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Category: archival community

SpellboundBlog Bookmarks now on Delicious

After reviewing the results of the ArchivesNext poll that Kate was so kind to organize, I created a Delicious account for Spellboundblog. Then I got to the hard part – sorting through my previously private list of bookmarks and separating personal bookmarks from ‘on topic’ bookmarks to share with the Spellbound Blog community (such as there is one). I had never really sat down and re-examined my tagging strategy. It was a very interesting experience. I cleaned up my tags (like combining the ‘photo’ and ‘photos’ tags into a single photos tag) and deleted some dead links I found by accident.

I found some useful tools along the way:

  • Cocoalicious – a Mac only desktop tool for working with and exploring Delicious bookmarks
  • Scripted Re-Mark – a web page that will generate a little javascript for you to use to bulk update your Delicious bookmarks. This means you can update up to 100 bookmarks at a time (the most you can show on a browser page at once in the Delicious interface). I used this to bulk update all my bookmarks from private to public after I was done with my review.
  • Linkrolls – a standard Delicious service for displaying your most recent bookmarks on any page. This is how I am currently displaying my most recent bookmarks on my blog’s sidebar.

So what does this all mean to you? There are a lot of things you can do:

  • Add the RSS feed of my bookmarks to your feedreader
  • Create your own Delicious account to store (and share if you choose) your bookmarks
  • Add SpellboundBlog’s Delicious account to your network on Delicious (requires you to have a Delicious account)
  • Browse through thumbnail screenshots of my bookmarks on FavThumbs
  • Explore my tags, perhaps only subscribing to the feeds of specific tags I use to follow new links of those types when I add them. Below you will see the top 100 tags I use most often, along with a notation of the number of bookmarks to which I have assigned each.

My bookmarks are a reflection of my interests. As you can see from the tags above (or by clicking through to my tag page if the tag cloud doesn’t appear in your reader), my bookmarks are just as likely to be about information visualization, Flex (an Adobe tool for developing Flash applications), data sources, thesauri and web tools as they are to be about archives, digitization and preservation.

I have a few more ideas that I will proceed with as my time and newly discovered tools allow. I want to add all the links I include in my posts to my Delicious account. What would be super amazing would be to find some tool that would mine my blog posts for links and then add them to Delicious with tags matching the categories assigned to the post. I want an easy to use dead link checker so I can run it every few months. I also need to find the perfect Delicious tool to let me easily post to both my personal and blog accounts without logging out and logging back in again. I use the Twitterfox Firefox Plugin to let me post to more than one Twitter account and would love something like that for Delicious.

I have been using Delicious for a bit longer than I have been writing this blog.  I love it. If you still manage all your bookmarks locally in your web browser – I highly recommend you give Delicious a try. It will even let you import all your existing bookmarks and assign your bookmark folder names as tags. If you don’t want to share your bookmarks with the world simply click the ‘Do Not Share’ checkbox when adding a bookmark and it will stay private. Did I mention the service is free?

For those of you who are already converts, do you know of other tools that can make the Delicious experience even tastier? Please post them in the comments! I will give you an official Spellbound Blog gold star if you have one that matches one of the tools I described on my ‘most wanted’ list above.

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Spellbound Blog on Twitter

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I little while back I created a Twitter account for Spellbound Blog. So far I have just been posting pointers back to my blog posts on it, but I do plan to start using it to share other tidbits (like a link to today’s Doonsbury that features fictional Library of Congress archivist Violet McPhee).

A question for those playing along at home – would you be more likely to follow Spellbound Blog on Twitter or add Spellbound Blog to your network on del.icio.us? Or happy to do both?

If you already have the Spellbound Blog RSS feed in your feed reader, perhaps links shouldn’t be mixed in with alerts about new blog posts? This would mean that del.icio.us would be a better place to put links. Are more folks in the archives community on Twitter or del.icio.us? Maybe I can inspire  ArchivesNext to post a poll about which of these services people are actually using?

ps. When did del.icio.us become delicious.com?

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Geek Archivist and Other T-Shirts

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I have a new favorite procrastination technique – putting together graphics and opening CafePress shops! These are ideas I have had for ages (and more are in the works). I suspect they will be great tools for starting interesting conversations with both colleagues, friends and the general public. Please take a look the ones below and see what you think. I should be wearing my GEEK ARCHIVIST t-shirt at SAA if you want to see one in person. I have also created an Archivist Fun T-shirts page for you to use to find all the current designs as I add them.

geek archivist logo

Born Digital Logo

Born Analog Logo

Forgive the poor graphic quality on the thumbnails above – the resizing image magic of WordPress is not all it could be. The images used in the the actual products were created using the specifications set out by the CafePress folks and therefore should be totally clear on the t-shirts, bags, mouse pads and other fun stuff I found to slap them on. Let me know if there is a product you wish I was offering that I haven’t included yet (mugs? aprons? their list of offerings is amazing).

