Priority: Staying Sane

I almost didn’t make it this week but I couldn’t already fall off the resolutions bandwagon!

Well the semester is in its first week and things are officially gearing up.  I definitely didn’t end up with a super easy last semester like I originally planned a when I first started grad school, but I would definitely say this is all the good kind of busy.  I told the professor I do research for that I’m taking Database Management this semester and his response was “Aww, Mt. Everest!”  I thought that kind of summed things up well.

What I’d really like to talk about tonight though is the start of my volunteering at the Erie Canal Museum.  I’ve volunteered at quite a few institutions in my time since discovering this field and I’ve got to say that this is already my favorite.  I have not one criticism of them.  They really care about their collection, they really care about representing the true history of Syracuse, and everyone really seems to be truly interested in what they’re doing.  Plus the fact that my project is all about manuscripts, primarily from the the 18 and early 19 hundreds, certainly isn’t hurting!  I can’t remember whether or not I’ve expressed my love of manuscripts before, but let me do it (possibly again) now.  I LOVE manuscript collections.  Rare books have their magic, artifacts can be truly fascinating, but nothing pulls me back to a time in history like a handwritten letter or diary by a real person going through the true everyday life of that time.  Mixed with the posters, ads, pamphlets, papers, records, what have you that also pop up in manuscript collections, what better way to understand the truth of history?

My job at the museum is to pick up where someone else left off (actually a friend of mine who doesn’t have the time anymore but knew it would be right up my alley) taking the existing manuscripts collection and cataloging/updating the existing catalog records in the museums database using PastPerfect.  Along with my cataloging, I’m also keeping notes about condition and focusing on finding provenance.  If time permits, I may also be doing some rehousing for the materials since their existing housing is older than most of the museum staff.  The existing records in the database are really a prime example of the problems facing many cultural heritage institutions today.  As with many repositories, keeping a standard quality method of cataloging was not always a priority in the past in the light of limited resources.  Although sometimes this is a result of people who didn’t care enough, more often it is the result of different times and different priorities, or even just different people with different ideas.  I in no way criticize this second possibility, it’s just an unfortunately confusing reality sometimes and a strong argument for keeping a standard policy and for keeping communication a priority.

During a semester of stressful classes and even more stressful job applications, having a volunteering opportunity for something I really believe I will have a great time with is going to be a huge relief.  I just might stay sane.

20 Celebrity Personal Libraries

Love this article.  20 personal libraries of celebrities.  Each speaks a lot to the personality of its celebrity and is why I will always have physical books.  I like to show them off because I think they tell people who I am.  I think my favorite is Julianne Moore, although its a little more contemporary than my personal taste.  Which is your favorite?

http://www.accreditedonlinecolleges.com/blog/2011/20-celebrities-with-stunning-home-libraries

President of the ALA responds to restrictions on eBook lending

http://www.libraries.wright.edu/noshelfrequired/?p=2073

“The library is safe thanks to Egypt’s youth…”

There has been a lot of talk over the last few days of the looting that has tragically taken place during the protests in Egypt.  The belief, originally, was that this was the work of an angry public taking out their rage in all forms.  However, today’s reports have shed a different light on the matter.  It appears that it is only a fraction of the public that wishes to ruin these priceless artifacts and that many residents, including youths, have stepped up to volunteer their time and energy to protect these public buildings coming under attack (full article at http://bit.ly/i0AGox).

As a student in library science, there has been much discussion in class about how to save our libraries from being closed by communities who feel they can’t afford them anymore.  We talk about how future generations just won’t care about libraries like people have in the past.  That kind of talk, as necessary as it may be to consider, can be extremely discouraging as a student and depressing at any level in the field.  This, however, gives me a lot of hope.  I am so proud of these kids, already busy fighting for their futures, now finding time to also protect their past.  Of course, the adults involved also deserve praise for this, but I find the quote “The library is safe thanks to Egypt’s youth…” from Ismail Serageldin, the librarian of Alexandria, to be a clear indication of how much the younger Egyptians are doing here.  Younger generations care.

If libraries and museums can be important enough to save during a time of total revolution, they are important enough to save during a time of economic recession.