Statement of Purpose (2012)
I have been involved in archives and special collections as far back as 1989 in museum and library settings, with my earliest recollection of transcribing 18th century maritime journals for St. John Fisher College, Lavery Library in East Rochester, New York. This was the first time in my career that I wanted to work in archives. However, that is not what truly hooked me.
I am not only an archivist but also an artist—in particular, an assemblage artist. My work reflects my profession as an archivist by the very nature of the materials I use. I create works through the assemblage medium that evoke memory and history by using ephemeral materials such as old papers, letters, journals, photographs and 19th or early 20th century objects. During an exhibition opening in 2001 titled, “A Disassembled Life,” a collector saw one of my pieces and started to cry. I was a bit distressed to see this so I asked what was wrong? She said my piece evoked a powerful memory of loss. I knew my life in the world of archives fed my soul as an artist. It was like coming home. And yes, she purchased the piece.
These clearly are two very different careers that I have combined in my professional life. I continue to fuel these two interests by taking workshops in paper and book conservation, archival treatments of art works and artists’ books. I have even taught archival practice methods for artists.
My earliest project initiative was in 1994 for the Heritage Square’s Historical Buildings and Museum in Ontario, New York and took approximately four months to complete. The organization was attempting to create a living museum where Docents, dressed in period costumes, would give tours and a history of each individual building. However, the organization did not use period objects or materials that represented the buildings. I was asked to research the historical background of each building to determine the accuracy of their objects and materials displayed. I would then review their museum policies, make recommendations for change and add new policies where none were present. At the end of my project, I presented the Town of Ontario Historical and Landmark Preservation Society with six binders representing each building’s history. The books were placed in their respective building location for interpretive information as well as for general museum information. Recommendations were made for the organization to review and create policies and a mission statement; which helped fill a need to develop their preservation board and showed how to utilize and benefit their interpretive plans. Lastly, newly created and updated museum policies were presented to the board and covered the following areas: Acquisition and De-accession Policies, Guidelines for the use of Museum Facilities, Care of Collections and preventive and remedial Conservation.
During my tenure as Director of the Warren Memorial Library in Westbrook, Maine between 1995 and 2003, I laid down the foundation seeds, so to speak, to the library executive board to establish an archival program. Their enthusiasm and support for this project allowed me to create the Warren Memorial Foundation Archives and Special Collections. These collections consisted of 18th and 19th century photographs, rare books and manuscripts as well as library and foundation records. These collections are rich in history pertaining to the early paper mill industry (S. D. Warren Paper Mill) in Westbrook and the library’s association with that mill. There was no doubt these collections would instill community pride, educate students in the use of primary sources, and give my staff a sense of history in their library. Samuel Dennis Warren of the S. D. Warren Paper Mill in Westbrook, Maine and the two Foundations that were created by the Warren Family played a pivotal role in the economic growth of Westbrook. The trustees of the Warren Memorial Foundation commissioned me to research and write a small book about the Warren Family Legacy.
In 1997, I came upon a collection of 150 albumen prints on the construction of the Presumpscot dam by S. D. Warren Paper Mill dated between 1918-1921. The photographs were taken by an S. D. Warren employee to document the development of the dam. I wanted to digitize this collection and make them accessible to the public through the Internet. Digital technology was new at the time. Keep in mind this was 1997 and open source web 2.0 applications such as MIDI v2 or Content DM and Past Perfect were not available. The Internet was the gateway to the public without a high cost in software. My research initiative was titled, “Evolving Digital Technology for Access and Preservation.” The project involved appraising the collection, collection arrangement, re-housing, cataloging, copyright concerns, software/equipment needs, and determining digital scanning standards. My objectives were to explore various methods of image capture and conversion to digital media, to help increase access to underutilized visual materials of historically significant photographs via the internet, to develop copyright and fair use policies, and to explore other institutions who have pursued similar avenues. The final product was an online digital collection exhibition. The most satisfying part of the project was presenting it to librarians at Emporia State College in Kansas, who at that time, were looking at ways to digitize collections.