Hope they make you smile as much as they are making me smile.

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SAA Wiki 2008: Create an account and add your voice!

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SAA 2008 WikiAs of this writing, seventy-three individuals have created accounts on the UnOfficial Wiki of the 2008 SAA Annual Meeting in San Francisco. Where are the rest of you? For all of you wondering why to create an account, here are some reasons to join the wiki fun:

Not presenting?  There are still plenty of ways you can use the wiki to improve your conference experience.

Not going to the conference? Look through the Introductions page and take the opportunity to reconnect with your colleagues. The annual meeting gives everyone a chance to focus on the latest thoughts and activities in the archives community – no matter where you are. See a session you wish you could attend? Add a note to that session’s page – let the presenters and those who might blog the session know about your interest.

Have questions or need help? Drop me a message via my contact page and I will lend a hand. Remember – wikis are very sturdy, you won’t break it!

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Group Looking for Accreditation of Archival Education by SAA

Just in case you haven’t seen the postings elsewhere – a group of archivists and archivists-in-training is gathering support for their Request to Appoint a Task Force to Examine the Feasibility of SAA Accreditation of Graduate Archival Education Programs. The plan is to submit this as an item for consideration by the Council of the Society of America Archivists at the annual meeting in San Francisco in August. The full text of the request is online, along with this recent update:

Update on July 29: We’ve received more time to collect feedback and support. If you are interested in signing on in support of this submission to SAA Council for their August 2008 meeting, please send an email to Christine Di Bella at cdibella@gmail.com by August 4, 2008. Please indicate whether you are an SAA member in your message.

Sound like something you might want to through your support behind? Take note of that fast approaching deadline and go take a look at the full text of the request.

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SAA2008: The Wiki is Online

2008 wiki logoAs you may have heard elsewhere, the wiki to support the 2008 annual meeting of the Society of American Archivists is now online and waiting for your contributions.

Check out (or add to) the the pages with Maps of San Francisco, hotel information and details about public transport. Look for a roommate or a rideshare. Learn about or organize an unofficial event.

New to wikis? Well, there is a page just for you!

New to SAA Conferences? Check out the SAA First-Timer Tips. Been a million times? Well then go make sure that the First-Timer Tips page includes everything it should!

What I mention above just scratches the surface of what is on the wiki… and remember, the goal isn’t only to read but also update, add and correct the wiki. Because a full history of every page is kept there is no way for you to do anything wrong such that we cannot roll back to a prior version very easily. I am also offering help for anyone new and nervous with wikis. Either post a question on my profile page on the wiki or send me a message via my contact page.

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Learn About Wikis on Second Life (May 25th, 2008)

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In case you always wondered how wikis can help archivists, this Sunday (May 25th, 2008) will see archivists gathering in Second Life to answer this question.

  • When: Sunday May 25th, 9pm-10.30pm GMT (5pm-6:30pm EDT)
  • Where: Open Air Auditorium at Cybrary City, Second Life

This sounds like a great way to kill two birds with one stone. If you have been looking for a reason to explore Second Life or you have been wondering about how wikis are being used to benefit archives and special collections (or both!) – this looks like a great combination.

Learn more about this event via the Second Life Library Project post How on Virtual Earth can Wikis Help Archivists?.

In the interest of full disclosure – I admit that I won’t be there. The first (and last) time I tried to explore Second Life I got motion sick after about 15 minutes. I understand that this is not very common – but since I am one of those people who get motion sick watching others play 3D video games I wasn’t too surprised. I have a theory about trying again one day with a Second Life expert at my side to help me tweak my settings to the least ‘hand held camera’ version of the Second Life experience – I just haven’t gotten there yet. Any tips from Second Life gurus welcome!

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MayDay 2008: Do you have a disaster plan?

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MayDay 2008I couldn’t let MayDay 2008 pass without pointing everyone to the amazing annotated list of MayDay resources that the Society of American Archivists (SAA) has made available.

Does your institution have a disaster plan?
If not, the list of resources include a detailed set of Free Disaster Plan Templates. Today is the perfect day to download one and start planning.

A full disaster plan too overwhelming? SAA also provides a tidy list of easy MayDay activity ideas including:

Create or Update Your Contact Lists
One of the most important elements of disaster response is knowing how to contact critical people – emergency responders, staff, and vendors. Make sure your staff members have an up-to-date list that includes as much contact information as possible: work and home phone numbers (including direct lines at work), mobile phone numbers, work and home email addresses, and any other relevant addresses. Staff at many institutions hit by hurricanes in 2005 discovered that they couldn’t use work email or phone numbers because work systems were completely out of commission; those who had an alternative phone number or email address often could connect.

