Sunday, February 15, 2015

Young Inventors Program - Library and Information Services Award

For the past five or so years, I have been a judge for the New Hampshire Young Inventors Program. Each spring, K-8 students who win local school competitions move on to this competition that supports innovative young people throughout our state. This year, I am honored to be sponsoring my first specialty award, the Library & Information Services Award. Sponsored by ArchivesInfo, this award recognizes an invention that can support the day to day work of libraries. Inventions in this category could include items such as a new type of bookshelf, a computer database, or a stand for holding your e-reader while you ride a stationary bike. My intention in sponsoring the award is to support this valuable program and the kids who take part. I also wish to raise awareness about what libraries can do for people's lives and to encourage young people to think about ways to make libraries stronger and more impactful.
As libraries expand services, re-invent themselves, or just renovate their marketing to attract a 21st century audience, they must make their innovation prominent. Libraries serve as places supporting discovery, learning, curiosity, and invention. Conversations about our role in building makerspaces, encouraging cutting edge technology, teaching sound information seeking practices and more need to filter out of our inner circles and move beyond the field of library and information science. Librarians must show how our institutions support multiple disciplines and are capable of engaging in conversations ranging from the arts to mathematics, science and history. 
Inviting students to think about how they themselves can make libraries more helpful places can play an important role in continuing and promoting the relevance of our profession. I am hopeful that by offering an award for library related inventions, I can encourage young students to consider new possibilities. I look forward to seeing children's creations for progressive libraries and better information services. 


Sunday, February 8, 2015

More Finds at the Local Antique Shop: Silhouettes

I have been on the lookout for paper cut silhouettes to decorate my house for many years. Attracted to the simplicity - the detail-less form that represents individualism while at the same time obscuring it; I am lightened by the delicate designs.

An article in the magazine entitled "Folk Art" provides a brief history of this pretty little form of art:


Initially, silhouettes were created to capture the likeness of a person in his or her basic form -- the "shadow" or "shade." to use the common language of the eighteenth century. Then, as now, the desire for a picture of a friend or loved one was important. With the invention of photography nearly three-quarters of a century away, silhouettes were the quickest, most economically feasible way of obtaining credible images. 
[DiCicco, Vincent. "Silhouette—Portraiture In America: A Fully Developed Form Of Folk Expression." Folk Art 26.3 (2001): 40-46. Art Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 8 Feb. 2015.]

Professionals and amateurs created silhouettes at the form's historical inception. By the nineteenth century, according to the Victoria and Albert Museum, silhouettes were one of the popular forms of small portraiture employed by the professional artist, marking a resurgence in the previous century's unique art form as artists realized this was a quick way to make some money.:

The cutting of silhouettes, or 'profiles' as they were called in Britain, was a popular pastime in the 18th century. From the 1770s professional artists began to produce profiles as a cheap, quick form of small portraiture. Sittings took no more than five minutes and endless exact copies could easily be made from the original.
But clients wanted novelty and artists needed to stand out from competitors. This soon led to elaborate variations on the simple cut profile. By the 1790s, many profiles were painted - on paper, ivory, plaster or even glass. Inevitably prices increased as the materials became more expensive.

To the left are the silhouettes I recently found at a local antique shop for a very reasonable price. Dated 1856 in pencil, the images are also marked as having been cut in the 1970s. They represent a "collaboration" or sorts on the final art form. According to the Norman Rockwell Museum, silhouettes became an illustrative form in the mid-nineteenth century and were an "important technique to the illustrator's artistic expression," accompanying stories in periodicals and the like. My silhouettes are likely among those used to enliven a story, later cut out of an antique magazine such as Ladies Home Journal, by a crafty housewife. In fact, when I was a child in the 70s, we completed our own silhouettes in class as a regular activity. My silhouettes and my classroom memory informally indicate to me that the 70s were indeed another resurgent time for this art form.

Both amateurs and professionals still create silhouettes today. A few artists local to me whose work I enjoy are:

Jean and Marcella Comerford
Joy Ann MacConnell 
Thanks to the Internet, we seem to be in the midst of another re-emergence of this style. DIYers offer instructions for creating your own silhouettes. In a decidedly modern twist, many suggest using profile selfies as a place to begin, recommending that DIY artists trace the images for their patterns.

Silhouettes are fun to do and fun to find. They offer us a look at who we are and what we value. These featureless figures show us our community traits - proud men, loving mothers, poised children - all done in beautiful lines expressing form over face. (Personally, I find myself especially attracted to the Victorian shapes here, giving me ideas for my next Steampunk festival costume and allowing me to see myself in their shoes.)










Saturday, January 24, 2015

Empowering Innovation: Building Community and the Intriguing Follett Challenge

As with an community archives, our school's Special Collections represent who we are. The records of our past show our growth, embody our civic pride, and help lead us to a better future. These historical materials within a school setting serve another valuable purpose. They can be part of a strong program to "Empower Innovation," helping to weave together what may seem like disparate subjects to our young people. Furthermore, when we think of our archives as a part of a whole system of information -- learning, communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, facts, multiple perspectives, history, contemporary ideas -- we expand our purpose and can better explain the importance of our work as archivists, librarians, and cultural heritage professionals.

Introduction to the Follett Challenge

The school where I serve as "Information Specialist" is currently entered in the Follett Challenge. [I'll admit right up front that one reason I thought to write about "Empowering Innovation" this weekend is because Goffstown High is seeking support for its innovative library programming and I would like more votes to help us win the Challenge. BUT that is not my only angle here so please keep reading!]

