Society of Florida Archivists 2015
Miami in May – Many Trails Across Florida
Miami, FL
Annual Meeting Schedule
Tuesday, May 12 University of Miami, Otto G. Richter Library, Third Floor Conference Room8:30 am – 5:00 pm Pre-Conference SAA workshop, [DAS] Preserving Digital Archives with Kelcy Shepherd – Directions and Parking Tuesday, May 12 University of Miami, Otto G. Richter Library, Third Floor Information Literacy Lab 8:30 am – 12:00pm Pre-Conference Workshop, Wikipedia with Mairelys Lemus-Rojas & Natalie Baur – Directions and Parking
Wikipedia is the place where people from all over the world, with different backgrounds and interests, come together to contribute to the sum of human knowledge. Rated as the 10th most-visited site, Wikipedia is used as a starting point by general users as well as serious researchers. As Archivists and Librarians, we are in a unique position to contribute curated information to Wikipedia. By doing so, we are not only providing access to underrepresented subjects, but we also have an opportunity to highlight our local collections.
Mairelys Lemus-Rojas will present this engaging, interactive, free workshop as a half- day session.
Goals:
• Learn how to create a Wikipedia user account
• Include the Wikipedia Conflict of Interest Statement in your user page
• Become familiar with Wikipedia’s five core principles
• Learn how to do basic editing 12:00 – 1:30 pm Lunch will be served for Pre-Conference Workshop attendees
Light refreshments and snacks will be served during morning and afternoon breaks. Hosted by University of Miami Libraries Tuesday, May 12 University of Miami, Otto G. Richter Library, Third Floor Information Literacy Lab 1:30 pm – 5:00 pm Pre-Conference Workshop, SAA Advocating for Archives with Tomaro Taylor - Directions and Parking
In August 2014, the Regional Archival Associations Consortium's Education Sub- Committee participated in the Society of American Archivists' Advocating for Archives workshop as part of a train-the-trainer program sponsored by SAA.
Advocating for Archives provides information on how to identify goals, develop and deliver a message, and methods to employ in advocating for archival programs and archival issues. Practical approaches, tangible models, and examples of materials needed to advocate for your archival programs and issues are offered as well.
As a peer trainer, Tomaro Taylor will present this engaging, interactive, free workshop as a half-day session. Participants will leave the workshop with at least one advocacy goal and the skills to develop and deliver a strong advocacy message. Tuesday, May 12 University of Miami Libraries Tours 5:15 - 5:45 pm Tour of the Cuban Heritage Collection at the University of Miami Otto G. Richter Library, Goizueta Pavilion, 2nd floor 5:45 – 6:15 pm Tour of Special Collections at the University of Miami Otto G. Richter Library, 8th Floor.
6:15 - 6:45 pm Tour of University Archives at the University of Miami Otto G. Richter Library, 8th Floor.
Telephone 305-284-4900 – Directions and Parking Wednesday, May 13 Courtyard by Marriott- Miami Coconut Grove, Fl. Sapphire Room 8:30 am – 5:00 pm Registration 9:00 - 9:15 am Welcome by Sandra Varry, SFA President, Althea (Vicki) Silvera and Béatrice Colastin Skokan, Annual Meeting Committee Co-Chairs. 9:15 – 10:00 am Checking In on Revealing All Hidden Collections at FSU - Krystal Thomas, Katie McCormick and Sandra Varry (Florida State University).
In early 2013, discussions began at FSU Libraries around issues with hidden archival and manuscript collections. It was determined that despite previous efforts, a significant portion of the collections were uncatalogued, were only marginally represented in Archon for public searchability, some only had a paper finding aid, and that significant inconsistencies existed between Aleph, Archon, PALMM, and FSU DigiTool representations of the collections. A realignment of FSU Libraries divisions added the Cataloging and Description Unit to the Special Collections Division thereby doubling the size of our overall staff and made it possible to dedicate more resources to describing materials in Special Collections & Archives.
Over the course of the last two years, FSU Special Collections & Archives staff across the division have worked together to bring to light collections through our online access points and work to re-process and re-house collections to provide better access and control over our collections.
The session discussion will detail the work since the last update in 2013 which will include our process for physical review of noted problem collections, updating our processing manual and the consolidation work of our online presence into two main discovery points. 10:00 am – 10:45 am Metadata at the Museum: Processing Visual Materials at the Wolfsonian-FIU. Rochelle T. Pienn and Derek Merleaux (Wolfsonian Museum-FIU)
The Wolfsonian-FIU’s Rare Book Library developed approaches to metadata for digitization of visual materials outside the mainstream of best practices. These unconventional tactics were adopted out of necessity in order to provide searchable online access of museum objects and library holdings to the public. Advances in digital library software and wider availability of low-cost or free tools for standardized metadata schemes allowed the Wolfsonian-FIU to implement new and more widely accessible organization and description of visual materials.
