Sidelights - Historical Society of Pennsylvania...challenges of preserving and archiving analog...
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Staff News This fall has been a very busy time for everyone here at HSP! Here are just a few examples of what our staff members have been up to: Lindsey Mears, our Senior Preservation Technician, recently traveled to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for the first in a series of conservation classes offered by the American Academy of Bookbinding. This small hands- on session on the restoration of cloth and leather bindings was limited to ten selected applicants, and gave Lindsey the opportunity to study with Don Etherington, one of the most highly respected conservationists in the field. Lee Arnold, Director of the Library and Collections, along with HSP Archivists Joanne Danifo, Katherine Gallup, Sarah Heim, Leslie Hunt, and Megan Vacca, attended the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference in Dover, DE, this October. Along with other archivists, librarians, and curators from the region, they learned and talked about building partnerships with other institutions, trends in archival education, documenting musical traditions, dealing with photos and other images in manuscript collections, and strategies for managing electronic documents. !!! Kate Wilson, Director of Education and Interpretation and Jen Coval, our new Educator, attended a conference of the Pennsylvania Council for the Social Studies in Lancaster this October. Kate facilitated a workshop showcasing HSP’s ethnic history web materials, and Jen used the opportunity to interact with K-12 teachers from the area at an exhibit table promoting HSP’s educational resources, including Legacies, which garnered a great deal of positive feedback. Joan Saverino,Assistant Director for Education, presented her paper, “Mapping Memories in Stone: Italians and the Transformation of a Philadelphia Landscape” at the conference, Immigrant and Ethnic Communities in Philadelphia and Beyond at Bryn Mawr College, as well as at the American Folklore Society Annual Meeting in Atlanta, and the American Italian Historical Association Annual Meeting in Los Angeles.This paper came out of her ethnohistorical research project with the Italian American community in Chestnut Hill. Kate Wilson, Joan Saverino, and Donna Sharer from the Philadelphia Public Schools presented a roundtable session entitled “Thinking History,Teaching History:Engaging Students and Teachers with the Historiographic Process” at the Pennsylvania Historical Association Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh this October. Bryn Keytanjian, Director of Cataloging, gave a talk at the 2005 Genealogy Conference sponsored by the Chester County Historical Society and the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania. Her presentation, titled “Beyond the Keyword: Maximizing the Potential of the Library Online Catalog to Improve the Genealogical Research Experience”used HSP’s OPAC as an example to illustrate how researchers can best utilize online searches and better understand the material retrieved. RA Friedman,HSP’s Rights and Reproductions Coordinator, participated in a round-table discussion at this fall’s Oral History in the Mid-Atlantic Region (OHMAR) Oral History Workshop. Along with George Blood from the Safe Sound Archive, he talked about the challenges of preserving and archiving analog sound in the digital age, and explored new trends in the field. Two of our project archivists are back to school this fall. Katie Gallup started her first semester in Drexel’s Arts Administration program. This two-year program emphasizes business skills for non- profits geared towards the arts and culture. Courtney Smerz is finishing her first year of the required coursework for her M.A. in American History from Temple. These two have both adapted their schedules so they can attend classes and continue to work on their collections processing projects at HSP. Our President, David Moltke-Hansen, has given talks before the CEO Forum at the American Association of State and Local History, Penn State’s Civil War Study Center,a recent state heritage tourism conference, and the Colonial Dames in Wilmington, Delaware. He continues to serve as head of the Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collections Libraries and the Civil War History Consortium, both of which have recently been awarded significant grants to improve access to the region’s historical resources. t Preserving History’s Light HSP Sidelights Volume 2, No. 4 December 2005 Historical Pennsylvania Society of The Safe at HSP Hurricane Katrina was a disaster of tremendous magnitude. Its unrelenting waters destroyed lives and communities, and washed away not only the streets and structures its victims had built –it carried away thousands of personal histories and an irreplaceable piece of our nation’s identity. While the ruins of historic houses bear conspicuous witness to this profound