"The Follett Challenge showcases and rewards educators who are aligning their curriculum and approach in order to teach the skills needed in the 21st century, and who are implementing a collaborative program with others in their school. In order to enter, applicants must demonstrate how the program is preparing students for the demands of the 21st century and complete the entire online application, which includes a 3-5 minute video about the program."

The idea of the Challenge was intriguing to me as an Information Specialist, educator, consultant, archivist and writer. How does one encapsulate so many great things that are happening in a program using a short paper and video? How do we reach our greater community to "advertise" our work? How do we engage young people? How do we ask for help from the people with whom we have collaborated? The Follett Challenge has allowed me to explore that and more with my community.

Community and Incubating Innovation

Goffstown, New Hampshire is a relatively small town of about 17,000 people. In 1960, during the final years in the life of the town's previous high school, the town had about 7,000 people. [Note that I found the information from the census record and not from the Wikipedia article that came up first! Teaching good research skills is a vital part of our work!] Our current high school building opened in 1965 and grew to over 11,000 people by 1970. Reflected in our school archives are the faces of the 369 students from all grades during our 1964-1965 academic year as well as our graduating senior class of 270 in 2014.


Goffstown population 1960 according to NH Census records


What you see above was the STEM learning of 1965. We still see kids at work in the chem lab today, but we also see what we have below -- informal learning that ties to things done in the classroom. Hands-on work has spread beyond the science and tech wings. The picture below shows a student with library resources from our makerspace. (Of course, I always try to ensure that the library documents the innovation that we are empowering.)


By offering a competition that encourages schools to focus on four areas: critical thinking, communication, creativity, and collaboration, Follett has also given us an opportunity to empower our community. In preparing a ten page paper describing our work and in making a video, to explaining the contest to our students, we have shined a light on the critical work of libraries and what they can do for a whole community. It is a very intriguing concept and one in which I am proud to be a part.

The Role of Community Institutions

This competition offers a lesson for us all. Businesses of all types have the opportunity to support schools in their work by giving them a platform and encouraging them to use their voices to highlight our 21st century models for education. Large companies and local profitable businesses can help boost the communities where they are located by showing interest in the young people in the area. Furthermore, I would like to see more small cultural heritage institutions involved in promoting community innovation. In Goffstown, our public library is supporting us in our large challenge. Such institutions might also think about designing smaller local competitions for community innovators. Pulling behind innovation on a local level is a boon to our locality, but also to larger layers of communities and geographic regions. For example, if Goffstown wins the Follett Challenge, it will reflect well on New Hampshire in general.

Finally, a note to local librarians and archivists, whether or not you have a competition to use to describe your work, do put down your mission and goals on paper and then set out to do a long-range plan. Everyone should have a plan that describes where they have been to figure out where they are heading.

Please vote for Goffstown High School to help us reach our goals and shed light on what librarians and archivists can offer communities.

**This post does not represent the point of view of the Goffstown School District. These are my thoughts as an information professional. 

Sunday, January 18, 2015

The Value of Oral History

Last weekend, I attended a program offered by the New Hampshire Humanities Council at the Hopkinton Public Library. Oral historian and storyteller Jo Radner spent the day teaching us about oral history projects and offering tips for conducting our own. The information  she gave was useful and interesting, while she walked us through exercises that made a lasting impression to improve our planning and interviewing skills.  Radner showed a true love for her work and her passion for the subject illuminated the value of oral history. I jotted down little pearls of wisdom about the value of oral history to share.


via @archivesinfo on Twitter - January 10, 2015
"The shortest distance between two people is a story." hopkinton public library

"Tell me your story"
While I generally work with archives and other objects to showcase the stories of individuals, storytelling offers another dimension that cannot be captured in a visual or text based medium. While seeing a picture helps one put a face to words on paper, hearing a voice adds another dimension to individual personal narratives.







"The voice comes from breath and the breath comes from life."
My high school library is currently collaborating with our local historical society and public library to showcase our school building's 50th anniversary. I am working to document our history in multiple formats including collecting archives and documenting experiences through photos and a journaling project. This spring, a program featuring interviews between students, alums, teachers and former faculty will become an important feature or our celebrations.


"[An oral historian] is a kind of midwife, offering a stimulus for those being interviewed to discover meaning in their own lives."

Our oral history project will help connect generations of our community through documentation, but also through real life experience. The interview process will provide a forum for people of different ages to communicate and will allow those who have lost touch with our community to reconnect. Oral history is more than a means of documentation and expression, it is a way to strengthen ties between people. It is a way to gather around common people, places and things; to share stories that promote commonalities while honoring individualism.

"When someone tells you a story they are giving you a gift. They are trusting you with their story."
The workshop has given me additional tools to train students. As interviewers, students will learn to help others share their stories and convince alums that each has a story to tell.  Last year, we interviewed three former alums informally. Students asked question about classes, dress, and past culture. Alums were reluctant to share at first, saying things such as, "I don't really have much to say" or "I don't think you want to hear about my life... It's not all that interesting." Yet, once students showed real interest through follow up questions, those sharing their experiences opened up to us.

History at its core is stories about the past. Young people want to hear the experiences of others when they are shared one-on-one. Students are eager to feel connections to older generations that traveled through the same halls we walk each day once they make an initial connection.  Similarly, older generations will be interested to hear from our students. I see value in prompting older people to try interviewing us. Oral history offers a means of empowerment by breaking down barriers and helping people realize that their lives have meaning that might not be immediately apparent to them. I learned that in the end, the value of oral history is embodied in a simple invitation to tell us a story.