The Wolfsonian-FIU library catalog contains more than 45,000 records for its collection of 50,000+ books, postcards, pins, photograph albums, broadsides, and other materials. A commercial OPAC solution (EOS – now owned by SirsiDynix) maintains the traditional MARC bibliographic catalog. Until now, digitized images of collection material were only accessible through manually created links added to MARC catalog records. Each illustration in an item required a link, along with keyword searchable image captions, which were appended to records in repeatable 856 fields.
Utilizing SobekCM, an open-source digital library system developed at the University of Florida, The Wolfsonian – FIU created a single cohesive digital collection across the institution. Native support of robust and widely-used metadata schemas allows the system to easily bridge the Library, Special Collections and Museum Objects Collections. MARC records from the OPAC are imported into the system along with all images. Once in the system, the item-level descriptions and image captions can be easily added using an intuitive web-based interface. 10:45 – 11:00 am Break 11:00 – 11:15 am Wrangling a Ringling: The Personal Art Library of a Circus Magnate, Megan Oliver (Ringling Museum)
In 1936, circus magnate, self-made millionaire, and avid art collector John Ringling passed away, leaving his 66 acre estate and everything on it, hundreds of Baroque paintings, expensive cars, furnishings, and a winter mansion, to the state of Florida. He also left behind an estimated 1,500 books from his personal library, found scattered throughout the mansion in bedrooms, offices, and the kitchen. The magnificent estate Ringling gifted to Florida went through ten years of litigation, finally settled in 1946. Nearly 550 titles remain from Ringling’s original library, an estimated two thirds of his books disappeared between his death in 1936 and the beginning of Florida’s estate stewardship in 1946. Ringling’s book collection was used to establish The Ringling Museum’s Art Library in 1948, and The Ringling Art Library has been growing ever since. Like many others, our special collection of titles from our museum’s founder sits in a locked room, beautifully arranged and well conserved. However, the context, rarity, and fascinating details of these books sat quietly awaiting discovery, until 2013.
Join Megan Oliver, Assistant Librarian at The Ringling Art Library, as she plumbs the depths of the library’s founding collection. She will present two years of group research, including the collection inventory, analysis, digitization and historical context of John Ringling’s personal art library, in hopes of demonstrating the engaging and fruitful work that comes from looking to provide more access to a research library’s special collections. 11:15 am – 12:00 pm Working with Architectural Records: Experiences and Challenges, Burt Altman (Florida State University), John Nemmers (University of Florida), Cynthia Peterson (Elling O. Eide Charitable Foundation) and Gilda Santana (University of Miami)
This discussion-based panel session will feature four Florida archivists who will present a variety of perspectives on their work with architectural records. Topics include selection, acquisition, donor/repository relationships, reference service, processing, preservation, technology, promotion, and outreach. In sharing their experiences working in an academic library and private foundation research library, they will focus on the issues and challenges archivists face in dealing with these unique formats. Florida archivists who actively collect or hold architectural records in their repositories will find this a most interesting and beneficial presentation. 12:00 – 2:00 pm Lunch on your own 2:00 – 2:45 pm Florida Statewide Digital Initiative, Tom Clareson (Lyrasis)
The Florida Statewide Digital Initiative is a collaborative group from across the state that is working to determine the needs and potential design of a portal for access of Florida's digital and digitized collections. It has been going on for about 2 years and is spearheaded by the Florida Department of State, Division of Library and Information Services. He has already presented this at FLA & FAM. It's important to get the word out to people in the state. 2:45- 3:30 pm Oral History for Dummies: A Guide to Getting Started, Laura Capell, María Estorino, and Béatrice Colastin Skokan (University of Miami)
This presentation will outline different approaches to managing oral history projects based on experiences at the Otto G. Richter Library. We will cover different aspects involved in conducting an oral history project, such as planning and interviewing. We will also discuss workflows for processing and providing access to oral histories, including digitizing analog recordings, working with born digital interviews, creating outlines and transcripts, options for online access, and the storage and preservation of analog tapes and digital files. In addition, we will go over strategies for working with researchers who are conducting oral histories that they plan to donate. We hope that our workflows and methodologies can serve as a model for other institutions interested in conducting, preserving, and providing access to oral histories. 3:30 – 3:45 pm Break 3:45 – 4:30 pm The Tamiami Trail - The Beginning, Althea (Vicki) Silvera, Cesar Becerra, Jason Chanois and Houston Cypress, (Florida International University).
