Metropolitan Archivist The Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York, Inc. Volume 21, No. 1 Winter 2015 nycarchivists.org Welcome! The following individuals have joined the Archivists Round Table We extend a special thank you to the following of Metropolitan New York, Inc. (A.R.T.) from July 2014 to January 2015. members for their support as A.R.T. Sustaining Members: Gaetano F. Bello, Elizabeth Burns, New Members New Student Members Corrinne Collett, Anthony Cucchiara, Pamela Cruz, Steve Calco Elizabeth Connell Constance de Ropp, Ryan Anthony Donaldson, Metropolitan Danielle Castronovo Megan De Armond Barbara Haws, Chris Lacinak, Sharon Lehner, Liz Kate Cordes Jessica Gavilan Kent León, Alice Merchant, Sanford Santacroce, The Naki Danielle Cordovez Maria Ilario Michael Stocker, Jeannie Terepka Archivists Camille Dee Sana Masood Round Table Archivist of Metropolitan Anne DiFabio Obden Mondesir Thank you to our Sponsorship Members: New York, Megan Dolan Amanda Moreno Ann Butler, Frank Caputo, Linda Edgerly, Chris Inc. Tanya Elder Katherine Palm Genao, Celia Hartmann, Mary Hedge, David Kay, 4 14 Peter Foley Valerie Ramshur Christopher Laico, Stephen Perkins, Marilyn H. Matthew Garklavs Mark Sacha Pettit, Alix Ross, Craig Savino, Mark E. Swartz, Volume Letter21 from the President Interview With The Archivist: Volume 21, Esta Goldin Shelby Schwartz Desiree Yael Vester, Angelo Vigorito and Editor’s Note Anna Ciepiela-Ioannides No. 1 Rebecca Hernandez- Cara Shatzman by Ellen Mehling Winter 2015 Gerber Tamara Townsend The mission of Metropolitan Archivist is to 5 Claire Ianno Liza Young serve members of the Archivists Round Table 16 nycarchivists.org Sylvia Kollar of Metropolitan New York, Inc. (A.R.T.) by: No. 1 Education Committee Report Kristine (Kit) Kreilick New Friends of A.R.T. • Informing them of A.R.T. activities through by Julie Maher Mapping Brooklyn’s Jennifer Larson Members reports of monthly meetings and committee Legal Records by John Zarrillo Board of Directors Mimi Lester Wanett Clyde activities 6 Ryan Anthony Donaldson Jamie Martin Timothy J. Dewerff • Relating important announcements about 19 President Kenneth Mensing Sarah Ponichtera individual members and member repositories Winter Restoring2015 Public Access to Janet Bunde Anne Morain • Reporting important news related to the Postwar Jewish Life and History Exploring Hidden Collections Vice President Yukie Ohta New York metropolitan area archival profession in Poland: Digitization of through Academic Lindsay Turley Margo Padilla • Providing a forum to discuss archival issues JDC’s 1945–1949 Warsaw Service-Learning Treasurer Elizabeth Parker Office Records by Michelle Levy Erin Allsop Virginia Pastor Metropolitan Archivist (ISSN 1546-3125) is by Jeffrey Edelstein and Christina Orozco Secretary Kevin Reilly issued semi-annually to the members of A.R.T. Alice L. Merchant Rivka Schiller Comments, questions, or submissions should be 9 20 Director of the Communications Andrea Specchialo directed to the editor at [email protected]. Committee Tiana Tialep Book Reviews New York Archives Week Julie Maher Colin Torre Preferred length of submissions is 800–1000 words Awards Ceremony Director of the Shinji Ueda for feature articles and 400–500 words for reviews. Digital Preservation for Libraries, by Ryan Anthony Donaldson Education Committee Tessa Vacin Archives, and Museums Tamar Zeffren Sally Vermaaten Metropolitan Archivist and A.R.T. assume no review by Julia Kim 22 Director of the Christine Zarrett responsibility for statements made by contributors. Membership Committee Through the Archival Looking Glass: Repository Profile: A Reader on Diversity and Inclusion Trinity’s History: Relocated Tiffany Nixon Director of the review by Caitlin Christian-Lamb by Joseph Lapinski Outreach and Advocacy 11 24 Committee Nick Pavlik Objects as Witness: Testimony K-12 Archives Education Institute Director of the Programming from Holocaust Artifacts by Tiffany Nixon Committee by Christopher Boire 26 12 Editorial Staff Programming Committee Report Lindsey Wyckoff Exhibition Review: by Nick Pavlik Editor-in-Chief Front Cover: Polio: Confronting an Epidemic Book Reviews Editor “Casablanca.” Sketch from unit-history by David Rose 28 Mary Ann Quinn manuscript, 3rd General Managing Editor Hospital, 1945. Courtesy A.R.T. News Haley Richardson Mount Sinai Medical A.R.T. News Center Archives. 30 Rachel Greer Back cover: Features Editor Trinity Archives at 74 Treasurer’s Report Trinity Place, 1939. Courtesy Trinity Wall Street Archives. 