loss, many smaller casualties of this disaster are felt just as keenly: countless families have lost not only their friends and their homes, but also the decades of family photos, letters and diaries, and the personal records that preserve individual voices and help us remember those we love and who we are. Our mission at HSP is to share our unique history–from the iconic documents, publications, and records that have shaped our nation, to the multitude of manuscripts and photos that represent individual voices and reflect the nature of our identities as Americans. In the wake of Katrina, many of us have considered how a disaster might affect the safety and security of our families, our homes, and their contents. Staff members of HSP think not only about their own dwellings, but also of the collections at 13 th and Locust–because by keeping them safe, we protect more than our “historical record”–we are preserving our memories. While Philadelphia will likely never face a hurricane, heavy rains may mean trouble for roofs and basements. Fires are serious concerns for both homes and libraries. Fortunately, HSP has taken significant measures to minimize the effects of these and other disasters. One of our primary concerns is the safety and security of both the people in the building and the collections. To foster this,HSP’s Disaster Planning Task Force reviews and updates the Disaster Plan, a comprehensive document providing guidelines and procedures should a crisis occur. This plan covers everything from evacuation of the building to collection salvage and outlines routine preventative measures and staff training. We also keep our building and collections safe day-to-day in a variety of ways. Our building is monitored twenty-four hours a day for fire, intrusion, and flood. While we strive to make our collections accessible, our security policy prevents visitors from carrying bags or coats into the library, and surveillance cameras allows us to monitor use of our collections to ensure safe handling and prevent theft. Cameras behind-the-scenes are used to supervise access points, and an electronic pass-key system keeps our collections storage areas secure. HSP also maintains a special double-locked area for our most treasured national icons, such as the drafts of the Constitution and the printer’s proof of the Declaration of Independence. We regularly invite the Red Cross on-site to certify interested staff members in both CPR and First Aid. The Historical Society of Pennsylvania takes the safety of its staff, patrons, and collections seriously. We have been an institution in Philadelphia for over 180 years and will strive to keep our history and our memories safe for generations to come. t Images from HSP’s collections used in Joan Saverino’s research on Italian immigrants.
Transcript of Sidelights - Historical Society of Pennsylvania...challenges of preserving and archiving analog...
Staff NewsThis fall has been a very busy time for everyone here at HSP! Hereare just a few examples of what our staff members have been up to:
Lindsey Mears, our Senior Preservation Technician, recently traveledto Ann Arbor, Michigan, for the first in a series of conservation classesoffered by the American Academy of Bookbinding. This small hands-on session on the restoration of cloth and leather bindings was limitedto ten selected applicants, and gave Lindsey the opportunity to studywith Don Etherington, one of the most highly respectedconservationists in the field.
Lee Arnold, Director of the Library and Collections, along with HSPArchivists Joanne Danifo, Katherine Gallup, Sarah Heim, LeslieHunt, and Megan Vacca, attended the Mid-Atlantic RegionalArchives Conference in Dover, DE, this October. Along with otherarchivists, librarians, and curators from the region, they learned andtalked about building partnerships with other institutions, trends inarchival education, documenting musical traditions, dealing withphotos and other images in manuscript collections, and strategies formanaging electronic documents. !!!
Kate Wilson, Director of Education and Interpretation and JenCoval, our new Educator, attended a conference of the PennsylvaniaCouncil for the Social Studies in Lancaster this October. Katefacilitated a workshop showcasing HSP’s ethnic history web materials,and Jen used the opportunity to interact with K-12 teachers from thearea at an exhibit table promoting HSP’s educational resources,including Legacies, which garnered a great deal of positive feedback.
Joan Saverino,Assistant Director for Education, presented her paper,“Mapping Memories in Stone: Italians and the Transformation of aPhiladelphia Landscape” at the conference, Immigrant and EthnicCommunities in Philadelphia and Beyond at Bryn Mawr College, as wellas at the American Folklore Society Annual Meeting in Atlanta, andthe American Italian Historical Association Annual Meeting in LosAngeles.This paper came out of her ethnohistorical research projectwith the Italian American community in Chestnut Hill.
