Data Visualization: A New Way to See Historical Records in the AFL-CIO Archive

The Advancing Workers’ Rights in the American South grant project supported the digitization of a substantial amount of archival material from the AFL-CIO Civil Rights Department – over 90,000 pages of records, or about 54 linear feet. These records, which represent about 30 percent of all Civil Rights Department Records housed in SCUA, provide unique insights into the work of the department. By looking at the digitized materials as one big dataset, we can take a birds-eye view of the content and begin to observe some trends in the data that might serve as a springboard for future research. Trends visible in the charts are then highlighted in selected digitized folders linked to our Digital Collections.

New Resource: LibGuide on Natural History in Special Collections

Happy New Year! We’re celebrating with a new subject guide, Natural History in Special Collections. The guide features the work of several notable naturalists and covers materials dating from the fifteenth century to the present day from the rare books collection and Special Collections in Hornbake Library.

Natural History is a broad topic, spanning the scientific studies of the plants, animals, and objects of the natural world. As it’s such a broad topic, natural history can be broken down into several different fields of study. The collection includes books pertaining to several different branches of natural history, ranging from herbology, botany, zoology, herpetology, entomology, ornithology, and marine biology.

Authors highlighted in our new subject guide include include Thomas Bewick, a natural historian and ornithologist who illustrated A General History of Quadrupeds and A History of British Birds. Also represented in the guide are works by John Edwards Holbrook, Conrad Gessner, Carl Linnaeus, and Robert Hooke, whose 17th century bestselling and groundbreaking scientific work, Micrographia, illustrates insects, plants, and everyday objects through the lens of a microscope.

Also included in the guide are materials related to agriculture. Agriculture is also a study of the flora and fauna of the world, however, while natural history is the observation of these living things alone, agriculture as a science focuses on human care and involvement with the things of the natural world.

Explore the Natural History in Special Collections to learn more about out rare book holdings related to natural history. To view more natural history books in Special Collections, search our catalog and contact us with questions!

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Rebecca Lukachinski is a graduate student in the Masters of Library and Information Science program at UMD, and is a student assistant in the Literature and Rare Books Collections, Special Collections and University Archives.

Hornbake Unboxed: The Gift of Mindfulness

In our last Hornbake Unboxed blog we briefly discussed biases that exist in archives. Once thought to be neutral repositories to store, describe and provide access to documents without bias, the theory and practice of archiving has undergone drastic changes.

This brief History of Archival Theory webpage is a broad but helpful summary of the history of archives. Although people, communities and governments have collected documents since the inception of written language and repositories dedicated to collecting city records date back to 390 and 370 B.C.E., the establishment of “standards” for archives and the archivists who worked there is relatively recent. The Dutch Manual by Samuel Muller, Johan Feith and Robert Fruin was published in 1898 and established the framework for archival arrangement, description and provenance. This became the standard for archival practice (at least among English speaking professionals) in the 20th century and has been built upon by archival theorists since then. Most notably, Sir Hilary Jenkinson wrote the Manual of Archival Administration in 1922 and built upon the basic principles of The Dutch Manual but his definitions were more conservative. In aligning with the romantic idea of neutrality, he believed that archivists should not be responsible for making decisions on what to collect or destroy and that they should collect ALL material. This posed problems regarding storage and space. T.R. Schellenberg worked to revolutionize modern archival practice throughout the 1950’s and 60’s. Schellenberg’s Modern Archives: Principles and Techniques was published in 1956 and focused on archival appraisal as a necessity for archivists to create invaluable collections.

One thing all five of the authors above share perpetuates a historical conundrum in archival collections: They are all white, educated men of privilege. Diversity in experiences and perspectives lacks in many archives causing the discourse surrounding archival theory to shift towards more inclusive practices and standards since the 1960s. The Terry Cooks, Howard Zinns and Michelle Caswells of the world have helped us to shift into a paradigm of including and advocating for the voices of all communities in the record of history, but we still have a long way to go.

If you want to learn what steps you can take to be a more mindful researcher when using archives, watch the video below:

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Scotty Beland is a student in the Masters of Library and Information Sciences program and Student Assistant with the Instruction and Outreach team at UMD.

