(The I-actually-got-some-sleep edition.)

Right, so I took two courses this semester: Oral History and Preservation Management.

The fruits of my Oral History course were deposited in the instructor’s mailbox first thing this morning. (I finished the paperwork after the GSLIS office closed yesterday.) I think the project turned out well. I wanted to document an oral history of Webs: America’s Yarn Store, in Northampton, MA. I interviewed members of the Elkins family who own the business: Barbara (the founder), her husband Art, and Steve and Kathy who currently own Webs.

They were lovely to talk to, and quite generous with their time. I’ll be sending them a copy of the interviews once I make a nice cover for the CD case. The one I turned in to the archives is quite plain. The instructor mentioned to me that there has been considerable interest in these interviews among his friends and colleagues. I’m so glad they came out well enough that I won’t be too embarrassed to hear that other people are going to listen to them. I do sound quite nervous on the first one, though. When I get nervous I get all chirpy and unnaturally perky. Rather annoying, really. Otherwise I think I did OK.
The Preservation Management paper was submitted via email Sunday evening, but I have to resubmit it, due to technical difficulties. I don’t have MS Word on my laptop, and use Open Office, instead. I converted it to a Word file, but didn’t realilze that it was in XML and not a DOC format. And, of course, I don’t have the file on my geek stick, and have to wait until I get home this evening to convert it on JeT’s computer, and email it to my instructor.

I chose “Textile Preservation” as my topic. You can find my presentation outline, as well as a list of sources and links here. It was an interesting topic to look in to. So far during this program, I’ve managed to make most of my assignments relevant to both archives and textiles. I obviously don’t want to do any project that isn’t professionally or academically irrelevant, so I’ve managed to make even my library classes focus on archives. But I’m surprised at the number of textile projects I’ve been able to do.

In other school related news: we now have access to the entire library! It’s been under construction since Summer/Fall 2005. When I first started in Fall 2005 the library had a super secret spy entrance. It was quite shady: you had to go around this corner, under some scaffolding, follow the work lights, to get to the door. It was hot, stuffy, with poor ventilation, leaky, gross. We’ve been in half of the new building since Fall 2006, but it’s been a bit too cozy in there. If you need to be in the library between 10 am and 4 pm, you may not get a spot to sit.

But yesterday, I entered the library in my 7:30 am stupor only to find that the space is now doubled. It’s huge. It’s wonderful. GSLIS even has its own section back, and it’s not on sequestered in some stuffy corner. As soon as you walk through the doors, if you look directly to your left, you’ll see it: “Library and Information Science.” It’s a big sign, right next to the (currently empty) stacks. Of course, the whole library is filled with undergraduates, who insist on chatting in the quiet sections, but at least we have our space back. I’ll be really glad in the Fall when I don’t have to request books from storage all semester long. Hooray for being able to use the library before I graduate!

I have an appointment this afternoon at 1 pm, but it feels great to not have anything to do. I am taking a Summer class out at Mt. Holyoke, but I think having a couple of weeks for my brain to rest will be sufficient. That will give me plenty of time to work on my project for the art show out at SEA’s on the 26th. I’m bummed that I won’t get to go to the Pirate Party chez Pedersen, but I’ll just have to hang out with those folks some other time. Man, I love the end of the semester!