Newsletter

MANUSCRIPT REPOSITORIES SECTION NEWSLETTER

Manuscript Repositories Section of the Society of American Archivists

Summer 2003

From The Chair: LA Confidential

Slate of Candidates Announced

Harrah's Corporate Archives Donated To University Of Nevada Las Vegas Special Collections

Preservation of Hemingway Papers in Cuba

St. George's School Dedicates Its Archives

Opening of Francis Paul Prucha Papers

Georgia Textile History Resources

Leadership and Next Deadline

From The Chair: LA Confidential
By Susan Potts McDonald, Emory University

Like the seed catalogs that arrive to brighten the dead of winter, the program for SAA's 67th annual meeting arrived to brighten my spring. Each one of us can find a special meaning in this year's theme "Showcasing the Diversity of the Archival Enterprise." When I became an archivist, I never dreamed that I would take on so many distinct roles and work with such a broad spectrum of materials and subjects. The scope and breadth of the program sessions this year are truly indicative of the diversity of our profession.

For those new to the job or those who want to polish up on their skills, SAA continues to offer the "unplugged" seminars. This year you can attend sessions that address moving image archives, security, oral history, records management, outreach, privacy and confidentiality, and fund raising and grant writing.

You will also find four sessions in this year's program endorsed by our Steering Committee:

Thursday, 3:30-5:00pm: Models for Archival Cooperation. Three potential models for cooperative archival efforts will be described and evaluated. The speakers will discuss long-term achievements (both anticipated and unanticipated), the strengths and weaknesses of each model, and side benefits such as improved access, better communication, higher visibility, and greater legitimacy. The session will seek to present evidence to guide other repositories that are considering cooperative possibilities in the future.

Friday, 10:30am-12:00pm: Ethical Considerations of Acquisitions (Limited Enrollment). This limited-enrollment session will feature a panel of four experienced archivists and manuscript curators who will lead a discussion on ethical issues in acquisitions and appraisal work. The bulk of the session will be spent discussing case studies describing some of the ethical situations encountered in acquisitions/appraisal work, including those related to donor agreements, sensitive documents in accessioned material, third-party privacy concerns, and the impact of deaccessioning on donor relations, to name a few. To encourage audience participation, the case studies will be distributed in advance to all who pre-register for this session.

Friday, 1:00-2:30pm: Filling in the Margins: Documenting Extreme Social History. The voices of extremists, left and right, have played an important role in the American past. These voices also present a series of challenges to the archivists and manuscript librarians charged with documenting their print and electronic presence. This session examines the ways in which major institutions collect and provide access to these often incendiary materials. Our Steering Committee member, Amy Cooper, is a presenter.

Friday, 1:00-2:30pm: Saving Silverman: The History and Use of Motion Picture Collections. The movie industry promotes the use of its pictures in research, but does it document the movie-making process? Two archivists will discuss their organizations' efforts to document the making and production of movies, and a third will discuss his use of archives in researching the role that nonconformist gender and sexual imagery played in promoting Hollywood during the early studio era.

I hope that all Manuscript Repositories Section members will attend this year's business meeting on Thursday, August 21 from 8:00 to 10:00am. The Steering Committee is very pleased to offer an informative and useful presentation on the USA Patriot Act. This federal legislation was passed in 2001 and expands law enforcement's surveillance and investigative powers. The law raises many questions for archivists and librarians regarding its impact on state and local privacy laws. Karen Benedict, a Fellow of the Society of American Archivists and chair of the SAA Committee on Ethics and Personal Conduct will guide us through an overview of the provisions of the act and help to prepare us should law enforcement officials approach us. Gregor Trinkaus-Randall, Preservation Specialist at the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners and author of several publications on archival security, will discuss the broader implications as they relate to information contained in our collections, which could potentially become targets for governmental scrutiny.

Our Past Chair, Peter Blodgett and the Nominating Committee, Joe Anderson, Su Kim Chung, and Amy Cooper have worked diligently to provide you with a wonderful slate of candidates for Vice-Chair and Steering Committee. Your only dilemma will be choosing among the excellent nominees. Please take the time now to review the candidate biographies that are included in this newsletter and come to our meeting ready to cast your ballot.

I look forward to seeing you at SAA!

Slate of Candidates Announced
Submitted by Nominating Chair, Peter Blodgett

Candidates for Chair (Choose one):

Cynthia Pease Miller

Education: MAT in History, Wesleyan University, 1961; BA in History, Radcliffe College/Harvard University, 1959.