May 2015 marks a century since the building of the Tampa to Miami Trail. The session is intended to honor the theme of the conference and will look at archival and personal collections looking at the Trail. Cesar Becerra (historian) will showcase photographs of the 60's looking at the unique architecture of the Trail, Houston Cypress (documentarian) will present early photographs of the Seminoles on the Trail, Jason Chanois (FIU MA Student) will present his archival research on the use of prisoners to build the Trail and Vicki Silvera (FIU Archivist) will present Trail documents 5:00 – 7:00 pm Tour & Reception at HistoryMiami (101 West Flagler Street, Miami, FL, 33130 / Telephone 305-375-1492 - Directions and Parking)
Hosted by HistoryMiami and Florida International University Thursday, May 14 Courtyard by Marriott- Miami Coconut Grove, Fl. Sapphire Room 8:30 am – 4:00 pm Registration 8:00 – 8:30 am SFA Board of Directors Meeting 8:30 – 9:00 am Exhibitors Introduction - APPX Software, Inc., Crawford Media Services Inc., Hollinger Metal Edge, Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) and Gaylord Archival Silent Auction and Poster Sessions Open 9:00 – 9:30 am Route Maps and First Flights: Working with the Pan American World Airways, Inc. Records, Emily Gibson (Vizcaya Museum & Gardens) and Steve Hersh (University of Miami)
Very large collections can present challenges for archival institutions in a number of ways. Processing such collections can be intimidating given the sheer amount of materials that must be organized, both physically and intellectually. Likewise, providing research services for large collections can prove daunting given the volume of materials to consult in relation to the often limited amounts of time available to dedicate to each research request.
Through the lens of the 1,500 linear foot Pan American World Airways, Inc. records collection, we hope to discuss our own experiences processing very large collections and providing research services to a wide spectrum of users with a variety of types of questions.
Steve Hersh will draw upon his experience providing research services to demonstrate methods of handling collection gaps, researcher expectations and demand for digitization. Emily Gibson will draw upon her experience processing the collection to demonstrate methods of overcoming lack of original order on an MPLP timeline and other challenges. 9:30 – 10:00 am Break, Exhibitors and Poster Sessions 10:00 – 11:15 am Annual Business Meeting 11:30 – 1:00 pm SFA All Attendee Luncheon (with keynote speakers)
Keynote Speakers - Dorothy Fields and Arva Moore Parks
Dorothy Fields is a Miami native, historian and archivist. She holds a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction and a Ph.D. in African American History. Dr. Fields is the founder of The Black Archives, History and Research Foundation. She has authored many articles on South Florida history, especially as it pertains to the African American experience and culture. Dr. Fields has received many awards for her continued advocacy for historical collections and landmarks.
Arva Moore Parks, a Miami native with a master’s degree in history, has been researching and writing about South Florida for more than 40 years. She is the author of award-winning documentaries; eight books, including Miami the Magic City, the city’s official history, and has written or contributed to more than a 20 others. Ms. Parks is an indefatigable historic preservationist and many South Florida landmarks have been preserved because of her leadership. 1:15 –2:00 pm Working Memory: Celebration, Succession Planning, and Lessons Learned in Florida’s Archival Institutions, Erin Mahaney (Florida Institute of Technology), Dean DeBolt (University of West Florida Library), and James Anthony Schnur (University of South Florida St. Petersburg)
This presentation will focus on the history of archival institutions in Florida by discussing the role and activities of individuals or small groups that serve as the unofficial ‘institutional memory’ for an archival organization. Examples include people connected to or part of an organization for most of their lives or the organization’s life, long-term volunteers or staff, and archivists who not only preserve the institutional memory, but are that memory.
Panelists will explore the efficacy of these groups and individuals as advocates in establishing, promoting, and supporting archives. It will also consider the relationships between organizations and these individuals, and how these relationships can impact institutions of different sizes, types, and administrative structures.
Presenters will discuss advantages and potential drawbacks of having the living memory integrated with the archives in a staff or volunteer context, and issues of reliance, ownership, succession planning, and risk mitigation. For instance, how do these arrangements benefit or damage archival advocacy, particularly when the archives play a support role within the administrative structure? Topics will also include the potential for ongoing positive engagement, and ways to capitalize on the enduring commitment these individuals have sustained, validate their investment, and channel their strengths for new projects.
