Running through History

Runners took to the streets of Manchester, New Hampshire today to do a little run through history. Runner's Alley, a popular store in my area for all things run related, organized the event around the hobby of one of its employees. When taking locals for training, he would begin to talk about this town in which he grew up. I overheard one runner this morning who said, "It's nice because he did all the talking on our group runs. We just ran and didn't have to say a thing." As a life-time runner myself. I was intrigued by the idea of running from place to place and stopping to hear a little history, combining two of my passions. I was not disappointed. My knowledge of the area was boosted with a little local color, personal stories, and reminiscences. I began to think about how this concept could be applied to teaching and to boosting interest in cultural heritage institutions.

We started on the steps of City Hall. Our large group of runners were engaged from the start and immediately started to ask questions.

We talked about the age of our city and settlers. Our famous Revolutionary General, was a central part of our running route. Stark's words, "Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils," were the inspiration for our state motto. 

As a former archivist in the city of Waltham, Massachusetts, I was excited to learn a bit more about the mills of Manchester, built by those who had moved up the river away from the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution...From the mill girls to the canals to trains to the mill owners to the work of making cloth, the stories are embedded in the re-purposed buildings and grounds we saw today. I think all mill towns should consider running tours to boost local pride and tourism. Their set up is perfect for such tours. (Hear me Waltham?)

I was brought to overlooks I had never seen, though I've lived here for 18 years. The Merrimack River, which so many take for granted, has a rich history and tucked away spots with hidden stories. It was nice to stop and consider with the group how the river helped mold our home. I learned that we were following a route of a heritage trail in Manchester. Despite my interest in history and my professional background, I had no idea that there was a heritage trail here. 

We stopped at a former rail station, called "Governor's station" that was built for a powerful man who wanted a station convenient for him. It is now a home tucked below the end of a dead end street, right along the railroad track, which is still here today. I never would have ventured here on my own, despite my curious nature that often takes me off the beaten track.

 

Our run took us to Stark Park. Where we again admired the foundation that this war hero laid for our state and country.

I liked the contrast of the running shoes on what remained of the Stark homestead.I enjoyed thinking about the very different shoes our forebearers must have worn when they stepped on this exact spot.

I ended my tour at the John Stark house that was purportedly saved by the DAR in the 1960s. My running tour group continued on to the library and Victory park where they were going to explore a more modern history. The part of the tour in which I participated covered 5 miles in about an hour-and-a-half, with frequent stopping to discuss the sites and a much desirable water break on this hot day. People of many different abilities and ages joined us. The youngest was in a stroller. The youngest runner was about ten-years-old and the oldest runners were in their 60s.

I am hoping to develop a similar run for the running club at my school in our own town. I think this is a great way to interest  teens in history outside of the classroom. A bicycle tour, scooter ride, or another fun means of getting place-to-place can help kids focus and participate in something that works their mind and body. I have been to history open houses that involve driving or bus tours throughout a town. Why not sponsor a person-powered tour? Museum, archives and libraries, team up with your local running store or running association. Offer runners water while they learn about your institution. Give runners a pouch for their run where they can tuck goodies such as a history passport book, keychains and pens. Better yet, offer running items such as water bottles with your organization's name, headbands, etc. Be creative. Have a library card sign up in front of your building so each runner, biker or person on a scooter can leave with a card if they don't already have one. Give free passes to the inside of your institution so when the group is showered, they can come back to explore your facility more deeply.

This is one more way for cultural heritage organizations to expand our audience.

Partnership Ideas for Cultural Heritage Institutions

When I began preaching about collaboration fourteen years ago it was not the normal mode of operation for most cultural heritage institutions. Even today, many small historical societies and others do not realize the value or the necessity of finding institutional partners. A few reasons for collaborating are that such partnerships give you more resources for programs and exhibits, more opportunities for grants, more heads for creativity, more power for outreach, and more voices to garner support. I am lucky to have open-minded colleagues in the town in which I have settled. In the past three years, we have formed a network of committees and partnerships that have made the work of librarians and other cultural heritage professionals more visible and we are moving forward with some great projects that boost our own goals, each other, and our community.

Collaboration 1. School district librarians - high school, two elementary schools, middle school
meet monthly to discuss the state of the libraries; developed a district wide vision for libraries; discuss programming opportunities. Our most recent endeavors included discussing challenges we are having with our new book catalog / exchanging holiday gifts from students to students. [*see the bottom of this post for more information about our gift exchange.]

Collaboration 2. Town librarians- [public library initiative!] public librarians representing services for all ages (4 librarians in total) meet with librarians from public schools and local private college to specifically discuss ways we can collaborate. We have formed a collaboration for summer reading programs and continue to work on this. Most recently we discussed grant opportunities. From this meeting, librarians have launched separate meetings to boost individual goals. For example, as the high school librarian, I meet with the college librarians to discuss how they can assist with research instruction. They have visited our school to teach classes in this area. This helps with our mission to create college and career ready students, while helping the private Catholic college meet its mission of helping its community. [I do realize that I am very lucky to have such a school with which to collaborate!]

Collaboration 3. Historical Society Curator, public library director, high school librarian - three colleagues meeting to discuss specific programming, with librarians also serving on Historical Society museum committee; historical society curator and public librarian attend weekly 50th anniversary committee meetings at high school when they can. I originally asked my colleagues to join me to help with the 50th anniversary celebration at my school. This collaboration has turned into working on a full-blown oral history project. We are beginning with a school related project and will use this project to launch a series of oral history events through the Historical Society. Yesterday, my two colleagues and I attended an oral history workshop together to boost our skills and further advance our planning for a spring event.

Collaboration is the way to go!

Collaboration 4. Science Museum and High School library - I reached out to larger museums outside of my town to see if there was potential for collaboration. A science museum in my state capitol responded that they were willing to help us explore potential programming partnerships. We are working to develop a "distance learning" facility in the high school library that will allow us to talk informally to science professionals around the world, but specifically to our partner museum. We may pursue a collaborative grant toward this end. We are exploring the possibility of building a satellite in our high school maker space with museum support. The museum is thinking of using this as a pilot project for other school partnerships.


