What I did this week: 1/28, 1/30, 1/31
The first due date for this project is looming ominously: the first draft is due on the 20th of February. Because of this, I decided that, by hook or by crook, I was going to get the processing done by the 1st of February. I am happy to say that I have succeeded! It was a little hectic, but all of the paper items in the collection have been cataloged, organized, and put on a list. That may sound easy, but there were several steps involved.
I finished re-foldering the last few pamphlets and things on Wednesday. There were not many left to do; I had finished most of that part last week. But then I figured out how to use the timer-thing on the digital camera, so this is the result.
My major goal on Wednesday was not to finish re-foldering, since I was confident that it would get done quickly. The main task of the day was cleaning the books and periodicals.
This is one of the books from the collection. The little black bits on the pages are a nasty combination of dust and mold and other icky things. Needless to say, these do not need to be preserved in the collection, and so I needed to get it off of the books.
The nice ladies in Technical Services loaned me one of their carts, and I loaded it up with all of the books and periodicals in the collection. You'll notice that they are all facing the wrong way on the cart; their spines are in instead of out. It's supposed to be easier to clean them this way, and it's less likely for the dust to get on the cart, which is important, as Tech Services uses all their carts, and I don't want to make the regular library materials icky.
I brought the cart outside, behind the library, where there is a small alcove that contains the back door. This was important, because, in true Seattle fashion, it was raining on Wednesday. The alcove protected the books (and me!) from getting wet while I was cleaning them.
On the top right, you can see a small strip of orange. That is the brush that I used to clean the books.
Here I am using the orange brush to clean the books. By brushing all the sides of the books (except for the spines), I was able to get most of the really icky stuff off.
I'm wearing a face mask because I don't particularly want to breathe in any of the dust from the books. Just one of the perils all archivists must face...
This is the book from the picture above. I've cleaned it off with the brush and you can see the difference, even if the picture is a little out of focus. This was one of the dirtier books, but almost all of them looked better after I brushed them off.
On Friday and Saturday, I put everything in order and made a list. This will be the basis for the Finding Aid, a more detailed list that helps researchers find what they are looking for. The Finding Aid will be turned in as part of my final project.
To see the results of my hard work from Friday and Saturday, click here or here.