Author Archives: Meghan Bailey

Processing*: The benefits of sharing in the archival profession

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Processing Manual for Archival and Manuscript Collections, by Meghan Bailey, Jessica Holden, and Joanne Riley

Processing Manual for Archival and Manuscript Collections, by Meghan Bailey, Jessica Holden, and Joanne Riley

During my time as the processing archivist in University Archives & Special Collections at UMass Boston, I’ve been working hard to ensure our processing* procedures reflect current professional standards and are efficient and consistent. To that end, I led the department in the development of a processing manual to assist students, interns, and volunteers, as well as other library and archives staff, with archival processing projects. Importantly, my colleagues Jessica Holden and Joanne Riley played pivotal roles in preparing, testing, and championing the development of this manual – not, I should add, a quick and easy undertaking!

(*Processing is the term archivists use to describe the work of making a new collection ready and available for access to researchers, students, and staff. Donated collections often come to the repository in disarray. Boxes and folders are unlabeled, disorganized, and dusty, and may contain duplicate materials and personally identifiable information. It is the archivist’s job to ensure ease of access, and to assimilate the historical relevance and material content of the collection and communicate this knowledge in the finding aid for researchers.)

As part of keeping tabs on activities in the archival professional community, I am a member of the NEAdiscuss listserv, a listserv created for the New England archives community to encourage communication and announcements pertaining to the profession.

Last week, I noticed an email come through the listserv inquiring about processing plans and workflows. Immediately after this email, several other members of the listserv responded, indicating their interest in this information.

At the University of Massachusetts Boston, we are fortunate to have ScholarWorks, an open access digital repository for scholarship and research by faculty, staff, and students at the university and managed by staff in the Joseph P. Healey Library. We had been planning to post the manual to ScholarWorks for some time and this exchange on the NEAdiscuss listserv moved us to action.

After posting our processing manual to ScholarWorks on February 11, I forwarded the link to my colleagues in listserv-land. To my surprise, the manual was downloaded 35 times in 24 hours and, as of today, the manual has been downloaded almost 50 times!

The importance of sharing ideas, workflows, and practices in the archival profession cannot be understated. It encourages collegiality and limits the duplication of effort, ultimately advancing the profession. This is especially important as archivists forge ahead with the digitization of archival collections. As nerdy as it may seem, our seemingly obsessive, hyper-vigilant focus on processes and workflows is essential to providing access to archival collections for communities of researchers, students, faculty, and staff.

I welcome any feedback or thoughts on our department processing manual. The manual will be updated periodically, as our work processes evolve to support current and new materials. Please check ScholarWorks for the most updated version.

University Archives & Special Collections in the Joseph P. Healey Library at UMass Boston collects materials related to the university’s history, as well as materials that reflect the institution’s urban mission and strong support of community service, notably in collections of records of urban planning, social welfare, social action, alternative movements, community organizations, and local history related to neighboring communities.

University Archives & Special Collections welcomes inquiries from individuals, organizations, and businesses interested in donating materials of an archival nature that that fit within our collecting policy. These include manuscripts, documents, organizational archives, collections of photographs, unique publications, and audio and video media. For more information about donating to University Archives & Special Collections, click here or email library.archives@umb.edu.

League of American Wheelmen collection comes to the Healey Library at UMass Boston

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John Allen, part of the Board of Directors for the Charles River Wheelmen, unloads one of 200 boxes donated to University Archives and Special Collections on Tuesday. Photo credit: Colleen Locke/UMass Boston

On Tuesday, September 22, University Archives & Special Collections in the Joseph P. Healey Library at UMass Boston received a large donation of material (approximately 200 boxes) from the League of American Wheelmen.

The League of American Wheelmen (now called the League of American Bicyclists) is a national bicycling organization founded in 1880 that played and continues to play an important role around issues of bicycle safety, design standards, promoting bicycling and the rights of bicyclists, and (early in the organization’s existence) advocating for paved roads before the presence of automobiles.

A number of individuals and organizations were involved in the acquisition of the LAW records, including the Charles River Wheelmen (CRW) and member John Allen; Cycling Through History, the Massachusetts African American Heritage Bike Network; and Lorenz Finison, the author of Boston’s Cycling Craze, 1880-1900: A Story of Race, Sport, and Society, which was published in 2014 by the University of Massachusetts Press.