Sunday, January 11, 2015

Partnership Ideas for Cultural Heritage Institutions

When I began preaching about collaboration fourteen years ago it was not the normal mode of operation for most cultural heritage institutions. Even today, many small historical societies and others do not realize the value or the necessity of finding institutional partners. A few reasons for collaborating are that such partnerships give you more resources for programs and exhibits, more opportunities for grants, more heads for creativity, more power for outreach, and more voices to garner support. I am lucky to have open-minded colleagues in the town in which I have settled. In the past three years, we have formed a network of committees and partnerships that have made the work of librarians and other cultural heritage professionals more visible and we are moving forward with some great projects that boost our own goals, each other, and our community.

Collaboration 1. School district librarians - high school, two elementary schools, middle school
meet monthly to discuss the state of the libraries; developed a district wide vision for libraries; discuss programming opportunities. Our most recent endeavors included discussing challenges we are having with our new book catalog / exchanging holiday gifts from students to students. [*see the bottom of this post for more information about our gift exchange.]

Collaboration 2. Town librarians- [public library initiative!] public librarians representing services for all ages (4 librarians in total) meet with librarians from public schools and local private college to specifically discuss ways we can collaborate. We have formed a collaboration for summer reading programs and continue to work on this. Most recently we discussed grant opportunities. From this meeting, librarians have launched separate meetings to boost individual goals. For example, as the high school librarian, I meet with the college librarians to discuss how they can assist with research instruction. They have visited our school to teach classes in this area. This helps with our mission to create college and career ready students, while helping the private Catholic college meet its mission of helping its community. [I do realize that I am very lucky to have such a school with which to collaborate!]

Collaboration 3. Historical Society Curator, public library director, high school librarian - three colleagues meeting to discuss specific programming, with librarians also serving on Historical Society museum committee; historical society curator and public librarian attend weekly 50th anniversary committee meetings at high school when they can. I originally asked my colleagues to join me to help with the 50th anniversary celebration at my school. This collaboration has turned into working on a full-blown oral history project. We are beginning with a school related project and will use this project to launch a series of oral history events through the Historical Society. Yesterday, my two colleagues and I attended an oral history workshop together to boost our skills and further advance our planning for a spring event.

Collaboration is the way to go!

Collaboration 4. Science Museum and High School library - I reached out to larger museums outside of my town to see if there was potential for collaboration. A science museum in my state capitol responded that they were willing to help us explore potential programming partnerships. We are working to develop a "distance learning" facility in the high school library that will allow us to talk informally to science professionals around the world, but specifically to our partner museum. We may pursue a collaborative grant toward this end. We are exploring the possibility of building a satellite in our high school maker space with museum support. The museum is thinking of using this as a pilot project for other school partnerships.


I am always seeking more partnerships! It is virtually impossible to be successful as a cultural heritage institution in the 21st century without the help of our colleagues at other institutions. Sometimes, early on in developing relationships, it is difficult to convince others to join you. (For example, I reached out to five museums and four of them did not even respond to me.) Yet, the effort you make to find a willing partner is invaluable. As you can see, the partnerships in our town have snowballed. The community is recognizing our work, participating, and sometimes even eagerly awaiting new initiatives. I look forward to when our patrons begin to come up with ideas for collaborating with us. That is definitely on the horizon!


 _________________________________________________________

*Late in November, 2014 district librarians decided the two elementary schools would exchange book gifts and the middle school would give a book to the high school and vice-versa. With my prompting, my teenage students put their heads together to think of a book that the other school may not have or of which they may need extra copies. Since the high school has been operating a makerspace for some time and the middle school just started one, we decided to give the middle school a published pop up book with instructions how to make a mini-version 3D pop up book of their own.

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Top Ten Cultural Heritage Stories of 2014

Welcome to the 5th annual ArchivesInfo Top Ten Stories of the Year. Our list includes the stories that have impacted the cultural heritage professions -- more specifically archives, libraries, and museums - the most over the past year. These stories were greatly discussed, contributed to a change in our profession, and / or are on our radar as potential changers of the heritage we keep. They were garnered from the ArchivesInfo Twitter archives. I have evaluated my tweets based on my own personal outlook and welcome differing opinions. The list is admittedly biased toward the United States with some major exceptions, including our number one spot, which differs from last year's number one. This year's list continues to note major evolutions in the field and trends. 

There were many stories that were again significant and noteworthy that just missed the top ten:
  • In 2014 we learned that museums are good for us: 
How #Museums Affect the Brain hyperallergic.com/162585/how-mus via @hyperallergic. (But we already new that didn’t we?) Museums and libraries continue to evolve and grow to find new purpose and meaning in a 21st century society. Look for more on this topic in coming years.

  • We were again reminded about the importance of archives for human rights in many stories such as: 
Native abuse inquiry deadline looms as documents mount http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/04/27/native_abuse_inquiry_deadline_looms_as_documents_mount.html … #humanrights #Canada #archives

  • Andy Warhol is always in the news, even so many years after his death because of the boxes he left behind for us and his general impact on the art scene. This one particular story stood out for me because it ties art to digital archives and the ‘80s. (Hint, hint: The 80s makes an appearance in our top ten.)
It Took Three Years to Restore 23 Pieces of #Art Andy Warhol Made on a Computer in the 1980 http://po.st/D7cSgB  via @SmithsonianMag

  • Presidential records were hot again. Nixon is still in the news, but now we have moved forward a couple of decades to the Clinton era too: 
Newly Released Clinton-Era Papers Show Damage Control During Scandal http://nyti.ms/1rKbJR7  #archives

  • Old wounds are trying to heal:
 Rwanda: Senate Okays Bill Setting Up Archives, Library Body http://t.co/nPjZ7puFdO #rwanda via @allafrica #archives #library
Overcoming Looting and Years of War, Iraq Museum Moves to Reopen http://www.aina.org/news/20140412125201.htm#.U0tE5sH4fnk.twitter …

