5 minute read
Collecting During
Collecting During COVID-19
How the Bentley archived the pandemic in real time.
By Lara Zielin
ZOOM MEETING SCREENSHOTS. Journal entries. Course assignments. Social distancing signage. Tributes to essential workers.
These are just a few of the materials that the Bentley Historical Library collected from the U-M community to help document the COVID-19 pandemic.
The library launched its COVID-19 collecting efforts in April 2020 to document the varied experiences of students, staff, and faculty during the beginning of the pandemic.
“When future students, scholars, and researchers want to understand what it was like at the University of Michigan during the pandemic, the materials preserved by the Bentley will provide a first-person account,” says Project Archivist Caitlin Moriarty, who was part of the team spearheading the project.
Bentley archivists created an online form to accept submissions, and responses came in from across campus.
Some materials showed how coursework changed when faculty and students had to complete projects and research remotely, such as the films submitted by Senior Lecturer Terri Sarris. The students in A sign near Michigan Stadium in March 2020 advises sheltering in place to stop the Sarris’s Introduction to Production and Wolverine TV (WOLV-TV) classes switched their final projects to document an aspect of the COVID spread of COVID-19. experience.
“The projects capture the upheaval, confusion, isolation, inability to focus, absence, uncertainty, and even some hope, that students were feeling in this unprecedented time,” Sarris says.
Other materials came in as a result of Bentley outreach, including the newsletter of Environmental Services at Michigan Medicine, who clean and maintain the hospital. “This is especially true at this important moment when they are on the frontlines as essential workers,” Moriarty says.
All submissions to the project were digital. The process of asking multiple people to contribute to a specific theme represents an unusual kind of collecting process for the Bentley.
Traditionally, most people or individuals who donate to archives submit a collection of their papers or records. In this case, “people who had just one thing, such as one photo, could submit it to be part of a community-created collection,” explains Moriarty.
Moriarty says that, if successful, this could be a model that the Bentley applies to collecting in other areas.
About 150 submissions to the online form were received, and the next step is to process the materials and make them available online.
This material represents a small portion of what the Bentley will ultimately collect on COVID-19. More material will be acquired from U-M departments and units, from individual donors, and from Michigan organizations.
“One hundred years from now, it will be interesting to see what survives,” Moriarty says. “When you’re living it, it feels like everything is important, but things will filter out over time. This will become like an archival sample of that moment, sort of a time capsule in a way.”
QUARANTINE BY THE NUMBERS
3,530 files produced from 39 digitization requests 345 researcher email requests received and responded to 321 finding aids created 191 GB of digital material processed 52 social media posts generated 42 new websites archived 23 GB of digital material accessioned 4 issues of the new Bentley e-newsletter sent 3 virtual events hosted (and more to come)
COLLECTIONS, the magazine of the Bentley Historical Library at the University of Michigan, is published twice each year. Terrence J. McDonald Arthur F. Thurnau Professor Professor of History and Director Nancy Bartlett Associate Director Lara Zielin Editorial Director Robert Havey Communications Specialist Patricia Claydon, Ballistic Creative Art Direction/Design Copyright ©2021 Regents of the University of Michigan ARTICLES MAY BE REPRINTED BY OBTAINING PERMISSION FROM: Editor, Bentley Historical Library 1150 Beal Avenue Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2113 PLEASE DIRECT EMAIL CORRESPONDENCE TO: laram@umich.edu 734-936-1342
Regents of the University of Michigan Jordan B. Acker, Huntington Woods Michael J. Behm, Grand Blanc Mark J. Bernstein, Ann Arbor Paul W. Brown, Ann Arbor Sarah Hubbard, Okemos Denise Ilitch, Bingham Farms Ron Weiser, Ann Arbor Katherine E. White, Ann Arbor Mark S. Schlissel, ex officio
The University of Michigan, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University of Michigan is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, height, weight, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. Inquiries or complaints may be addressed to the Senior Director for Institutional Equity, and Title IX/Section 504/ADA Coordinator, Office for Institutional Equity, 2072 Administrative Services Building, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1432, 734-763-0235, TTY 734-647- 1388, institutional.equity@umich.edu. For other University of Michigan information call 734-764-1817.
Meet Jim Richardson
HELP PROTECT HISTORY FOR THE FUTURE.
Jim Richardson came to the Bentley as part of a rare set of photographs depicting African Americans serving in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) during the Great Depression. But precious little information was available about him, or any of the men in the images. The Bentley digitized the CCC photos, then started a crowd-sourcing campaign to uncover identifying information. Jim’s full name, as well as his background as a hard-working farmer and community member, was brought to light.
Your support can help bring Jim’s story, and others like it, into the 21st century.
PLEASE USE THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE OR GIVE ONLINE TO HELP US DIGITIZE OUR COLLECTIONS.
bentley.umich.edu/giving 734-764-3482
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN 1150 BEAL AVENUE ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN 48109-2113
Where Michigan’s History Lives
The Bentley Historical Library is now open by appointment only for U-M faculty, students, and staff. The library’s Reference team will continue to receive and respond to remote requests from researchers who are not affiliated with the University, however, the ability to check physical collections remains limited and it may take staff some time to respond.
MAKE A RESEARCH REQUEST
Bentley.ref@umich.edu
EXPLORE COLLECTIONS AND FINDING AIDS ONLINE
bentley.umich.edu
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL
facebook.com/bentleyhistoricallibrary @umichbentley @umichbentley
MAKE A GIFT
bentley.umich.edu/giving 734-764-3482
ARCHIVING DURING A PANDEMIC
(Above) The virus that causes COVID-19, pictured here, closed the Bentley
