be
heavy.  As with many others I have turned to the list for support.  Often the
list has come under fire for its offtopicness.  I wonder how many of those
firing realise they are shooting at the colleagues' support group?  There is
the concern about its public image and very public postings.  How many
support groups publicise what goes on within its meetings, complete with
names?  Why does ALA, with all of its Freedom of Information concerns, keep
their lists closed?  Why do archivists concerned with keeping the private
confidential and the public open, keep its archives open?****  We must keep
reminding ourselves that our open-speakedness must match our open-mindedness.
 Learning to turn disasters and near-disasters around to our advantage.  And
watch each other in order to learn how to do it.  Track our successes.  We
are all very vulnerable.  Yet our very publicness can serve as our greatest
strength.  Make sure that our open-speakedness is open-mindedness and
open-communication.  Are we listening to each other?  Are we paying attention?

The sun has just emerged over the horizon.

Michael T, where are you?




Holly Hodges
Lynchburg, VA, at least for now

_____________________
*With regard to a recent reference on AACR2 I checked APPM's guidelines on
measurements for photographic media, which refers to AACR2.  In case you
missed it, the guidelines are in AACR2, 8.5D1 stating "Give the height x
width in centimeters, to the next whole centimetres up, for all graphic
materials except filmstrips, filmslips, and stereographs.  For the latter,
see 8.5D2 and 8.5D3.  For additional instructions on the dimensions of art
works, slides, technical drawings, transparencies, and wall charts, see
8.5D4-8.5D6." 8.5D2 states "Filmstrips and filmslips.  Give the gauge (width)
of the film in millimeters." And 8.5D3 states "Stereographs.  Do not give the
dimensions."  Thanks to Lynn Ewbank for bring up the issue, and to David
Mattison for calling the AACR2 statements to my attention.  Note also that my
spell check does not recognise  "filmslip" nor do I.  Does anyone know what
AACR2 is talking about here?

** Henson's remarks on SAA's stand on EO 13233 can be found at the SAA site.
For more, see http://www.archivists.org/news/actnow.html. Note Henson writes
the remarks on behalf of SAA, official remarks in his capacity as SAA
president.  The rest of us report on and comment.  Hence, Henson's remarks
are the authority for the rest of us to consider-just as APPM is the
authority by which the rest of us work.

*** The front cover and back cover images are of the World Trade Center,
taken just after the 9-11 destruction, photos by Spencer Platt, Getty Images.
 The Outlook includes Steve Henson's "The Dimensions of Our World;" remarks
by Susan Fox, Executive Director for SAA, on "A Greater Good;" "A Message of
Condolence" from Carol Quinn, Chair International Affairs Sub-Committee, SAA;
a message from John W. Carlin, Archivist of the United States, "National
Tragedies Reinforces Importance of Archival Role;" and also reports and
summaries from Tom Connors, UMD, and Maygene Daniels, National Gallery of
Art, Kathleen Roe, NY State Archives and Records Administration, Robert C.
Morris, NARA, Gwynedd Cannan, Trinity Church Archives, and Sarah A. Poliner,
NY State Office of Court Administration.  If you haven't read these remarks
and accounts, you definitely gotta.  At least find the photos taken by an
archivist, an interesting twist of fate in which an archivist is the one
creating an image to be preserved, instead of simply accessioning it ex post
facto.  Thanks John Celardo!

**** The archives of the list is dotted with threads about the efficacy and
propriety of its use, its publicness and the concerns arising therefrom.
Also, at SAA 2001 (DC) a non-SAA survey of list usage was presented and
taped.  For those who missed it, the recording is available from Convention
Recordings, Inc.  See item 20 from the listing of recorded sessions on pages
25-26 of the November/December 2001 _Archival Outlook_.

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