  • …And new catastrophes loom large:  
Concern growing over #Syria heritage sites http://t.co/1Jme4PSDcl  #archives

Two big stories just missed the top ten, though they appeared in previous years. Their stories continue to grow and evolve and will continue to do so, with fewer stories highlighting newsworthiness.
A. DPLA continues to grow. It will be with us for a long time, influencing other digitization projects and creating a dream “library” for our descendants:
How to Save the Humanities With Just a Few Clicks http://www.ozy.com/c-notes/curating-the-digital-humanities/31551.article#.U4UnkzDTDYw.twitter … #crowdsourcing #DPLA #searchterms
Digital Public Library of America Marks a Year of Rapid Growth http://nyti.ms/1jFApnZ 
Digital Public Library of America triples its free collections and more in year one http://red.ht/1iAp6zp 
B. The Boston College Oral History Project has been big news for several years now. We now reflect on our mistakes and the impact that archives projects can have on lives today.
BC reflects on missteps in Northern Ireland project: Oral history project is over, but scars remain http://bit.ly/1oCtJgk  #archives
How ‘Belfast Project’ led to arrest of Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams http://fw.to/Us7h6OT  #archives #BC
How tapes made by U.S. library could solve N. #Ireland murder http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/01/world/europe/boston-northern-ireland/index.html?sr=sharebar_twitter … #BC #archives

As we look at the Top Ten, it seems focused on a new generation. We have milestones and shifts that will affect the ways we study and what we know about history. Those of us in mid-life will recognize that some of the stories of our own lives are now recognized as “history.” We have amazing finds that open our minds to new ideas, celebrations and promises for the future. 2014 seemed to be a door opening year. As always, I encourage your comments and critique. What stories did I leave out? Would you put the top ten in a different order? Without further ado…

10. Magna Carta’s 800th birthday
How often do we get to celebrate an 800th birthday?

Durham's Magna Carta part of 800th birthday party durhamtimes.co.uk/news/11693556.
BBC News - Keeping Magna Carta safe in the United States http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-27911692 … #archives
BBC News - British Library to show Declaration of Independence http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-28126005 … #magnacarta #archives #library
Magna Carta 800th Anniversary celebrations for 2015 - Culture24 http://www.culture24.org.uk/history-and-heritage/art487183-Magna-Carta-800th-Anniversary-celebrations-for-2015-outlined-for-Runnymede-and-beyond#.U6L64PJ1PoI.twitter … #magnacarta
The Man Who Owns A Magna Carta http://www.forbes.com/sites/abrambrown/2014/03/31/the-man-who-owns-a-magna-carta/ … #Forbes #Rubinstein #archives
Magna Carta returning to U.S. in run-up to its 800th anniversary http://t.co/Q7fOhw15VA
World Digital Library Reaches Milestone - EIN News http://t.co/xK7XPx8iSz  #archives #LOC

9. Save Britain and Canada’s National library and archives. Save Detroit and more.
While overall I see a positive upturn for cultural heritage institutions in the news, many of us are still struggling. The worldwide recession took a big toll against which we are still navigating. Many cultural heritage institutions are in a fight for their lives and must continually define and promote themselves to society at large and to their governments. Canada stands out for a large upheaval and struggle, but other stories fit neatly alongside. This is Canada’s second year in a row in our top ten as the world watches its changes.

Report cites Library and Archives woes, urban-rural library divide ottawacitizen.com/news/local-new #savelibraries #canada
Canada's #Library and #Archives and Public Memory - report http://buff.ly/1yHalQU  #Canada
Kent looks to outsource over 90 libraries http://shar.es/VwZp7  #savelibraries #UK
Creditors Would Remove Detroit Institute of Arts’ Collection Piece by Piece http://buff.ly/1sPtM8f  #savemuseums
Merging cultural institutions would be disastrous, say former directors http://www.smh.com.au/business/federal-budget/merging-cultural-institutions-would-be-disastrous-say-former-directors-20140512-zra08.html … #savelibraries #Australia
The Corcoran Gallery of Art May Cede Control of Its Collection http://t.co/RLg6ZRwDQh  #art #culture #museum
New head faces challenges at Library and Archives Canada http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/national/head+faces+challenges+Library+Archives+Canada/9752598/story.html …
Library and Archives Canada moves to outsource national catalogue http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Library+Archives+Canada+moves+outsource+national+catalogue/9687461/story.html … #OCLC #archives #Canada
Canada: Library and Archives bureaucrat muzzled amid Senate scandal: documents http://t.co/IR613S9vjb
Library cuts trigger fears of knowledge drain http://t.co/eynakKbwlX via @ottawacitizen #Canada
Library cuts in more than a dozen government departments trigger fears of lost knowledge http://t.co/TBEtiwOI2X  #Canada

8. New and Renovated Museums, Libraries, and Archives
Despite the woes, there is a marked trend toward rebuilding, building anew and redefining. Museums stand out in the news as having hit their stride for the 21st century, telling old stories in new ways and finding new stories to tell.  

