| Blog Post Published on: | 11th November 2022 |
| Title: | CPC's Archive Project: Should CPC Partner Up With a Library? |
| Lead Author: | Fred M. Beshears |
| Type of Blog Post: | cpc_archive |
[FMB Note: posted by Fred Beshears to CPC's FB Group site on 11/7/2022.]
Here's a pretty good guide to archival research (see Guide to Archival Research in Reference section below.)
Also, for me at least, reading this guide brings up a question that CPC may want to consider:
Should CPC try to partner up with some external organization (e.g. a library or museum) to help us organize, preserve, and digitize our physical archives?
Obviously, there are other follow up questions, but I'll just broach the idea with the aforementioned question.
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Bettina Demetz
You could outsource to an MLS student at Wayne State.
I've always thought this would be a fun retirement project - and I'm retiring next year.
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Fred Beshears
Bettina Demetz,
I'm retired and I, too, have thought of moving the CPC area so I could make the CPC archive my retirement hobby.
I have the resources to contribute my time, and I bring my own tools (e.g. computers, flat bed scanner, etc.).
However, I don't have the funds to pay a MLS student. Also, I don't think CPC could afford to put up the money to hire one either. (Nevertheless, it wonderful to work with a bright, young MLS student, if that could be arranged.)
Further, I suspect that libraries and museums might not be willing to cover the cost of digitizing and organizing CPC's archival material. (However, they might be willing to take on the responsibility of storing a few very important items for safe-keeping.)
Therefore, CPC may have to rely on volunteer senior citizen members to do the scanning and organizing.
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Fred Beshears
Here's a comment from Devon Greyson that addresses the question: "Should CPC try to partner up with some external organization (e.g. a library or museum) to help us organize, preserve, and digitize our physical archives?"
"Nowadays, I believe the next step would be to find a university library that would like to add the CPC archives to it's special collections. As you clearly know, digitization ≠ digital access & preservation, but an academic library (perhaps at MSU or UMich?) would be well-equipped to take on that project, as they would already have the infrastructure for their special collections and likely just need a grant to cover the costs of staffing to do the scanning and metadata work."
-- Devon Grayson
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Fred Beshears
Devon Greyson, thanks to Chia Hamilton, I just learned that UW-Madison has a Center for Cooperatives. They might know about archives on cooperatives as well as funding for getting CPC's archive up-to-date.
Here's the link:
[FMB: See UW Center for Cooperatives in Reference section below.]
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Devon Greyson
Yes, UW Center may know about Co-op Archives. Quick search of their digital collections doesn't scream to me that they'd want a non-WI co-op's fonds, but I think UofM in Ann Arbor (home to NASCO) is worth a try & they also have a (very large) Library & Information Science school.
Their archives on Co-operatives are more eclectic, although most have not yet been digitized/digitally preserved.
What we would need is the interest/buy-in of an academic library with special collections, a supervising archivist (as in a real, professional one, not me, haha!), and the funds to pay a practicum student for however long this much material would take.
Funds may actually be the easiest part if CPC could be a community partner & donate in-kind work/materials or matching funds for a grant--as far as preservation grants go this would be pretty small potatoes.
[FMB: See Inter-Cooperative Council at Ann Arbor: NASCO Institute in References below.]
[FMB: See Labadie Collection Subject Vertical Files in References below.]
Guide to Archival Research
Creighton Barrett
Inter-Cooperative Council at Ann Arbor: NASCO Institute
Labadie Collection Subject Vertical Files
UW Center for Cooperatives
Fostering critical thinking and understanding about cooperatives.