[Oe List ...] [Dialogue] Values for the Archives | creating aprototype database

Wed May 20 16:16:16 EDT 2009

Bill,
Thanks so much for your input.  It amazes me and makes me aware of how out of touch I am with the current I T possibilities.  So good to see you in the dialogue. Hope you are taking care of my home town.!
Charles

________________________________
From: Bill Parker <bparker175 at cox.net>
To: Order Ecumenical Community <oe at wedgeblade.net>
Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2009 1:08:12 PM
Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] [Dialogue] Values for the Archives | creating aprototype database

David and Marilyn,

You've brought up a good point and one which after the 172 file cabinets are digitize should be moved on. In the practical dimension I would hpe we would want to initiate an effort to pull in everyone's archives, those that fill the gaps AND those archives they have been created since 1988. You could, for example, box up your personal archives, ship them to "us" (not knowing who us is at this point) where they would be digitized and added to the total archive database, tagged so that when finished with the integration phase one could do a search and have digital access to their personal archive while at the same time those same archives would be added to the Global Archives, some of which would fill gaps and some would not, might even be a duplication, but it would not matter. After the digitizing of those archives the boxes would be shipped back to the owner of the archive.

Now, one assumption underlying this is that the Global Archives and any personal archive are about the documentation of the human journey taken by that group of people who came together, formed themselves into a secular/religious order so they could respond to that which was transpiring in the 20th Century, and the new additions of personal archives would continue the historic legacy of that group of people into the 21st Century.

Take care everyone, there is a reason you need to,

Bill Parker
----- Original Message ----- 
From: David Dunn 
To: Colleague Dialogue ; Order Ecumenical Community 
Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2009 11:15 AM
Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] [Dialogue] Values for the Archives | creating aprototype database

On May 19, 2009, at 6:50 PM, Marilyn R Crocker wrote:

We are wondering, is there a way we (collectively) might be able to identify and fill gaps in the official archives with the gifts of items from our dispersed family archives?  Otherwise we're thinking the whole lot may get chucked given the "down-sizing" time of life we are all entering, or "the dumpster strategy" that our kids would likely choose if they were the ones left "holding the files."

Hello Marilyn and other colleagues.

Walt Epley and I have been custodians of the Paul Evans personal archive that Gini Natali passed on to me for temporary care until the Global Archives is ready to receive it. We've begun by cataloging Paul's audio recording collection and researching what is involved in digitizing the audio cassettes. The tool we're using is a Filemaker Pro database that we expect to have online by the end of this week. (See the attached 'screenshots.')

Though we began experimenting with this prototype before Bill Parker's values email arrived, our experiment is in some sense an attempt to further the discussion about his three values: preservation, accessibility, and flexibility. 

As it stands, the structure of this prototype database is more like a "participatory archive processing management" tool that addresses the question Marilyn raises. We see it as a way to engage a dispersed network in the exercise of visualizing and growing the Global Archive.

We began building a prototype with several principles in mind: 

1) accommodate the data in the present Global Archive catalog in Marge's care
2) access with a web browser over the Internet with an evolving structure and functions
3) colleagues can catalog their personal archives
4) colleagues can identify their priorities for processing and interpreting particular categories of materials
5) colleagues can specify particular materials they are seeking for current use
6) colleagues can indicate the arenas of our common memory in which they have "subject area" expertise or interest (dispersed archive "curatorial teams")
7) colleagues can link contemporary institutional or programmatic examples of their use and impact (ToP, Training Inc, etc., etc.) with arenas of our common memory
8) colleagues processing the Global Archive collection in Chicago can update the online catalog and track their activities in real time
9) ICA staff can track the amount of volunteer time invested in work related to the Global Archives
10) URL links to each of the items that are available in the Repository
11) an online database visible to the public that can only be added to or changed by users with access credentials (secure login and specific usage privileges)

When we get the database online, we'll let you know where to find it and how to try it out so that you can give us feedback.

David

---
David Dunn
dmdunn1 at gmail.com

Attachment

________________________________

________________________________
On May 19, 2009, at 6:50 PM, Marilyn R Crocker wrote:

> We are wondering, is there a way we (collectively) might be able to  
> identify and fill gaps in the official archives with the gifts of  
> items from our dispersed family archives?  Otherwise we're thinking  
> the whole lot may get chucked given the "down-sizing" time of life  
> we are all entering, or "the dumpster strategy" that our kids would  
> likely choose if they were the ones left "holding the files."

Hello Marilyn and other colleagues.

Walt Epley and I have been custodians of the Paul Evans personal  
archive that Gini Natali passed on to me for temporary care until the  
Global Archives is ready to receive it. We've begun by cataloging  
Paul's audio recording collection and researching what is involved in  
digitizing the audio cassettes. The tool we're using is a Filemaker  
Pro database that we expect to have online by the end of this week.  
(See the attached 'screenshots.')

Though we began experimenting with this prototype before Bill Parker's  
values email arrived, our experiment is in some sense an attempt to  
further the discussion about his three values: preservation,  
accessibility, and flexibility.

As it stands, the structure of this prototype database is more like a  
"participatory archive processing management" tool that addresses the  
question Marilyn raises. We see it as a way to engage a dispersed  
network in the exercise of visualizing and growing the Global Archive.

We began building a prototype with several principles in mind:

1) accommodate the data in the present Global Archive catalog in  
Marge's care
2) access with a web browser over the Internet with an evolving  
structure and functions
3) colleagues can catalog their personal archives
4) colleagues can identify their priorities for processing and  
interpreting particular categories of materials
5) colleagues can specify particular materials they are seeking for  
current use
6) colleagues can indicate the arenas of our common memory in which  
they have "subject area" expertise or interest (dispersed archive  
"curatorial teams")
7) colleagues can link contemporary institutional or programmatic  
examples of their use and impact (ToP, Training Inc, etc., etc.) with  
arenas of our common memory
8) colleagues processing the Global Archive collection in Chicago can  
update the online catalog and track their activities in real time
9) ICA staff can track the amount of volunteer time invested in work  
related to the Global Archives
10) URL links to each of the items that are available in the Repository
11) an online database visible to the public that can only be added to  
or changed by users with access credentials (secure login and specific  
usage privileges)

When we get the database online, we'll let you know where to find it  
and how to try it out so that you can give us feedback.

David

---
David Dunn
dmdunn1 at gmail.com

Attachment

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