Professional Experience: Consultant, US Capitol Visitors Center Exhibits Office, 2002-present; Archivist, Senator Harry Reid, 2002; Archivist, U. S. Senate Committee on Finance, 2001-2003; Archivist, Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, 1999-2000; Assistant Historian, U. S. House of Representatives, successively in the Office for the Bicentennial, Office of the Historian, and the Legislative Resource Center, 1983-1999; Archives Assistant, Office of the Architect of the [U.S.] Capitol, 1979-1983.

SAA Activities: Manuscripts Section Steering Committee, 1999-2001; Congressional Papers Roundtable Steering Committee, 1988-2002 and chair 2000-2001; Colonial Dames Scholarship Awards Committee, 1996-1999 and chair 1998-1999; 1995 Local Arrangements Committee; Reference, Access, and Outreach Steering Committee, 1987-1990. Activities in Other Archival and Related Organizations: MARAC: Program Committee, 2000-2001 and 1986-1987; Custer Awards Committee, 1992-1995; Publications Committee, 1989-1994; Local Arrangements Committee, 1989-1990; Nominating Committee, 1989-1990; Finding Aids Awards Committee, 1987-1989 and chair 1988-1989. Society for History in the Federal Government: Nominating Committee, 1999-2001, 1993-1995; Secretary, 1995-1999.

Susan Hamburger

Education: Ph.D. in American History, 1994, M.A. in Historical Administration, 1985, Florida State University; M.L.S., 1976, B.A. in English, 1975, Rutgers University.

Professional Experience: Manuscripts Cataloging Librarian, The Pennsylvania State University, 1994-present; Manuscripts Cataloger (grant project), Virginia Historical Society, 1993-1994; Manuscripts Cataloger (grant project), University of Virginia, 1992-1993; Archivist and Head, Description Section, Virginia State Library and Archives, 1989-1992; Associate University Librarian, Special Collections, Florida State University, 1981-1989.

SAA Activities: SAA liaison to ALA's Cataloging Committee on Description and Access, 2000-2004; Manuscript Repositories Section, Steering Committee, 1998-2000; Description Section, At-Large Representative, 1998-2000; Host Site Local Arrangements Committee, 1999 Pittsburgh meeting, 1998-1999.

Activities in Other Archival Organizations: Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference: Webmaster, 1996-present; Chair, Publications Committee, 1995-1999; Program Committee, Spring 1993, Spring 1998, Spring 1999 (Co-Chair), and Fall 2004 (Co-Chair).

Steering Committee Candidates (Choose three):

James Cross

Education: MA in History and MSLS from Case Western Reserve University, 1982. BA in History from Cleveland State University, 1979.

Professional Experience: Manuscripts Archivist, Special Collections, Clemson University Libraries, 1997-present; Strom Thurmond Archivist, Special Collections, Clemson University Libraries, 1987-1997; Archivist, Richard B. Russell Memorial Library, University of Georgia Libraries, 1984-1987.

SAA Activities: Committee on Archival Information Exchange, 1993-1996; Congressional Papers Roundtable--Steering Committee, 1992-1996 and Nominating Committee, 1995-1996; Reference, Access, and Outreach Section--Chair, 1995-1996 and Vice Chair, 1994-1995, Steering Committee, 1993-1996, 1998-2000, and 2002-present, Chair of Nominating Committee, 1996-1997.

Activities in Other Archival and Related Organizations: Academy of Certified Archivists: Recertification Petition Review Team D Leader, 1997; Recertification Petition Review "Second Look" Team Leader, 1998-2000. South Carolina Archival Association: Steering Committee to establish SCAA, 1998-1999; Annual Program Committee Chair, 1999; Nominating Committee Chair, 2000 and Committee member, 2003. Society of Georgia Archivists: Columnist on federal legislation, policies and news ("Washington Beat") SGA Newsletter, 1994-present.

Tom Hyry

Education: M.I.L.S., School of Information, University of Michigan, 1996; B.A., Carleton College, 1993.

Professional Experience: Head Archivist for Arrangement and Description, Manuscripts and Archives, Yale University Library, 2000-present; Archivist, Manuscripts and Archives, Yale University Library, 1997-2000; Archives Assistant, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan, 1996-1997.