Finally, drawing on experiences with small non-profits, private and public universities, and archives at varying stages of development, presenters will explore how archives professionals can best utilize the continuity these individuals represent and maximize the value of their history with Florida’s archival institutions. 2:00 – 2:15 pm Break, Exhibitors and Poster Sessions 2:15 – 2:30 pm Adventures in Outreach: A Case Study, Rebecca Bramlett and Katherine Hoarn (Florida State University)
The mission of Special Collections and Archives is threefold: to acquire rare and unique materials, to preserve these resources for future generations, and to provide access to primary sources for researchers. In fulfilling this mission, Special Collections and Archives fosters scholarship at all levels, playing an important role in the larger academic community. However, not all patrons who would benefit from the resources in Special Collections and Archives are aware of its accessibility. Stereotypes and misconceptions can keep potential researchers from utilizing these resources. To combat this problem, outreach--marketing library services beyond traditional user communities--has become an essential job function for Special Collections librarians and archivists. Potential barriers created by location, limited hours, unfamiliar rules, and an abundance of paperwork are bridged through outreach.
This paper will present a case study of the outreach efforts undertaken in the Division of Special Collections & Archives at Florida State University, focusing on two primary components of outreach: exhibits and classroom instruction. This outreach provides students and researchers opportunities for engagement with primary source materials outside of the reading room setting. Placing Florida State University’s efforts within the context of current literature, this paper will explore the challenges and benefits associated with outreach, emphasizing the importance of outreach in improving accessibility. 2:30 - 2:45 pm The Comments Section, Jay Sylvestre (University of Miami)
A short discussion of reaching out and working with other archives and special collections through social media- In this case, organizing a weekly series of image posts on Instagram with the hashtag #bugginout. It will be a talk focusing on the origins of the hashtag, discussion of the other institutions involved, and the attention the posts received. 2:45 – 3:45 pm SFA in the World: Dispatches from SFA members in the international world of archives, Miguel Asencio (Florida International University), Natalie Baur (University of Miami), Brooke Wooldridge (Florida International University), and Wenxian Zhang (Rollins College).
Cosmopolitan novelist and travel writer Lawrence Durrell once said that “travel can be one of the most rewarding forms of introspection.” Through that kind of introspection, travelling and connecting with our international archives colleagues can give us a broader perspective of the work we do as archivists here in the US and, more locally, in Florida. Only by becoming aware of what our colleagues are doing around the world to adapt best practices to current realities, working within tight budget constraints, and serving diverse populations can we move forward confidently into a world of building globally interconnected local networks of information that increasingly requires participation at the international level. Join four Society of Florida Archivists members while they share their stories of working with the global archives community in the Caribbean (Brooke Wooldridge and Miguel Asencio), Ecuador (Natalie Baur), and China (Wenxian Zhang). Presenters will offer an overview of their work making connections with international colleagues, visiting archives and libraries abroad, and collaborations with institutions to deliver training and support to digitization projects. 5:00 – 7:00 pm SFA Evening Reception - Courtyard by Marriott- Miami Coconut Grove Friday, May 15 Courtyard by Marriott- Miami Coconut Grove, Fl., Sapphire Room 9:00 – 9:45 am You want what? Responding to patron duplication requests, Cathy Martyniak (University of Florida), Garret Kremer-Wright (Orange County Regional History Center) and Mary Rubin (University of Central Florida)
Panelists from archives located at two academic institutions and a historical society will discuss the policies and procedures that govern their responses to patron requests for copies of materials from their collections. Panelists will discuss topics including but not limited to:
1. Their philosophy on responding to patron duplication requests
2. Conducting a patron duplication request policy peer review
3. How the organization determined if fees should be charged
4. The difference between a duplication fee and a usage fee
5. Copyright and permission issues for commercial and non-commercial users
6. Delivery options for requested content
7. Possible exceptions to policies and procedures
8. The difference between a research request and a duplication request
At the end of the session, attendees will have a solid understanding of the various components of a patron duplication request fulfillment system and be able to discuss the pros and cons of various approaches to setting up their own local system. 9:45 – 10:30 am Program Evolution: Heritage Protocol & University Archives at Florida State, Sandra Varry (Florida State University)
This session will discuss the evolution of the Heritage Protocol Program at Florida State University in regard to archival practice. This program began as a campus wide initiative to document FSU's many incarnations and 164 year history as Florida's oldest public institution, and more specifically the student experience. In over a decade, the original plan for the program; a committee based, decentralized heritage preservation program, has slowly evolved into a full-fledged University Archives. This presentation briefly discusses the history and development of that program, its successes and failures, and its current incarnation and impact on FSU and the wider community, as well collections management and collection samples. 10:30 – 10:45 am Exhibitors and Poster Sessions
Break 10:45 -11:30 am Jesse Wooley: His Photographs of Early Florida, Leslie Siegel
Jesse Wooley (1867-1940) was a photographer from Ballston Spa, New York who first traveled to Florida by steamship in the late 19th century. He recorded his early trips to Florida on lantern slides and gave lectures about his adventure traveling south. In the 1920s he began traveling to Florida by car. He made these trips with his wife Susan Arnold Wooley (no dates). The Special Collections Department at the University of Miami is home to some of his lantern slides and photographs. These were donated by Marion Rinhart (1916-2003) and Floyd Rinhart (1915-1996).
