Wonky. It's Just a Popular Word These Days

My dad asked a good question: What is the wonky type? Maureen Dowd described the archivist as the wonky type, albeit probably without ever having met one. I checked out the definition, and here's what dictionary.com had to say:

wonky (adj):
1. (British Slang) shaky, groggy or unsteady;
or unreliable, not trustworthy
2. stupid, boring, unattractive

I don't think Maureen Dowd was going for the 2nd definition, or even the second half of the first definition. But in relation to "shaky, groggy or unsteady," there exists a stereotype that record keepers are unhappy, like Bartleby of Melville's story called "Bartleby the Scribner" who got sent to the Dead Letter Office as a eternal punishment for his obsessive stubbornness and his unwillingness to adapt to modern office life. Aside from being stereotyped as outmoded, perhaps we also share a bit of the mad scientist's instability. Let me explain: archivists are charged with preserving "history," or preserving for the "sake of history." We do live up to that stereotype because we believe we are also somehow also preserving "the truth." That's a lot of pressure--I'm thinking that is a good place to couch a psychological unsteadiness. Alas, since post-modern academia and the Bush administration has proven that there is no "truth," archivists can lay aside their fears of being sent to the Dead Letter Office and again sleep at night.

"Archivists Are the New Macho Heroes of Washington."

Maureen Dowd declared, in her Sunday op-ed piece about Dick Cheney's refusal to deposit classified material to the National Archives, that "archivists are the new macho heroes of Washington" because theses archivists are demanding compliance from the Vice President's office.

Here's a NYTimes article from Friday about the National Archives and Dick Cheney: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/22/washington/22cheney.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1182779972-37PLN5H1T6J5QDNYfggmsA

Dowd's article at the NYTimes website is restricted to those who want to pay for it, so I can only quote what all archivist have been raving about on the listserves. Despite Dowd's nerdy characterization of archivists -- "dedicated 'We the People' wonky types with glasses and pocket protectors" -- we have some muscle. (Maybe I need to work out a little more to gain more muscle, but at least I can claim professional machismo. And, Dad, aren't doctors a little wonky and wear pocket protectors?)

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.)