Getting Dirty

Part of my charge as an archivist is to research the archives for documents that support the University. For instance, a journalism student may stop by to scan the photographs of the spontaneous and massively successful student-organized Palenstinian Donations campaign in 2002. Since some of the collections here have yet to be indexed and processed, due to the lack of staff in the Archives itself, this task could take some time and require one to pull multiple boxes from high shelves. That is when the dust dusts the shoulders of the white shirt I was accidentally wearing that day and cloggs the ridges of my fingerprints. For anyone who knows how much I hate newsprint and the feeling of newspaper ink residue on the pads of my fingers, I admit it also makes me nervous to have the tips of my fingers covered in dust. I have since learned to put on the white archival gloves (a la Michael Jackson) to handle the boxes in the storage room. Also, I have learned that there is a lot of interesting stuff in there.

I am currently on the hunt for documents that support the University's acquisition of the library of one of its most famous art and architecture scholars in the 1950s. Playing detective involves following the paper trail and a bit of guess work. For instance, what files of the University--the Board of Trustees, the Comptroller, the President--would contain this document? Most of these files have not been organized by current standards and the placement of something as important as a gift contract or will would not be as apparent as one would think. When it comes to an archives that has just begun to look at itself as an organized support system for housing the files of the University (thanks to Steve over the last four years), you must second guess all former filing systems. Again, I am getting dusty, but this time I wear the gloves.

(And finally, some recent photos. The theme is "on the top": Mt. Sinai and the 10th floor flat.)