New Accrual Announcement: The Eugene L. Meyer Papers

Maryland and Historical Collections is pleased to announce a recent accrual to the Eugene L. Meyer papers of donated material from Mr. Meyer’s years as a journalist. During his career, he has served as a reporter and editor at the Washington Post and contributed to The New York Times, Bethesda Magazine, U.S. News and World Report, Washingtonian, Columbia College Today, CQ Researcher, Chesapeake Bay Magazine, and Maryland Life. At Maryland Life, he wrote features, profiles, and the popular “Hidden Maryland” column. He also serves as editor for B’nai B’rith magazine and has published several books on Maryland and its history and culture. 

The Eugene L. Meyer papers contain a range of material about Maryland. Meyer’s work took him all over the state, leading him to collect everything from restaurant menus to business cards, postcards, and maps. His research notes show his process as he engaged with each location and turned his experience into compelling and newsworthy articles. Also included in the collection are photographs, both black and white and in color, that document different places in Maryland. There are dozens of notebooks and legal pads with Meyer’s detailed notes for his pieces. This collection has unique material from almost every county in Maryland, showcasing the breadth of Meyer’s work from throughout the state.  

Researchers will be able to use this collection to get a greater understanding of Maryland’s rich culture and history. With material on such a diverse range of locations, researchers will be able to get an idea of what a place was like when Meyer visited. Unique items like restaurant menus and business cards shine a light into many different aspects of life. These snapshots provide insight into a place’s culture and what its people were like not too long ago. With the bulk of the collection between 1973 and 2010, the items show a range of time periods. 

Here are some examples of interesting finds from the collection. Meyer’s research often led him to collecting ephemera from the places he visited. The items on the left (below) are from Somerset County. These travel brochures and visitor’s guides show a little slice of life from Somerset. There is also a 1991 edition of a business directory, which contains advertisements from many different businesses organized by type. There is even a page for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. A folder in this collection might look like the one on the right, below: business cards stapled on the left side, then visitor guides stacked on newspaper, stacked on notes, everything just as Meyer kept it.

Learn more about The Eugene L. Meyer papers by browsing its finding aid. To view the collection in person, check out this guide to requesting materials. Please note that access to this collection requires requests to be submitted at least one week in advance due to restricted material which needs to be pre-screened. This collection has a preliminary inventory available to view and has not yet been fully processed. 

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Lottie Segal is a student in the Masters of Library and Information Sciences program and Student Assistant with the Maryland and Historical Collections team at UMD.

Where the Waters Blend

To round out American Indian Heritage Month and heading into finals, we thought a recap of a relevant student-led project would be apropos. We had the pleasure of working with an undergraduate from the University Honors program over several weeks this semester. The student, Andrew Schaefer, is working on finishing up a Capstone for HNUH268W: Where the Waters Blend designed by Dr. Angela Stoltz and a team of affiliate fellows representing five generations of Piscataway. Borrowed from Testudo:

“In this unique cultural and personal learning experience, students will explore the history, traditions, and contemporary issues faced by Maryland’s Indigenous people. The experiential work of the course asks students to consider how the past matters, particularly when it is embodied in the land they live on, and their present obligations to it.”

Left: A 1996 article from The Diamondback which includes the Piscataway in the celebrations (para. 5). Right: A 1976 ad from The Diamondback which tells a different tale. The Diamondback, Student Publications Collection.

Reparative Archival Description in the AFL-CIO Civil Rights Department records

Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA) at the University of Maryland has been working for several years on reviewing our archival finding aid descriptions for language that may be harmful or offensive to our users.  We are one of a number of archival institutions undertaking this work with archival collections. During 2020-2021 some of our staff and students began planning a framework for this initiative.

Two resources were created — a statement on “Harmful Language in Finding Aids” and a LibGuide, “Resources for Creating Inclusive and Conscious Archival Description,” featuring key resources such as journal articles, blog posts, and conference presentations.

Hornbake Unboxed: Unlocking Perspectives

When someone asks you what your greatest strengths or attributes are, what are some of your go-to answers? It is perfectly acceptable to use positive traits like dedicated and organized, or passionate and cooperative. But what if you were to say something like mindful, considerate, or empathetic? These are increasingly important traits that would-be friends, employers and other acquaintances value in others.

Empathy is the ability to recognize and understand others’ perspectives and emotions. It is a trait that you can build upon by applying mindfulness and understanding to your research. In turn, understanding our own capacity for empathy and ethics will make us better researchers! When engaging with history, it is important to remember that we are interacting with items created by and for other people. By better understanding others’ perspectives, we can better understand their behaviors, which might ultimately allow us to have a more sophisticated and sensitive understanding of an historical moment.

