TOPIC: Archiving Feed

Archives. Just Do It!

 

Women_s history in The Digital World Screen Shot
Women's History In The Digital World at Bryn Mawr. Screen Shot.
At DYKE, A Quarterly (as if it were a place, haha) we always thought about preserving the magazine for the future. One of our goals was to make DAQ long lasting and to become a historical artifact and future resource. We used good paper and ink on purpose. The one thing we forgot about was keeping enough of the original print copies. You give away one, then another without thinking about it much for a few decades and then suddenly, you have only a copy or two and you're not sure if there are any copies at all, anywhere. Poof, suddenly the history trajectory looks quite different. 

But then along come digital technologies and we have a new way to collect and literally share/transmit our stories and images. Wow. 

A few weeks ago the editors of DYKE, Penny House and Liza Cowan, went to the wonderful conference at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania, USA, Women's History In The Digital World. The conference was produced by Jennifer Redmond and the rest of the amazing crew at The Albert M. Greenfied digital Center for the History of Women's Eductation LINK, a part of the college.

Liza did a powerpoint slide show and talked  about our process of archiving, digitizing and presenting the archive online. The other presenters in our node were Margo Hobbs Thompson and Michelle Moravec.  We networked through twitter, by the way. 

DYKE A Quarterly image from powerpoint Archiving Dyke A  quarterly
Slide from talk: DYKE goes to the MOMA and The Schlesinger Library

We had a fabulous time, meeting so many amazing women,  and sitting in  presentations which were fascinating and sometimes way over our heads, tech-wise - which is good, we think. It's always good to know what you don't know, and to connect with resources for learning it. And how wonderful it was to be in rooms full of smart, articulate, kind and generous women, many of whom were presenting materials from various archives, libraries and institutions around the country, as well as sharing so much great information - technical, anectdotal and historical.

Presenter Michell Moravac, was moved to tweet a day or two after the conference,  "Was #WHDigWrld  the 1st @Birksconference of Digital Women's History?" Michelle's  link
HERE is a link to the conference.  Several of the presentations are available with a link to the visulal portion of the presentation as prepared by the presenters. How convenient, educational and fun, right?

The DYKE, A Quarterly power point is HERE. And if you are interested in digitizing YOUR collections...DO IT.
 
We discovered that compared to so many institutions and archives, the DAQ digital archive is put together with tins cans and string. But it doesn't matter. It still works. So, for a start in digizing, if you haven't already done so, CHECK HERE Digital Scholarship in The Humanites,   from the blog Exploring the Digital Humanities.
 

DYKE, A Quarterly: Challenging Assumptions Since 1975

Dyke a quarterly challenging assumptions since 1975, butch femme, lesbian nail polish
DYKE, A Quarterly: Challenging Assumptions Since 1975
 
Did painting or not painting our nails make us butch or femme? We didn't think so. But we had an inkling that it would confound our readers to see us with nail polish, which we happened to be wearing the day we made this graphic. 
Original images made with Letraset transfer letters on paper, hand held on the bed of a Mita 500D copy machine. 

 


DYKE at The Museum Of Modern Art Library, New York City

 

Milan Hughson, chief of the LIbrary, Museum Of Modern Art, NYC, Dyke a quarterly 2012
Milan Hughston, Chief Of The Library, MOMA NYC, with DYKE A Quarterly. Photo: Liza Cowan


DYKE A Quarterly is archived at the Museum Of Modern Art Library in NYC. Today I went to see it in situ. My host was Milan Hughston, Chief of the LIbrary & Museum Archives. I assure you, it was very exciting.

And for total referencing- and infinite regression of referencing- you can visit their TUMBLR where they documented the visit.