I am always seeking more partnerships! It is virtually impossible to be successful as a cultural heritage institution in the 21st century without the help of our colleagues at other institutions. Sometimes, early on in developing relationships, it is difficult to convince others to join you. (For example, I reached out to five museums and four of them did not even respond to me.) Yet, the effort you make to find a willing partner is invaluable. As you can see, the partnerships in our town have snowballed. The community is recognizing our work, participating, and sometimes even eagerly awaiting new initiatives. I look forward to when our patrons begin to come up with ideas for collaborating with us. That is definitely on the horizon!


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*Late in November, 2014 district librarians decided the two elementary schools would exchange book gifts and the middle school would give a book to the high school and vice-versa. With my prompting, my teenage students put their heads together to think of a book that the other school may not have or of which they may need extra copies. Since the high school has been operating a makerspace for some time and the middle school just started one, we decided to give the middle school a published pop up book with instructions how to make a mini-version 3D pop up book of their own.

Artifacts and Information: Crossing into the Sciences

 One of the things I love most about being a librarian is the chance to be in the world of Shakespeare one day and to be exploring Marine animals the next. Usually I only get to do this through research, but yesterday they let me out of the school library to take a field trip. As an archivist who specializes in local history, I had quite a treat as we explored the shores of Rye beach in New Hampshire and took a boat trip off the Isle of Shoals. I took the trip in part to help me better assist students with a big biology research project they do each year. What I discovered is that this trip and project lend themselves to collaboration across multiple disciplines. I plan to inject what I learned into the library work that I do.

I started my day by bringing into school a bird's nest I found while gardening. I had been meaning to bring it in to share for awhile, but I think I finally remembered to actually do it since my head was anticipating a day in nature. I think that most people see birds' nests as part of the field of science. When I think birds nest I think about Audubon's drawings; I think about Wonder cabinets, stuffed birds in libraries that were popular in the nineteenth century, the specimens of birds I first saw at the Vanderbilt Mansion where I volunteered in high school; I think about the birds who frequent my garden who are different year to year ["the cardinals won the prized tree this year for their nest"]; I think of the stories behind the places where these animals go; I think of collecting; I think of the human hand in the natural world. In short, I think history.

The most perfect bird's nest I've ever seen. An outside layer
of flowering grasses, then a layer of leaves, then a layers of
flat wide twigs, then soft, fine grass. I want people to see
the information we can get from nature. I also threw in a little
Twitter bird to get my teacher and student patrons to connect
social media to the idea of the bird.

Doing some surveying work

So, it was a treat to visit the New Hampshire coast - so rich in history and sense of place. Students were brought to different stations to learn math and science concepts. History was popping up everywhere. One station in particular made me interject my librarian thoughts. Older students were teaching younger students about the science at the shore. At the salt marshes, they began talking about a business that had dumped sewage into the habitat years ago. The ecosystem was damaged by the actions of that institution. The students' sentences, so sure about their scientific information, were suddenly punctuated with "I think...this is what I was told...this could possibly have happened." I began thinking about our news database. I began thinking about the Portsmouth Athenaeum not far from where we are. I thought about the Seacoast Science Center that must have information about this event in their archives. 

I interruppted, "Finding out exactly what happened here would make a GREAT research project." They stopped, looked at me, said "Mmmmhmmm," and moved on. As a high school teacher librarian, in a moment like that, all I can hope is that I planted a seed in someone's brain. 

A "purring" fish.  Arawana? I'm not sure of my scientific labeling here

On our trip, I got to play with a vibrating fish, a star fish arm, periwinkles, crabs, rocks and more. These are the "artifacts" of my science colleagues. They collect them like I collect books and archives. They collect nature while I collect man-made material culture. Humans are all collectors, categorizers and information gatherers at heart!

It was seeing the Isles of Shoals  that got my liberal arts side purring. Author Celia Thaxter grew up here. This is where she and my beloved Childe Hassam drew inspiration. This is where Thaxter would bring the plants that she loaded on a small boat in Portsmouth to restock her famed gardens each spring. [see An Island Garden]

As we traveled out to the island, I told some of the students, teachers, and chaperones what I knew about Celia Thaxter. Right in this spot was science, math, history, literature and art rolled up and just waiting for us to explore. So much to see. So much information to take in. So much learning to be done!

I look forward to visiting the Island this summer. It's been calling me for twenty years. It's time to land there. Maybe some of my students' thoughts will follow me there too. Maybe there is another field trip in order.

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Many weeks ago I promised a post about the right to copy from archival collections. I will publish that post soon. I have been working hard on it and am backing what I know with research. Copyright is a complicated subject, so I do not want to start people off with basic misinformation. Stay tuned...

Words as a Barrier to Understanding. Is It Time to Evolve Beyond Library and Archives?

You say library. They say books...They say books are dead.

You say archives. They say paper...They say everything is digital these days.

I rolled words through my head when I suggested this week that a student should consider a job in the library field and it got back to me that her mother said this is a bad idea. "'Libraries' probably won't exist in a few years, " she apparently told her daughter. I thought back to when I started in this job.

"Do you want to be called the 'Librarian' or 'Information Specialist,' Melissa?" they asked when I began. They were getting ready to put my title on my office window.

"I don't care what you call me because I am confident in what I am and I can explain it to others," I said. I thought the term "Information Specialist" was hoity-toity. I told myself that I've always been a librarian and an archivist.

A few months later I remembered that I coined "cultural heritage consultant" for my work with ArchivesInfo because the words DID matter. No one knows what any of it means, but cultural heritage consultant showed that I did something outside of JUST archives and libraries, whatever the audience thought JUST archives and libraries were. Once I grab someone's attention, the door is then open for me to explain more about what I do.

When I said to my student, "you may want to work in a library," it served as a brick wall. People have preconceived notions of what a library is. Yet, the cultural heritage professions have anything but preconceived notions these days. Libraries, archives and museums are community centers, storage facilities, places for research, knowledge centers, places for networking, educational facilities, creative hubs...We are striving to open doors and our traditional words can be limiting. Indeed, we have also had concerns about our words being hijacked and re-purposed. For example, "archive" as a verb has been discussed at length. Maybe we do need to find new words and phrases that better explain who we are and what we do?