During my tenure as Director of Library and Archives for the Dyer Library/Saco Museum Association, one of the most compelling problems I saw was the need to bridge the gap between the Museum and Library through collaborative planning and development of exhibitions and programming that took advantage of the collective staff talents and special collection resources of the Saco Museum and Dyer Library. I forged a relationship with the Saco Museum Director through collaborative and thoughtful planning that resulted in collection displays that related to the Museum’s Exhibitions. The relationship I built with the Museum Director allowed me the opportunity to provide consultation and coordination with their collections coordinator on appropriate museum archival procedures, which has led to improvements in the management and future development of the Museum’s archival assets. This was the most exciting part of my job.
The Dyer Library and Saco Museum has one of the most extensive collections of local history archives of any library in York County, Maine. However, in the organization’s past history, collections have been broken up and separated to be placed either in the Museum or Library, and in many cases, provenance was lost. A yearlong project involved marrying those collections where provenance was lost. This involved surveying the library archives and special collections to determine what collections were originally from the museum and returned to its rightful place.
During my time as Director, I built a strong, positive relationship with all members of the Historical Society and was able to introduce new, more appropriate processing, storage and preservation methods to them. I provided educational instruction to volunteers and presented new policies to the organization’s Collection committee. I then proposed a six-week course in processing historical collections to the Senior College Program in Saco. There is something rewarding about seeing the students, who were all members of the community, become very excited about archival processing. For many, it was like a light bulb going off in their head. They saw the archival process as something they could do with their own family papers. Some of these students then became volunteers for the Library archives processing small collections.
As an advocate and educator in archives management, a variety of opportunities presented themselves to me. For example, after giving a workshop on book preservation and repair to 52 librarians at an MBNA library conference in Lincoln, Maine, I was approached by their Libra Foundation Island Library Grant program coordinator to help them develop a new grant program. The grant targeted small coastal and island libraries in Maine that could apply for a workshop grant in book repair. The workshop would provide materials, instruction (provided by me) and textbooks on the subject. Grants that were submitted and accepted by the MBNA Libra Foundation Small Island Grants were forwarded to me and I would travel to these islands to do the workshops. How amazing it was for me to travel via boat to a small Maine Library (i.e. Swans Island) and share my knowledge with these wonderful librarians!
Back in 1999, I attended the Maine Libraries Association Conference. During the vendor program, I saw the University of Maine at Augusta information booth. They were promoting their B.S. program in Library and Information Science and had a curriculum list displayed. This program is taught asynchronously. I noticed a class on archives management on the list of courses. I asked the coordinator at that time who was teaching this course. The coordinator said this was a new course and they were currently seeking an instructor to teach it. Well, when opportunity knocks, one must open the door. So I did and I have been teaching “Introduction to Archives and Manuscript Collections” since January 2000. This class is so successful, the University of Maine at Augusta is considering adding an archives track within the B.S. Library Services program in the future. I hope that I will have an opportunity to assist in the development of this archives track.
As in all asynchronous classes, students must take an active role in their education. I require all my students to do internships at local museums, historical societies or libraries. Students visit cultural institutions in their respective communities and meet with the Director or Head Archivist to talk about their projects and what they seek to do. Most students will survey a collection while some students have had opportunities to process small collections.
Back in 2005, a student who was enrolled in the archives class was living in West Africa. Her husband was a missionary and she was a matriculated student in UMA’s undergraduate program in library science. She was very concerned that she would be unable to meet the course requirements, in particular, finding a cultural institution to do a small internship project. We communicated via email long distant and I was able to give her the positive feedback and guidance to “stick it out” as she was a brilliant student. It paid off because she was able to connect with the Institut de Hates Etudes et de Recherche Islamique Ahmed Baba Mali (Ahmed Baba Institute of Higher Learning and Islamic Research) located in Timbuktu, in Northern Mali, West Africa. To get there, she had to travel first by donkey and then by boat! She spent a total of three days surveying their collections. Many of the materials were early Islamic writings from the 15th and 16h century. She took photographs and extensive notes and made preservation recommendations. What makes her experience important to me? As faculty, she opened a small window into another world that I was able to experience through her.
The class I teach is demanding and not for every student. But, for those students that are interested, it changes their world just as archives changed mine. I have students who now work in museums and archives and a number of them have gone on to graduate school.
In October 2011, Governor Paul LePage appointed me to the Maine Historical Records Advisory Board (MHRAB). This is a new opportunity for me to get to know my archival colleagues better, review grants from various cultural institutions in Maine, and have an opportunity to weigh in about what would help improve the state of archival records in all kinds of repositories throughout Maine.
