Spending Time With Tech Specs

I have not been actively posting the during the last week, not because I haven't done much in the way of archiving, but because I've been more social than a/v archivist.

I'm still working on audio metadata technical locations for the metadata specs the archives decided on, and I have been getting some great questions on processing and preservation specifics from students. I've had some recent moving image archive questions, which have me digging through the current specs for moving image archiving (what has changed in the last few months?!). In my leisure time, I've been working on amateur website development for archivists, which I hope will be a big hit at the SAA conference. I've gotten some good responses on the new a/v website, which is really encouraging for my own web development goals. Unfortunately, I have not had too much leisure time because I have been using my organizational skills to move; I didn't even take the time to plug in my external drive and back up my computer this week!

Warning: Audio Visual Archivist!

I found this today. All I can say is who created this, and how can I thank you?

Personal Archivist For Hire

Sometimes I feel like a personal archivist-for-hire.

When I was starting along this path and joked with my family "If you need something preserved, you know who to ask!" they laughed. Okay, not the same as "Now that I'm an accountant, I'll do your taxes for free," but I meant well.

Now I've taken on a project for each side of my family--a photo preservation project from my mom's side and a mixed material collection (cloth, medals, documents, tin-types, etc.) of Civil War era from my dad's side (from Peter Pike, who served in the war).

Recently, my boyfriend has realized the potential of my tech side ("Can you look at my printer?" "Why doesn't this file work on this computer?"). I de-acidified and housed his newspaper from the Red Sox World Series win for a gift. We've been packing his stuff since he's moving next week, and he found a few magazines from the same time, and he wants those preserved, too. He also has quite the collection of movies on VHS, DVD, and Blueray. Somehow we got on the topic of me transferring audio for work and that somehow translated into me transferring his VHS to a hard drive. I said "Just as soon as I figure out how to do that for work..."

Digging Out...

So, the snowiest winter on record has happened in DC (since 1899!), with more snow predicted on Monday. I haven't been to work in a week because the Metro is still not running above ground. I have spent the last few days doing some personal archiving in prepartion instead. I spent Sunday backing up my hard drive, Monday archiving (and deaccessioning) my papers, and several hours yesterday archiving my print photos. I have some good edits for my audio policy when I return to work. At least not all was lost!

Seriously Sick of Snow

I'm seriously sick of snow! The best part of being an archivist is that you can't take your work home with you. But the worst part of being an archivist is that you have OCD tendencies that go crazy when you're trapped indoors with no materials to organize or a/v systems to create. I just want to go to work!!!

If I was creating a fun site, I would use these http errors by Adam Koford, and found via the Practical Archivist's blog. But no... http://www.robincpike.com/ should probably remain professional. Besides, errors aren't really good.

Vintage Ads

So a friend sent me this great site for vintage ads... You know what I always say... There's nothing better than the Aeolian-Vocalion!

This is Spinal Tap!!!

I love xkcd comics...