Prior to the donation to the Archives at UMass Boston, Tom Helm, a League member and former board member, stored the collection in his Pennsylvania home for many years, after the League moved to smaller offices and could no longer accommodate the large collection. The transfer of this collection from Helm’s home to UMass Boston has been a real labor of love for those involved, and the financial commitments made by some to secure the safe arrival of these materials at UMass Boston is worth noting. For example, Cycling Through History received a grant from the CRW earlier this year that funded the transportation of these materials to UMass Boston.

The Healey Library at UMass Boston is fast becoming a national resource on bicycling history. We’ve taken in a total of eleven collections over the past few years that tell the stories of bicycling in Boston and around the country. Materials related to the League can be found among the department’s existing collections, as well – notably in the papers of Ralph Galen and Phyllis Harmon. Read more about these collections here.

The extensive records of the League will make a great addition to these existing collections and plans for an exhibition are in progress. We’re currently working with an intern, Sara Davis, a graduate students from Simmons School of Library and Information Science. The exhibit will be on display in 2016.

Keep visiting this site to stay informed about our work with these collections.

University Archives & Special Collections in the Joseph P. Healey Library at UMass Boston collects materials related to the university’s history, as well as materials that reflect the institution’s urban mission and strong support of community service, notably in collections of records of urban planning, social welfare, social action, alternative movements, community organizations, and local history related to neighboring communities.

University Archives & Special Collections welcomes inquiries from individuals, organizations, and businesses interested in donating materials of an archival nature that that fit within our collecting policy. These include manuscripts, documents, organizational archives, collections of photographs, unique publications, and audio and video media. For more information about donating to University Archives & Special Collections, click here or email library.archives@umb.edu.

Archival collection documents 50 years of UMass Boston

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IMG_1068UMass Boston has come a long way since first opening its doors to students in 1965 — something we were thrilled to see highlighted in a recent Boston Globe article about the opening of the Integrated Sciences Complex.

But there’s so much more to the story of UMass Boston. To that end, University Archives & Special Collections in the Joseph P. Healey Library is pleased to announce that the records of the Office of Institutional Research and Planning (1964-2012) are now open for research. The bulk of this collection contains long-range plans and five-year plans from 1964 to 1989 and enrollment reports from 1982 to 2000. Formats and document types range from photocopies and reports to correspondence and memoranda.

Though spanning only one linear foot, the contents of this collection document the founding objectives and activities of the university and are of particular significance as we look back on fifty years of UMass Boston. One highlight within the records includes the “Original UMB Plan 1964” from September 1964, which was prepared by the Office of the Director of Planning. The plan indicates the need to establish a new Boston-area campus to “meet the educational needs of the metropolitan area for the next fifty to sixty years” and “accommodate 10,000 to 20,000 college students within a decade or two.” This document outlines proposed curricula, evaluation of enrollment projection, a list of site locations for the new university, and space requirements for faculty and students. The plan also includes minutes of various committees and subcommittees. The original plan was for the university to be open for 1,000 students by September of 1965. The records within the folder entitled “Who Are Our Students? 2002-2012” indicate that by fall 2012,  15,874 students were enrolled, an amazing mark of progress for the university!

If you have any questions or if you would like to schedule a time to explore this or any of our collections, email library.archives@umb.edu or call 617-287-5469.

View the finding aid for this collection here.

University Archives & Special Collections in the Joseph P. Healey Library at UMass Boston collects materials related to the university’s history, as well as materials that reflect the institution’s urban mission and strong support of community service, notably in collections of records of urban planning, social welfare, social action, alternative movements, community organizations, and local history related to neighboring communities.

University Archives & Special Collections welcomes inquiries from individuals, organizations, and businesses interested in donating materials of an archival nature that that fit within our collecting policy. These include manuscripts, documents, organizational archives, collections of photographs, unique publications, and audio and video media. For more information about donating to University Archives & Special Collections, click here or email library.archives@umb.edu.

Publications Office photographs now available for research, online and in person

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Chancellor Carlo Golino greeting students as they arrive on campus. UASC-UAPHO-0004-0293-0006

Chancellor Carlo Golino greeting students as they arrive on campus, circa 1974-1975. UASC-UAPHO-0004-0293-0006

University Archives & Special Collections in the Joseph P. Healey Library at UMass Boston is excited to announce that the University of Massachusetts Boston Publications Office photographs, ca. 1966-2000, are now open for research. Additionally, a number of photographs from the collection have been digitized and are available online at openarchives.umb.edu.

