TumblrWeed Times • Posts Tagged ‘archives’

To our Monday volunteers…
Thank you all for us lending a hand,
with your skills and talents - preserve the history of your land.
Never fear’d of staple, or fastener, or band,
or researcher’s trees - sewn in foreign stands.
To Pamela, Johnathan, Melissa and Nancy
you are appreciated and certainly fancy-dancy!

…in the spirit of Volunteer Appreciation Week (April 21-27, 2013)

How Legislative Archives Does It

Ever wonder how archivists manage overwhelming volumes of records. Here at the National Archives, we have an idea. Now one of our researchers gets it too!

todaysdocument:

Sometimes you move for better schools or an easier commute, but when the National Personnel Records Center moved, they did it for the records:

preservearchives:

What a Difference a Move Makes

When the National Archives at St. Louis National Personnel Records Center moved into its new building, we did it for the records.

NARA monitors temperature and relative humidity throughout our buildings with electronic dataloggers called Preservation Environment Monitors, or PEMs. The PEMs constantly gather temperature and humidity readings, which we collect and evaluate. The data can alert us to problems with our HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems before they become serious.

The first graph is from our old building on Page Avenue. The second graph is from one of Archives Drive’s archival bays. Notice how often the PEM recorded temperatures at Page Avenue that were above 100° F and humidity levels that were above 60%. Under NARA Directive 1571 the proper temperature and humidity for archival records is 65°F/35% (±5%).

So, the move made not only the employees but our holdings much happier.

Source: preservearchives

Preservation Haiku Round-Up!

We asked, you delivered. For your reading pleasure, haiku* reflections on preservation and archives:

Photos of the past

maps, memories, page

held in time for all

Records saved through time

Histories’ secrets unwind

Memories to find

Stacks cold as new snow

Negatives belong here but

I need three sweaters

Ancient dust and mold

Hands covered in copper stain

but I save not kill

We preserved your heart

sugar and a cool dry place

really did the trick

Find hidden treasures

Open the dusty boxes

There lies history

*We looked this up, and apparently the plural of “haiku” is either “haiku” or “haikus.” Just FYI.

FDR's Designs for His Library

Check out this fascinating post over at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt blog about FDR’s designs for his Presidential Library. Take a look at the design of the boxes, meant to be used by FDR while sitting in his wheelchair.

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Thank you, Info. Sci. Antelope, for the reminder.

wellwellwell:

informationscienceantelope:

[Remind friends to date their notebooks/sketchbooks/journals,

Archival outreach quota met for the week]

probably late to this nerd party. FASHIONABLY.

(via awesomearchives)

Source: informationscienceantelope

FLOTUS Michelle Obama recognizes Public Servant Recognition Week! At the National Archives at Riverside, we have some special things planned as well—just wait and see :)

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Here at NARA-Riverside, we call that a “safety hazard,” someone get this brave lady a ladder!

wiscohisto:

Wisconsin Historical Society librarians in the stacks, 1896.

This week, Wisconsin Heritage Online celebrates National Library Week with historic photographs of Wisconsin librarians at work. This 1896 image of Minnie Oakley and Florence Baker Hayes was taken in the Wisconsin State Capitol building, which housed the Wisconsin Historical Society library and archives from the 1860s until 1900.

via: Wisconsin Historical Images, Wisconsin Historical Society