It is important for researchers to pay attention to archival absences and silences. Implicit and explicit biases, racism and other prejudices have meant that over time, certain types of primary sources were deemed more or less valuable and worthy of collection. You may need to develop a series of questions that go beyond the basics of “who, what, when, where, why and how” to consider the perspectives of those not adequately represented in the archives.

How were the items collected?

Were they given willingly?

How would the people depicted in the record feel about you looking at it now?

Luckily, many archivists have begun to question collection methods for us and can learn more about empathy and ethics in the archives in the video below:

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Scotty Beland is a student in the Masters of Library and Information Sciences program and Student Assistant with the Instruction and Outreach team at UMD.

Now Online: Digitized records from the AFL-CIO Civil Rights Department

The University of Maryland (UMD) and Georgia State University (GSU) have made available online tens of thousands of civil rights records from the AFL-CIO Civil Rights Department archived at both universities. The online debut of these records represents a major milestone in an ongoing three-year grant project, “Advancing Workers’ Rights in the American South: Digitizing the Records of the AFL-CIO’s Civil Rights Division.”

Hornbake Unboxed: A Look Into the Past

Primary sources are items that provide first hand accounts or data from witnesses or participants in past events. Researchers use these sources to provide evidence for how people acted, thought and felt during historical moments. They can take various forms, such as letters, government documents, photographs, pamphlets, or newspapers.

Using these items as evidence is a bit different than using other types of sources, like published books, articles or encyclopedias. Sometimes the answers to your research questions will be very obvious, and sometimes you might need to find different ways to uncover the answers, such as consulting other sources, making an informed guess, or asking a librarian. The inability to answer questions may, in fact, provide you with important information that helps you interpret your item. Watch the video below to learn more about how you can use primary sources.

Critical examination of the items you are looking at can help you consider how to best use the evidence to support or contradict your argument. We encourage you to remember to consider various perspectives and experiences from different people and groups when conducting research and that we should be careful to represent this diversity in our research. 

Historically, the vast majority of archivists have been white and male, so the perspectives of others can be white-washed, silenced or altogether erased. More attention is being given to combating bias in the field and within archival collections as many archives are developing programs to foster more opportunities for BIPOC librarians. There is also discourse surrounding the topics of reparative archiving and conscious editing to prevent the perpetuation of whitewashing history. 

UMD Special Collections and University Archives librarian Jen Eidson presented “Consciously Editing Finding Aids” using our AFL-CIO Civil Rights Department records as a case study at the MARAC Fall 2022 Conference. Lae’l Hughes-Watkins was also recently promoted to Associate Director for Engagement, Inclusion and Reparative Archiving, and has written and presented numerous pieces on the subject.

To hear a great interview on the topic, listen to “(Web) Archives and Black Culture with Zakiya Collier” on the podcast Organizing Ideas.

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Scotty Beland is a student in the Masters of Library and Information Sciences program and Student Assistant with the Instruction and Outreach team at UMD.

New Exhibit – Taken For Granted: The Legacy of a Land Grant University

Many are familiar with the term “Land Grant University”, but what does this actually mean and how does that effect how an institution functions? 

A new exhibition in the Maryland Room at Hornbake Library draws parallels between events that shaped the changing objectives in Land Grant institutions and the social inequities that have occurred throughout campus history from 1856 to today. The voices of marginalized and underrepresented groups in the University’s history are included to demonstrate generational prejudices up to the present day.

“Just as leading universities shape their society, so powerful social forces shape the University to a considerable extent”

The Post-Land Grant University: The University of Maryland Report
—Malcolm Moos, 1981

Through inheritance, a man named Charles B. Calvert became the owner of a large slave plantation called Riversdale in the mid-1850s. Some of this land is where the University of Maryland College Park is situated today. How did this happen? 

Our journey actually begins in 1632, long before the University of Maryland College Park was founded as the Maryland Agricultural College (MAC) in 1856. White settlers began coming to what we know as Maryland in the early 1600s. Different parts of the land were cultivated and inhabited by the Indigenous people of the Piscataway, Nanticoke and Susquehannock tribes, among others, but the land was patented to Cecilius Calvert, also known as 2nd Lord Baltimore, by King Charles I of England in 1632. A Relation of Maryland, published in London in 1635, detailed the geography and potential for settlement and industry of the lands. It also detailed some of the relationships and “agreements” between the settlers and the natives who lived there.