A lot has occurred since the last post. I have processed about one-third of the collection to the best of my abilities. What does that mean? Well, I have had only a brief lesson in what constitutes a collection and how a Finding Aid is created. I have been given guides to processing a collection. I have researched collection processing guides online. There is a lot that goes into processing a collection. Actually, there is a whole science behind collection processing. I am hopeful that my processing is not too far off the mark.
I am also working on the presentation for Thinking Matters regarding this Independent Study project. That takes place at the end of April.
My original intention in beginning this project was to create an open-access digital archive of the Woman’s Literary Union collection of historical documents. The collection includes information about early members of WLU and its affiliated clubs and their community/civic interaction beginning with 1892. I thought that once the digital archive was created, it would be easy to add new research into the digital archive. But I learned that digital collections require a lot of time and a lot of money. And, I also learned that the physical collection should be safely archived regardless of whether or not there is a digital archive of the collection.
At some point in this project, I hope to develop exhibits and programs that examine early club member profiles and promote leadership skills in women and girls. The club members need to be recognized for their contributions to the community.
Along the way, securing grant money to fund capital improvements is important. I would like to have professionals study the building and mechanical systems, monitor the environment of the club house to see if it meets museum quality environment standards, and identify and evaluate improvement strategies.
The main point of the project is to improve access to the WLU history collection. This includes cataloging and entering objects/documents into a collections management software program (PastPerfect seems to be popular).
I think that WLU should form an advisory committee which will be consulted on a policy for accepting additions to the collection once it is finalized. The committee should consist of individuals who specialize in research and managing the WLU history collections or who have attended a workshop on this subject.
Many people know the importance of sustaining cultural heritage. I once heard on an NPR program that every 14 days a language becomes extinct. (Most of those languages are in the Northwest area of Alaska.) I think that the community will benefit from a long-term exhibition and accompanying educational programs that tell the story of early WLU club women and their involvement in community civic affairs. The WLU collection will serve local, state, and national audiences. The collection represents the lives and works of many generations of women, culture in Lewiston-Auburn, records, social history (labor, women, changing social mores). Information in the collection may include major wars, woman’s suffrage, etc.
The collection will enable the WLU to establish itself as an important resource center in the study of local and American history.
