How to assess the value of your archives
Our March 2021 workshop featured Erik Moore, University of Minnesota archivist and co-director of the University Digital Conservancy. He talked about the kinds of things that archives value and will accept as donations. He particularly focused on the workings of the University Archives, but also offered tips on other archives.
University Archives accepts small items related to University history and personal collections documenting a person’s research or professional career. Among the things accepted are biographical material, correspondence, lectures, teaching materials, committee records, personal and professional diaries, research files, and photographs related to University history.
The Archives are particularly interested in things that document student life at the University, such as photographs, scrapbooks, homecoming buttons, programs for sporting events, and other mementos. There is much more available about faculty and administrators than about students.
Archives are future facing
Moore emphasized that archives are future facing. Archives are not created just to collect old things, but rather to serve as a stepping-off point to create new information. For example, a photograph of a landscape or settlement might initially be of interest for understanding a time and place but might be used later to document the effects of climate change.
Besides the University, there are many different places such as local museums and historical societies that might have an interest in your materials. One good place to start looking is the Society of American Archivists.
Adjust your expectations
One should be aware that once donated, materials might be used in a variety of ways, chosen by the archives. For example, a campaign button or pennant might be combined with other donations in a display. Also, if books or papers are digitized, they may be destroyed in the process (e.g., a book’s spine and cover might be removed). The archivist will determine whether something is of more value held intact or taken apart.
You should also adjust your expectations about the donation, Moore said. Archivists often aren’t interested in personal collections that don’t reflect someone’s own experience or times, e.g., they might be interested in your grandfather’s diary, but not his 3,000-volume collection of books. You should also not expect large tax deductions for your donations.
If you are keeping things that you want to preserve, you should store them so they are in good condition. Keep them in clean boxes and off the floor in a clean, dry place, and periodically check them for signs of mildew or other deterioration.
—Ron Matross, chair, Workshop Committee
Treasure or trash? How do you assess historical value?
Tue, March 16 2021, 11am
Erik Moore
Head archivist
University of Minnesota Archives
Event to be held via Zoom.
How do you assess the historical value of what you’ve stored away and decide what to do about it?
Are you getting ready to downsize? Unsure what to do with all the files from your office? Planning to spring clean during the pandemic?
There are many reasons why you might need to go through filing cabinets or boxes you packed a decade or more ago. And, while this activity may bring a sense of joy, nostalgia, or dread, these materials might well be of value to others, including those who are charged with preserving the past.
Your grandmother’s diary, your grandfather’s commemorative medal, or some of your own work papers might shed light on a particular time and place.
Making sense of legacies
Our March Living Well Workshop will focus on how and why archives decide what they accept. Our presenter, Erik Moore, is the head archivist for the University of Minnesota Archives and spends his time in the basements, storerooms, offices, and homes of the faculty, staff, and administrators who call upon him to make sense of their legacies.
Moore is also co-director of the University Digital Conservancy, the U of M’s institutional repository of scholarly works, research data, and institutional digital records. He has advanced degrees in library and information sciences and historical studies.
Please register for this Zoom webinar to be held on Tuesday, March 16, at 11 a.m.
—Ron Matross, chair, Workshop Committee
Upcoming Events
Our July 15 "hike" is going to be a kayaking adventure on Bde Maka Ska (formerly Lake Calhoun) and Lake of the Isles! If you don't have a kayak (or paddleboard), Wheel Fun Rentals, located next to the new concession stand rents single kayaks at $15 an hour and double kayaks at $25. The second hour is free if we rent before noon. Life jackets are provided with the rental.
Laura Ericksen will lead the discussion of How Stella Learned to Talk by Christina Hunger, a true story by a speech-language pathologist who taught her dog, Stella, to communicate using buttons associated with different words.
Our August 5 hike will be a reprise of our hike last summer at William O'Brien State Park. This is a beautiful park with a winding trail and a great view of the countryside. The hike is about 5.5 to 6 miles and we'll go at a moderate pace with frequent water breaks. After the hike, we will eat lunch at Rustic Roots Winery, a half mile north of the park.
Kathy Cramer will lead the discussion of The Bookbinder by Pip Williams, a book set in 1914 Oxford chronicling the life of Peggy who works in the University bindery, but craves a life beyond binding books but to being a scholar herself.
Enjoy a two-hour cruise on the Jonathan Padelford, leaving from the Harriet Island dock in St. Paul, boarding time at 5:30 p.m. We will have a brief program on board by Patrick Nunnally from the River Life Program of the Institute on the Environment.
August 31 is the due date for annual reports and updates. Annual Reports, Toolkits, web page updates, operating document updates and archives collections are all due each year on this date.
Autumn is a wonderful season in Minnesota so plan to join UMRA at the Andersen Horticultural Library at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Kristen Mastel, head librarian and curator, will reveal its treasure trove of publications and artifacts relating to plant history, horticulture, and natural history. After the tour, those who are interested may stay to eat lunch together, sitting outside if the weather is nice. Later, you are invited to a one-hour tram tour of the entire Arboretum that includes natural areas of flowering shrubs, bogs, and forests, family garden and landscaping showpieces, and the red barn farm
After a summer break the UMRA Photo Club will next meet September 10, 2024 in the meeting room of the Hennepin County St. Anthony Branch Library. For those interested in lunch, meet at the Great Dragon at 11:30 am. For September the THEME will be Curves
We will continue to discuss the pros and cons of Medicare Advantage. You will also hear about notable non-health plan and non-broker resources.