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B. Upon learning of the Epstein collection, Sally Mystic donated her personal collection of 984
cabinet cards (a style of photographic portraiture widely used after 1870 and through 1920).
See example here: http://www.phototree.com/id_cab.htm. Ms. Mystic indicated that she
would like students to see what real people wore in the good old days. The subjects of
Ms. Mystics cabinet cards appear to be wealthy men, women, and families and aristocrats.
Ms. Mystic has never been affiliated with the University but she has admired the work of the
Apparel and Design Merchandising Department.
According to accepted standards, what title would you give the Epstein materials?
(.50 pt.)
The Arlene Epstein Collection (Class lecture, module 1)
Assuming that you want to expand your archives, what argument would you give to
accept Ms. Mystics collection? Would you refer to a concept, theory, or
methodology?
(1.50 pt.)
I would refer to the concept of historical value the usefulness or significance of records
for understanding the past. In this instance, the cabinet cards seem to fit in with the
spirit of the department and would be appropriate for the growing collection of
materials. (Class lecture, module 2)
List and describe three steps that you need to take before you begin arranging and
describing the Epstein collection. (1.50 x 3 = 4.50 pts.)
1.) Immediately remove any items that may be hazardous to the rest of the collection,
such as items with mildew or mold.
2.) Inventory the items.
3.) Send a letter to Ms. Mystic with the inventoried list asking for a Deed of Gift and
making sure there are no restrictions to the materials donated (Accession)
(Class lecture, November 30th, and Module 2)
C. Upon learning of the Epstein and the Mystic collections, someone at the University suggested
that you expand your archives and have a separate Distinguished Collections department
(in fact, Northwestern University has created a position of Executive Director of
Distinguished Collections, which consists of its special libraries and collections). Someone
else pointed out that you should seek and collect other records and materials that will
demonstrate the Universitys spirit of Caritas et Veritas.
You will need a preservation strategy for your department, of course. Describe three
components of this strategy and how they are particularly pertinent to the Epstein
and Mystic collections. (1x2 = 2 pts.)
The purpose of preservation is to retard the deterioration of materials. Maintaining stable
conditions is crucial. 1.) A consistent temperature and humidity will have to be chosen and
kept that way 365 days a year. Because the Epstein collection contains both fabric and paper,
the temperature and humidity requirements may be different for the different materials. If
possible, they will need to be stored separately. 2.) UV light is particularly damaging. The
collection needs to be kept in a low illumination at all times unless they are temporarily on
exhibit or are being used for research. 3.) The air quality needs to be free of gaseous
contaminants that can catalyze harmful chemical reactions. Keep windows closed and invest
in a quality air filter. No smoking in the archives!
These preservation strategies are pertinent to the Epstein and Mystic collections, because
they contain both paper and fabric. Fabric and paper are both sensitive to light and
temperature, as well as air quality, so installing these precautions will slow the eventual
deterioration of these materials.
(NEDCC Preservation leaflets, section 2.1)
From the information you have learned of the Epstein collections, how many DACS
elements do you already have for a finding aid for that collection? (.50 pt.)
1.) Extent
2.) Name of creator
3.) Dates
4.) Scope and content
5.) Authorized form of name
6.) Type of entity
7.) Language
(Taken from DACS online book, Module 3)
Describe an access issue that comes up in the Epstein collection. (1 pt.)
There is a possibility that in Epsteins personal correspondence that some of the people
she was in contact with are still living and may not want their letters made public. A
university attorney be consulted regarding potential invasion of privacy issues to see if
these people or their descendants should be contacted to get permission to make these
letters public. How great are the risks involved? That is a question that should be
considered.
(Boles, Frank. Just a Bunch of Bigots. 1994, p. 59.)
Describe a social or cultural issue that might come in future collections in your
expanded archives. (1 pt.)
According to Kenneth E. Foote, archives are sometimes said to be societys collective
memory. If this is true, then Ms. Mystics donation, while certainly valuable, doesnt
reflect all of society, or even most. The cabinet cards were of wealthy men, women,
families, and aristocrats. This is hardly a complete collection of what real people wore,
as most of the population was not wealthy. This could easily be perceived as being
culturally insensitive. To circumvent this, it must be acknowledged in the description that
the class status is of the wealthy only and does not reflect the majority of the population.
(Foote, Kenneth E. To Remember and Forget: Archives, Memory, and Culture. 1990. p
379.)