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Explorations
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American Environmental History
Library and Archives Plan of Work
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Discussion
Introduction to Archives
- Discussion: Definitions/"Mindwalk" Activity
- What are personal papers?
- What do you find in the papers of organizations (draw on a high school club)?
Concepts
- Reflection of lives and activities
- Group-level organization (compare to books)
- Imaginative process required to use things: example of travel account
- Connect to varied uses of personal papers, just as you can talk to someone now for many different purposes
- How does this relate to literature? At the base, it's all about stories. How history was originally written. When we make an argument about the past, we tell a story.
- What really happened? We can't know! Use example of contemporary accident report/crime.
Examples
- Manuscripts: City of Missoula records (prisoner registers); Thula Hardenbrook (sc 60)
- Photographs: panoramics of Missoula (two dates), two books of photos to pass around
- Oral histories: OH 131-19 (St. Ignatius--read from tss), 133-113 (smokejumpers)
- UM archives: student scrapbooks (1920s, Forestry), dance cards, President's office box 19
- Other: city directories (show examples), maps (Sanborn of Missoula 1884 and 1902; early Lake county or Missoula map)
Practicalities
- Explain rules, procedures, have students fill out use agreements
Activities
Exercise in archives: what's in the box?
Each group of two has an assigned box or portion of a collection; do a worksheet on the contents. Two collections each: archives, personal papers. Each group also has the finding aid the for collection and must read it.
Group 1
- Kim Williams (Mss 218, series II, box 1)
- City of Missoula (Mss 216, series xiv, volume 228)
Group 2
- Harry Gisborne (LC 98, box 2)
- Lake County Federation of Women's Clubs (Mss 203, box 1)
Group 3
- Dorothy Johnson (Mss 127, series I, box 1)
- Western Montana Fish and Game Association (Mss 213, series IV, box 3)
Group 4
- A. J. Gibson (Mss 18, one folder)
- GASP (Mss 43, series II, box 1)
Group 5
- Adam Bradley (Mss 60, one folder)
- Homevale Garden Club (Mss 193, series iv, box 1)
Take fifteen minutes at the end to report back to the class.
Searching the online catalog
Mention American Memory site and subject vs. keyword searching.
GrizNet library catalog
- Finding a book/journal and locating it in library
- Example: JW Powell as author. Show how to extrapolate subject from known "goodie." Subject sw: water and history (look at #25)
- Student exercise on moving from known quantity. Contrast subject search vs. keyword search
Handout: list of good subject headings for topics
Break for lunch
Library Activities
Treasure Hunt! in library.
Wrap-Up and Evaluation
Writing exercise based on day's experience and evaluation.
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