Work to change historic Nevada prison to #museum is going slow shar.es/1HcMDs via #museum4everything
The history of Cincinnati's police to be displayed in new #museum |wlwt.com/news/the-histo
Prepare Yourself For a Sponge-Like Lucas #Museum chicago.curbed.com/archives/2014/ #architecture
What to Expect from Smithsonian's $2B Master Plan dc.curbed.com/archives/2014/ #museum
Stockbridge #Library, #Museum & #Archives renovation officially underway http://buff.ly/1vVOV5r  #MA
"New museum in Prague brings relief for toilet fans" http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2014/08/10/2003597101 … #museum #museumforeverything
Plans unfold for huge art museum in downtown St. Petersburg http://www.tampabay.com/features/plans-unfolding-for-huge-new-art-museum-in-downtown-st-petersburg/2186247 … #savemuseums [things are looking up!]
An Ingenious Museum Design That Turns Visitors Into Creators | Design | WIRED http://www.wired.com/2014/06/a-design-museum-that-turns-its-visitors-into-designers/ … @iartlibraries
The Force Be With You: George Lucas Picks Chicago for #Museum http://buff.ly/1lpi9yl  via @NBCNews #scifi
Renderings Revealed for Proposed Frick Collection Expansion http://curbed.cc/1liYZdc  via @CurbedNY
Alaska State Museum starts collections transfer to new vault http://www.newsminer.com/news/alaska_news/alaska-state-museum-starts-collections-transfer-to-new-vault/article_0656d400-e36a-11e3-8d26-0017a43b2370.html#.U4Uyr_67Vw8.twitter …
The Near-Impossible Challenge of Designing the 9/11 #Museum http://buff.ly/1oseJlb 
Museum renovation: Consigli to Renovate Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery http://shar.es/SfCzF  #museum
The museum of how work sounded http://b.globe.com/PHYAJi  recording the “endangered” sounds of the industrial era #archives
UK: Manchester Central #Library re-opens after £50million transformation for all to 'get wisdom' | Mancunian Matters: http://www.mancunianmatters.co.uk/content/220368257-pictures-manchester-central-library-re-opens-after-%C2%A350million-transformation-all#.Uy7dqWrlsiU.twitter …
City of Boise Looks to Fund Options for Main #Library Redesign http://www.boiseweekly.com/CityDesk/archives/2014/03/22/city-of-boise-looks-to-fund-options-for-main-library-redesign …
Norman Rockwell Museum to expand with art, archives from Famous Artists School  http://t.co/hey5xFgt4L  #archives #art

7. Lost Government Emails
Uncertainty and striving for transparency is a sign of our times in the United States. Archives have played a prominent role this year in several stories about government mistrust. Our national Archivist spoke to Congress about missteps of government bodies in relation to archival standards and law. Changes in the way we handle government records are in the works.  

Small Change To National Archivist's Powers May Keep Government Agencies From Destroying Embarrassing Documents https://t.co/3ZkKnm4HUj
6 questions about the IRS’s missing emails, from IT experts http://wapo.st/1rhnjU2  via @washingtonpost
National #Archives also wants answers for agencies' lost documents - Washington Times: http://wtim.es/1jLRxNU 
GOP Senators probe lost EPA emails http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/212596-gop-senators-probe-lost-epa-emails#.U8scgzx6GvY.twitter … #archives #government
Archivist: IRS did not follow law http://www.politico.com/story/2014/06/irs-lost-emails-archivist-108242.html …
Did the IRS Break the Law by Failing to Safeguard Those 'Lost' Emails? http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/06/16/did-the-irs-break-the-law-by-failing-to-safeguard-those-lost-emails/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=story&utm_campaign=ShareButtons … #recordsmanagement #archives
IRS, Republicans clash over Lois Lerner emails http://www.politico.com/story/2014/06/irs-lois-lerner-email-107850.html#.U58nIrB3G2s.twitter … via @POLITICO [not the way to do records management]
Scope grows of federal records that are missing http://t.co/A7ByVadoPs  #archives #NARA (anyone have more info on this?)
Scope of missing federal military records grows | News Tribune: http://t.co/Ob606Xmn3W

6. The Cold War
Society is reviewing the documents of the mid-twentieth century as more and more are made public. The Cold War is now officially "history" as historians analyze newly available materials.

Australian violinist of Bulgarian origin recruited to work as Soviet spy http://www.focus-fen.net//news/2014/08/13/345427/australian-violinist-of-bulgarian-origin-recruited-to-work-as-soviet-spy.html … #Mitrokhin #archives #spies
Soviets spied on their friends in Czechoslovakia http://www.praguepost.com/eu-news/40920-soviets-spied-on-their-friends-in-czechoslovakia … #Mitrokhin #archives
LA City Archive: How LA prepped for nuclear war in the 1950s http://www.scpr.org/programs/offramp/2014/08/13/38865/a-peek-in-the-la-city-archive-how-the-city-prepped/ … #archives #ColdWar
Ukraine: Secret service publishes Stalin files http://buff.ly/1uuvHzp 
Booby-trapped Russian Cold War weapons caches are likely still hidden throughout Britain, historian says http://natpo.st/1pXwf2I  #archives
Soviet Defector's Trove Of KGB Secrets Made Public http://www.rferl.org/content/soviet-kgb-cambridge-mitrokhin-files-public/25448117.html … #archives
BBC News - How Glasgow was prepared for a Cold War nuclear strike http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-26868687 … #archives #coldwar
Saving the history of the Cold War, piece by piece http://mktplc.org/1hYJqYk  #archives #museum

5. Copyright and Privacy still in a tangle
Copyright law and privacy expectations must evolve. That is made super clear with this year’s stories. Last year, I said that copyright as a news item was waiting to ripen. I think that happened in 2014. We find ourselves in a bit of a mess when we are wondering things such as “If a Monkey Take a Photo, Who Owns the Copyright?” We need to look with fresh eyes at this thing we created and come up with something new. Countries struggle to reach agreements over what copyright means to the world in a worldwide economy. We struggle with who would and should benefit and lose out from our own rules. We need to more closely examine how we spread and share information, how privacy can exist more comfortably in our times, and who owns our information when our information is everywhere and so easily accessible.