SAA Activities: Member since 1996; Program Committee for 2001 annual meeting; Acquisitions and Appraisal Steering Committee, 2000-2002; Co-authored two articles and authored one book review published in American Archivist; Presentations at various annual meetings on appraisal of faculty papers, preservation of electronic records in manuscript collections, and the development of an on-line instructional tutorial.

Activities in Other Archival and Related Organizations: Member of the New England Archivists (Program Committee and Local Arrangements Committee, Fall 2001 meeting), 1997-present; Member of the Midwest Archives Conference, 1997-2001; Member of the Connecticut State Historical Records Advisory Board, 2000-present; Member of the Executive Board of the Greater New Haven Labor History Association, 2001-present.

Donnelly Lancaster

Education: MA in History, Archival Studies Program, Auburn University, 2000; BA in History, Auburn University, 1995

Professional Experience: Archival Access Coordinator, W.S. Hoole Special Collections Library, The University of Alabama, 2001-present; Archivist, UAB Archives, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1998-2001

SAA Activities: Annual Meeting Local Arrangements Committee, 2001-2002

Activities in Other Archival and Related Organizations: Society of Alabama Archivists: Nominating Committee, 2002; Executive Board, 2000-present

Joel Minor

Education: MS in Library and Information Science, University of Texas at Austin, 2002; BA in English, Dakota Wesleyan University, 1994.

Professional Experience: Archivist, Oglala Lakota College, 2002-present; Contract Archivist, Texas Folklife Resources, 2001-2002; Reference Assistant, Archives of the Episcopal Church, 2000.

SAA Activities: Treasurer, University of Texas at Austin SAA Student Chapter, 2001-02; Member of SAA, 2000-present.

Activities in Other Archival and Related Organizations: Member of Midwest Archives Conference, 2002-present.

Theresa Salazar

Education: MLS in Library Science, Columbia University, 1984; MA in English Literature, University of New Mexico, 1980; BA in Art History, University of New Mexico, 1977.

Professional Experience: Curator of The Bancroft Collection, Western Americana, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, July 1999-present; Special Collections Librarian, University of Arizona Library, Tucson, 1989-1999; Print Specialist, Art, Prints and Photographs Division, New York Public Library, 1986-1989; Manuscript Librarian, Manuscripts Division, The Library of Congress, 1985; Library Intern, The Library of Congress, August 1984-January 1985.

SAA Activities: Member, 1999- present. Presenter on Panel "Civil Rights and Disability Rights: Documenting Movements for Social Change" -- SAA 2002 Program

Activities in Other Archival and Related Organizations: American Library Association, 1988-present. Rare Books and Manuscripts (RBMS), a component of ACRL, 1988- present. Member, The Exhibition Catalogue Awards Committee, July 1992-1996. Member,1995 RBMS Preconference Program Planning Committee, July 1994-June 1995. Member, Seminars Committee, July 1996-June 2000. Member-at-Large, Executive Committee, July 1998-2001. Member, Conference Development Committee, July 1998-June 2001. Member, 2001 RBMS Program Planning Committee, July 2000 -June 2001. Co-Chair, Local Arrangements, 2001 RBMS Preconference, July 1999-June 2001. Society of California Archivists, 2000- Western History Association, 1999- Coalition for Western Women's History, Member, 1999- Member of the Jenson-Miller Award Committee to select the outstanding article written about women in the West, 2000-2002. Chair of the Committee, 2001-2002.

Stephen C. Sturgeon

Education: Ph.D. in History, University of Colorado at Boulder, 1998; MLIS with concentration in Archival Administration, University of California, Berkeley, 1993; MA in History, University of Colorado at Boulder, 1992; BA in History, Grinnell College, 1990.

Professional Experience: Manuscript Curator, Special Collections & Archives, Utah State University, 1999-present.

SAA Activities: Member of Manuscript Repositories Section; Reference, Access, and Outreach Section; Congressional Papers Roundtable; and Architectural Records Roundtable.

Activities in Other Archival and Related Organizations: Conference of Inter-Mountain Archivists: Past President, 2003-2004; President, 2002-2003; Vice President, 2001-2002. Utah Library Association: Archives, Manuscript and Special Collections Roundtable Steering Committee, 2000-2001. Member of Utah Manuscript Roundtable, and Western History Librarians Roundtable. Author of: The Politics of Western Water: The Congressional Career of Wayne Aspinall, University of Arizona Press, 2002; "A Different Shade of Green: Documenting Environmental Racism and Justice," Archival Issues, vol. 21, #1, 1996.

