Ardra Whitney: Week 20 @ Avery Research Center

Monday, January 14^th - Tuesday, January 15^th:

I started off the week by continuing my survey of the Virginia Geraty Papers. On Tuesday, Assistant Director, Deborah Wright asked me to do a post on Facebook for Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday using materials from Avery’s archives. She suggested that I look at the Septima P. Clark Papers for some items to highlight; so along with Graduate Assistant, Daron Calhoun II, I searched the collection’s finding aid and then went to the archival storage room on the second floor to sift through a couple of manuscript boxes. After Daron and I made our selection of materials, I digitized them and uploaded the images to Facebook. You can view the results here. During the 1950s and 60s, Dr. King worked together with Charleston civil rights leader, Septima P. Clark, as well as local activist, Esau Jenkins — and was good friends with the pair. Additionally, I posted a link to Avery’s Twitter page of the “Martin Luther King speech in Charleston, SC 1967—outtakes” from USC’s Digital Video Repository.

At lunchtime, I corresponded with Administrative Assistant of CofC’s International & Intercultural Studies Department, Lauren Saulino about publicizing Avery’s inaugural undergraduate essay contest. Ms. Saulino was kind enough to share information about the contest via e-mail, on Facebook and the College’s African American Studies Blog.

Wednesday, January 16^th:

Processing Archivist, Georgette Mayo and I returned to our discussion concerning African American women’s clubs in Charleston; this time focusing specifically on the Phillis Wheatley Literary and Social Club, and conducting oral history interviews with members of the group. Ms. Mayo discussed the history of the social club with me; showed me photos of its members and provided me with pertinent items from Avery’s archival collection, the Phillis Wheatley Literary and Social Club Papers, to aid in my task of developing oral history questions and contacting members of the group for interviews.

At last week’s archival staff meeting, Manager of Archival Services, Aaron Spelbring suggested I contact Addlestone Library’s Digital Scholarship Librarian, Heather Gilbert to get some feedback on possible web platforms to host the Black in the Lowcountry: Digital Photo Archive project. So later in the day I called Ms. Gilbert up to share some of my ideas for the project with her and she graciously agreed to meet with me to discuss them further. Yay!

By the afternoon I had begun work on my interview evaluation for the late Florida Yeldell, a history professor born in Georgetown, South Carolina.

Thursday, January 17^th - Friday, January 18^th:

On Thursday, I completed evaluating three out of four tapes from Florida Yeldell’s video oral history interview and concluded the day by assisting Curator, Curtis J. Franks and Education Outreach Coordinator, Shelia Harell-Roye with preparation for the “Eternal Vigilantes: The Art of Karole Turner Campbell” exhibit opening. On Friday, I continued work on the finding aid for the St. Mark’s Episcopal Church Records and attended Avery’s weekly all staff meeting.

Ardra Whitney: Week 7 @ Avery Research Center

 

You know you’re a nerd when you get excited about the opportunity to gaze at the stars. I can’t wait until next month when the Physics and Astronomy department at the College of Charleston holds an open house at the Rita Liddy Hollings Science Center. The center has a 16-in telescope in its rooftop observatory and an observing deck with smaller telescopes, which will be available for public use on the third Friday in November. Additionally, the open house will also feature fun activities and demonstrations (indoor and outdoor) in rooms on the first floor of the science building.

 

Monday, October 15^th and Tuesday, October 16^th:

I met with Processing Archivist, Georgette Mayo and Manager of Archival Services, Aaron Spelbring to review questions I had about general collections processing at Avery, as well as specific questions related to processing the W. Melvin Brown, Jr. Papers and Edwina Harleston Whitlock Papers (e.g., restricting confidential materials, finding aid preparation and collection arrangement). I also began developing a series arrangement, biographical note and scope and content note for the Edwina Harleston Whitlock Papers. During my meeting with Ms. Mayo on Tuesday, I learned that she served as co-director of the South Carolina Archival Association.

 

Wednesday, October 17^th:

I completed evaluating part two of Debra Lee’s video oral history interview and participated in The HistoryMakers 2012-2013 IMLS Fellowship Professional Development Conference Call with Andrea Jackson, Head of the Archives Research Center at the Robert W. Woodruff Library at Atlanta University Center. Ms. Jackson spoke about her experiences in the archival profession, including the challenges and changes she’s encountered in the field over the years. I asked questions about her collaborations with other archivists and archives, as well as her participation in conferences, panels and public/outreach programs.

 

Thursday, October 18^th:

I followed up with Ms. Jackson via e-mail and asked her if she would contribute a quote to the American Archives Month social media campaign at Avery.

 

Friday, October 19^th:

I worked with Reference Librarian, Deborah Wright in Avery’s reading room, where I completed scanning the scrapbook from the W. Melvin Brown, Jr. Papers and transferred those images to the Z: Drive. Public Historian, Robert T. Chase also stopped by and asked me to digitize images from Avery’s Black Power Conference taken by Imam Hakim Abdul – Ali. In addition, Ms. Wright, Ms. Mayo, and myself worked together to generate Facebook posts for the American Archives Month celebration at Avery and launch the center’s new YouTube channel: AveryResearchLive.