The UMass Boston publications office produced the majority of the university’s publications for many years. On August 1, 1998, Chancellor Sherry H. Penney reorganized several departments at the administrative level, creating one unit that was responsible for enrollment and communication services.

This collection includes photographs and slides from the publications office at UMass Boston from 1966 to 2000. The images in this collection deal broadly with issues related to the university, such as student and staff life, campus buildings, and events. Most people in the photographs are unidentified, though several individuals have been identified, including James Blackwell, Bernard Kramer, Governor Francis W. Sargent, Roger Prouty, Daisy Tagliacozzo, Herbert Lyken, Barbara Buchanan, and Bettina Harrison. Additional photograph subjects include Edward “Ted” Kennedy, Thomas P. (“Tip”) O’Neill, Martin Luther King III, and President Bill Clinton. Photographs of university events include the dedication of Phillis Wheatley Hall and an image from the Founding Day Convocation in 1966.

In the Special Arts Festival (1978) folder is a photograph of Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis presenting a document proclaiming the weekend of May 6-7, 1978, to be Arts Festival Weekend. In the photo, Governor Dukakis is pictured with Dean Michael Richards, Joan Hobson, and … a mime?

Promotional photographs of performers at the Harbor Festival in 1980 include the Children’s Ethnic Dance Co. of the Elma Lewis School, Krakowiak Polish Dancers, Boston punk band The Neighborhoods, choreographer Danny Sloan, performer Mr. Slim, and the Old Time Music and Vaudeville Revival.

We invite you to assist us in identifying faculty, staff, students, community members, and events by commenting on digitized photographs from the collection or by emailing library.archvies@umb.edu with information.

View digitized photographs from this collection here and view the finding aid for this collection. To make an appointment to view the collection, email library.archives@umb.edu.

These records were processed as part of University Archives & Special Collections’ Save Our History! campaign. As part of UMass Boston’s 50th anniversary, University Archives & Special Collections is calling for the transfer of founding documents and organizational records from all units on campus. These units include (but are not limited to) academic departments, administrative units, institutes, centers, and student groups. Read more about transferring University records to UASC.

Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research (PRIM&R) records: Now available for research

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PRIM&R 20th Anniversary poster

PRIM&R 20th Anniversary poster, 1984

University Archives & Special Collections in the Joseph P. Healey Library at UMass Boston is pleased to announce the availability of the Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research (PRIM&R) records (1972-2008) for research.

Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research (PRIM&R) is a non-profit organization that was formed in 1974 in response to increasingly complex and sensitive problems facing research and related clinical practice, such as the indictment of four doctors conducting fetal research at the Boston City Hospital, the Controlled Substances Act, and the United States Public Health Services Syphilis Study at Tuskegee, resulting in the passage of the National Research Act in 1974 and enacting regulations governing the protection of human subjects and mandating institutional review boards (IRBs).

This collection, spanning 39 linear feet, documents the activities of PRIM&R and the organization’s longtime executive director (from 1975-2014), Joan Rachlin, covering the years 1972 through 2008. In particular, the material in this collection documents the planning and arrangement of conferences, including research and the study of relevant topics such as the ethics of medical study and research on human subjects and animals. The collection also documents the member activities of ARENA, the board of directors of PRIM&R, and WISH-net.

The PRIM&R collection includes original documents, correspondence, photocopies, notes, conference proceedings, newsletters, pamphlets, books, serials, posters, floppy disks, CDs, DVDs, Betacam tapes, cassettes, mini-DV cassettes, and micro cassettes. The resource PRIM&R Through the Years: Three Decades of Protecting Human Subjects, which consists of almost thirty years of key talks from PRIM&R conferences, can be found in the special collections of the University Archives & Special Collections department, and in the Healey Library main stacks.

If you have any questions or if you would like to schedule a time to explore the collection, email library.archives@umb.edu or call 617-287-5469.

View the finding aid for this collection.

University Archives & Special Collections in the Joseph P. Healey Library at UMass Boston collects materials related to the university’s history, as well as materials that reflect the institution’s urban mission and strong support of community service, notably in collections of records of urban planning, social welfare, social action, alternative movements, community organizations, and local history related to neighboring communities.

University Archives & Special Collections welcomes inquiries from individuals, organizations, and businesses interested in donating materials of an archival nature that that fit within our collecting policy. These include manuscripts, documents, organizational archives, collections of photographs, unique publications, and audio and video media. For more information about donating to University Archives & Special Collections, click here or email library.archives@umb.edu.