Attachment B: Conference Call/Meeting Minutes - The History Makers

The HistoryMakers IMLS Advisory Board Meeting Minutes October 17-18, 2010• Ann Bishop: No whiners.• Jessie Carney Smith: Fellow can bring something to the institution itself, which could be different foreach institution.(see previous discussion for more discussion on each individual institution)• Debbie Pendleton : We would like an African American fellow. That’s very important to us. Don't carewhat kind of degree, but they have to have some coursework in archives.• Brenda Square: New Orleans is a new frontier for young people, with an interest in contributing to ourrecovery. (Need to come excited, but serious. Not distracted by the partying). Someone who wants tomake a difference and do something very important. We need someone who is fast, in terms ofresearch. Backlog of acquisitions - need an understanding of the gaps in the historical record.Someone who is fascinated and engaged in history. "Content awareness." Creative, find ways tomarket and be better advocates for the profession. Have not been able to hire people (aside fromgrant funding) post-Katrina. ARCHON.• Georgette Mayo: The weather is great (except for the hurricanes). Integration of technology skills andthe African American collection. There is a cultural disconnect between the theoretical training andworking in an ethnic archive• Patricia Williams Lessane: There have been issues in assessing the research value of items. Thearchivists are white, and don't necessarily see the value of certain items to the black community.(Georgette Mayo: That's why we need a black fellow)• Georgette Mayo: Also ties into the ethics issues. It's when you knowingly accept a collection on facevalue and then on further examination you can't deal with it, that conversation needs to happenimmediately. Donor relations in relation to acquisitions is important. There is politics involved in takingcollections.• Brenda Square: You're talking about two different issues: the acquisitions and the processing, whichoften comes years later. You need people with an understanding of the needs of the historical record.We've had the same problem with some staff members who don't understand why we're takingcertain things. For example, taking a family history might not be taught in library school. It takes timeto do the discussion about appraisal.• Dan Linke: Maybe for the training aspect, maybe appraisal needs to be a part of it. What makes acollection worth keeping?• Edward Papenfuse: The appraisal is very important.• Corinne Jorgenson: It depends on your mission of your collection. It's a matter of different opinions onwhat a collection can contribute.• Edward Papenfuse: You're looking for someone who can. We have a large collection of whiskeybottles. This was a huge documentation of an industry that had disappeared. You bring people in thatknow how to look for value. Everything has value. (Example about the I Have a Dream speech givenat a Morgan commencement before the well-known one.)• Jessie Carney Smith: We have been put in a bind by our president who just goes out and acceptsstuff. We just wait until he leaves, and then we forget about it.• Edward Papenfuse: We had a governor who filled up three townhouses with his memorabilia, which isnow at the state archives. What is the most appropriate place, and how do we assign value.• Leah Kerr: We have a responsibility to find the right place for it if we have the wrong place.• Dan Linke: We have the same problem, where people who went to Princeton want to bring theirpapers there.• Georgette Mayo: (Back to the original discussion)• Edward Papenfuse: There are two important things: Need to explore whether the individual has atalent for research. Learn how to assess value and do effective research. Needs to have a talent forpersuasion. There will be situations in which this is necessary. One for the fellows will beTaken by John Briestansky and Emily Martorano, compiled by Emily Martorano.