While he photographed his entire travel south, I am only focusing on his Florida photographs for my presentation. The uniqueness of Wooley as a photographer, when compared to his contemporaries in the early 20th century, was that he used a small Kodak camera to take his pictures and this enabled him to take photographs of people going about their lives without intruding into daily scenes with a large format camera. He, therefore, recorded everyday life and the early pristine landscapes of Florida thus preserving life as it was known in the late 19th century and the early 20th century. His photographers are truly remarkable. Wooley crisscrossed the state from St. Augustine to St. Petersburg, From St. Pete to Palm Beach, then on to the Magic City itself, all the while recording the beauty of a lost Florida. This presentation will show how our state transitioned from swamp and forest to a tourist destination of the late 1920s. 11:30 - 12:00 pm Mapping the Past: Using Historical Maps and Aerials to Uncover South Florida’s History, David Brownell (Seminole Tribe of Florida Tribal Historic Preservation)
“Mapping the Past” is an in-depth look at the use and value of historical maps in helping to recreate the environments of South Florida’s past. At the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s Tribal Historic Preservation Office, we have been using a combination of historic and contemporary maps, aerial imagery, and oral histories and traditional sources to map the trails and waterways used by Seminoles and other early Floridians before and after the Seminole Wars. This effort also helps us come to a better understanding of the history of South Florida’s drainage and Development.
This presentation will take an in-depth look at trail networks that have been documented since the early 20th century and contemporary efforts to commemorate, preserve, and protect these vital clues to Florida’s past. Working with local historians, universities, and government record centers the THPO has been able to scan over 150 maps in the past two years. These include military scouting maps, surveying plats, and even hand-drawn sketches created by Seminole scouts during the Florida Wars. With the earliest maps dating back to the 17th century, they provide an almost continual narrative of the exploration and use of Florida over the course of 400 years. Using modern GIS mapping software, it is possible to not recreate these vanished environments, but to also close in on locations of forts and Seminole villages and camps.12:00 pm Annual Meeting Concludes 2:00 – 2:45 pm Tour hosted by Vizcaya Museum and Gardens (3251 South Miami Avenue Miami, FL 33129 – Directions and Parking)
Please RSVP with Emily Gibson by Friday May 8th, emily.gibson@vizcaya.org, Telephone 305-860-8416.The tour will accommodate a maximum of 50 participants. Poster Sessions Crowdsourcing the Archive: Public Participation and Its Impact on Archival Practice
Marissa Kings
A recent trend in digital humanities projects has been to engage in crowdsourcing, which the SAA defines as “the process of obtaining content, goods, or services from volunteers, typically via the Internet” (Word of the Week, September 23, 2014). This includes digital archive projects where the general public is either asked to contribute content relating to a specific theme or topic or to enhance existing digital content through transcribing, tagging, or generally describing documents. Many of the tasks accomplished through crowdsourcing overlap with archival functions, and it is the aim of this poster to explore the impact that use of crowdsourcing in archives is having or will have on traditional archival practices. Margaret Anna Cusack: The Nun of Kenmare's Collection at Saint Leo University, Saint Leo, Florida
Carol Ann Moon
This poster session will demonstrate the history and the holdings of the Margaret Anna Cusack (The Nun of Kenmare) Collection at Saint Leo University in Saint Leo, Florida. In 2010, this collection was donated by two members of the Congregation of Sisters of Saint Joseph of Peace, an order founded by Cusack in the 1880s in New Jersey. In 2012, a trip was made to the Franciscan Archives in Killiney, Ireland to share related collection contents information, as well as a trip to Knock, Ireland for some collection development. Scholars from around the world are studying Cusack, as her ideas and concerns prefigured the topics discussed at Vatican II in 1962. There is also a Florida connection, as Cusack had relatives in the South and was invited to Maitland, Florida before she left the United States for England, and left the Catholic Church as well. A letter she wrote from St. Augustine talks about her travel on the St. John's River.