NASM Archives Kristin Harley, Cataloging Intern Master’s of Library and Information Science, St. Catherine University, St. Paul, MN
NASM ArchivesKristin Harley, Cataloging Intern
Master’s of Library and Information Science, St. Catherine University, St. Paul, MN
Career Change
• B.A. English Literature, U of MN, 1990• Background: administrative support; freelance writer, columnist,
and journalist; community newspaper operations; office supervisor; actress; dancer; activist; science forum moderator; and Bohemian!
• M.A., Library and Information Science, St. Catherine University, 2010
Why NASM?
• Lifelong obsession with astronomy and the space program• (Jet) pilot and astronaut heroes• Love of documents and research• Carl Sagan’s fault
Creative Commons
http://campsmoke.fmallen.com/
http://carlsagansdanceparty.files.wordpress.com/
http://scrapetv.com/
Cataloging Intern, NASM Archives
• Supervisor: Patti Williams, Acquisitions Archivist• Acquiring, appraising, processing, preserving,
conserving, and making accessible historical materials (not just documents).
• “Archivists select, preserve, and make available historical and documentary records of enduring value.” – SAA Code of Ethics
• NASM collections belong to the people $$
Archives Moving to Udvar-Hazy Facility
• Most complete collection of historic aviation and space visual imagery
• Over 12,000 cubic feet of documents• Over 1.75 million photographs• 14,000 film and video titles• Reference Room will accommodate 16 researchers
with laptops• Microfilm reader stands• Listening stations • Motion picture viewing room
Creative Commons
Diane Penland
Who Uses Archives?• Thousands of requests each year from: Other museums Visiting scholars Historians Restorers Writers Film producers Modelers Government agencies Students General public
Amazon.com
NASM
NASM
Archivists Support NASM
• Behind the scenes work and research “Enola Gay” reassembly: technical manuals and drawings Identification of disassembled specialized parts
• Archivists are not historians, as librarians are not book critics – more akin to Carl Linnaeus (taxonomy) than Charles Darwin (biology)
• Not experts on the subject – experts on how to find and retrieve appropriate info on the subject
Cataloging
• Creating accession (acquisition) records in FileMakerPro – new collections, or to add to existing
• Processing of certain collections (Means, Lindbergh Memorabilia/Stanley King)
• Preservation tasks
Sample Accession Entry
Sample Collection Description
Sample Accession Record
Garber Facility
NASM
Lindbergh Memorabilia
Famous People!Rudyard Kipling to James Means
Charles Doolittle Walcott to James Means
Wear-and-Tear
Preservation Tasks
• Preservation = Conservation: preventative• Mylar sleeves for documents• Mylar photograph and slide sleeves• Removal of rusting staples and paper-clips• Acid-free folders and boxes• Controlled climate• Archives’ four enemies: light, dust, moisture,
and fire