Tuesday, March 29, 2011

day eleven.

"Universidad de San Carlos" to "Bienal Internacional de São Paulo."

Thank goodness I know my way around Spanish better than Japanese.  Because these Universities are killing me.  UCLA, seriously, has about 8 pages of Library of Congress name authority headings.  That's like 800!  I actually had to write out a flow chart to keep track of all the variations of names I found in the vertical file:  Fine Arts Center vs. University Gallery vs. Art Center vs. University Art Gallery vs. Foundation for the Fine Arts Gallery, etc...


We also got to attend a talk/take a tour with the Education Division today, which was the first time I was able to directly connect anything from the internship with the class in Museum & Library Education & Outreach, which is required for all of the M-LEAD students.  I personally wish I could connect the broader educational agenda of museums/libraries with the specific work of cataloging, though...

Hours worked:  9-5pm.
Records created:  24.
Monthly total:  160.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

day ten.

"Ukiyo-E" through "UNESCO" to "U.S. Indian Services."

I got this email from Beth in response to the small pile of cataloging questions I left her last week:


So, I guess I am doing some things right?


Hours worked:  9-5pm.
Records created:  35.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

day nine.

I couldn't quite sustain the productivity of last week...but it was Deirdre's birthday, so we all spent the last hour of the workday in the break room eating cupcakes, chatting about the IMLS conference last week and about the terrible New York Times review of the new Tipi exhibit.

But earlier, Beth told me that she wanted to get an estimate from me about how soon I might be done with the vertical files.  It turns out someone already cataloged the end of the alphabet, going backwards, up to somewhere in the W's.  Deirdre and Beth have another project planned for me when I get there, which is cool because it would definitely become more of a well-rounded learning experience if I explore more than one kind of routine task.

Here I am, deep in the T files:



Hours worked:  9-5pm.
Records created:  22.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

day eight.

I made more new records today than any day so far!  On the one hand, I'm proud of myself, but on the other hand it's not like I have anything to do with the content of the files that come out of those archival boxes.  Some files are just easier than others:  they are labeled correctly, the items are in English, the names have authorized headings in the LC.  Other files are a nightmare from start to finish, even when they only contain a single postcard or museum brochure.  But today's boxes (I'm in the "T" section now) were pretty straightforward.  I have also gotten faster at the routine of record-making, the keystroke shortcuts, the automatic placement of my stack of files to the right of my keyboard...

UPDATE:  I got an email from Beth  approving of all the non-LC records I cataloged on my own.  She said I made "good decisions."  Success!

Hours worked:  9-5pm.
Records created:  49.  49!!!

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

day seven.

"Tajak Korok Muzeumok" to "H. Terry-Engell Gallery." 

We got to take a staff tour of the newly installed Tipi exhibit today.  There are definitely some great perks to interning at a place like the museum.  (If only I weren't too busy to take advantage of the opportunity to attend other cool events.)  Also, it definitely helps me to take a break from cataloging when I hit that mid-afternoon wall of exhaustion.  I respect Beth's office rules, of course, but it is really hard for me to not be able to drink water, coffee, or tea while I work!  Also, the fact that there are no windows in the office make me lose my sense of time and place...  So it's good to get up and walk around the museum whenever I can.

Hours worked:  9-5pm.
Records created:  26.