ARCHIVES*RECORDS 2019

The STHC Section's annual meeting will include discussion of ongoing projects and future plans. The program will also feature lightning talks (10 minutes) that highlight the stories of women, people of color, immigrants, people with disabilities, and others often overlooked, undervalued, and sometimes lost in the science, technology and healthcare archival record.

Presenter: Linda Sellars, Special Collections Research Center, NC State University Libraries
Topic: Education and achievement of women in the field of engineering
Abstract: This talk will highlight collections that document the education and achievement of women in the field of engineering.

Presenter: Anna Reznik, Texas State Library and Archives
Topic: Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Authority
Abstract: At its face, the Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Authority (TLLRWDA) is one of many abolished governmental bodies; however, digging deeper into records illustrate that the story goes beyond the typical narrative of a state agency performing its charged functions. Instead, the records illustrate the deliberations within the scientific community on the data, the discussions on how and where waste can be managed, and the debates within a socio-economically disadvantaged area on if the benefits out weight potential dangers.

Presenter: Ricc Ferrante, Smithsonian Institution Archives
Topic: Scientists' Field Notes: From buried in a closet to serving biodiversity researchers and citizen science
Abstract: Nine years ago at the Smithsonian, the vision was cast to create and deliver an online catalog of biodiversity-related field notes. Some were underexposed, listed in finding aids. Others were still to be discovered in deserted offices at donor museums. An online catalog of item-level records would elevate these valuable primary sources to Internet search engines and increase their discoverability remarkably. That was the beginning. Today, over 9,500 mostly handwritten field notes across hundreds of collections have been documented in the Field Book Project catalog and almost half have been digitally preserved. Their online presence has produced demand for remote access (digitization), expanding the Project's scope to include preservation and digitization. Use of aggregators like the Biodiversity Heritage Library and DPLA have tripled broadened access and impact even further. The latest? In response to digital access, researchers asked for transcripts of the field notes. Without staff or funding for that, the Archives turned to the crowd. Citizen scientists and hundreds of other volunteers have turned out to tackle that challenge and help to enhance these records even further. Where will this take us next?