"Information Specialist" connotes knowledge of a wide-range of information beyond the book. I've come to like the holistic feel of it.  It can mean anything - an understanding of where to find any information at all is how I like to think of it. The term applied to me and to what I do also takes into account my archives background and the school archives I am beginning. It acknowledges the crafting we do in our library, the makerspace we are beginning, the music we introduce to our students, the exhibits we set up... So, I now go by Librarian / Information Specialist. I want the idea of books in my students' heads, but I want the idea of libraries and librarians as evolving beyond the book in there too.

So who are we and what do we want to be as professionals? Do we need to take a fresh look at our job titles to better explain what we do now and where our professions are going?

The Underdocumented and Multiculturalism

http://www.annefrank.org
Anne Frank stands as a symbol for
respect for human differences.

 

"My teenage years were a crossroad. They were the point where I learned the contradictions between what I had been told and what was....I didn't know it, but I was learning about life through these novels---a different depiction of life than what the media was selling me..." [Getting Diverse Books Into the Hands of Teen Readers: How do We Do It?]
 
"Of the multitude who throughout history have spoken for human dignity in times of great suffering and loss, no voice is more compelling than that of Anne Frank." - John F. Kennedy, 1960

Both archival materials and books have the power to help people see the world in a different way. The materials written and created by humankind can speak to diversity and tolerance. Archives and literature can work hand-in-hand to shed light on our differences as well as showing our sameness. The idea that we are not alone and that diverse peoples share remarkably similar feelings -- can exhibit strength AND insecurities -- is important to both express and share.

I often talk about how archivists and librarians should work together, but I am extending my thinking even further. I am realizing just how seamlessly we can work together to reach diverse audiences. This summer I am taking a Children's and YA Literature class to gain my certification as a school information specialist. This week we are talking about "multiculturalism" in children's literature.

Multiculturalism Defined

1. of, relating to, reflecting, or adapted to diverse cultures  [Merriam Webster]

2. Celebrating human diversity by willingly promoting legal, political, and social recognition of cultural, ethnic, linguistic, and religious differences. [Business Dictionary.com]

3. a body of thought in political philosophy about the proper way to respond to cultural and religious diversity. [Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy]

In the world of archives, we can use the idea of multiculturalism with our practice of creating diverse collections, including our goals as archivists to document the under-documented. Connect cultural institutions to the classroom and use multiple types of resources to make connections to the real world.

• Bring primary documents (diaries, letters and the like) into the classroom alongside literary works to better explain realistic fiction. Ideas come from somewhere. Making the connections would be beneficial for education on many levels. Much has been written on how students (and adults) need to make connections between classes and "the real world". This is another reason why and how.
  
  In fact, Anne Frank's diary was edited to remove some of the more sexual content that was deemed unseemly in 1947. [I am wondering how sexual content can be more unseemly than a girl hiding in an attic in fear of her life, but that relates to censorship. That is actually my other class topic for the week, but I will save that for another post.] However, this is what students need to read, so they can see that their typical thoughts and feelings ARE typical. So that they see that people "different" from them are only human too. Anne Frank is the best known example of archival material that does this, but every small community has its own cultural items that can also make connections between people.
  
• Bring literature into the archives to show connections between first person events and the stories that we concoct to explain our reality or getting us thinking. We can bring the literature in by connecting to it in our access tools. Our finding aids can include a bibliographic section that reads: "For more information on this subject, or for a look at how these types of materials have influenced the literary world, see..." We can also use books in our archival exhibits and programming.

Librarians and archivists need to get talking about shared collection development. How can we work together to promote diversity and knowledge? How can our collections play off each other? We should not be operating in separate spheres when our materials have similar things to say. We have shared purposes and different terminology.

Raising Awareness About Archives and Libraries

Today I am revisiting the need for archivists (and other cultural heritage professionals) to educate the public about what we do. This past week I attended a librarian conference where school librarians lamented the "downsizing" of the profession and the lack of support from many school administrators.  Let's face it, relatively few people have an MLS (or MSLS). We are a relatively small group of varied professionals and few people have a clue about the true value of our fields. We must continue to work to change that.

Has Our Profession Been Hijacked?

"Archives" is a foreign word to many. In fact, when I tell people that I am an "archivist", they often ask in what kind of art I specialize. When I tell them that I am a librarian I hear, "It must be nice to read all day!" When I tell them that I am both and archivist and librarian...well, I just think they are very confused.

In the last decade, the word "archive" has permeated society with meanings that are somewhat tenuously tied to what archivists do. People "archive" their email, web sites, and digital data in a cloud. They check "archives" of newspaper sites to see old stories.  They create "archival" copies as backups of their computer documents.  Also in the last decade, the work of the librarian seems to have been downgraded and denigrated to many outside the fields. I hear things such as, "Librarians organize and circulate books. We don't need that anymore.  I use my Kindle." Are archivists and librarians doomed to be misunderstood until the end of time or until this misunderstanding kills off the professions?

Two years ago, Kate Theimer of ArchivesNext wrote "The increasingly common use of 'archive' as a verb." What has changed in two years? Is our work more understood or less? Are we more valued or less, or the same? The release of the DPLA had/has potential as an outreach source for archivists and librarians to better explain what we do. Are any small archives hanging their outreach efforts on this large scale launch to better promote themselves? I have not seen it. DPLA seems lost in the sea of information.  How can participants in DPLA efforts make themselves better heard? I told my administration about it. There was a quick flurry of interest that just as quickly died. Efforts like DPLA need to appeal to those who sit down and immediately use Google to find information and not just to the die-hard,  hard-core researcher who knows better than to trust Google with all of their knowledge gathering needs.

Capturing Google's Audience

How do we reach this Google audience? We need a bit of flash, pop culture, and relating what we have to what is important to "them."