Make Sure Boxes Are Off the Floor
Any number of causes – a broken pipe, a clogged toilet, fire sprinklers – may result in water in your storage areas. If shelf space is limited, use pallets for clearance. Make sure nothing is on the floor where it can be soaked.

Don’t have precious cultural heritage materials under your care? Okay then, how about you? Do you have a Family Disaster Plan and a Disaster Supplies Kit ready?

Image Credit: Society of American Archivists MayDay 2008 Logo.

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SAA2008: PDFs of Conference Presentations

I found another reason recently to be excited about the progress of SAA’s online presence. Buried in the ARCHIVES 2008: Archival R/Evolution & Identities Checklist for Presenters is first tidbits of a plan to provide access to PDF versions of conference presentations on the SAA website.

Send an Electronic Copy of Your Presentation to SAA. The conference organizers would like to offer meeting attendees the opportunity to view presentations after the conference on the SAA 2008 Annual Meeting website (www.archivists.org). If you’ll supply a copy of your presentation, we’ll convert it to a PDF and post it. Please note that by sending SAA a copy of your presentation in electronic format, you grant permission for your presentation to be viewed by all SAA 2008 Annual Meeting attendees.

I am so pleased! I have always wanted access to the presentations – both for those sessions I attend and those I cannot. I have often been that person hovering at the edge of the stage after a panel, waiting to request a soft copy of the presentation.

I do wonder what they mean when they say that the presentations will be “viewable by meeting attendees”. In my heart of hearts I hope they go a step further and let the speakers sign off on these presentations being shared with the world (or at least with all of SAA). I haven’t gone through every Session Page on the SAA 2007 Un-Official Wiki, but I believe that not very many presenters took the opportunity to provide links to soft copies of their presentations. I hope that SAA is more successful on this front.

No matter the choices made relating to immediate access – I see this as a big step forward in the commitment to using technology. I think one of the best ways to learn is through getting your hands dirty. Technology is listed as one of SAA’s strategic priorities. Every choice that SAA makes that encourages their membership to become more tech-savvy is a step towards supporting that priority.

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Big Digital Step For SAA: American Archivist Online

SAA LogoThe Society of American Archivists has officially launched American Archivist Online (also available via the Members Only page once you login to archvists.org).

Here are a few key points that caught my eye from the FAQ :

  • Content is available as PDF files with embedded searchable text (one file per article or section of the journal)
  • It is hosted by MetaPress
  • The online version will be produced in parallel with the print version

What issues are online?

Fall/Winter 2000 (Volume 63 – Number 2) through the most recent issue – Fall/Winter 2007. The FAQ reports that additional back issues will be digitized over time.

How is it structured?

Each journal article is a separate PDF file. Talk about a boon to graduate students and archives professors everywhere! Even the front matter is there separated out – perfect for printing and attaching to your article printouts for future reference. Of course, if you are feeling green (and better at reading on screen than I am) you can bookmark them or save them locally for future reference.

Who can access it?

Officially, only members of SAA and individual or institutional subscribers to the journal can access all available issues. In reality, it appears most of the issues are available to everyone. Currently only the Fall/Winter issues of 2005, 2006 & 2007 restrict access to all the content. Even for these issues there is access to some of the articles – such as the Book Reviews section in both the 2005 and 2007 Fall/Winter issues.

The FAQ claims that non-subscribers must pay a fee to print an article – but I don’t see how they will enforce that. When viewing a PDF of an article from the most recent issue I was able to save it to my local desktop and print it without a problem. Not sure if that is a bug or how it will remain – or if maybe they are talking about official reprints that are sent through the mail?

Other features

  • Try the handy Article Category search links – like this one that shows all the Presidential Addresses.
  • Mark or save articles to your own private lists (if you are logged in)
  • Search the full text – either across the journal or within an individual issue.
  • Subscribe to the RSS feed (I spotted on the All Issues page). The feed includes the article abstract, category, author and source issue information. Be the first archivist on your block to know the instant the new issue is published online!

Final Thoughts

I think that everyone who heard President Adkins announce at SAA in Chicago that the American Archivist was going online was excited (well.. there was lots of clapping – that is for sure). That announcement was a strong indications to me of SAA’s commitment to improving their online offerings.

Finally seeing it available online is even better – action speaks louder than words.

Image Credit: SAA Logo from http://archivists.org/

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