Kate Wilson, Joan Saverino, and Donna Sharer from thePhiladelphia Public Schools presented a roundtable session entitled“Thinking History,Teaching History: Engaging Students and Teacherswith the Historiographic Process” at the Pennsylvania HistoricalAssociation Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh this October.
Bryn Keytanjian, Director of Cataloging, gave a talk at the 2005Genealogy Conference sponsored by the Chester County HistoricalSociety and the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania. Herpresentation, titled “Beyond the Keyword: Maximizing the Potential ofthe Library Online Catalog to Improve the Genealogical ResearchExperience” used HSP’s OPAC as an example to illustrate howresearchers can best utilize online searches and better understand thematerial retrieved.
RA Friedman, HSP’s Rights and Reproductions Coordinator,participated in a round-table discussion at this fall’s Oral History inthe Mid-Atlantic Region (OHMAR) Oral History Workshop. Alongwith George Blood from the Safe Sound Archive, he talked about thechallenges of preserving and archiving analog sound in the digital age,and explored new trends in the field.
Two of our project archivists are back to school this fall. KatieGallup started her first semester in Drexel’s Arts Administrationprogram. This two-year program emphasizes business skills for non-profits geared towards the arts and culture. Courtney Smerz isfinishing her first year of the required coursework for her M.A. inAmerican History from Temple. These two have both adapted theirschedules so they can attend classes and continue to work on theircollections processing projects at HSP.
Our President, David Moltke-Hansen, has given talks before theCEO Forum at the American Association of State and Local History,Penn State’s Civil War Study Center, a recent state heritage tourismconference, and the Colonial Dames in Wilmington, Delaware. Hecontinues to serve as head of the Philadelphia Area Consortium ofSpecial Collections Libraries and the Civil War History Consortium,both of which have recently been awarded significant grants toimprove access to the region’s historical resources. t
Preserving History’s Light
HSP SidelightsVolume 2, No. 4 December 2005
Historical
PennsylvaniaSocietyof
The
Safe at HSPHurricane Katrina was a disaster oftremendous magnitude. Its unrelentingwaters destroyed lives and communities, andwashed away not only the streets andstructures its victims had built –it carriedaway thousands of personal histories and anirreplaceable piece of our nation’s identity.While the ruins of historic houses bearconspicuous witness to this profound loss,many smaller casualties of this disaster are feltjust as keenly: countless families have lost notonly their friends and their homes, but alsothe decades of family photos, letters anddiaries, and the personal records that preserveindividual voices and help us remember thosewe love and who we are.
Our mission at HSP is to share our uniquehistory–from the iconic documents,publications, and records that have shaped ournation, to the multitude of manuscripts andphotos that represent individual voices andreflect the nature of our identities asAmericans. In the wake of Katrina, many ofus have considered how a disaster might affectthe safety and security of our families, ourhomes, and their contents. Staff members ofHSP think not only about their own
dwellings, but also of the collections at 13th
and Locust–because by keeping them safe, weprotect more than our “historical record”–weare preserving our memories.
While Philadelphia will likely never face ahurricane, heavy rains may mean trouble forroofs and basements. Fires are seriousconcerns for both homes and libraries.Fortunately,HSP hastakensignificantmeasures tominimize theeffects ofthese andotherdisasters.
One of ourprimary concerns is the safety and security ofboth the people in the building and thecollections. To foster this, HSP’s DisasterPlanning Task Force reviews and updates theDisaster Plan, a comprehensive documentproviding guidelines and procedures should acrisis occur. This plan covers everything fromevacuation of the building to collectionsalvage and outlines routine preventativemeasures and staff training.
We also keep our building and collections safeday-to-day in a variety of ways. Our buildingis monitored twenty-four hours a day for fire,intrusion, and flood. While we strive to makeour collections accessible, our security policyprevents visitors from carrying bags or coatsinto the library, and surveillance camerasallows us to monitor use of our collections toensure safe handling and prevent theft.
Cameras behind-the-scenes areused to supervise access points,and an electronic pass-key systemkeeps our collections storage areassecure. HSP also maintains aspecial double-locked area for ourmost treasured national icons,such as the drafts of theConstitution and the printer’sproof of the Declaration ofIndependence. We regularlyinvite the Red Cross on-site to
certify interested staff members in both CPRand First Aid.