Want to get the attention of someone growing up in the 21st century? Want people to pay attention to you? Try some of the following:

• Don't hang a sign in your institution. Flash photos with information on a computer to get across your information. Better yet, ask another institution to flash things about you to get outsiders in. Airport and mall exhibits were once one way museums and archives encouraged visitation. Forget about it. Create a quick moving video for these venues that tell about your institution instead of creating a traditional exhibit.
• Try to include images of your audience in interactive ads. I take photos of kids and teachers in our library and intersperse these with the information I want to get across. Slide One 1. photos of teachers working with kids. Slide 2. "Join the School Archives Committee and help us prepare to celebrate our 50th anniversary" Slide 3. Photo of students dressed up for school spirit week and visiting the library Slide 4. "Curiosity and Creativity are cousins. It happens in your library!" Students sit and watch the slides go by. Something is clicking. Think about people standing online waiting to catch a train. Is there potential there? Will your community support your efforts and give you space to advertise?
• Add games to your web site. The kids want games. If you can make them relate to your work, great! Hire a programmer if you need to. The kids aren't going to come by to look for photos unless they relate to a class project. Give them a game and they will come running.
• Give the grown ups some social media. Ask them about what you do. Shadow spaces where potential users might congregate. Does your community have a Facebook page? Make sure you are on it and talking to people. Give them links to your own social media sites and give them a reason to stop by.
• Archives and libraries must be part of the regular conversation and regularly visit on the Internet and not special places people come. Walk around your neighborhood and talk to people. Say to the woman sitting on park bench, "Hi, I'm the local librarian. Did you get that book out of our library? Do you like the library? Why? Why not?" (In my case, I walked around the halls and asked kids why they were studying on the floor instead of in the library. The answers I got were eye-opening, helped me make changes, and allowed me to encourage students to come try their library again.) Crazy stalker librarian? No way! Friendly face making conversation. Some people will get it. Others will think you are weird. That's okay. It takes practice.
• I talk about archives and information management all the time - maybe too much. I say this because my nine-year-old told me about a discussion she had with her friend about copyright. "You can't just copy that!" She told me that she told the girl. "You can't just copy that because of copyright!" Is this really too much or is it good that she knows about copyright issues and now her friend will too. AND, now the kid better understands what my kid's mom does for a living.

We Are Special and Yet, We Should Not Be

For too long, libraries have been special. Yes, we are special for so many reasons related to freedom, diversity, collaboration. We are a special place of learning, of neutrality, of leveling a playing field for all... BUT we should be more commonplace, shouldn't we? If libraries and archives were part of everyone's everyday conversation, they would come to better understand us and understand what we offer. Our work should be an essential part of our society and not a nicety; certainly not an afterthought or interchangeable with something else that uses similar words; certainly not disposable.



  

Holistic Information

So has anyone called it this before?

"Holistic Information" (my term? at least in this sense? my definition): The healthy taking in and dissemination of knowledge or intelligence; A comprehensive understanding of how the use and misuse of communicated intelligence can affect one's life.

This was a core part of my week. I was charged with offering an information literacy lesson to a health class. (Perhaps because it was for health class that the word "holistic" is sticking with me.) One of the most fascinating things about my new position as a high school librarian is the diversity of classes I have the opportunity to teach. The lesson for health class was meant to show how we should be careful of advertising promises and information tools. The lesson preceded a mental health unit as a way to show how our evaluation of information can have positive and negative outcomes on our understanding of our world and thus on our overall outlook on life.

Though I don't usually share the particular lessons I do on my blog, I thought that this one in particular might interest readers. It shows the value of thinking about libraries, archives and museums as an information field. It shows how as professionals, we have a lot to offer beyond our traditional roles. I thought I'd share some ideas from the class and to show how I am using my new role to help people think more about different types of information, how we use information, and how we should use it.

We began with a discussion with what is information and then discussed how we get it. We talked about books and magazine, the Internet, word-of-mouth, media, billboards, objects, and archives... One student talked about getting information through discovery - by manipulating data and things on one's own. YES! (Perfect thinking leading to the "learning lab" we hope to create at school.)

I told the teens to question everything and to ask the following questions any time they are getting information: What are they telling me? Are they selling something? Who is selling this or telling me this? Do they have a vested interest? Why are they pitching it this way? [is there an angle? Should I believe them?] What’s right for me?

Attempting to relate this directly to them and to make it contemporary, I began with the misinformation about the Boston Marathon bombings. I talked about the early misinformation regarding the capture of the bombers. At the time, I had misgivings when the news media announced that they had suspects in custody.  It didn't sound right. Things didn't add up. I showed the students what had come through on Twitter in my feed regarding the news. It was contradictory and passionate. Everyone was jumping on the bandwagon. We are all guilty of that sometimes. My next slide showed an official update saying that indeed no arrest had been made. It basically told us, "Calm down everyone. By spreading misinformation you can mess this whole investigation up."

• We discussed ads. Why is Vitamin Water called Vitamin water. Is it good for you? Why or why not? 
• How does that Brooke Shields Calvin Klein ad from my childhood relate to the Hollinger jeans ad now? (Sex sells from generation to generation.) We also dug deeper. The discussion included an article from my friend Judith Ross, discussing the dangers of distressing blue jeans. The process of sandblasting to create that look is extremely harmful to the workers who create those jeans. Should this go into our decision making process about what we wear? How deep should we dig to find out about
  
  the products we buy? Should we judge them by how they look on a friend? Is just knowing that they look good on us enough? Perhaps it is, but if we do care about how products are made, should we seek this information? 
• We talked about Made in America and what that means. Is it important to understand that "Made in America" does not necessarily mean it is 100 percent made in America? We need to understand that many companies walk a fine line to get that label.
• We picked apart a sneaker ad to figure out who the manufacturer was trying to get to buy this footwear. We decided that it was Justin Bieber fans. In fact, all five classes I taught immediately said Justin Bieber even though he was not mentioned in the ad. That's pretty powerful stuff. We looked at a one star review of the sneaker and a five star review. We read them carefully. One of them was calling the high top a "running shoe." It seemed like it wasn't talking about that shoe at all. Did the students know that some people get paid for writing ads? What should we believe? How can we pick apart information to see what is false information?
• Colleges were a big part of our conversation. Are these 15 year-olds already thinking about college? Where do they want to go and why? What goes into our decision about college? Location, major, size, future opportunities, cost... How are colleges manipulating their decisions through ads? We talked about a few ads. One read: "My purpose To Make a World of Difference." What exactly does that mean? Does it mean anything? Does it mean different things to different people? Are they playing on passions? (of course)

Finally, we discussed the Internet and social media. We discussed putting out information about ourselves as well as taking in information.