Blame copyright for WWI letters missing from UK museums this weekend ars.to/1twEAdR
Copyright in Flux, Pictures on the Go. role of #copyright in 21st century cultural institutions. http://archivesinfo.blogspot.com/2014/06/copyright-in-flux-pictures-on-go.html … #museum #archives
If A Monkey Takes A Photo, Who Owns The Copyright? http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/08/07/338668652/if-a-monkey-takes-a-photo-who-owns-the-copyright … #selfie #copyright
#Libraries and #Archives Leave International Copyright Discussions After Countries Again Fail to Reach Agreement http://buff.ly/1zOGet7 
Librarians Concerned Digital Content Licences Overriding Exceptions, Limitations http://buff.ly/1ovd0YS  #archives #copyright
Sherlock Holmes lives in public domain, US court rules in case of the heckled brand http://gu.com/p/3q6j2/tw  via @guardian
Los Angeles Times: Europe’s highest court strikes a blow not for privacy but for censoring history - http://limaohio.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?avis=LI&date=20140519&category=news&lopenr=305199996&Ref=AR …
Should Irish college have kept Jackie Kennedy’s letters private? http://www.irishcentral.com/opinion/others/Should-All-Hallows-College-have-kept-Jackie-Kennedys-letters-private.html … #archives #Kennedy
Residential school survivors fear testimony could be made public despite guaranteed confidentiality http://www.cbc.ca/1.2644349  #native #archives
Photographers react to Getty copyright move | Amateur Photographer http://po.st/x3dPlV  #copyright

4. Time Capsules
We found some amazing time capsules this past year, including one left to us by our forefathers in the United States – the oldest known capsule in my country. Admittedly, I have time capsules on the brain as my students build one for the 50th anniversary of our school, but I think this idea of looking back and toward the future is significant for 2015.

Oldest Time Capsule in US Unearthed at Massachusetts State House - ABC News abcn.ws/1wt6K9F
New time capsule to be installed in Old State House lion statue bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/11/
Drumroll, Please: What's Inside the Old State House Time Capsule: http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/blog/2014/10/15/contents-inside-old-state-house-time-capsule-revealed/#.VD8dlkhU2oE.twitter …
113-Year-Old Time Capsule Opened, Keeps Slipping Into The Future http://www.inquisitr.com/1531378/113-year-old-time-capsule-keeps-on-slipping-into-the-future/ … #timecapsule
ArtSlant - Forgotten time capsule found in Boston lion sculpture http://www.artslant.com/la/articles/show/40898 … via @artslant
Time Capsule Found in Statue From the Old State House to Be Opened on October 9: http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/blog/2014/10/01/old-state-house-lion-head-october-9/#.VDAX_Bcb5Uo.twitter … #timecapsules in the news!
Sand, deteriorated paper found inside 137-year-old time capsule in Truro atlantic.ctvnews.ca/sand-deteriora [many time capsules unearthed recent weeks!]
Buried treasure? Flint City Hall time capsule has been sealed since 1958 s.mlive.com/EKGZRQH #timecapsule
Time capsule unveiled by MTA in Brooklyn | Brooklyn Daily Eagle http://www.brooklyneagle.com/articles/2014/10/1/time-capsule-unveiled-mta-brooklyn#.VDAXzM1kMR8.twitter …
Time capsule treasures on display now at Western High School http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2014/03/time_capsule_treasures_on_disp.html … #timecapsule

3. Amazing Finds
2014 was a year of amazing finds. Beyond time capsules, we unearthed some very significant cultural artifacts. We find new things in our archives and archaeological digs every year, but it is not every year that we find a full text written by one of our best-loved authors or old film footage of a legendary event. I wonder if the times are re-awakening a curiosity about the past, if digitization projects have us combing our collections in new ways, or if we are just getting lucky to find these amazing things. Whatever the reason, this past year was a great year for new, old materials in our collections.

Shakespeare Folio Found In Small-Town French Library disq.us/8l5t0n
Disney’s first Christmas film found in Arctic archive - The Art Newspaper theartnewspaper.com/articles/Disne #MOMA #Oswald
100 Years Later, a New Black #Film Emerges theroot.com/articles/cultu #archives
Ninety-Year-Old World Series Footage Restored Against All Odds http://mashable.com/2014/10/02/ninety-year-old-world-series-footage-restored/#:eyJzIjoidCIsImkiOiJfcHptMmYyNGdrejJsNmhxOSJ9 … via @mashable #baseball #archives #sports #film
Charles Darwin's barnacles found in Danish museum http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/charles-darwin-s-barnacles-found-in-danish-museum-114082400361_1.html#.U_n0eVEDr9o.twitter … #archives #museum #hiddencollections
450 year-old music fragment gets belated encore http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/450-year-old-music-fragment-gets-belated-encore-1-3511640#.U-_T7PxfEYY.twitter … #archives #music #Reformation
New Documents about Miguel de Cervantes Discovered in Spain http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/883787-new-documents-about-miguel-de-cervantes-discovered-in-spain/ … #archives
The amazing story of a 4,000-year-old necklace found in a dumpster http://ow.ly/yLo9v  #hiddencollectionsrock
Treasure trove of #art found after 100 years in John Rylands Library basement http://bit.ly/1jYY5YG  #archives #Durer
Origins Of Mysterious World Trade Center Ship Determined http://po.st/R82VNO  [now, presumably, they move 2 PA #archives 4 some research!]
Cautious Anticipation Over Potential Santa Maria Discovery http://www.newswise.com/articles/cautious-anticipation-over-potential-santa-maria-discovery#.U3qbHRbccSc.twitter … #historicalrecord
Cod bones reveal 13th century origin of London international fish trade http://www.pasthorizonspr.com/index.php/archives/05/2014/cod-bones-reveal-13th-century-origin-of-london-international-fish-trade … [<3 articles="" cross="" disciplines="" span="" that="">
Newly-unveiled footage from 1937 shows FDR walking http://www.examiner.com/article/newly-unveiled-footage-from-1937-shows-fdr-walking … #FDR #history
American Revolution manuscripts found in LSU collections http://www.theneworleansadvocate.com/features/9037979-171/american-resolution-manuscripts-found-in … #archives
Amazing Footage Surfaces of Infamous 1919 'Black Sox' World Series http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2049517-amazing-footage-surfaces-of-infamous-1919-black-sox-world-series … #archives #baseball #sports
Lost British silent masterpiece rediscovered in Holland - http://Film-News.co.uk : http://www.film-news.co.uk/show-news.asp?H=Lost-British-silent-masterpiece-rediscovered-in-Holland&nItemID=24602#.U0HwkdbSKt0.twitter … #film #archives
The #diary of another young girl: #Holocaust journal comes to light in San Francisco http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/71083/the-diary-of-another-young-girl-holocaust-journal-comes-to-light-in-san-fra/ … #archivist
Lawrence of Arabia’s saddle bag possibly ‘found’ in Bank of England vault http://buff.ly/1ioyk1g  #museum