Harrah's Corporate Archives Donated To University Of Nevada Las Vegas Special Collections
By Su Kim Chung, University of Nevada Las Vegas

Hundreds of photographs, publications, documents, and artifacts chronicling the 65-year history of Harrah's Entertainment Inc. are now are housed in UNLV Lied Library's Special Collections, thanks to a donation by the Las Vegas-based gaming company.

"We are thrilled that Harrah's chose to donate these materials to UNLV," said Peter Michel, director of Special Collections. "Harrah's has a long history in Nevada and in the gaming industry. Having its corporate archives housed at UNLV is a valuable research asset for UNLV, enhancing its already established position as an international center for the study of gaming and the gaming industry.

"The collection is extensive and eclectic," Michel said. "It contains corporate publications and communications, financial reports, publicity and advertising files, entertainment publicity, newspaper clippings, film, videotape, and a variety of promotional items carrying the company logo. Anyone wanting a window into the growth and changes in the gaming/hotel/resort industry over the years will find this corporate collection invaluable."

The collection donated to UNLV also contains extensive material about founder William Harrah's large antique car collection and his historical game and playing card collection.

Harrah's began in 1937 when William F. Harrah opened a bingo parlor in Reno. Harrah's went on to play a significant role in the development and defining of gaming resorts and venues across the nation. Today, it is one of the nation's largest gaming companies, operating 26 casinos in 13 states, including seven in Nevada.

The collection is part of the Gaming Studies Research Center housed in the library's Special Collections division.

Preservation of Hemingway Papers in Cuba
By Kathryn Jacob, Schlesinger Library

The Rockefeller Foundation has awarded $75,000 to fund the first phase of a two- to three-year project to promote the preservation of an important collection of Ernest Hemingway's papers that remain in Cuba.

The project represents an important partnership among the American Council of Learned Societies/Social Science Research Council, the Hemingway Museum at Finca Vigia outside Havana, the Center for Research Libraries in Chicago, the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston, the National Archives of Cuba, the National Council of Cuban Cultural Patrimony, and the Cuban Ministry of Culture.

The project aims not only to preserve the materials, but also to create the conditions for their proper storage at Finca Vigia, Hemingway's home, allowing broader on-site access. Once the project is complete, the Kennedy Library will work with the Cuban curators in broadening access as much as possible by cataloging the materials and making the descriptions available on-line.

St. George's School Dedicates Its Archives
By Kathryn Jacob, Schlesinger Library

St. George's School, a small coed boarding school in Middletown, Rhode Island, has made a big commitment in terms of saving its more than one hundred-year history with the recent dedication of the Gilbert Y. Taverner Archives, named for the school's former Associate Chaplain, faculty member, School historian, and first archivist.

In addition to the documents, letters, publications, and images one would expect to find in such a facility, the Taverner Archives is also the repository for many of the School's historical objects, including the fur coat of founder and first headmaster John B. Diaman. The new four-room facility has already proved to be a powerful magnet, drawing in carefully saved letters home to mothers and fathers from long ago and artifacts from alumni across the country, according to School Archivist John G. Doll.

Opening of Francis Paul Prucha Papers
By Matt Blessing, Marquette University

Marquette University will honor one of its most distinguished faculty members on October 2, 2003, when it opens the Francis Paul Prucha, S.J. (Society of Jesus), Archives Reading Room. A Jesuit priest, Father Prucha has published 25 books and is internationally known for his expertise in the American West and American Indian policy. Widely respected as a model of the teacher-scholar, Prucha also helped establish Marquette's rich research collections documenting Catholic Indian missions. The Prucha Reading Room is located on the third floor of the new John P. Raynor, S.J., Library.

Georgia Textile History Resources
By Pam Hackbart-Dean, Georgia State University

The Southern Labor Archives has recently launched the Georgia Textile History Resources website at http://www.library.gsu.edu/spcoll/labor/GTR/index.html The website includes a list of online resources related to Georgia's rich textile history-both in-state as well as out of state sites. These resources incorporate museums, archives, exhibits, historic sites, and online-only sources.

We hope that this site will continue to grow and provide increased access to the textile heritage of Georgia. If you know of any links to online presentations/papers on the textile industry in the state; to additional archives, libraries, and museums that hold collections related to the industry; to textile companies with a significant Georgia presence; or to any other Georgia textile-related sites, please contact the Southern Labor Archives.