• What is the value of Google? What are the drawbacks? Does Google do everything it claims to do? Is the use of Google black and white? Is it a good or bad tool? It is good in the right situation, but we must constantly evaluate the information it gives us and be aware of its flaws AS WITH EVERY INFORMATION TOOL. Why do we use proprietary databases at school? What other places can give us information? Did the students know that Google tries to tailor ads to us based on the information we are giving it? We are their product.
  
• What role does social media play? We should use the right tool for the right job. I asked how the students use Twitter and then showed how I use it to talk to colleagues around the world and not to my friends. (That's what texting and Facebook are for?) We talked about the role Twitter played in the Egyptian Revolution and what a powerful tool it can be. Ah...and then snapchat. The app that lets your posts "disappear." This is very big in many of their worlds. We did a little "close reading" -- really paying attention to key words -- to see what snap chat says about itself:

We left with these main lessons in mind:

INFORMATION IS NOT BLACK AND WHITE

•Liking something doesn’t mean it is right for me

•We may like some things about something and not others. It may be the right product or tool for me OR there may be something better

•The information we get about something often depends on the source

•Sometimes sources purposely hide information

•Always evaluate information for yourself!

Great week in the classroom for the Holistic Librarian! Any questions? ;)

Why All Librarians Should Take an Introduction to Archives Class

This post furthers a discussion about the need for librarians and archivists to study the others' field.  In my last post, I presented the idea "Why All Archivists Should Take a Library Reference Class."

Any recognized gap between the fields of library science and archives management is becoming smaller. Yes, archivists and librarians handle different sorts of objects. Yes, each field requires its own specialized training. Yes, we often work in diverse institutional settings. ..Yet our materials take up the broad category of "information." And with the Internet, the diversity of our information does not quite make itself as clear to our patrons as maybe it once did. While it is important to maintain a distinction between primary and secondary sources, it is more important than ever that librarians and archivists learn more about the other profession's expertise to best serve our patrons.

In this post I consider the need for a librarian to take an introductory archives class.
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This week, the Digital Public Library of America launched.

The Digital Public Library of America brings together the riches of America’s libraries, archives, and museums, and makes them freely available to the world. It strives to contain the full breadth of human expression, from the written word, to works of art and culture, to records of America’s heritage, to the efforts and data of science. The DPLA aims to expand this crucial realm of openly available materials, and make those riches more easily discovered and more widely usable and used...

Understanding archives helps the
information professional better serve
their patrons.

This groundbreaking effort further unites the fields of archives management and librarianship. And while digitization of materials brings us closer together, it also makes it more important that we understand our differences. Information professionals should understand: a "record lifecycle," how we determine what materials are archives and what are not, means of providing access to archival resources, how archives reflect original ideas, and how archives reflect cultures and communities.

When I consult in public libraries and am pointed toward their "archives," I am often shown the local yearbooks and annual reports. These "collections" are archives by default. The local high school and town hall drop these items off and librarians add them to the collection. But a library's connection to archives should be much more than this.

Libraries, in my opinion, can and should be the information hub of any community. As such, they should be prepared to provide access to any and all information to help patrons. Some libraries may have archives on site. Some libraries may prefer to form stronger relationships with other institutions that care for archives more fully, such as historical societies. Either way, librarians should be well-informed about alternate materials that expand the narrow view offered in their collections. For while a book opens many doors to the world, there is still a need for other resources to fully understand the scope of ideas about that world. Providing access to true archives (beyond yearbooks and annual reports), objects, and digital information, as well as  connecting to patrons to experts should all be part of a library's overarching mission.

At the most basic level, archives can be used in libraries during story times to help illustrate narratives. Original materials provide real-life examples of what we read in books. Archives can be used to liven up book displays and to create posters and handouts that discuss information resources and out institutions. Archives or copies of documents and photographs can line our walls to provide a more local flare or community feel to our library spaces. This enhances pride in our institution, leading to better informed citizenry and support for our work.   [See the Value of Archives for more information on how archives can support your community work.] The use of archives enhances the work we do as librarians.

Going even deeper, librarians should better understand the research value of archives for patrons seeking information. Properly referring to archives as a reference tool begins with an understanding of their collection and use. One prime source of confusion that I must break through when I teach librarians about archives is that such materials are collected and described in groups. Archivists usually do not provide access to a single piece of paper at a time as librarians do with single books. Many of the librarians whom I help with their archives have trouble getting past this thought, but this is central to understanding the purpose of archives and their value as information. While publications are the culmination of an idea, archives are the pieces of a puzzle that form the foundation of ideas. Papers and recordings brought or kept together for examination help us to understand the workings of the mind of individuals and the functioning of institutions. Without a class or training in archives, this is unclear to most librarians and forms an unnecessary barrier toward collaboration with archivists and proper use of primary source material.  

In short, if you are a librarian, explore what archives have to offer. Build a connection with your local historical society or take a class in archives management. Linking primary and secondary sources rounds out the world of information, opens doors to collaboration between librarians and archivists and provides a means toward better understanding of the value of both archives and libraries by new potential patrons and supporters.

Pinterest Revisited: Cultural Heritage Professionals Strutting Their Stuff

What does an archivist do aims to educate
about primary sources and the field of
archives management.

Since I first wrote about Pinterest over a year ago, the use of this unique tool has exploded in the cultural heritage field.  Pinterest is being used all of the ways that I suggested it might be useful: For collection sharing and collaboration; discovering the interests of your audience; sharing expertise; and generating dialogue. Pinterest has quickly become a favorite tool on social media and is being used in very innovative ways to promote cultural heritage and the businesses associated with it.

After my initial post, I wrote another one on "The Pinterest Experiment" and created the board "What does an archivist do?" A collaborative board with over 450 followers, the board has generated a lot of interest and discussion over the past year as I've tried to collaborate to "pin" information about my profession. My goal was to create a visually engaging introduction to the diverse field of archives. It was one of the first boards to try to find a way to share our profession using this new tool. I am now joined by many in the cultural heritage fields creating unique boards. This post highlights a few Pinterest efforts that I have found outstanding.

