This post continues the series, “Behind the Scenes at Houghton”, giving a glimpse into the inner workings of the library’s mission to support teaching and research. Thanks to Magdaline Lawhorn, Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Resident & Project Archivist, for contributing this post. Library and information professionals love developing workflows! Workflows make our…
Born-Digital Blog Post #5 : Analyzing Results of the Survey
This post continues the series, “Behind the Scenes at Houghton”, giving a glimpse into the inner workings of the library’s mission to support teaching and research. Thanks to Magdaline Lawhorn, Administrative Fellow & Project Archivist, for contributing this post. So far in this series, I have discussed Houghton’s first steps in the born-digital initiative, the…
Born-Digital Blog Post #4: Digital Forensic Workstation
This post continues the series, “Behind the Scenes at Houghton”, giving a glimpse into the inner workings of the library’s mission to support teaching and research. Thanks to Magdaline Lawhorn, Administrative Fellow & Project Archivist, for contributing this post. A functional workstation is pivotal to every archivist’s work, especially when dealing with the born-digital environment…
Born-Digital Post #3: Space
This post continues the series, “Behind the Scenes at Houghton”, giving a glimpse into the inner workings of the library’s mission to support teaching and research. Thanks to Magdaline Lawhorn, Administrative Fellow & Project Archivist, for contributing this post. Our born-digital journey continues to be filled with research, trial and error, and lots of excel…
Born-Digital Blog Post #2: Generating the Report
This post continues the series, “Behind the Scenes at Houghton”, giving a glimpse into the inner workings of the library’s mission to support teaching and research. Thanks to Magdaline Lawhorn Administrative Fellow & Project Archivist, for contributing this post. Houghton’s born-digital survey journey continues to the next stage, beginning with the procurement and analysis of…
Born-Digital Blog Post #1: The Beginning
This post continues the series, “Behind the Scenes at Houghton”, giving a glimpse into the inner workings of the library’s mission to support teaching and research. Thanks to Magdaline Lawhorn, Administrative Fellow & Project Archivist, for contributing this post. Born-digital backlog! Everyone has one. When you think of Houghton Library and other special collections,…
A Long Whip with a Snapper
As a cataloger at Houghton, I am frequently tasked with correcting minor errors or otherwise improving particular catalog records in response to suggestions from readers or fellow staff. Edits as simple as fixing a typo nonetheless have an immediate and positive effect, and so I always take satisfaction in these easy victories. As an added…
“Outrageous Attention to Detail”: The School-to-Work Program at Houghton
For the fifth consecutive year, we have had the opportunity to hire a paid intern from the Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School (CRLS) to learn about our work by helping end-process our collections. Through the School-to-Work program, (STW), the Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers (HUCTW) coordinates with the Cambridge Office of Workforce…
What Do Those Archivists Do? An Inside Look at Creating Titles
This post is part of a new series, “Behind the Scenes at Houghton” giving a glimpse into the inner workings of the library’s mission to support teaching and research. Thanks to Adrien Hilton, Head, Manuscript Section, for contributing this post. I started as the Head of the Manuscript Section at Houghton Library in February 2016….
The [n.d.]s of March, or, Recataloging Julius Caesar
A few weeks ago I was in the stacks on some bibliographical errand relating to modern acting editions of Julius Caesar, when I took a moment to appreciate that nearby on the shelf were several seventeenth-century quarto editions of the play. One was dated 1684, another 1691, and between them, intriguingly, were four undated editions….