Nicole H. Garrett

This past weekend, I attended Great Lakes THAT Camp. This “unconference” was hosted by my alma mater, Michigan State University.  The topic: humanities and technology.

The format was very interesting and different from what I’m used to.   We started at 8:30 AM; people shouted out session proposals and if there was enough interest, it was put on the schedule.

Most of the sessions were helpful and I made some great contacts.  I’m really excited to work with LookBack Maps.  This website overlays historic photographs on a google map to give you a geographic way to search images.  It’s very user-friendly and allows for proper citation of the photographs.  I’m looking forward to adding to the collection!

The other session I was particularly interested in was a demo of KORA, a content management system created by MSU Matrix.  I’m always interested to see the strengths and weaknesses of the different CM systems out there.  I had never heard of Kora, so it was a great learning experience.  I really like the ability to include GIS coordinates as part of the metadata.  Currently, there is no front-end web template, but that could actually be an asset.  From working with CONTENTdm, I have seen that sometimes it’s better to have web designers customize a site that fits your institution’s needs rather than try to make your site fit in a auto-generted template.  But….that gets into IT support and financial abilities; not all repositories have that option.

All in all, the conference was a great event.  I found that I really like the “unconference”….when discussion is expected, I participate much more.  It’s also more interesting to hear different opinions and viewpoints than to listen to a speaker lecture on a topic for an hour.  It will be interesting to see how archives conferences adapt to this new trend.

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A few weeks ago, I visited the Ann Arbor Civil War Round Table (AACWRT).  My coworker, Bob Garrett (no relation) was giving a talk on Civil War resources at the Archives of Michigan and I tagged along to field questions about the projects I’ve been working on.

It’s always fun to hang out with other people passionate about history, and the AACWRT definitely fits that description!  One member sports an Abe Lincoln beard and dresses up as the former President for educational programs around the state.

After my coworker’s presentation, there were a lot of questions.  It was great to see such interest in the Seeking Michigan projects I’ve been working on (by 2011, all of the Archives’ civil war material will be online).

I have to give a “shout out” to my colleague and friend, Tom Nanzig for arranging our field trip to Ann Arbor.  It was a lot of fun!

Oh, and I ended up drawing myself in the raffle and got a book on a POW from Michigan.  Can’t wait to start reading it!

Tom and I hanging out after the show

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Because my work at the Archives of Michigan consists of Civil War material, I decided to watch Ken Burn’s THE CIVIL WAR.  I had never watched the documentary and as it is the industry standard for documentaries, I thought I should.  Also, I have very basic knowledge of the battles fought during the war, so I was hoping to learn some context for the first hand accounts I read every day.

I have to say, it’s easy to see why this film has become the industry standard.  The primary sourcing really brings the struggles of the war to life.  Also, Burns includes accounts from common soldiers, women, and minorities that give a  fuller history of the war than others that focus only on generals.

I consider myself very fortunate to have a job where I am able to learn new things on a daily basis.  I have learned so much about the Civil War–from battles and strategy to common food eaten by soldiers.  Each letter or diary I read gives me a different perspective on the battles and story of the war. I now see why this conflict has always had a pull on the American imagination.   It ripped families apart and killed so many in four drawn out years.  It marked the end of an era in American History and the beginning of a new one.

I’ve also enrolled in a class on the Civil War through the MSU Alumni Association.  It starts in a few weeks and I’m really looking forward to it!

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This week’s Look blog on Seeking Michigan takes a peak at the Civil War Letters of Mack and Nan Ewing.  After nearly two months of  uploading, the collection is now available online in its entirety.  This collection consists of 291 Civil War letters, mostly between Mack Ewing and his wife, Nan.

Now that this collection is finished, I’m able to move on to our other Civil War collections.  I’m excited to expand the Civil War Manuscripts available on Seeking Michigan!

Read my full blog article here.

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Last month, I attended NAGARA’s annual meeting in Seattle, WA.  I learned a lot, saw a lot, and shopped a lot. 

One day of the conference was spent at Microsoft headquarters.  It was really interesting to hear where Microsoft thinks the future of technology is headed.  In their  virtual home, the house computer knows what food is in the house, what homework students have, and the schedule of everybody in the family.  Personally, I found it a tad creepy, although I can see how some of the ideas could become mainstream in ten years.   The virtual office is under construction, so we didn’t see too much of that exhibit.  Mostly, it consisted of a video demo with Surface units to play around with.  The surface units are neat, but I don’t see any difference between it’s features and those on the iPhone.  Again, I see how we are heading into a mouse free age, but I’m not sure if Microsoft is at the head of innovation anymore.

I presented on the NHPRC grant the Archives of Michigan received last year.  We were the last session of the conference, so we were surprised to get around 25 people.  The talk went well and I made some contacts–win, win in my book!

Seattle itself is a beautiful city.  It’s always fun to stay downtown and explore.  I shopped downtown, visited the Klondike  Gold Rush National Park,  the Experience Music Project, and the Needle, and explored the various neighborhoods of the city.

Next year, NAGARA will be joining with COSA and SAA for a joint annual meeting in Washington, D.C.  I’m really looking forward to attending!

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A few weeks ago, I took the interns at the archives on a tour of the Turner Dodge House.   The original home was built in 1858 by James Turner.  Between 1900 and 1903 his daughter Abby (Turner) Dodge remodeled the structure into what we see today.

I’ve lived around Lansing all my life, but have never visited the house.  When I visit historic homes, it usually was usually owned by a famous family.  This tour was interesting because although the Turner family figures prominently in Lansing history, they are virtually unknown outside of Ingham County.  It was a nice experience to tour a home that has a connection to buildings, streets, and parks that I see on a daily basis.

