Archiving offers a process that preserves history for future generations. In this podcast, which is the second in a three-part series featuring Carolyn Dahl and Brenda Riojas, the pair discuss the actual process of archiving and some of the decisions that need to be made when creating one.
Show notes:
Topics that are addressed:
Making the Decision to Archive
Carolyn said her decision to create an archive came as a surprise because she initially thought that one needed to be famous to have an archive.
She came to understand the importance of archiving after cleaning out elderly relatives’ homes. As the curator of their treasures, Carolyn had difficulty deciding what to keep and what to let go of without knowing the history behind those objects. She then realized that someone eventually would be doing the same for her possessions and she wanted to provide a historical context to her work.
Few women’s stories historically have been saved so it’s important to create an archive to inform future generations and younger women.
Specifics of Archiving
Creating an archive is a life review so it’s important to realize that you’re going to have emotions that emerge during the process. Archiving can help you understand your life so much better, as well as those of your parents and family.
Additionally, Carolyn recommends starting your archival processing early while you’re still healthy and have energy.
Carolyn is considered a “living donor” in archive terminology because she is able to offer the value-added element of her perspective while curating, organizing, and explaining her archive.
There are three major decision points one needs to make in relation to archiving:
deciding to create an archive;
determining the type of archive; and
selecting a place to house the archive.
One type of archive is personal in nature. This type of archive is done specifically for relatives so they can learn about the family’s history and the materials can be used to inform future generations. The archivist has liberty in how to organize this type of archive and can include scrapbooks, videos and other recordings, other members’ stories, etc.
A public archive differs in the type of contents, ownership and level of exposure. The contents of this type of archive include the collection of your papers, programs and letters. All of the contents is transferred to the ownership of the institution instead of the individual. As such, all of the contents will be available to the general public. Creating this type of archive requires a different perspective focused on servicing the future (as opposed to protecting the past, which is often the case with a personal archive designed for family use only). Most researchers come to an individual’s public archive to get a firsthand perspective about that time period.
The process of collecting, culling, organizing and sorting to create an archive takes a long time.
Public archives focus on paper documents with evidence of a human being (such as personal handwriting) instead of technology, which rapidly goes out of date. It’s also important to print out emails that have personal stories, etc. that are meaningful.
Preserving the objects that you create or accumulate is another issue. These items may not be eligible to be put into a public archive. Furthermore, many institutions do not want personal artwork or accumulated objects.
The Thought Process
Carolyn decided that she wanted to create a public archive at her alma mater, the University of Minnesota. She had to apply to the university, which considered whether the materials in Carolyn’s archive would be useful to researchers and individuals who are interested in studying the past. Once accepted, Carolyn had to mold her archive based on the institution’s needs and requirements, which extended to decision points related to specific sizes and types of boxes, filing methods, etc.
Carolyn developed a format for the culling process, which can take a long time. She recommends finding a space in your home, such as an extra room and tables where you can display things and not need to constantly move them. She set up boxes with labels and then “clump categorized” different information into the appropriate boxes without sorting them. She then did a finer analysis, working on one box and categorizing them into piles and sub-piles, before putting them into labeled sealed bags that have been inventoried into categories.
Carolyn’s archive includes her professional-related materials. However, she had to consider whether she wanted to include her personal journals, which date back to her youth. She decided to include these journals, which provide an honest and raw account of what was happening in her life at the time. However, Carolyn also made the decision to donate her journals to the university after her death. Additionally, she noted that individuals can provide a “hold” on journals for a specified period of time, so they are not read right away. She also is going through and blacking out some parts of the journals that are related to other people’s lives in order to protect their privacy.
Featured on This Podcast:
Brenda Riojas, I Start Wondering columnist, who grew up along the U.S./Mexico border, sees every day as a mini resurrection, noting that every day you wake is a new day to be alive. Nunc Coepe, Now I Begin. A poet, journalist, editor, mother, wife, creative spirit, a citizen of the world, Brenda embraces each moment before her – even the challenges, which are moments for learning and growth. She thrives on sharing what she learns and motivating others to explore further. When she’s not writing, interviewing, or researching, you will find her chasing butterflies or other nature views, cycling along country roads, or creating something in her art studio. Her suitcase is always nearby and ready for the next travel adventure.
Carolyn Dahl, who is an artist and author, was the Grand Prize winner in the national ARTlines2 poetry contest and a finalist in the PEN Texas Literary competition and the Malovrh-Fenlon Poetry Prize. Her chapbook, Art Preserves What Can't Be Saved, won first place in the Press Women of Texas contest and the National Federation of Press Women's Communications contest, chapbook division. She is the co-author of The Painted Door Opened: Poetry and Art, the author of three art books, and has been published in many anthologies and literary journals. Raised in Minnesota, she now writes from Texas where she raises monarch butterflies, sending them north to Midwest habitats.
Resources: Carolyn Dahl’s website, which includes information about her work and ordering her books.
I Start Wondering Conversation: Carolyn Dahl: Reviewing a Life Immersed in the Arts
I Start Wondering Column: Preserving Our Stories for Posterity: Artist and Writer Carolyn Dahl on Archiving
I Start Wondering Column: A Life Review: Who Are You Becoming?
Thank you, Carolyn and Brenda, for this thought-provoking conversation. Having gone through my parents' treasures, I realize how much I wish I had known the stories behind a lot of it. But I didn't so pictures without names went into the trash. I also sent some of the documents that my mother saved to a relative who has become more of the family historian.