Rebecca Price of Chick History has recently created the board "The Historic Women of #STEM." It celebrates March as Women's History Month by highlighting a unique population. Her board taps into the month's theme, but also brings together a useful collection of biographies. For my own use, this collection will be a great resource for education.  I would love to see more boards like this that  highlight an aspect of information that can be used by educators.

Camille Breeze of Museum Textile Services has a fascinating collection of boards that reflect the field of textile conversation. One can learn about the history of textiles through subject focused boards that concentrate on such areas as "Historic Asian Textiles" or the "Historic Embroidery." Camille also includes a board dedicated to her company, allowing us to better appreciate her role in caring for this textile history.

The Museum of the White Mountains is a new institution that opened last month at Plymouth State University. Much to my delight, the museum has already begun using Pinterest to highlight its mission to preserve and promote the history, culture and environmental legacy of the White Mountain region. The set up of their board is thoughtful, providing insight into the "sense of place" offered by this unique, special place located in my state.

From the Library as Incubator
board, "Library Innovation"

The New England Museum Association has a rich collection of boards that highlights its members. Of special interest is their YEPs Resources board that aims to provide support to young and emerging museum professionals. The board offers advice for getting a job and growing a reputation in the field. It reflects the growing potential social media offers for thoughtful resources that can be applied to mentoring.

Always on the cutting edge of the library world, the Library as Incubator Project offers a collaborative board of library innovation. Fun, informative and diverse, the board brings together the best of the libraries. More of us should focus on the FUN and use new visual tools such as Pinterest to show how information is not only educational, but also entertaining and cutting edge.

This is just the tip of the iceberg! What boards do you like best? Please share your own comments and favorites.

Young Adults, Sense of Place and Archives

ArchivesInfo has always promoted the idea that archives provide a foundation for building a sense of community. Using information as a resource for social connections and understanding can be applied in any environment. My school experience is a reflection of this in action.

I spent much of the first term as the new information specialist at a local high school, building a sense of place. Sense of place does not always come naturally. Sometimes it needs to be molded and focused, and cultivated to reflect this idea. To begin to create that feeling in our library, I've re-arranged the room a bit; I've hung posters and created exhibits aiming to get students to think about our library as the heart of our community; And, of course, I've started a school Archives.

There is A LOT going on in this very busy environment at the physical center of the school. We are building tech opportunities as well as focusing on the "traditional." But my focus here is on building a sense of place -- with a goal to make the physical center the metaphorical heart of our education.We aim to create a comfortable, enriching environment. This, I believe, adds to a feeling of community and certainly to the sense of place. In addition to trying to provide educational opportunities in diverse forms all around our room, we fill our display cases each month with exhibits focused on building community.  (Let me know if anyone is interested in the "educational opportunities" aspect and I can talk more about that specifically in a future post.)

• In September our first exhibit involved using mind-mapping to envision the library as a community space. 
• In October, we built an exhibit about Archives Month that introduced the idea of school archives. 
• In November, we focused on food traditions and encouraged students to dig up their own food memories and recipes. 
• In December we introduced a pen pal project with the Teen Center in Botswana where we will be connecting our community with one in Africa to explore a different culture and get to know people from across the world. 
• We are now focused on our favorite books. In December we encouraged teachers and students to create a holiday chain that listed their favorites. I've made a list of them, have ordered ones we don't have here, and made an exhibit with the help of my staff. With the help of this current project, and through surveys and collection development, we have added materials for all levels of library users. We are aiming for diverse educational resources to tap the needs, and spark the interests, of as many students as possible.

We aim to reflect the soul of our community and that's where the archives really shine. An archives committee, currently made up of just a couple of students and staff, is working to build a collection that focuses on our building. The building was constructed in 1965, so we are preparing for a 50th anniversary celebration. We are collaborating with the local historical society and have visited their collections to get a sense of where we, as a school community, fit in our larger town community. I'm trying to have students think of our school as just one ring among all the communities in which they participate. An alum contacted me about a blogging project his graduating class is building. We will be reaching out to them. We plan to conduct oral histories and ask the people in the town about their memories of the school and to see if they have materials related to the high school's place in the community. I hope that the project will spread to other schools as well and I will meet regularly with other school librarians to tie our respective educational communities together on an informational resource / sense of place level.

I have a sign on my office door that says, "Libraries are in the curiosity business." I hope that when one enters a space encouraging exploration that also reflects ties to the past -- a place that shows its roots AND a forward movement -- that one feels energized. I leave little "sparks" around the library with the hope that I can ignite students' interests, whatever they might be. I aim show them that no matter the subject in which they have an interest, there are learning opportunities to grasp. I want students to remember this place as one where they felt safe and free to learn beyond the classroom and that their experiences here will help them build an enriching life where they recognize opportunities for lifelong learning. The long-range plan is coming and this will continually be a work in progress.

Creativity in the Library

I spent some time this week making paper snowflakes for my home and work space. They were not the kind to which we are all accustomed. Do you remember folding paper, carefully cutting intricate designs, and then opening up your paper to reveal a symmetrical and perfect flake? Rather, our design this week was something I had never seen and resulted in  a 3-dimensional snowflake design. New to me. Unique. Creative.

My library assistant set up a table where our volunteers could take 12 strips of different colored papers to weave together.  Our table attracted other students in the library. One teen even decided he wanted to make a basket out of the strips instead of a snowflake...This is what a library does. This is what we should strive for in life.

"This" is creativity. Blogger Reed Gillespie caught my eye last week when he posted "Creativity Matters and What We Can Do About It." His focus is on injecting opportunities to learn and create in schools. With a broader perspective, I want cultural heritage professionals (and if you are a regular reader, you know that I consider archivists, museum professionals, and librarians the glue that binds these professionals) to be a prime creative spark for society.

On the door of my office at school is a small poster that I made that says, "Libraries are in the curiosity business." I emphasize this to remind students and others that our community information center serves as a board for diving into life. A cultural heritage institution allows us to discover new things and explore -- whether it is considering the best colors and shapes to create arts and crafts or reading a book to stretch our imaginations.  My good colleagues at the Library as Incubator Project have masterfully shaped this message. Check out their pages for a little inspiration.