The tour also included tea time complete with raspberry tea and cookies.   It was quite scrumptious!

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This year, the Michigan Archival Association met in Marshall, Mich.  The conference was held at Schuler’s Restaurant June 24-25.   I spoke again, with this year’s focus on the upcoming Civil War Sesquicentennial.

All of the sessions I went to were very informative.  I attended sessions on DSpace, The Archivist Toolkit vs. Achron, and Documenting the Undocumented.

I had never heard of DSpace prior to the conference and was amazed to learn how many institutions use it.  It’s great to have an open source digital asset manager, but I hope they improve the public interface.  Currently, everything looks muddled and is difficult to search through.  It made me thankful that the Archives of Michigan uses CONTENTdm and has been able to customize it so heavily.

As an archivist, I’ve heard The Archivists Toolkit and Achron around on listservs and such, but never had a clear idea of what they do and how they differ.  The presenters at MAA did a great job breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of each and showing how both make an archivists job much easier.  It was very cool to see software developed specifically for archives and I hope to use either of these programs (or something new!) in the future.

Documenting the Undocumented was a very fun session about how archivists are collecting materials on populations that are left out of most histories.  The presenters discussed (1) Circus and Carnival Performers,  (2) Minority Student Groups at Michigan State University (my alma mater!), and (3) Minority groups in Boston.  The talk on circus performers was very interesting and I learned new things about a fascinating topic.   The “professional” lesson I took away from this session was (1) visuals are very important and (2) don’t talk too fast!

Giving my presentation

The session I spoke in was, of course, first in the program.  I discussed the various Civil War collections that the Archives of Michigan is uploading onto Seeking Michigan.  These collections include Civil War service records, manuscripts, and photographs.  The service records and photographs are already uploaded and I am currently working on the manuscripts.  Stay tuned for my progress!

I also took a few tours while at the conference.  The Local Arrangements were a little disorganized, but I was able to see everything I signed up for.  The tour included visits to the Magic Museum, GAR Hall, and the Postal Museum.  Of the three, the Postal Museum was my favorite.  I went in thinking it would be really boring, but it turned out to be really interesting.  I think part of that is we all use the mail and thus, have a personal connection to draw us in.  Plus, the curator there is VERY enthusiastic and his enthusiasm spreads quickly.  I should also note it was the only museum with air conditioning, so that may have played a factor as well. 

Group outside of the GAR Museum

All in all, the conference was another great experience.  I am feeling much more comfortable with public speaking and it’s really fun to reconnect with archivists from across the state.  I met new people, saw old friends, and had a blast.

Next up–NAGARA in 2 weeks!

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A few months ago, The Digital Archive Blog posted “15 People all Archivists Must Follow on Twitter.”  Although I didn’t make the first cut, I was added to the list a few days later.  Before that article, I had around 20 followers, but now I’m at 66–wow!

Most people I talk to tend to shy away from Twitter, considering it a waste of time or just pointless.  Two common thoughts are “why would anyone want to read about what I do all day?” or “I don’t have time”.  Following other archivists has been a great way to expand my network.  Do I know most of these people on a first name basis?  No, but when I see their names pop up at various conferences or on listservs I feel more connected.  Plus, with everyone tweeting about what they’re working on or pondering, it’s a great place to exchange ideas.

I feel I’m a case in point for the “I don’t have time” arguement.  It is MUCH easier to update in 140 than write an entire blog post.  I’m on twitter everyday, but this blog tends to get pushed aside.  Why?  Because writing 140 characters is much less daunting.  If I have on comment, I can write it, without having to think of related material to fill up a post.

I’ve found twitter to be a great place for networking with other archvists and greatly prefer it over facebook or LinkedIn.  I learn about other archives throughout the world and get to know some “quirks” of others that lead to personal connections.  Although, I still think I’m the only archivist out there that enjoys listening to the princess of pop herself, Ms. Spears.

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Last year I wasn’t so good at keeping up on my blog.  So part of my New Years Resolution is to update my blog more often.   We’ll see how well I do! 

Since my last post, I’ve been busy with helping the Michigan Historical Center get more involved with social networking.  We are in the process of redesigning our Seeking Michigan site and we hope to have it all up and ready on March 1 (my b-day!).  I’ve been looking through Flickr and blogs to find groups interested in Michigan history.  I’m really excited to see where these endeavors go!

I’ve also been involved in the Michigan Archival Association (MAA) Program Committee for the 2009 Annual Meeting.  We are in the final stages of securing speakers and it’s looking to be a interesting program!

hmm what else?  The dance studio always occupies a large part of my time.  I attended another tap festival, finished two pieces, started two, while teaching four classes.  Good thing I love tap!

So all in all 2009 is looking to be a busy, eventful, and exciting year…can’t wait!

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Last night I stepped on the ice for the first time in about 12 years.  It was a pretty humorous experience.  I never fell, but I did lose my balance a few times.  I only really attempted one jump, which turned out to be when I wasn’t really moving….at all.  I skated about everyday when I was a kid, so the fact that cross overs proved a bit difficult was a bit surprising.  But skating is a bit like riding a bike; it took 20 minutes, but I got to where I could skate around comfortably forwards and fairly decently backwards.

I think it’ll take a few more times to break my skates in.  I got a few blisters on my ankles, but compared to pointe shoes, it’s not that bad.  I definetely want to go back and do it again soon! Maybe next time, I’ll attempt a spin!

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