Saving Historically Significant Records for the City of Austin

Saving Historically Significant Records for the City of Austin

Susan K. Soy

April 26, 2004 Susan K. Soy [email protected]

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What is the Austin History Center? City of Austin, Austin Public Library Official repository for the City Photographic images, oral histories, city

reports and documents, video tape, cemetery ledgers, and more!


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Credibility and trustworthiness

Security of the archives Integrity of the archives


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Significance of the archives

History is happening every day We are part of history What we determine to keep and the

care given to keeping it is a deliberate choice that determines future interpretations of society


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http://www.cityofaustin.org/ library/ahc

Click to view the video


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Downtown location

810 Guadalupe Street Next to the Central Library [email protected]


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Archival appraisal

The process of determining the value and thus the disposition of records based upon their current administrative, legal, and fiscal use; their evidential and informational value; their arrangement and condition, their enduring value,and their relationship to other records


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City staff performs critical first step Systematic record keeping Documentation strategies (Samuels)


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Goals

Avoid wholesale destruction Recognize when to consult with the

archivist Add to the community’s collective

memory


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Historical significance

– Unique and unavailable elsewhere– Documents a side of a controversial issue– Is legible– Documents the early years of Austin’s

history– Pertains to a unique event in our

community– Is an official publication for the City of

Austin


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Historical significance

Biographical information about officials, staff, local celebrities

Topic that is under documented at the AHC

Map that indicates boundaries - precincts, city, school districts, watersheds


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How do we find this material?

Employees alert us Customers alert us

Pre-1910 Congress & 6th Street

[PICA 19984, Austin History Center, Austin Public Library]


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Examples

– APD - Whitman Papers– PARD - Cemetery ledgers– Health and Human Services - Vital

Records– Families - Pease Family Papers; McCallum

Family Papers– Individuals - Poster artists


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Care of materials

Call with questions People Light Dust Pests Temperature Control


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Discussion

We are everything

Austin, Texas


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Staff

Photo Curator -- Margaret Schlankey

4-7386 Video -- Tim Hamblin 4-7305 Print -- Virginia Kniesner 4-7346 Maps -- Eric Travis 4-7392 Sue Soy -- Archivist 4-7388


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Thanks to you

We will preserve our city’s history