For my part, I am working on the following: hosting a rap battle with a holiday theme at the end of the month; setting up a pen pal project with kids in Africa; creating a day for a human library; working on finding an old time capsule and creating a new one; planning a 50th anniversary celebration with the development of a new archive...All the calm days in between the milestone activities are filled with more creative opportunities. We have puzzles and revolving book displays with different themes. We have chess games and Scrabble. We have Pinterest boards (Pathfinders) and tweets filled with new ideas.  We have a blog filled with information and "old-fashioned" handouts, in the form of brochures, with more. We are exploring the diary of a local woman that I picked up in an antique shop...

This is the role of the librarian in the new millenium.  My job is to help everyone discover something that interests them. Creativity in the library is alive and well. Cultural heritage professionals must be prepared to provide the spark to ignite each individual's creative fire.

A Fork in the Road: A Career Path is Not a Straight Line

You may (or may not) have noticed that I've been quiet on the blogosphere this past week and relatively quiet on Twitter. I've hit a fork in the road that I am now ready to reveal.

It was quite interesting when a few weeks ago I was asked to chair a panel at the New England Archivists Autumn meeting on alternate career paths for archivists. I've accepted the role for the conference, but I'm not sure if it will come to full fruition...in any case, at the time I was asked, I had just accepted a job as a high school information specialist / librarian. Strange roll for an archivist / former public librarian? Indeed, NOT!

With a strong focus on archives helping to build communities, this new position gives me a unique opportunity to help build a sense of place from the inside out. I plan to make the library a community oriented space that reaches out to the rest of our town and shows the value of strong cultural institutions and libraries to boost culture and education. One of my goals in this library is to build a high school archives from scratch and to explain the difference between primary and secondary sources and show how each can help boost our identity while supporting our knowledge of the world around us.

Throughout my career, I have been working hard to show the value of librarians, archivists, and museum professionals working together to promote the work that we do. I think that I am now in a unique position to tie the work of cultural heritage and information professionals to education. Sharing my work with teachers will help them use information sources to better support their curricula. Learning about their needs will better help me teach the value of libraries, archives and museums. I look forward to sharing a love for learning and information with young adults. While I plan to continue consulting, writing, and public speaking in my spare time, I look forward to truly being part of building community identity from the inside out; instead of continually boosting community as a consultant from the outside in. After 12 years as a full-time consultant, I look forward to being part of a community and helping to build it, rather than giving some direction and leaving others behind to follow through (or not.)

I am lucky to have a unique opportunity to re-design the role of the library while building upon what are already very strong traditional library services in this high school setting. With this new path for me is coming new library carpeting. I've spent the past week organizing a method for boxing 18,000 books so that new carpeting can be installed in our beautiful space. All the books have been moved. Those consulting / space planning skills have already come in handy! In fact, I am taking pictures of the moving and installation process and these will be the first addition / collection in our school archives.

I look forward to continuing to share my adventures in cultural heritage with you and hope to have some new ideas to add to the dialogue on the ArchivesInfo blog. Stay tuned for blog posts about my new exhibit on Mind Mapping to build communities, Steampunk in the Archives World, using avatars to make connections to kids, using social media for education, and much, much more!

Serving Artists in Your Community by the team at the Library as Incubator Project

Today I am pleased to feature a guest post from the ladies of the Library as Incubator Project. These ladies caught my eye with their out of the box thinking about how librarians can focus on and serve a select aspect of their community. Today's blog post follows my earlier one this week on Strengthening Community Ties with an audience focus. The Library as Incubator project demonstrates how librarians can serve artists in their communities, but also serves as a model for cultural heritage professionals seeking to engage any audience.  Pick a group in your community with a common interest and focus on their needs. Show how your library, archives or museum can be an information hub for any group you choose. Check out the Library as Incubator Project on the platforms they list at the end of the article for more inspiration. Thanks so much to the Library as Incubator Project team for sharing your unique point of view with ArchivesInfo!

*** 

Image from  http://www.chestertownspy.com/art-and-book-sale-benefits-food-pantry/   

The Library as Incubator Project was founded in 2011 by Erinn Batykefer, Laura Damon-Moore, and Christina Endres, while we were students in the UW-Madison School of Library and Information Studies. The goal of the Project is to highlight artists whose work has been “incubated” in some way by libraries, and to give artists and librarians a place to connect. Here we present some ideas for library/archives staff on how to reach out to and support the artists in your community.

1. Help artists get to know the libraries in your community.

Don’t assume that every user group in your community knows about the library and - more specifically - what it can offer them as professionals or hobbyists. A lot of fine and creative artists know and appreciate their public, school, or college library but might not know that the services it offers that can really help them develop as artists, writers, and performers. There are a number of ways that you can reach out to artists to create a mutually beneficial library/user relationship.

●     Invite local arts organization members to a special library open house geared toward artists. Showcase the collections and services the library provides that would be especially useful to that user group. Or, offer to attend an arts council or arts organization meeting to talk about the library and how it can be of particular use to artists.

●     Prepare a set of materials that talks specifically about these collections and services for artists to pick up at the information or reference desk. A generic list of library services can be overwhelming for some people, but putting a special spin on the services (like explaining that the business reference materials can be particularly useful for creative artists starting their own small business) can help focus the guides and make them clearer for users.

●     Does your library have gallery space? Make it clear where people can find information about showing their work in the library, online and in the library itself. Brochures located near the gallery space means that users can have their questions answered quickly. Include an FAQ section that outlines artist submission guidelines, timeline/scheduling information, and a specific staff member to contact with follow up questions.

2. Gear (some of) your resources toward artists.

Even if your library doesn’t have the budget for a full-blown makerspace, studio, or performance space doesn’t mean you can’t support artists with library resources. Bibliographies, finding aids, and book lists are always helpful - why not try creating one specially geared toward a type of artist (like reference books for writers, or great books for fiber artists)? Of course, inspiration for creative projects comes from everywhere, not just books written by peers. So you won’t be able to address everything - nor need you! Just put a note at the bottom of a book list to remind users that if they have questions, they can always ask for assistance.

The nice thing about “the arts” is that there are plenty of people who do them professionally or as a hobby - at the next staff meeting, ask if there is a great knitter among you who would be interested in putting together a book display of his/her favorite knitting books. This is a fun way to involve staff from multiple departments.

