As archives increasingly move into the digital realm, ensuring online accessibility has become a fundamental responsibility. For users who are blind, have low vision, or experience cognitive or motor disabilities, screen readers serve as a vital gateway to digital content. These tools translate onscreen text and interface elements into synthesized speech or Braille, allowing users to navigate websites, databases, and catalogs without relying on visual cues. However, for screen readers to function effectively, digital environments must be designed with intentionality and care. In archival settings, this may be overlooked.
Archives embody the principles of access, stewardship, and service. However, for some users, physical and digital archives remain challenging to navigate, use, or even enter. Barriers to archival access are often unintentional, stemming from outdated facilities, inaccessible technologies, or limited awareness of diverse user needs.
Reference services play a pivotal role in the archival field, acting as a bridge between users and the wealth of information in archival collections.
Ensuring user access to archival materials is essential for fostering research, education, and community engagement. By adopting inclusive practices and innovative strategies, archivists can significantly enhance access to their collections. Improving user access in archives involves creating user-friendly finding aids, digitization, and addressing physical barriers.
Disasters can strike unexpectedly, causing significant damage to archival collections and facilities. Whether it is a flood, fire, or another catastrophic event, the aftermath of a disaster requires a strategic response to assess the damage and initiate recovery efforts.
I'm continuing my series of scanning, transcribing, and annotating my grandfather's love letters to my grandmother leading up to their marriage in June 1940. The letters are chronologically organized and preserved, using the methods I discuss in detail in my book, Creating Family Archives: How to Preserve Your Papers and Photographs.
The 15th letter in the Grandpa's Love Letters series raises some questions.
I'm continuing my series of scanning, transcribing, and annotating my grandfather's love letters to my grandmother leading up to their marriage in June 1940. The letters are chronologically organized and preserved, using the methods I discuss in detail in my book, Creating Family Archives: How to Preserve Your Papers and Photographs.
The 14th letter in the Grandpa's Love Letters series is quotidian. With each letter, I expect to find a hidden meaning, a beautiful turn of phrase, or some insight into my grandparents as young people, lovers, and individuals.
I've crafted a travel memory workbook with 30 questions to capture family memories about their travels. The questions are crafted to give you more than yes or no answers and are tailored to uncover information about your loved ones. You can ask family members about their favorite trips, or use it yourself to write the next Eat, Pray, Love.
I'm continuing my series of scanning, transcribing, and annotating my grandfather's love letters to my grandmother leading up to their marriage in June 1940. The letters are chronologically organized and preserved, using the methods I discuss in detail in my book, Creating Family Archives: How to Preserve Your Papers and Photographs.
In the 13th letter in the Grandpa's Love Letters series, Grandpa has changed boarding houses. He refers to the "three of us," which I think refers to himself, Otto, and Fred (Otto's cousin). This is another letter about when he'll be returning to Paterson, which depends on the weather.
In your collections, you will often come across photographs in a format that you cannot identify. These are primarily early photographs. By understanding the type of photograph you have, you can begin to learn when or why it was taken. Knowing the format is also helpful in finding out the best way to preserve the images.
I'm continuing my series of scanning, transcribing, and annotating my grandfather's love letters to my grandmother leading up to their marriage in June 1940. The letters are chronologically organized and preserved, using the methods I discuss in detail in my book, Creating Family Archives: How to Preserve Your Papers and Photographs.
The 12th letter in the Grandpa's Love Letters series is all about a major snowstorm in the area. The Valentine's Day Blizzard of 1940 hit the east coast by surprise. New England, New York, and Pennsylvania. It was one of the most memorable snowstorms on record in Boston because of the heavy snows and high winds.
I'm continuing my series of scanning, transcribing, and annotating my grandfather's love letters to my grandmother leading up to their marriage in June 1940. The letters are chronologically organized and preserved, using the methods I discuss in detail in my book, Creating Family Archives: How to Preserve Your Papers and Photographs.
In the 11th letter in the series, Grandma and Grandpa celebrate Valentine's Day. He sent flowers, and she sent a card, probably similar in style to this card.
I'm continuing my series of scanning, transcribing, and annotating my grandfather's love letters to my grandmother leading up to their marriage in June 1940. The letters are chronologically organized and preserved, using the methods I discuss in detail in my book, Creating Family Archives: How to Preserve Your Papers and Photographs.
I can't believe we're already at the 10th letter so far! In this letter, Grandpa returns home from a weekend in Paterson, NJ. He originally was going to return on Monday, but came home on Sunday instead. His friend Fred (I'm assuming from the neighborhood) has come to Scranton to work in the factory too.
I'm continuing my series of scanning, transcribing, and annotating my grandfather's love letters to my grandmother leading up to their marriage in June 1940. The letters are chronologically organized and preserved, using the methods I discuss in detail in my book, Creating Family Archives: How to Preserve Your Papers and Photographs.
In the ninth letter in the series, Grandpa apologizes for not visiting the weekend before, and believes that he'll be able to come home for the weekend if his cold clears up.
The best thing you can do for your career is to write. Whatever your profession, there are opportunities to share your experiences, offer tips and tricks, and promote yourself through words. Writing is also an excellent way to brand yourself online, especially if you are looking for a new job or changing careers.
