For a little archives humor

First, I wanted to steer everyone to Derangement and Description because it is awesome. There’s nothing like a little archives humor to get you through your day.

Now, let’s talk about my fantastic internship. It’s sort of amazing how much I’m doing and learning on my Mondays (and sometimes my Wednesdays, like today). On the 20th, we went to get a new collection. Last year the archives was given a donation by the same donor, so we went to pick up a collection of framed documents from her again. It was decided that the collection is mine, and we’re doing things according to the ideal – which involves a LOT of forms. I’ve already filled out a survey, a preliminary inventory, two processing checklists; wrote and sent a thank you letter, list of items in the donation with a preliminary description, and the deed of gift. My boss is definitely being thorough. I’ll be seeing this through to a small exhibit (my idea) as part of outreach, encouraging other people in the hospital to give up their goods to the archives.

Of course, all of this – and the readings I’m handed to do between forms – doesn’t even touch on the disaster plan, which has sort of paused while waiting to see if we can get funding for an awesome opportunity for professionals to come in and do a risk assessment, and while waiting for “administration” to decide how much of the existing disaster plan I can see. I completely understand not wanting to hand me all of the contingency plans for the entire (huge) hospital – but I also don’t need that. It would be useful to see what is in place for the rest of the wing that we’re in. If they already know where the plumbing lines are, it saves me having to ask people.

I’m also given homework assignments, and I’m very happy about this one – I was instructed to spend quality time going over all of the sessions being offered at the SAA Conference in Chicago this August and try to pick which ones I want to attend. If I find some that I can argue fit the goals of the internship, I might be able to get hours for the sessions. Even if I can’t, I’ll enjoy reading through the options and trying to narrow it down.  I’ll go do that now – you go write my paper on 19th century feminism in Europe. Thanks!