4 5 Letters Education From the President of A.R.T. Committee Happy New Year to everyone! With the start of the new year, we have the opportunity to reflect on a great 2014. This past summer the A.R.T. community elected new board members and thanked the outgoing board for its service. I would especially like to express my gratitude to Pamela Cruz, Report who finished up as president in June. Pamela has given me tremendous guidance as I begin my term, and for that I am most appreciative. October saw New York Archives Week, and this issue of Metropolitan Archivist will feature some of the highlights. On behalf of the A.R.T. board, I would like to thank everyone who participated by Julie Maher, in or sponsored these programs, which included tours, lectures, open houses, and other activities. Director of the These events all help to raise awareness of our local archives. We are thankful to MetLife, our Education Committee major sponsor, for increasing their grant funding, and we also thank the Lucius N. Littauer Foundation for their generous support. We are already thinking of what might be possible for next year, and we welcome your comments and support. Following New York Archives Week, we sponsored the program “Lights! Camera! Archives!” featuring archivists who work as historical consultants on film and television. Over 100 people New York Archives Week Symposium Panelists on stage attended, and the feedback has been positive. For the year ahead, we are looking to schedule he Education Committee had a busy fall planning for Session 2 - “Financial Records Tell the Story: Cultural similar types of programs which will highlight archives and archivists in other fields and disciplines. and organizing another informative and well- Archives and History.” attended New York Archives Week 2014 Alice Merchant, director of A.R.T.’s communications committee, has been working on a knowledge- Symposium. This year’s topic was “Financial management project with the A.R.T. board. We are looking for ways we can make A.R.T. sustainable InstitutionsT and Archives.” We have posted presentations and more effectively support our mission and programs. We will be making a series of exciting from the symposium to the A.R.T. website, as well as video announcements in the next few months toward these ends, and we look forward to hearing from our of the day’s proceedings, including the welcome address membership. This means you! and all the sessions. To view these materials, please visit: http://www.nycarchivists.org/2014_NYAW_Symposium. As always, please let us know of any programming ideas you may have, including how you plan We will alert the A.R.T. membership as more sessions to celebrate New York Archives Week 2015! are added. With Regards, A.R.T. is cosponsoring two DAS (Digital Archives Specialist) certificate courses this winter with the Society of American Ryan Anthony Donaldson Archivists (SAA). Dr. Jean E. Dryden will teach the first President course on January 23, 2015, concerning “Privacy and Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York Confidentiality Issues in Digital Archives.” On February 20, 2015, Fynnette L. Eaton will instruct participants on “Building Advocacy and Support for Digital Archives” (formerly entitled, “Inreach and Outreach for Digital From the Editor Archives”). Both courses will meet at the National Archives at New York City. Happy New Year to A.R.T. members and friends! I hope a wonderful holiday season was had by all. Thank you to our contributors, the dedicated and talented Metropolitan Archivist team, Based on the positive feedback we received concerning the and the supportive A.R.T. board. Submissions from all of our membership, from students to Records Management workshop series that Lauren Barnes seasoned professionals, are welcome and encouraged. If you are interested in contributing presented this past year, the Education Committee is content or volunteering your time on the Metropolitan Archivist editorial board, please feel free speaking with Ron Hedges about a series of workshops for to contact me. 2015 on topics to do with the legal sector. Julie Maher and Rachel Harrison Many thanks, The Education Committee is looking forward to the volunteer at the registration table. remaining 2014–2015 membership year. A special thanks Lindsey Rice Wyckoff goes to the Education Committee volunteers and to our Editor-in-Chief cosponsors for doing such a terrific job in developing and Metropolitan Archivist administering our educational events. The Education Committee is always looking for volunteers! If you are interested in joining the Education Committee or would like to propose a workshop idea, please e-mail [email protected]. 6 First page of a handwritten letter from Ben Ehrlich of Sydney, Australia, requesting assistance from the JDC for his brother Herman, living in Katowice, until his emigration can be arranged (Records of the AJDC Warsaw Office, 1945–1949, file 323, Restoring Public Access to Postwar item ID 2313074).