Sorting through the boxes..

Last week I began the task of sorting through a relatively small collection on the history of LUC’s Gannon Center. Although this is a small collection in comparison to some of the other ones that the archives have, I was pretty apprehensive about starting to sort through the material.

The archivist is responsible for categorizing the material and then creating series by combining similar categories. This didn’t seem too bad; what was scarier was the sense of responsibility around processing a collection. As the one doing the processing, I’m responsible for deciding what is important and what can be discarded. This is difficult for me because I worry that I might overlook something or throw something away.

 Although the task seemed daunting at first, once I started it was actually really fun. I got to sort through lots of material including pictures and brochures and in doing so got to see a lot of different forms of history.

One of the best things about handling this collection is that I get to learn a lot more about Mundelein College which was the last all women’s Catholic university in Illinois. When Mundelein merged with Loyola in 1991, there was a movement to preserve the heritage and spirit of the institution by creating a women’s center.

It was interesting because as Loyola students we hear about this history, but only from the perspective of Loyola’s board and administrators. What we didn’t hear was that there were a good number of Mundelein alumni that didn’t want the merge to take place because they felt it would be a disservice to Mundelein. It’s nice to be able to learn both sides of this issue.

I got through a good amount of material last week, but I still have a lot left. I’m excited to learn more about the Gannon Center and the women who founded it. 

First Task

 Today was my first official day as an intern. The director gave me a brief overview of the history of archival science which was actually really interesting. Admittedly, I had always imagine archives as dark basement rooms where people hide out and do research. While that might be true in some cases, according to the director, the WLA has been moving towards being more access oriented so that its more inviting for people to come in and out.

Archiving in the US began formally in 1934 with the creation of the National Archives and Records Administration; a New Deal program. At first, most archives were kept for government related histories. At the height of the Civil Rights Movement and the creation of political identities, people began to question how their own histories, ethnic, racial, or sexual, were being documented and preserved. This led to the formation of special interest archives like tribal archives in many American Indian nations and like the WLA.

She also told me about the issues of privacy and restricted access that go along with archival science. I'm actually a little anxious to be handling some of this material knowing how sensitive it is. However, she assured me that its not easy to miss restricted materials because they're usually labeled extensively.

My first task was to answer a reference question sent in to the WLA. The inquiry was about the process of creating a women's center like Loyola's Gannon Center for Women and Leadership at another school. I began by looking into collections about Carolyn Farrell, BVM, who was founded the center in 1991.

Carolyn Farrell, BVM

Her collection is massive; over 26 boxes divided into folders by subject. I learned how the archives and boxes are organized and then began my research. There is a wealth of information in this collection and it was a little daunting because I'm wasn't quite sure what to look for or how to find it. Still, its really interesting to look into this history with tangible material, like letters and brochures, rather than just reading about it in a book or online.

I didn't even get through one box today... but I'll be working on this project again next Tuesday!

Entering Piper Hall!

Ever since my freshman year at LUC, I've wanted to explore Piper Hall which is a beautiful building on campus located right on the shores of Lake Michigan.

Piper Hall was purchased from Albert Mussey Johnson in 1934 and originally used as a library by Mundelein College. Today, Piper Hall is the houses the Gannon Center for Women and Leadership, the Women and Leadership Archives, and the Women and Gender Studies Department.

As a new intern at the Women and Leadership Archives, I finally have a reason to go in and look around! The interior was beautifully restored in 2005 and features a grand staircase and the Tiffany Stain Glass above. I got the full tour and felt so exclusive when I went into the archives in the basement! The collection are kept in a environmentally monitored room and are stored in these awesome compact shelves that have a helm-like contraption to open and close them.

 My project at the WLA will involve processing and digitizing a collection and then hopefully creating an online exhibit. There's still a lot that I need to learn, but I'm excited to get started!