Friday, October 16, 2015

"Study the past, if you would define the future."

During my college years, I had the great pleasure of spending a summer in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  Being an enthusiast of outdoor adventure and having spent many days throughout my life among the great valleys and peaks that define the area, I have a great respect for and feeling of awe that accompanies me while there.  Many of life’s most poignant lessons have been taught to me among the Tetons.

During this particular summer, I was assisting guests on a scenic float trip down the Snake River that meandered through Grand Teton National Park.  I was intrigued to observe these people and listen to their stories as they experienced these natural wonders.  I had become well acquainted with the phenomena that created the pristine mountains and valleys; had familiarized myself with the plants and wildlife that resided therein; and became a student of the local history that surrounded the area.  I enjoyed sharing these details with my guests and answering their questions as best I could.  Many of the experiences from that summer and other summers, falls, winters and springs throughout my life are recorded within a collection of journals I have kept.

One of my primary duties included shuttling the guests along with their raft and guide to the beginning of the excursion, helping them launch, and then proceeding to the takeout point to wait for their arrival, an obvious process for most.  However, as I was prepared to launch one such trip, one of the guests was trying to determine what they should bring along with them and asked, “So, do we takeout here as well?”

Hopefully, by the end of the trip, this guest gained a valuable understanding regarding rivers.  In the natural world, unlike the “Jungle Cruise” at Disney Land, the river continues onward in constant progression.  It is always changing and adapting to natural circumstances.  The river water does not circle around and around the same course day in and day out.  Rather, it continues on in constant progression, carrying the sediments from the beginning and depositing them along the way to fortify the future. 

Similarly, the progress of human civilization does not and should not remain channeled in a circular course.  Rather, it is and should be progressing onward and upward as we adhere to basic principles that keep us on track.

However, too often, we find ourselves trapped, learning and relearning difficult lessons and principles that have already been taught in the fiery crucible of human experience.  It’s tragic that the furnace has to be relit in seeming perpetuity to reteach those same courses.    

As George Santayana famously quipped: “Those who don’t learn history, are doomed to repeat it.” 

As a society, it is ever so important that we take time to study and understand the past.  So much has been written.  Even more has been said.  The more time we take to discover the lives and experiences, the thoughts and perspectives of those who came before us, the more likely we will be to avoid making their same mistakes, to build upon their successes, and to appreciate the foundational strength they provided.   

So, what resources are available to help us explore the past?

Your local library is a great place to start.  Beyond the plethora of various reading materials, from books, to journals, to magazines that we might expect to find, many libraries maintain vast collections of archival materials such as old documents, manuscripts, photos, videos, or audio files that are available for public perusal.  

These materials may be found at public libraries, educational institutions, and various government libraries.

Historically, they have been difficult to locate and have required extensive hours of exploration before locating the items or topics in which you have interest. 

In today’s world, however, that process has become significantly easier.  Over the last few years, libraries have begun digitizing these materials in hopes of making them more readily available for public dissemination. 

Through the use of technology, these materials have become much more findable.  Through internet search engines, you are able to quickly locate items relating to various historical figures or topics and the institutions or individuals maintaining those items.  In addition, through the various digital library platforms those entities employ, you can quickly view and search through the materials to discover and explore the past in greater depth.

Thankfully, efforts are being made by the owners of these materials to make them more widely available.  They recognize that greater value in historical scholarship is garnered through collaborative efforts.

Initiatives such as the Open Archives Initiative are helping to bring materials together in a succinct and standard format.  Various entities such as the Digital PublicLibrary of America with it’s various regional hubs such as the Mountain WestDigital Library are greatly aiding this effort by bringing together in one the various historical collections currently owned or hosted by separate, disparate institutions. 

Whether your interest in the past is founded in scholarly research, personal curiosity, or some other motivation, visiting your local, educational, and/or governmental library will provide the guidance and resource necessary to launch your exploration into the past.

As Confucius has been credited with saying, “Study the past, if you would define the future.”


Tuesday, October 13, 2015

The Nevada State Archives celebrates 50 years with Launch of Digital Collections Website

The digital website is a treasure-trove of historical documents and images related to Nevada's history that contains nearly 40,000 items including:
  • Historical Land Patents
  • Census Records
  • Territorial Histories
  • State Histories
  • Various state publications
  • Etc.
You may peruse the collections free of charge by going to http://www.nsladigitalcollections.org/


Here is a portion of the official Press Release, courtesy of the Nevada State Library, Archives, and Public Records:

----------------

October 8, 2015
State Archives Celebrates 50 Years
with Launch of New Website

Carson City, NV – October is American Archives Month and it’s Nevada Archives’ 50thanniversary.  In recognition and celebration, the Nevada Department of Administration’s Division of State Library, Archives and Public Records is proud to announce the launch of a new Digital Collections website. The website showcases both Nevada’s history with documents dating back to 1851, as well as current state, county and local government reports:  http://www.nsladigitalcollections.org/

“This is the biggest thing to happen to State Archives and State Library since we merged in 1979,” said State Librarian Daphne DeLeon. “Fifty years ago the state archives program didn’t exist. Old records were kept in basements and attic rooms, and were nearly impossible to find. Now while the original archives are safe and secure in a protected environment, the public can view these fragile, historical documents on line.”  

