We’ve all seen a movie or two that has a scene set in the Archives or a Special Collections Library. Movie magic can really show our work off well. The silver screen is notorious for exaggeration and over generalizing certain tasks and this is even true for the depictions of the world of Special CollectionsContinue reading “Movie Myths: Busted!”
Category Archives: Recent Posts & Announcements
Is it Lost in the Archives?: Discovery Myths and Archival Labor
Every so often in the news we hear about an important document that was previously unknown and discovered in the archives. Beginning in 2012, The Atlantic ran two pieces about one such example: The Leale Report. This is a perfect case to examine for making archival labor transparent and looking at several myths in theContinue reading “Is it Lost in the Archives?: Discovery Myths and Archival Labor”
Awareness and Perceptions of Archives
Has the internet impacted perceptions about archivists and the work we do? Caitlin Patterson’s article “Perceptions and Understandings of Archives in the Digital Age” intends to help us understand.1 Here are the main takeaways of her survey: Increased expectations to find both general information and archival materials online. Respondents felt that archives were inaccessible andContinue reading “Awareness and Perceptions of Archives”
“It’s all online, right?”: Myths of the Digital and the Archives
Among the many myths of the archives, the ones around digitization and digital libraries are perhaps the ones that can frustrate me the most. But then, I am a digital archivist so that will not surprise you. However, ever since archives started to digitize their materials and share them online, we’ve been battling these mythsContinue reading ““It’s all online, right?”: Myths of the Digital and the Archives”
Welcome to Special Collections & Archives MythBusters Month!
Throughout the month of April we’ll be debunking some of the most popular myths about our work, on our Illuminations blog and on FSU Libraries’ Twitter and Instagram. We invite you to join us on this SCA MythBusting journey!
Their Stories: Why Oral History Matters.
LGBTQ+ history has traditionally been passed down orally. Through stories, shared experiences, and even gossip, queer people have kept alive their art, colloquialisms, and their truth. Oral history is a huge component to understanding the queer experience (as for other cultures). However, it is a more modern development for institutions to note the value ofContinue reading “Their Stories: Why Oral History Matters.”
Springtime in the SSDN Repository
This springtime the Sunshine State Digital Network challenges you to “spring clean your mind” by exploring our repository for materials related to spring!
Armchair Traveling in the Digital Library
We’ve all been stuck pretty close to home for over a year now and, I don’t know about you, but I am missing the fun and excitement of traveling. I find myself planning trips and adding more and more days onto a European vacation that has been postponed for two years now. A recent newContinue reading “Armchair Traveling in the Digital Library”
Archival Spring Cleaning
Winter has finally passed and while you revel in the return of green things, you might also think about doing some Spring cleaning. Brushing out the cobwebs of a neglected basement or attic, you find some ancient treasures, boxed up and passed down over the generations. As you page through fragile letters and photographs fromContinue reading “Archival Spring Cleaning”
Pocket books: small volumes in the Shaw Collection
Today we are celebrating John MacKay Shaw on the anniversary of his death in 1984. Shaw (1897-1984) was a Scottish-born American businessman and philanthropist who collected works of British and American poetry related to the theme of childhood. When talking about the Shaw collection, we often highlight the 5,000 first and rare editions of majorContinue reading “Pocket books: small volumes in the Shaw Collection”
