practicum one

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Hasan karayam

Dr. Martin

Feb 22, 2012

Journal of Practicum

This journal presents my practicum at Albert Gore Research Center with Donna Baker,

university archivist at the center. We divided our schedule into ten days, 2 hours each day. So

far, I already finish nine hours. The second part of the practicum will be about a security in the

Albert Gore Research Center.

In the first day, we went through the policy of the center that explain the goals of the

center and serves as guide for staff and as a source of information for the public, and how the

goals are pursued through collection activity. All this information about the policy of the center

demonstrated practically what we have read in the class in the first day about the collection

management policy. Then, I explored the differences and similarities between university archive,

special collections, and research centers outside of MTSU, in terms of nature of collection, how

materials are received, arranged, organized, described, accessed and secured, and the

responsibilities of staff to understand the philosophy of the center and its collection. We

concluded the first day by taking a journey inside the center to know what she said practically,

such as, the kinds of collections and how the staff of the center had dealt with the collections, in

terms of acquisition, arrangement, description, access, outreach, and preservation. Through this

day I could break barrier and could link between what we had read in the class and my practicum

at the center.


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The second day was about acquisition and accession at the center to explore the two

functions and their process inside the center. According to the standards of the center, acquisition

is the process that defines the types of collections that museum holds,based on the centers

collection. Then, Donna showed in practice some samples of records, if fit with the centers

collection policy or no because the centers collection focus on the history of politics and public

policy and on Middle Tennessee State University and the region it serves. Consequently,

Acquisition again is that obtaining legal custody and transferring collection to the centers

ownership, by gift, loan agreement, and transfer with institution. For example, Albert Gore

Research Center has particular transfer form from university to the center. There many practical

considerations during transferring have to be concerned, such as university department or office,

description of materials, including number of carton, date received at the center, archivist or

director signature, data, inventory(see forms the center). Then, we discussed the accessioning as

second step after acquisition to complete process within institution. Donna explains how the

center accessions for permanent collections. The center used the form of accessioning that

indicates to almost the same processes that we had read in the classes, such as accession number,

source, address, date of receive, who accessioned, purchase price or value(see forms the center).

Throughout the third and fourth day I practiced in arrangement practically. Donna involved

me to arrange and organized one box of the records of Phi Alpha Theta that accessioned by the

center in 2007 under the accession number (2007.029). The records of the box were unprocessed

and I think it is common problem that face majority of archives and museums. The box number

is 1 and it contains mixed records that need to be arranged and organized. Firstly, I did inventory

on all contents of the box to know what kind of records and their conditions for applying the

levels of arrangement on them. When I finish the inventory I found the contents of the box 1 are:


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1- 20 booklets which introduce Phi Alpha Theta as international honor society in history.2- One booklet for 50th anniversary of Phi Alpha Theta and handbook.3- 57 certificates that issued by international council.4- Constitution of Phi Alpha Theta.5- One check book.6- 27 closed envelops which were sent to MTSU, especially department of history because

most of members from students or faculty at the department.

7- Financial statements issued by Murfreesboro bank & Trust Co and cavalry BankingFederal savings and Loan Association.

8- 10 files contains:- Correspondence 1969-1972- Correspondence 1973-1974- Correspondence 1970-1972- Correspondence 1976- Correspondence 1975- Correspondence 1976-1986

9- Membership 1985.10-Reports of MTSU admin.11-Regional meeting 1975.12-

Two empty files.

When I finish inventory and I have know what I have, I have started to sort the records of the

box depending on the original order and to apply the levels of arrangement; repository, subgroup,

series, file unit, item (see the tablet).


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The levels of arrangement applied to Albert Gore Research Center

Repository Albert Gore

Research Center

Albert Gore

Research Center

Albert Gore

Research

Center

Albert Gore

Research Center

Record group Phi Alpha Theta Phi Alpha Theta Phi Alpha

Theta

Phi Alpha Theta

Series Membership andmembers

Financialstatements

Annual reports Correspondences

File unit 1970-1980 1970-1980 1975 1969-1987

Item Certificates ofmembers

MurfreesboroBank & Trust

Regionalmeeting

Letters from and toPhi Alpha Theta

Throughout the third and fourth day at the center, my practicum went more than I had

expected and I realized the role of arrangement and organization practically for both staff and

users. But I have some comment because is arrangement needs a lot of time versus fewer

products, and it needs a lot of time finish few feet, despite of arrangement is flexible function to

deal with it. The question here is how to reduce the long process of arrangement for time and

process.

practicum one

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