In 2o17, I have been invited to be a member of the board for Maine Archives and Museums. What an honor to be part of an amazing group of hardworking professionals in museums and archives.
Research interest: How artists experience the physical world through their materials.
December 2017
I am not only an archivist but also an artist—in particular, an assemblage artist. My work reflects my profession as an archivist by the very nature of the materials I use. I create works through the assemblage medium that evoke memory and history by using ephemeral materials such as old papers, letters, journals, photographs and 19th or early 20th century objects. During an exhibition opening in 2001 titled, “A Disassembled Life,” a collector saw one of my pieces and started to cry. I was a bit distressed to see this so I asked what was wrong? She said my piece evoked a powerful memory of loss. I knew my life in the world of archives fed my soul as an artist. It was like coming home. And yes, she purchased the piece.
These clearly are two very different careers that I have combined in my professional life. I continue to fuel these two interests by taking workshops in paper and book conservation, archival treatments of art works and artists’ books. I have even taught archival practice methods for artists.
My earliest project initiative was in 1994 for the Heritage Square’s Historical Buildings and Museum in Ontario, New York and took approximately four months to complete. The organization was attempting to create a living museum where Docents, dressed in period costumes, would give tours and a history of each individual building. However, the organization did not use period objects or materials that represented the buildings. I was asked to research the historical background of each building to determine the accuracy of their objects and materials displayed. I would then review their museum policies, make recommendations for change and add new policies where none were present. At the end of my project, I presented the Town of Ontario Historical and Landmark Preservation Society with six binders representing each building’s history. The books were placed in their respective building location for interpretive information as well as for general museum information. Recommendations were made for the organization to review and create policies and a mission statement; which helped fill a need to develop their preservation board and showed how to utilize and benefit their interpretive plans. Lastly, newly created and updated museum policies were presented to the board and covered the following areas: Acquisition and De-accession Policies, Guidelines for the use of Museum Facilities, Care of Collections and preventive and remedial Conservation.
During my tenure as Director of the Warren Memorial Library in Westbrook, Maine between 1995 and 2003, I laid down the foundation seeds, so to speak, to the library executive board to establish an archival program. Their enthusiasm and support for this project allowed me to create the Warren Memorial Foundation Archives and Special Collections. These collections consisted of 18th and 19th century photographs, rare books and manuscripts as well as library and foundation records. These collections are rich in history pertaining to the early paper mill industry (S. D. Warren Paper Mill) in Westbrook and the library’s association with that mill. There was no doubt these collections would instill community pride, educate students in the use of primary sources, and give my staff a sense of history in their library. Samuel Dennis Warren of the S. D. Warren Paper Mill in Westbrook, Maine and the two Foundations that were created by the Warren Family played a pivotal role in the economic growth of Westbrook. The trustees of the Warren Memorial Foundation commissioned me to research and write a small book about the Warren Family Legacy.
In 1997, I came upon a collection of 150 albumen prints on the construction of the Presumpscot dam by S. D. Warren Paper Mill dated between 1918-1921. The photographs were taken by an S. D. Warren employee to document the development of the dam. I wanted to digitize this collection and make them accessible to the public through the Internet. Digital technology was new at the time. Keep in mind this was 1997 and open source web 2.0 applications such as MIDI v2 or Content DM and Past Perfect were not available. The Internet was the gateway to the public without a high cost in software. My research initiative was titled, “Evolving Digital Technology for Access and Preservation.” The project involved appraising the collection, collection arrangement, re-housing, cataloging, copyright concerns, software/equipment needs, and determining digital scanning standards. My objectives were to explore various methods of image capture and conversion to digital media, to help increase access to underutilized visual materials of historically significant photographs via the internet, to develop copyright and fair use policies, and to explore other institutions who have pursued similar avenues. The final product was an online digital collection exhibition. The most satisfying part of the project was presenting it to librarians at Emporia State College in Kansas, who at that time, were looking at ways to digitize collections.
During my tenure as Director of Library and Archives for the Dyer Library/Saco Museum Association, one of the most compelling problems I saw was the need to bridge the gap between the Museum and Library through collaborative planning and development of exhibitions and programming that took advantage of the collective staff talents and special collection resources of the Saco Museum and Dyer Library. I forged a relationship with the Saco Museum Director through collaborative and thoughtful planning that resulted in collection displays that related to the Museum’s Exhibitions. The relationship I built with the Museum Director allowed me the opportunity to provide consultation and coordination with their collections coordinator on appropriate museum archival procedures, which has led to improvements in the management and future development of the Museum’s archival assets. This was the most exciting part of my job.