Artists may also be looking for ways to turn their work into a business.  Promote materials that may be of use to artists and writers trying to monetize their work, perhaps through a “Business of Art” book display.  Include books with details about money and finances, but also about other practical skills like framing and building a website.  Include a list of online databases and resources that may also be of use.

3. Promote workshops to the artists in your community.

If your library holds arts-related workshops, chances are the artists in your community will be interested.  Find out about your local artist groups, crafting communities, and arts organizations and promote your workshops through their newsletters, listservs, or even Facebook pages.   Even if you think a workshop may be too basic for more seasoned artists, you might capture the interest of a collage artist who has been meaning to learn to paint, or a poet who is interested in photography.  Workshops are also a great venue to introduce artist patrons to other resources and materials that may be helpful to them at the library. 

Keep in mind that artists may also be looking to learn skills that are not necessarily directly related to the arts.  Make sure that the artists and writers in your community know about computer software trainings, small business workshops, and social media how-to’s.  Try marketing to the creative community on social media sites where extra plugs to a specific user group come at no extra cost. 

4. Encourage artists to share their work with the community.

One incredibly useful role of libraries in the lives of artists, writers and performers is as a venue for displaying or presenting their creative work. Consider ways that your library can fulfill the role of “venue” for the artists in your community. Serving as a gallery or as a reading/performance space may be an obvious answer, but think about ways to extend that involvement - or to still be supportive of creative work even if you can’t actually showcase it in the library. Artists can curate book displays, prepare recommended reading lists, and facilitate workshops. Offer the option for artists to facilitate a workshop based on their work and incorporate it into your programming schedule (relatively simple if you plan it when you book their gallery show/event). Be sure to discuss what the library will offer in terms of support (whether it’s just paying for supplies, or whether the artist will be compensated).

5. Show artists you’re there for them, 24/7.

One of the most popular responses we get from artists on our survey about how they use libraries is that they wish the library was open 24/7 for those days when the most productive hours are between 11 pm and 3 am.   Of course, the library has to close at night, but the web is always open.  Make sure that artists in your community know about the great online resources your library offers at all times of day and night.

It helps to talk to a few artists and writers. Ask them what kinds of resources they would find helpful when the creativity strikes at midnight. Make these resources easy to access and locate.  Create a page on your website, or even a category for artists within your existing resources page, with links to rich visual resources like the Smithsonian Galaxy of Images, NYPL Digital Gallery, or images from your local/state archives.  If you subscribe to databases that include art, poetry or other creative resources, highlight these as well.  Post bibliographies and booklists online, so users can place hold on those items at any time of day. 

There is a lot that can be done to serve artists at the library, and sometimes you have to start small.  Take one or two of these steps, reach out to the artists and writers in your community, and build from there.  The artists we’ve talked with appreciate all the small things librarians do to make their lives easier, and there’s much for the library to benefit from these relationships as well.

We want your ideas and tips on how to connect your library/archives with artists too! Feel free to get in touch with us at libraryasincubatorproject @ gmail.com, or connect with us through Twitter (@IArtLibraries) or Facebook (Library as Incubator Project). We are always looking to start conversations with new colleagues!

Who is your audience? Strengthening Community Ties with an Audience Focus

Sometimes cultural institutions get caught up in the things they do and forget about for whom they are doing them. Today's post discusses the value of keeping audience in mind when performing work in a cultural heritage institution. Later this week, I will introduce a guest post from the ladies of the "Library as Incubator Project." They will share their ideas for targeting artists as an audience from a library perspective. I thought before I put up their piece, it might be nice to take a step back and consider a wider audience for museums, libraries and archives.


Each institution must consider it's potential audiences based on the institution's function, but also on the unique profile of the community it serves. (A description of this community should be part of the organization's mission statement.) Each institution should make plans to reach the groups that will be best served by their materials and activities. Strengthening ties to community in this way makes cultural heritage institutions a more visible and viable part of these communities.

Each person who attends a library, archives, or museum has different informational and entertainment needs that may be based on their interests, circumstances, ages and backgrounds. They will be receptive to what we offer them based on these factors. Quite basically, a child in a library will not be served in the same way as a senior. Yet, while it is easy to consider age -- which is a set factor that contains clearly recognizable groups of children, teens, young adults, adults and senior -- other categories are more difficult to define. Our work is often successful to the extent that we can tailor our work to attract diverse interests.

• Examine your resources and determine what potential groups can be served by your diverse holdings.
• Examine the large community you serve and determine what smaller communities exist within it. 

By identifying your resources and your communities, you can then target your outreach to reach the audiences who will have interest in them. You will likely have the potential to aim your outreach efforts at more audiences than you have time to focus on each. Using your mission and collection policy can be an ideal way to start the ball rolling by determining where your strengths and weaknesses lie. For example, do you have a very strong collection of materials related to the Civil War? Do you have a local reenactment group? It would make sense to show them how your materials suit their interests. Alternately, if you know you have a strong reenactment group and your collection related to their interests is weak, you can ask them how you can better serve their needs and call on their support for your efforts.

Think about your "audience" as active participants in the work that you do.

"Our audiences are not passive spectators. They increasingly expect museums to offer them participatory experiences and that should be reflected by the way in which the modern museum approaches them.

Don’t think of the people who walk through your doors or interact with you online as audiences, think about what you can do for your participants." - The Audience is Dead. Let's Talk Participants Instead http://www.museumnext.org/2010/blog/museum_audience_development

In a way, archives and libraries have always had this point of view. They have more direct interaction with their "audience" or their "patrons" through reference services and more opportunity for a give-and-take relationship. But these encounters are not always used effectively by librarians and archivists to strengthen ties with their communities. We often serve up information without retrieving feedback about whether patrons found what they want or need. We often make plans for collection growth and programs without outside input, even when we have an audience willing to give us beneficial feedback - IF we just ask.

Encourage general comments by putting out a suggestions box or placing an online feedback button on your web or Facebook page, but also target specific groups and ask them very pointedly if your institution is serving their needs.

Targeting specific audiences for your institution and requesting feedback can change the dynamic of your work. Strengthen community ties by evaluating what you do internally, seek feedback externally, and tailor your work to match the desires and needs of specific groups you can serve.