The Archives’ component of the website is called “Historical Nevada Collections,” and has original and microfilmed documents from Nevada Territory and early statehood including letters, telegrams and court cases, as well as official reports on the military, mines, mental hospital, state police, prison and public schools. The historical collection also includes all patents for land sold by the state government to private individuals from 1865 to 2007. Furthermore, it has a complete collection on Sarah Winnemucca compiled from records in the National Archives, the Library of Congress and newspapers from Boston, Nevada, Idaho and Washington.

The Library’s component features the more recent publications produced by Nevada state, county and local government agencies and are featured in the “Electronic State Publications” portion of the website. This is now a convenient one-stop location to browse statewide agency reports covering a range of topics such as agriculture, healthcare, wildlife, and law:  http://www.nsladigitalcollections.org/
To celebrate its 50th Anniversary, and Governor proclaimed State Archives Day in Nevada, attend an open house at the State Library and Archives building to visit its research room and hear talks on Nevada History, MondayOctober 262 – 4 p.m. 100 N. Stewart St., Carson City, NV. For more information, please call (775) 684-3362.

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More information regarding the 50th anniversary can be found in the following newspaper write-up:

Monday, October 12, 2015

Promoting Use of Your Digital Content

The Digital Public Library of America, through their Public Library Partnerships Project (PLPP),  has put together a curriculum "to provide digital skills training for public librarians and connect them sustainably with state and regional resources for digitizing, describing, and exhibiting their cultural heritage content.

This is the 6th module in the series and is entitled "Promoting Use of Your Digital Content." It was presented by Anna Fahey-Flynn from the Boston Public Library and Digital Commonwealth.

It covers:
  • identifying audiences
  • media outreach
  • social media strategies
  • curated projects
  • measuring use




This content is provided courtesy of the Public Library Partnerships Project.

Digital Reformatting and File Management

The Digital Public Library of America, through their Public Library Partnerships Project (PLPP),  has put together a curriculum "to provide digital skills training for public librarians and connect them sustainably with state and regional resources for digitizing, describing, and exhibiting their cultural heritage content.

This is the 5th module in the series and is entitled "Digital Reformatting and File Management."  It was presented by Sandra McIntyre, Director of the Mountain West Digital Library and prepared by Sheila McAlister, Director of the Digital Library of Georgia.

It covers:
  • scanning and conversion
  • file naming
  • file storage
  • master and access files
  • working with partners and vendors




This content is provided courtesy of the Public Library Partnerships Project.



Using Metadata to Describe Digital Content

The Digital Public Library of America, through their Public Library Partnerships Project (PLPP),  has put together a curriculum "to provide digital skills training for public librarians and connect them sustainably with state and regional resources for digitizing, describing, and exhibiting their cultural heritage content.

This is the 4th module in the series and is entitled "Using Metadata to Describe Digital Content."  It was presented by Greer Martin, Digital Public Library metadata librarian and archivist at the Digital Library of Georgia, and Anna Neatrour, metadata librarian at the University of Utah and former metadata librarian at the Mountain West Digital Library.

It covers:
  • why metadata is important
  • basic metadata fields
  • using controlled vocabularies
  • using spreadsheets for metadata




This content is provided courtesy of the Public Library Partnerships Project.


Friday, October 9, 2015

Understanding Copyright

The Digital Public Library of America, through their Public Library Partnerships Project (PLPP),  has put together a curriculum "to provide digital skills training for public librarians and connect them sustainably with state and regional resources for digitizing, describing, and exhibiting their cultural heritage content.

This is the third module in the series and is entitled "Understanding Copyright".  It was created by Franky Abbott from the Digital Public Library of America

It covers:
  • how to identify content in the public domain
  • how to identify content under copyright and pursue permissions
  • orphan works
  • fair use
  • understanding risk
  • rights and access statements

This content is provided courtesy of the Public Library Partnerships Project


Selecting Content for a Digitization Project

The Digital Public Library of America, through their Public Library Partnerships Project (PLPP),  has put together a curriculum "to provide digital skills training for public librarians and connect them sustainably with state and regional resources for digitizing, describing, and exhibiting their cultural heritage content.

This is the second module in the series and is entitled "Selecting Content for a Digitization Project".  It was created by Carla Urban from the Minnesota Digital Library.

Here she covers:
  • project scope
  • uniqueness
  • physical format and quality
  • subject matter
  • previously processed or cataloged materials


This content is provided courtesy of the Public Library Partnerships Project.




Planning for Digitization

The Digital Public Library of America, through their Public Library Partnerships Project (PLPP),  has put together a curriculum "to provide digital skills training for public librarians and connect them sustainably with state and regional resources for digitizing, describing, and exhibiting their cultural heritage content." 

This first module, entitled "Planning for Digitzation" was delivered by Jennifer Birnell from the Montana Memory Project

Here she covers:  
  • The advantages to digitization
  • The value of digitization partnerships
  • Some tips for project planning.





This content is provided courtesy of the Public Library Partnerships Project.