2. Digitization
We have done outstanding work to get our collections online and noticed in the past few years. 2014 felt like the year when we had a much clearer vision of how this will all work. New collections and cultural heritage resources sprang up all over the Internet last year. Tools are easier to use. Directions are clear. Society, beyond the serious researcher, is starting to seek the tools that cultural heritage professionals make for online use. We’ve developed visible partnerships with major online players to make our collections and our work more visible. We are becoming clever at making our collections interactive. I see movement toward our “good information” challenging the “bad information” for the public’s attention in a digital world. Our best ideas are coming together online. We are putting our materials side by side in ways that we can’t in a physical setting, allowing society to better evaluate the usefulness of cultural heritage institutions, information in general, and their own place in the world.

Five More Digital #Archives and Historical Exhibits We Loved in 2014 slate.com/blogs/the_vaul via @slate #history
Museum digitizing records of WWI Harlem Hellfighters oneidadispatch.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ #AfricanAmerica #WWI #military
155 Years Later, Darwin's Manuscripts Are Going Digital pops.ci/c4RGwa via @PopSci #archives
#Google aids in bringing UAE history online gulftoday.ae/portal/75a3bb2 #archives
The Internet Archive launches its arcade: Classic games in a browser: gamasutra.com/view/news/2293
Thousands of Historic Archives from British Asylums to Go Online http://shar.es/10XHhp  #archives #mentalhealth #Wellcomelibrary
Vatican manuscripts available online http://www.techtimes.com/articles/18491/20141023/vatican-library-manuscripts-are-now-available-online.htm … #archives
Split Up by Holocaust, Top Collection of Yiddish Works Will Reunite Digitally nyti.ms/1rRcby9
Getty Posts Knoedler Archives Online - ArtfixDaily News Feed artfixdaily.com/news_feed/2014 via @ARTFIXdaily
DHS, FBI stepping up digitization of records http://www.federaltimes.com/article/20140827/BLG04/308270010 … via @FederalTimes #archives #government
BBC News - Millions of historic images posted to Flickr http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-28976849 … #archives #photo #copyrightfree
Experts Launch Project to Digitize Neglected Bosnian Heritage http://www.voanews.com/content/reu-experts-launch-project-to-digitize-neglected-bosnian-heritage/2422715.html … #preservation #archives #humanrights #Bosnia
How To Scan 50 Miles of Historical Documents Into an Online Archive http://gizmodo.com/how-to-scan-50-miles-of-historical-documents-into-an-on-1609143001/+kushkush … #Venice #archives
Canadiana: Putting Canadian history online http://buff.ly/1k0Fx5Q  #archives #digitization
Nebraska homestead files have been digitized http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/c25c28f37b2e4e27810d006a6a81514f/NE--Homesteading-Files-Nebraska … #archives #digitization
1,000-year-old Exeter manuscript to go digital | Exeter Express and Echo http://po.st/71WkHS  [what a super-cool document!] #archives
U.S. National Archives to Upload its Collection to #Wikipedia - Techlicious http://www.techlicious.com/blog/us-national-archive-wikipedia-upload/#.U7N4gicvSjc.twitter … #NARA #archives
The Library of Congress Uploads Earliest Film Footage to YouTube, And It's Amazing http://www.boiseweekly.com/Cobweb/archives/2014/06/27/the-library-of-congress-uploaded-earliest-film-footage-to-youtube-and-its-amazing … #film #LOC #archives
USC Digital Repository shapes the future of archiving http://news.usc.edu/63015/usc-digital-repository-shapes-the-future-of-archiving/ … #digitization #archives
More than 400,000 pieces from the Metropolitan Museum of Art are available for download online http://wapo.st/1m5204D  #OASC #art #digital
Texas history projects working to archive, digitize old home movies http://buff.ly/1mKdjmq  #archives
Astounding #photos from the Museum of Natural History’s newly digitized archives http://wapo.st/1kxvaZt  #archives #digitization
Museum of Natural History digitizes massive photo archive, makes it available to public: http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2014/04/30/museum-of-natural-history-digitizes-photo-archives-makes-it-available-to-pu … #museum #science #archives
National Library expands online archive with 10,000 images http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/national-library-expands-online-archive-with-10-000-images-1.1772721#.U17jK2KVoiU.twitter … via @IrishTimes #archives
New Hampshire to digitize historic records, photos | Concord Monitor http://www.concordmonitor.com/home/11461145-95/new-hampshire-to-digitize-historic-records-photos#.U0rFd4mU6RU.twitter … #archives #NH
Labour of love to share Bard’s book with world - Yorkshire Evening Post: http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/top-stories/labour-of-love-to-share-bard-s-book-with-world-1-6574002#.U1qeZL7TT_s.twitter …
Partnership digitises old medical books - Research Information http://www.researchinformation.info/news/news_story.php?news_id=1554 … via @researchinfo
Digital Repository of Ireland brings history to life online http://bit.ly/OkkYaG  #Ireland #archivist
NEDCC helps the New Hampshire Historical Society digitize Civil War daguerreotypes. Nice collection!#preservation http://bit.ly/1hMLnJX 
Boy Scouts digitized by BYU Library http://t.co/8lGw3ATTBk  #archives
Alan Lomax Archives available online http://t.co/4UAbBA2RsH  #archives #digital
Canada's Online #Archives Expand with Digitization Project, NFB Content Deal http://t.co/3yew3AqJwo
Canadian Nature Museum digitizing 3 million specimens: #Museum part of  international movement 2 put #archives online http://t.co/IkSRpXcDkY