The Dyer Library and Saco Museum has one of the most extensive collections of local history archives of any library in York County, Maine. However, in the organization’s past history, collections have been broken up and separated to be placed either in the Museum or Library, and in many cases, provenance was lost. A yearlong project involved marrying those collections where provenance was lost. This involved surveying the library archives and special collections to determine what collections were originally from the museum and returned to its rightful place.
During my time as Director, I built a strong, positive relationship with all members of the Historical Society and was able to introduce new, more appropriate processing, storage and preservation methods to them. I provided educational instruction to volunteers and presented new policies to the organization’s Collection committee. I then proposed a six-week course in processing historical collections to the Senior College Program in Saco. There is something rewarding about seeing the students, who were all members of the community, become very excited about archival processing. For many, it was like a light bulb going off in their head. They saw the archival process as something they could do with their own family papers. Some of these students then became volunteers for the Library archives processing small collections.
As an advocate and educator in archives management, a variety of opportunities presented themselves to me. For example, after giving a workshop on book preservation and repair to 52 librarians at an MBNA library conference in Lincoln, Maine, I was approached by their Libra Foundation Island Library Grant program coordinator to help them develop a new grant program. The grant targeted small coastal and island libraries in Maine that could apply for a workshop grant in book repair. The workshop would provide materials, instruction (provided by me) and textbooks on the subject. Grants that were submitted and accepted by the MBNA Libra Foundation Small Island Grants were forwarded to me and I would travel to these islands to do the workshops. How amazing it was for me to travel via boat to a small Maine Library (i.e. Swans Island) and share my knowledge with these wonderful librarians!
Back in 1999, I attended the Maine Libraries Association Conference. During the vendor program, I saw the University of Maine at Augusta information booth. They were promoting their B.S. program in Library and Information Science and had a curriculum list displayed. This program is taught asynchronously. I noticed a class on archives management on the list of courses. I asked the coordinator at that time who was teaching this course. The coordinator said this was a new course and they were currently seeking an instructor to teach it. Well, when opportunity knocks, one must open the door. So I did and I have been teaching “Introduction to Archives and Manuscript Collections” since January 2000. This class is so successful, the University of Maine at Augusta is considering adding an archives track within the B.S. Library Services program in the future. I hope that I will have an opportunity to assist in the development of this archives track.
As in all asynchronous classes, students must take an active role in their education. I require all my students to do internships at local museums, historical societies or libraries. Students visit cultural institutions in their respective communities and meet with the Director or Head Archivist to talk about their projects and what they seek to do. Most students will survey a collection while some students have had opportunities to process small collections.
Back in 2005, a student who was enrolled in the archives class was living in West Africa. Her husband was a missionary and she was a matriculated student in UMA’s undergraduate program in library science. She was very concerned that she would be unable to meet the course requirements, in particular, finding a cultural institution to do a small internship project. We communicated via email long distant and I was able to give her the positive feedback and guidance to “stick it out” as she was a brilliant student. It paid off because she was able to connect with the Institut de Hates Etudes et de Recherche Islamique Ahmed Baba Mali (Ahmed Baba Institute of Higher Learning and Islamic Research) located in Timbuktu, in Northern Mali, West Africa. To get there, she had to travel first by donkey and then by boat! She spent a total of three days surveying their collections. Many of the materials were early Islamic writings from the 15th and 16h century. She took photographs and extensive notes and made preservation recommendations. What makes her experience important to me? As faculty, she opened a small window into another world that I was able to experience through her.
The class I teach is demanding and not for every student. But, for those students that are interested, it changes their world just as archives changed mine. I have students who now work in museums and archives and a number of them have gone on to graduate school.
In October 2011, Governor Paul LePage appointed me to the Maine Historical Records Advisory Board (MHRAB). This is a new opportunity for me to get to know my archival colleagues better, review grants from various cultural institutions in Maine, and have an opportunity to weigh in about what would help improve the state of archival records in all kinds of repositories throughout Maine.
In 2o17, I have been invited to be a member of the board for Maine Archives and Museums. What an honor to be part of an amazing group of hardworking professionals in museums and archives.
Research interest: How artists experience the physical world through their materials.
December 2017