The Historical Society of Pennsylvania takesthe safety of its staff, patrons, and collectionsseriously. We have been an institution inPhiladelphia for over 180 years and will striveto keep our history and our memories safefor generations to come. t
Images from HSP’s collections used in Joan Saverino’sresearch on Italian immigrants.
1300 Locust Street,Philadelphia,Pennsylvania 19107-5699
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Historical
PennsylvaniaSocietyof
The
Preserving History’s LightNon Profit OrganizationU.S.Postage PaidPhiladelphia,PAPermit No.210
You may have already heard a great deal about Ben Franklin 300Philadelphia, our city’s year-long celebration of the 300th anniversaryof Ben Franklin’s birth. An extraordinary number of museums,institutions, restaurants, and even hotels are eagerly finding ways tohonor Franklin’s life and legacy. From exhibitions and concerts toFranklin-themed cocktails and desserts, the next year will offercountless activities and ways to learn about this versatile FoundingFather. And while none of these exhibitions or activities willtake place at HSP, a great many of them would not bepossible without our resources and support.
Perhaps the most spectacular of these events, the exhibition,Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World, will feature thelargest collection of original Franklin materials ever assembled.Hosted in Philadelphia by the Constitution Center, this exhibitionbrings Franklin to life, offering insight into his character, career, andvision. It includes numerous rarely seen treasures from HSP’scollections, such as a draft of the U.S. Constitution, and pamphlets andperiodicals published by Franklin himself, including his commentaryon such subjects as the introduction of paper currency, anddescriptions of his experiments and observations on electricity.
But that’s not the only place you’ll see HSP involved in celebratingFranklin. We’ll be partnering with the University of Pennsylvania ona special exhibit entitled Educating the Youth of Pennsylvania:Worlds of Learning in the Age of Franklin. This exhibitionexplores learning and schooling in Franklin’s day: who received aneducation; who were the teachers; what was taught? This exhibit willoffer a glimpse into the 18th century through documents, images,artifacts, and a variety of programs. In addition, our Education andInterpretation department will be conducting workshops for teachers,and developing curriculum to support the exhibit.
We’ll be contributing to five other exhibits, including an explorationof the medical world in Franklin’s time on display at the College ofPhysicians, where you’ll be able to see an example of Franklin’s
famous “Poor Richard’s Almanac,” from 1736, and a volume ofFranklin’s work published in France in 1773. Another “Poor Richard’sAlmanac” from 1743 will go to the Rosenbach Museum and Library.We’ll lend a watercolor and a map of old Philadelphia to theAmerican Philosophical Society, and engravings, manuscripts, andnewspapers to the Atwater Kent Museum. An exhibit on Franklin andhis relationship to Quakers at Haverford College will feature apolitical cartoon from HSP as well as a manuscript, Proposals forConscientious Objectors, drafted in 1775.
At HSP we are thrilled to have the opportunity to share ourremarkable collections with such a wide audience, and to partner withmany of our city’s wonderful institutions. As you enjoy all of theFranklin-related activities and celebrations over the next few months,we hope you’ll remember that so many of the national treasures you’llexperience and learn from have come from HSP. As members,your support of HSP has made it possible for these valuableitems, and so many others, to be available for not only theFranklin tercentenary, but for many years to come. t
From the Vaults
Look Inside!
Learn how HSP will be supporting thecitywide celebration of Franklin’s 300th
birthday by bringing some of our raresttreasures out from the vaults! t
Collections UpdateGood news–the processing of our
recent acquisition, the records of
the Lantern and Lens Gild
(featured in the September issue of
Sidelights), has been sponsored by
two generous donors. HSP
extends a special thanks to Mr. and
Mrs. Howard Lewis and Ms. Sheila
Bodine for their gifts. This
January, look for more information
about when this collection will
become available to the public and
check out our new “Adopt a
Collection” program by visiting
our website, www.hsp.org. t
