Week four

In the four hours I was at the library this week, I answered more correspondence, using the digital newspaper collection and the microfilm to look up obituaries. I looked for obituaries from 1946 to 2013. I also learned where the microfilm was stored and how to shelve it.

Searching for obituaries in the database

Searching for obituaries on microfilm using the new reader

Then I got to start processing a new collection of postcards. I assigned accession numbers, entered them into the database, put them into archival envelopes, labeled them, and filed them according to accession number.

 

 

Cataloging a postcard

I also did some more research for my family history project. I've started to develop an outline of sorts.

Week three

This week Cheri trained me how to answer correspondence. The department gets many reference requests. A lot of the requests are for older obituaries, so she showed me how to use the obituary index and the new microfilm reader. The microfilm reader is much better quality than the older microfiche reader.

Cheri also showed me some of the other tools they use for reference. We looked up census records, marriage records, and she showed me how to use the subject indexes for the local paper. She also showed me tips on searching census records, as people aren't always easy to find. I was able to find a family member that I hadn't been able to find so far.

Week two

This week I worked with Mary, who does presentations a few times a year for the Memory Café, which is a monthly group that meets at one of the local branches for people in the early stages of dementia and Alzheimer’s.

We talked about how this presentation might work with that group and did more brainstorming. We made tentative plans for me to go with her when she does her next presentation to the group in October.

I now have a dedicated work area in the department.

I spent the rest of the time writing up my notes from last time and reading the book on top of the stack, which is very helpful so far.

Week one

I met with Judy, my project supervisor. I knew I wanted to create a program about preserving family stories, targeted towards the senior audience, but that is an awfully large subject area for a thirty to forty minute presentation. I needed to narrow it down.

We brainstormed for a while and narrowed it down to two things: raising awareness and educating people on what things they could do. We decided that I would try to start two programs. The first one would be a program to raise awareness, along with some simple things that people could do. The second one could be a more intensive workshop focusing on written history.

I won't be focusing primarily on written family stories, though. I will touch on other things that tell family stories, like photographs, recipes, letters, and diaries.

We spent the rest of the time brainstorming, as well as talking about some of the things the librarians do when answering reference requests. I will handle some of those at some point in this project.

I left with a bunch of ideas for the program and a bunch of books to read. Judy pulled a number of related books that will be helpful.

Because I am working on developing a program, we thought it would be good idea for me to attend some of their programming. So on Saturday I attended the workshop on using Heritage Quest.

I learned a lot about how to use the resources Heritage Quest offers. Using Heritage Quest, I found out more about a branch of my family tree that was very sparsely populated.

About me and the project

I'm a student working on my Museum and Archives Certificate in the Institute for Human Science and Culture (IHSC) at the Cummings Center for the History of Psychology at The University of Akron. For my capstone project, I'm creating a program for the Akron-Summit County Public Library Special Collections Department geared towards seniors. It is about preserving your family stories.