I am really enjoying the work I have been doing with the Robert H. Gay Photo Collection for the Saco River Estuary project on Omeka. I feel like this collection, the Moody Photo Collection, and the maps differ somewhat from the rest of the data that we are working with in that these topics are nearly entirely historical rather than scientific. Surely the two disciplines intersect and I expect that they will as we think more about create conscious exhibits which display the significance of both forms of data, but for the most part the process of being in a library and scanning glass plate negatives fits the bill for stereotypical "archive work" perhaps better than scanning EOL for bird descriptions.
And here is where my nerdy side appears - I think there is something almost romantic, or maybe magical, about digging through dusty, barely touched maps and glass plate negatives to unearth something which time has forgotten. I relish burying myself in the library. So while as I not-so-subtly stated on the first day of class that "digital stuff" isn't really my jam, the hanging out in the library and conducting research and delving into history of the Saco River is.
I am pleased that we have had the opportunity to work with Renee DesRoberts. She has been a wonderful resource - so very helpful and generous with her time. I plan to go back to McArthur tomorrow during class time to spend the hour and a half scanning the negatives for photos to be uploaded to the archive, and she has been open to letting me use her space to do that. I also know that she will be there to help along the way.
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