1. World War I Anniversary -
Much as the U.S. Civil War sesquicentennial made our list in 2010, World War I commemoration has our attention this year. Unlike the Civil War, the start of “the war to end all wars” impacted us globally and is reflected in collections in every country of the world. World War I takes the top spot because it has shown up everywhere:  in digitization projects, new finds, time capsules and more. As society struggles with a new identity in a new age, our historic milestones allow us great opportunities for reflection on who we are, how much we’ve changed and how we remain the same.

First World War sketches a mystery saanichnews.com/news/278305001 #diary
War distilled in soldier's letters shar.es/1aNQ9E #archives #WWI #NZ
UV is looking to ID soldier behind WWI sketchbooks http://metronews.ca/news/victoria/1170356/uvic-searching-for-identity-of-mystery-soldier-behind-great-war-sketchbooks/ … #orphansketchbook #WWI #archives
Draycott diaries are brought to life http://shar.es/1aMkA9  #WWI #anniversary #archives
Mystery of Gore Park time capsule is revealed http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/news/mystery-of-gore-park-time-capsule-is-revealed-1.2763511 … #Canada #WWI #timecapsule
Red Cross #WWI prisoner files offer online trove http://shar.es/11E1iy  #archives
First World War dead commemorated in new online archive blog heritagedaily.com/2014/09/first- #WWI #archives
Portree archive centre to research impact of World War I http://www.whfp.com/2014/08/29/portree-archive-centre-to-research-impact-of-world-war-i/#.VAN2Un5tyjc.twitter … #WWI #localhistory #archives
First World War researcher tracks Sudbury soldiers' records http://www.cbc.ca/1.2737488  #Canada #WWI
Archives NZ opens the files on World War 1 http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU1408/S00015/archives-nz-opens-the-files-on-world-war-1.htm … #WWI
BBC News - World War One autograph book donated to Cambridge hospital http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-28419718 … #archives #WWI
World War One: Historical records reveal terrible toll of the war to end all wars... | Nottingham Post http://po.st/3qktng  #archives
To honour the memory of #WW1, we're highlighting some unique photographs: http://www.pinterest.com/europeana/the-army-lives-of-ww1/ …
Kaiser Wilhem's early drawings shed new light on childhood | via @Telegraph http://fw.to/aVEFqfm 
War memorial records digitised for centenary - Londonderry Sentinel: http://www.londonderrysentinel.co.uk/news/local-news/war-memorial-records-digitised-for-centenary-1-6121261#.U58niYwC6As.twitter … #WWI #archives
Woman's 20-year quest to document tales from the First World War http://bit.ly/1pkqA5v  #archives #WWI
Poignant Great War image is relived by a modern generation Poignant Great War image is relived by a modern generation #WWI #centennial
Celebrating Anniversaries. Commemorating War. new ArchivesInfo blog post http://archivesinfo.blogspot.com/2014/05/celebrating-anniversaries-commemorating.html … #anniversaries #history #archives #WWI
Royals to mark war centenary events http://www.motherwelltimes.co.uk/news/royals-to-mark-war-centenary-events-1-3401504#.U3i6z8vr9VY.twitter … #anniversary #WWI
National Archives to digitize World War I diaries to reveal life in the trenches. http://foxs.pt/1iEn7Yd  #history #WWICentenary
Follow #WWIcentenary for interesting information about upcoming events to commemorate the war and its historical resources. #archives
BBC News - War poets' comrade rare #photos found http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-mid-wales-27443963 … #WWIcentenary
Postcards from the frontline http://www.expressandstar.com/picture-galleries/news-pictures/2014/05/18/postcards-from-the-frontline/ … #WWI #correspondence #ephemera
Artwork from the Front Line - Artist inspired by #WWI #diary http://buff.ly/1fX182A  #archives @IArtLibraries
Manitoba: Letters from the war front http://shar.es/TV8Uh  #wwI #archives
National Archives U.K. marks the centenary of World War I http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/first-world-war/ … #WWI #archives
A publisher before wartime. Oxford Un. Press and #WWI Centenary http://shar.es/Tg05J 
WWI capsule offers a mystery - do you know what's in it? http://buff.ly/NjTKjV  #timecapsule #history #WWI
Nearly 4,000 first world war diaries made available online http://gu.com/p/3nfb9/tw  via @guardian #archives #worldwarI
World War I Family Stories Uncovered http://t.co/eSsqNKj9a0  #archives #genealogy
Records of  49,000 Irish WWI dead in new digital archive http://t.co/stztZ2kdVD  via @IrishTimes #Ireland #genealogy
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