Archival ethics, libraries, and more
My newsletter has returned, with a bang, covering various topics in the library and archival fields...enjoy!
Hello everyone!
I know it has been a while since my last newsletter on January 10th, but I was busy with preparing with job interviews and other duties. Without further adieu, I’d like to share some posts I put together and stories I found since my last newsletter was published.
Two twitter moments I put together this week are relevant here. The first of these focuses on the record blur by NARA and archival ethics. I would argue that this issue has been blown out of proportion, as it is not a big issue generally, but in any case, it was worth putting together thoughts of people on this issue, especially those in the archival profession. The second one is shorter, talking about the connection between Martin Luther King, Jr., segregated libraries, and social justice. It was interesting to learn that part of the fight for desegregation in the U.S. South was to desegregate public libraries! There’s even a book on the subject, The Desegregation of Public Libraries in the Jim Crow South. It’s a couple years old, but worth reading if you are interested.
I’d also like to highlight my post earlier this month focusing on my ancestor, Angelo LanFranchi, where I try to answer the question of whether he came to the U.S. to avoid the draft or for another reason. I use passenger lists as a primary source and build from there, talking about the specifics of the draft in Italy at the time, and much more. I also have a new podcast too, but the first episode is about some anime, not libraries or archives, although that may change in the future. It will just be a matter of time.
Apart from all that, I’d like to mention some interesting articles in Hack Library School. Some talk about the importance of media literacy, how you can’t learn everything in grad school (which is true), mentorship of diverse LIS peoples, the importance of compromise, why thinking ahead matters, and microaggressions. Additionally, there have been some interesting new developments: a new section of the SAA focuses on accessibility and disability, a new series which will feature posts from digital archives professionals, and stories within the winter 2020 issue of the Public Library Archives and Special Collections section of the SAA. Now, there are other stories as well, like an interview with the prolific Margot Note, who I’ve mentioned in this newsletter before, the newly-created archival portal for Louis H Draper, a black photographer, a digital archive for decaying documents on enslaved peoples being constructed, and how libraries are supporting migrants. Other articles I read in the past week talked about how libraries help people in cold weather, the rise of audiobooks, and an interview with an archivist who is responsible for human rights collections. There’s all the story that is a “perfect candidate” to become a Hollywood movie: an archivist stealing rare books from the Carnegie Library over a 25-year period, then selling those books for a profit! What an awful person by any measure.
Anyway, that’s it for this week.
Have a great rest of your week, everyone!
- Burkely