Today's activity
Imagine you just started your first job at a community archive. You have an object from a collection in front of you that you need to describe so your audience can find it. The information I give you below and the object are all you have.
Group 1: Lavender Graduation email
- Real names have been changed on this email for privacy purposes
- This is from the archive for the now defunct Gender and Sexuality Center at UT
- What do you need to know to describe this item for discovery?
- Where would you go for that information?
- What considerations do you need to take in describing this item for use by your audience?
- What could this item tell future researchers?
Group 2: Lavender Reader
- This is from the archive of B.B. She worked for years at BookWoman, a feminist bookstore in Austin. She is dead and her children gave this box of stuff to you because her will said to.
- What do you need to know to describe this item for discovery?
- Where would you go for that information?
- What considerations do you need to take in describing this item for use by your audience?
- What could this item tell future researchers?
Group 3: Seizing the Moment
- This is from the archive of G.G., a professor in Women and Gender Studies at UT. She died and the contents of her office were given to you.
- What do you need to know to describe this item for discovery?
- Where would you go for that information?
- What considerations do you need to take in describing this item for use by your audience?
- What could this item tell future researchers?
Group 4: AIDS ephemera
- This is from the archive of T.T., a community activist in Austin who donated a lot of money to various LGBTQ health initiatives in Austin. He's alive, but he is cleaning out his garage and gave this stuff to you because he thinks it's important.
- What do you need to know to describe this item for discovery?
- Where would you go for that information?
- What considerations do you need to take in describing this item for use by your audience?
- What could this item tell future researchers?
Group 5: Austin art ephemera
- A local theater closed. The new tenants of the space found boxes of records. They think they are cool and don't want to throw them out.
- What do you need to know to describe this item for discovery?
- Where would you go for that information?
- What considerations do you need to take in describing this item for use by your audience?
- What could this item tell future researchers?
Group 6: Beauty handbook
- A local chapter of a sorority wants to have their records and history archived. This is one item they found in their house.
- What do you need to know to describe this item for discovery?
- Where would you go for that information?
- What considerations do you need to take in describing this item for use by your audience?
- What could this item tell future researchers?
Group 7: Texas Ranger
- This is from the archive of R.R. a Texas congressman who went to UT in the early 60s.
- What do you need to know to describe this item for discovery?
- Where would you go for that information?
- What considerations do you need to take in describing this item for use by your audience?
- What could this item tell future researchers?
Group 8: Photo Album
- A local chapter of a sorority wants to have their records and history archived. This is one item they found in their house.
- What do you need to know to describe this item for discovery?
- Where would you go for that information?
- What considerations do you need to take in describing this item for use by your audience?
- What could this item tell future researchers?
