renee's blog

This is my first post for LIBS 6120 Cataloging & Classification. First thoughts: In the beginning, I hated it. That sounds horrible. But, hear me out. This is my first online course. I'm a very hands-on type of learner - and embarrassingly traditional. I need people around to teach and learn and motivate. This, I suppose, is normal. Anyway, this all online thing has been new and trying, but I'm getting there. Mostly it’s about creating a schedule and sticking to it. Still, I'd like to have a few study pals. About cataloging, I'm thinking this may not have been the best course to start out with. I feel this way for two reasons; a) because tackling the whole first-online-course thing on top of all of the details(!) of cataloging has been extremely time consuming, and b) because it's so demoralizing. I guess reason b is because of reason a, so maybe there is only one reason. Anyway, it's hard to stay motivated about a new career path by starting out tackling th...

For my final week of interning, I inspected four more films on the rewind. The findings were much the same as previous weeks. The following is a breakdown of the four inspected films: Film 13, Chemistry of Iron and Steel An Eastman color safety film Optical audio The biggest issue with this film was that it was a little dirty otherwise, it is in good condition. There is one cement splice in this film - also in good condition. This film also features an animated segment. Film 21, Pouring Babbit Bearings, A Marshal Maintenance Production Eastman color film…possibly nitrate? Optical audio Film is soft and a little wavy. There is one tear in the perforation, but is otherwise in good shape. Film 22, The Carbon - Oxygen Reaction in the Open-Hearth Bath Kodak B&W safety film The can was stuck together, the lid had to be pried off. Additionally, the real was a little too snug in the can. This film smells like vinegar but, in descent shape. Film 23, Where’s Joe?, A Cinecraft, Inc....

Continuing the condition report from last week, I inspected four more films on the rewind this week. The following is a quick report of my findings: Film 24, Untitled Training Film This is a short film in a really small metal can (maybe 4 or 5 inches across). The film was Kodak safety B&W, with optical audio. The film suffered from a little buckling, a few torn perforations, and fading image (at least I think its fading- some frames look cloudy.) The film is soft and, like most of the film I have looked at, the damage is at the beginning of the reel. As far as the context of the film, it’s difficult to say what this was a training film for. Many of the frames portrayed what looked like a man’s uniform, wrapped in cables, hanging from a building. Hmmmm…. Film ? (didn’t write the number in my notes), The Heating of Capped Steel Another Wilding Picture Production Kodak safety B&W film, audio optical This film did not have leader so suffered from residue adhesive on the film f...

I started assessing the actual film from the collection this week. Like Sean, I was able to view the film by using a pair of Moviola rewinds and a light table. Because I do not foresee having enough time to view all of the footage, I’ve selected films that were stored differently to be viewed. In hopes of comparing differences in composition or deterioration, I selected films from a metal can with a metal spool; a plastic can with a metal spool; and a plastic can with a plastic spool. My findings are as follows: Film 9 The Hot Rolling of Steel Sheets A Jam Handy Production Old metal can, metal spool Positive print, Eastman Color Film Variable Area Soundtrack There are cement splices Film was soft and did not indicate shrinkage Few scratches Film was faded and tinted Film was dirty Film 8 Yeah A Wilding Production New metal can, metal spool Positive reversal stock, Eastman Color film Audio same as film 9 The film was dirty, but otherwise in great condition Film 6 The Search for a ...

This week started as last left off. I continued assessing the film from the Gaughan collection. Like last week, I was only able to assess the “exterior” condition of the film- the can, the spools, the look of the film. My findings were similar to the first half I had inspected last week. Most of the cans were metal and all of the film was wound on metal reels, including on that was stored in a plastic can. A few of the cans were new and in good condition, the others were older, some were rusty and worn, all were dusty. Most of the reels appear to be in good condition. A point I forgot to address last week was that many of the films lacked leader, so the end of the film was taped to itself. This causes a sticky residue on some of the film where the tape had been applied. I made a note to attach leader…hopefully I’ll have a chance to do sol Other points I did not address last week include information about the film. For instance, they all optical audio, they are duplicate pos...

I began assessing the preservation of the films in the Gaughan Collection this week. First off, the storage conditions are pretty ideal. Temperature is kept at 60 degrees and the humidity around 30%. The films are kept on (relatively) dust-free shelving above ground level and are in the dark the majority of the time. I was able to do a preliminary assessment of half of the film in the collection. By preliminary assessment I mean: evaluating the exterior content of the film -the cans they are stored in, their spools or cores, the type of film it is, basically anything I can do without actually viewing the footage. So far, my findings are as follows: Almost all of the films are stored in metal canisters, probably the ones they were originally set in. A few are kept in plastic containers. Most of the metal cans are worn, dusty, and a few are rusting. A couple of the metal cans are new and are in good condition. All of the plastic containers are in good condition and are most lik...

My internship will be fulfilled at the University Archives at Thomas Blvd. with Miriam Meislik. For my first (and possibly only) task, I've been handed over the films from the collection of William J. Gaughan. The collection contains print records, photographic negatives, photographic prints, architectural drawings and blue prints, maps, and ephemera, along with 24 motion picture films. Here is a bit from the collection's finding aid abstract: "...chronicle operations and institutional history of the Homestead Steel Works, a mill owned by The Carnegie Steel Company and later the U.S. Steel Corporation. An employee of the Homestead Works for 36 years, William J. Gaughan, assembled the collection." The finding aid is written to the item level and has short descriptions for most films including title, producer, copyright, size, and other details such as color and optical audio. My first task was to locate all of the films and group them together in the archive's m...