Information for organizations involved in digitization through SCRLC

SCHOAM! for September 2022

Special Collections, Historical Organizations, Archives & Museums

in short: News | Grants | Ideas | Events | Webinars | Jobs

News from SCRLC


Ask the Archivist

ESLN's newest service, Ask the Archivist, has already gotten some good questions!  Check out the Recently Asked Questions to see what your colleagues are struggling with and what the archivists recommend.  Digitization and preservation are mentioned.


New Additions: Historical Maps of Ithaca and Tompkins County

Eve Snyder, project manager for HistoryForge at the History Center in Tompkins County recently digitized their collection of Clock System maps with the help of intern Gillian. The "Clock" or "Compass" rural index directory and maps from the 1920s or 1930s were developed by a man in Ithaca. See Mark Monmonier's webpage for more about how John Byron Plato "gave farmers a real address." Rural areas had circles applied to the nearest town, each circle was segmented into 12 slices (like a clock) with concentric rings, and each farm within each slice was given a different letter. The effect was an address like "3-1-F" for a farm due east of the town, not as close to town center as 3-0-F and not as far as 3-2-F. 

Grants & Assistance


ICYMI: Humanities New York Action Grants

Apply for funding of up to $10,000 for a public-facing humanities project. The deadline is October 1. Last year's recipients included a lot of SCRLC members.


Planning & Assessment Grants from DHPSNY

Apply by November to get free services from the Documentary Heritage & Preservation Services for New York program. They'll do Archival Needs Assessments, Strategic Planning Assistance, Preservation Surveys, and Condition Surveys in person or online for any cultural collecting institution in NYS. These reports are very useful for strategic planning and fundraising.


Social Justice Archivists Scholarship Program

Do you know any BIPOC community members who are currently working as paraprofessionals in the archives field? There's an exciting opportunity for a full tuition scholarship toward the University of Alabama's MLIS program: http://socialjusticearchivists-sj4a.ua.edu/  Share it widely!

Ideas & Inspiration


Watch out for Fake Hardware

I just noticed a post on TomsHardware.com about a 30TB portable harddrive being sold on Amazon and WalMart.com for $39. It resembles a Samsung T5, but it's a scam of the most nefarious nature! Stick to known brands when you're buying hardware, and don't trust a deal too good to be true.


Is Metadata Under Copyright?

OCLC panicked when Clarivate (Ex Libris & ProQuest) announced it was creating, basically, a competitor to WorldCat and other OCLC products. OCLC filed a lawsuit in June and a court ordered Clarivate to pause work. But are our bibliographic records copyrighted and owned by OCLC? Read ICOLC's ICOLC Statement on the Metadata Rights of Libraries and consider endorsing it here.


Teaching Computer Skills to Search Engine Babies

Has growing up with Google changed the way students think of file organization?  This interesting article from the Verge talks about higher ed instructors and their students, who no longer arrive on campus with an understanding of files and directories. Will there be repercussions for a generation who no longer need nested hierarchies?  Are you ready to change how you teach them?

Happening in the Neighborhood


Follow us on Facebook!  We share regional library happenings and visits there.


Space Commanders and Twain in Chemung County

The first American woman to command a space mission was from Elmira!  Chemung County Historical Society is selling her autobiography in their gift shop and online. Their next Mark Twain lecture is on September 8 at 7 pm, featuring Cornell University's Shirley Samuels.


Good News from Oneonta

I just received my pretty PDF newsletter from the Greater Oneonta Historical Society and it's an exemplary one. It has typical content: a letter from director Marcela, fundraiser and other event news, a memorial list, a thank you to volunteers, etc., but it also has some unusual ideas you could try. They include a "welcome to new members" list, as well as a recipe for cookie strudel from a local cookbook, newspaper clippings from the past, and a *word search* for old local businesses.


Sweetgrass, Community Reads, and Bicycles in Ithaca

The History Center in Tompkins County is doing a very cool free workshop on Saturday, September 17: creating sweetgrass and ash splint stars. Kurt Jordan will present about his book, The Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫɁ People in the Cayuga Lake Region: A Brief History, in support of their community read and discussion. Director Ben Sandberg is doing his incredible annual fundraiser this month: bicycling for 24 hours straight!  We're also excited that HistoryForge has been chosen as one of 18 projects nationally to get significant support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Congratulations!!


Nuclear Dump Fight in Cortland

A nuclear waste dump was nearly put in Cortland County. Cortland County Historical Society has put together an exhibit, to open on September 24, about the fight against the dump.  See the accompanying digital collection here.  CCHS recently unveiled their adorable new children's room, too.


Binghamton Administration Changes

Curtis Kendrick is stepping down as Dean of Libraries at Binghamton University and will have a research leave this fall before returning as library faculty in the spring. Jill Dixon will step up as interim dean while the University opens a nationwide search.  Good luck to all, especially as the libraries embark on their well-crafted and ambitious new strategic plan: Deconstructing Our Now, Designing Our Future.

Zooms & Webinars Up Your Alley

Webinars


Establishing Records Management Policies & Procedures

Wednesday, September 7 at 10 am


An Introduction to Antiracist Policies

Thursday, September 8 at 12 pm


Strategies for Success: Grant-seeking for Libraries

Thursday, September 8 at 4 pm


Extended Realities (XR) Series: Introduction to XR Technologies

Friday, September 9 at 10 am


Health Privacy in a Digital World

Monday, September 12 at 4 pm


Your Management Philosophy 

Tuesday, September 13 at 1 pm


Public Student Loan Forgiveness Workshop

Tuesday, September 13 at 3:30 pm


Sustainable Living Library Programs

Wednesday, September 14 at 10 am


Communications & Presentation Skills for Professionals

Thursday, September 15 at 10:30 am


Community-Led Planning for Equitable, Responsive Services

Thursday, September 15 at 3 pm


Technology Staff Meetup: Cloud Services

Friday, September 16 at 10 am


Panel Discussion: The Role of Publishers and Libraries in the Evolution of Open Research

Monday, September 19 at 1 pm


HumanitiesNY Community Conversations: Society & Nature

Tuesday, September 20 at 7 pm


NY State's Budget and You: A Primer on Libraries and the State Budget Process

Wednesday, September 21 at 12 pm


Extended Realities (XR) Series: Content for VR (Intermediate program)

Thursday, September 22 at 10 am


Using VA Video Connect in the Library: What You Need to Know!

Thursday, September 22 at 12 pm


Civil Legal Issues of Natural Disasters: Libraries Can Help

Thursday, September 22 at 3 pm 


Strategies for Success: Project Management for Libraries

Thursday, September 22 at 4 pm


PreserveThis course: Intro to Archives ($299) (note the testimonials from two people from Ithaca)

Sept. 26 - Nov. 7


Health Data Privacy in the Library

Monday, September 26 at 4 pm


The Intersection of Democracy and Hard History Through the Lens of Primary Sources

Tuesday, September 27 at 2 pm


An Aural History: Caring for Your Audio Cassette Tapes 

Wednesday, September 28 at 1 pm


Operations and Systems Management for Cultural Heritage Professionals (apply by 9/16)

Wednesday, September 28 & Thursday, September 29 at 1 pm


Recordings


In-Person Events

Openings In The Field


That's all for this month! Send me an email if there's anything at your organization you'd like me to include in the next newsletter: clovell@scrlc.org | Claire Lovell, Digital Services Librarian
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