Kira Riddle NARA Internship Reflection March 3, 2014 The National Archives is more than just a storage facility

for federal records. It is a place where stories live on and secrets are uncovered. Both the mundane and the extraordinary can be found within the records here, and I am fortunate enough to say that I was able to spend my time as an intern working with and examining some of these documents. As someone who has come into archival studies from an entirely different background in music, it has been both enlightening and intimidating at the same time. The variety of assignments that I was given and the professionals I was able to meet with will undoubtedly prove to be invaluable in my pursuit of a career as an archivist. To supplement my assigned projects and activities, I was given readings from various articles, textbooks and websites, which also enhanced the experience. Each of these aspects of my internship has made me confident that this is what I want to continue to pursue. Project Overview The first project that I was given was holdings maintenance for the record group (RG) 49, Bureau of Land Management, Valentine Land Office, Serialized Land Entry Case Files. I was assigned eight boxes, and by the time my internship was all said and done, I completed six of them, since two were given to a volunteer. I can honestly say that holdings maintenance can be summed up as glorified staple removing. Aside from some numb fingers and an occasional wandering mind, the project didnt bother me. Early in the project, I glanced through the records to keep the time going quickly. One

thing that I appreciated about this project was the fact that it was not simply assigned to interns, but that everyone played a part in its completion. It is clear this part of the job is not a favorite, but just like any job there are tasks that have to be completed, regardless of how mundane they might be. I was also given two database entry projects. The first was for the consolidated list of men subject to the draft. One of my favorite parts of this internship was transcription and deciphering of handwriting. I really appreciated seeing how manuscript changes over time and the different ways individuals use short hand. There were several times that a word or letter had me tied up; being the perfectionist I am, I probably spent too much time trying to figure them out. In the end, I used my best judgment, and made note of any item I was unsure about. The other database entry project was for the RG 75 Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Wahpeton student case files. I enjoyed going through the files to find the necessary information for the database. Getting to see photographs of the students made it feel even more real, and it was intriguing getting to hear some of the stories, even if they werent exactly uplifting. Another BIA project that I received was re-processing for the Consolidated Chippewa Agency. For this project, I re-foldered items that were contained in letter-size folders, since most of the boxes were legal sized. I also cleaned up and updated the folder list to reflect exactly what was in the box. The folder list was a bit of a mess, but this was really an enjoyable project for me, as I love creating order from chaos. A very quick project that I worked on was a lesson plan using DocsTeach, an online resource that allows teachers to create interactive activities by using digitized NARA records. For this project, I decided to take a bit of time to think over my topic and

ended up going with the subject of Pearl Harbor. Since I have never taught at the classroom level, nor have I taught anything other than music, this took some planning and thinking since I really wanted to create something meaningful and perhaps even something that a teacher could use in their classroom. One of my favorite projects was digitization for the Chinese Exclusion Act Case Files. While this mostly involved just scanning the documents, reading some of the court transcripts and seeing the pictures was very engaging. I had not previously been familiar with the Chinese Exclusion Act, so I actually did a little bit of reading up on it at home. This really made my work even more relevant, as I was able to put the documents in context. Lastly, and perhaps most challenging, was my project to create Archival Research Catalog (ARC) descriptions for several series in the Sisseston and Horton Agency Files. I really enjoyed the challenge of determining and understanding each entry, as well as entering them into the ARC system. While I was far from perfect, I felt that with each entry it started to make more sense, and I was making fewer mistakes. Staff Discussions In addition to assigned projects, a big portion of the internship was devoted to meeting with each professional on staff at the archives. This was an invaluable experience as it allowed me to see all the different facets of the institution and the various ways an archival career can manifest itself. What struck me most about meeting with everyone individually was hearing their stories, and how they came to NARA. As I shadowed several reference requests and observed the work they did, it was clear that their familiarity with the records and their context was imperative. In reflecting on the

educational and professional background of the staff, I fear that my lack of a history background could potentially be a roadblock, but it is something that I would like to expand upon once I am finished with my library studies. Supplemental Readings When I was first handed the monstrosity that is the unpaid graduate internship readings notebook, I was a bit worried. Initially, I was under the impression that the readings had to be done prior to the internship. Thankfully this wasnt the case, but even still I had a difficult time getting the readings completed by the time my internship was over. Many of the readings were review for me, since I had very recently taken all the courses required for the Archive Studies Certificate. In fact, some of them came directly from textbooks used in courses I had taken in the archive program. For some of these, I simply scanned them, and it was nice to get a review of topics such as archives history, theory, reference, arrangement, description, and preservation. The readings I found most helpful, though, were those directly relating to NARA and NARA records. The articles on the Leavenworth Case Files and the Alien Files were enthralling and I enjoyed getting to know more about exactly what is contained within those records. The readings on the Freedom of Information Act were dense, but helpful nonetheless and it was important to understand the various reasons for redaction. I also found the information on job searching and interviewing to be very practical. Assessment of Program One of the reasons that I was drawn to the internship at NARA was the welldeveloped, organized program and breadth to the types of activities I would be involved in. NARA was not the first place that I contacted to host my practicum; however, I

discovered that the other sites I found could not meet the requirements of my practicum, and did not have a clear, well-defined set of assignments and tasks. I had originally wanted to conduct my practicum with the Marr Sound Archives, and decided against it because I was afraid that the experience I would gain there would be too focused and limiting. I am very glad to have had a more general and broad way of dipping my feet into the archival waters. Another strong point of this program is the way that interns are given trust and freedom to progress through the projects independently. During my time here, I always felt like a part of the team, and though I wish I could have more time to be here, I was never treated like one may expect an intern to be treated. By that same token, I always felt comfortable asking questions and getting help from those who were more experienced. In all, I found it to be a very healthy and positive work environment. In the six weeks that I have spent as an intern at NARA, I have found very few things that I could criticize about the program. Something that I think could be helpful to future interns is to allot more time and resources to understanding the background and creators of the records they are working with. I think that my biggest frustration, partially because of my personal shortcomings, was not understanding how certain records fit into the context of the series or even understanding the purpose and role of the creating agency. Summary Since I entered my masters program two and half years ago, what I was most looking forward to was the practicum course, my chance to get some real experience in archives. Now that I have completed it, I can say that it has been the highlight of my

degree. I dont think that any of my other classes have given me as much insight and understanding in an entire semester as I have had in these six weeks at NARA. I dont know exactly where my career path will take me, but I sincerely hope that the time I have put in and the help I received from NARA staff will be put to good use. To Lori Cox-Paul, Elizabeth Burnes, Jake Ersland, Jessica Hopkins, Steve Spence, Chris Magee, Greg Bognich, Jennifer Audsley-Moore, Sarah LeRoy, Mickey Ebert, Dee Harris, Kimberlee Ried, and most importantly Joyce Burner, I thank you so much for your time and am grateful to have met such amazing professionals. Though my time as an intern is over, I hope to be back soon!