Archivists of Religious Collections Section, of the The Archival Spirit Society of American Archivists July, 2017 What’s Inside From the Chair From the Chair 1 Dear Colleagues, Newsworthy 2 Thank you for allowing me to chair ARCS for the past year. It’s been an honor to Digitization Project work for and among you all and to meet you at our annual sessions. I look forward Preserving Century of Catholic newspapers to continuing these relationships, collaborating with you in the future as well. and Newsfeeds This is a difficult time for archives in general and certainly a trying time for 3 Mary’s Gardens at the religious archives since, to bend a cliché, we are the designated “keepers of the University of Dayton faiths” – all of them. In spite of public opinion, decreased funding, and what at 4 times seems like the rejection of history, we mustn’t be disheartened. We need to Pitts Theology Library and give our all to get the job done anyway, as hard as that may sometimes be. We the 500th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation need more than ever to stand shoulder to shoulder, helping each other by sharing our expertise and experience. When we are told “no, you can’t,” we should New Collections at the Billy respond loudly, “yes, we will.” Graham Center Archives of Wheaton College There is always hope in the pendulum theory of time – what swings to one extreme will eventually swing back. Until then, we need to protect who we are Essay 5 and what we hold. In my humble opinion, keeping control of our part of the A Dilemma: Respecting archival universe is what will help us survive. Native American Sensitivities and the Dee Gallo, Section Chair Historical Record, part 2 Daughters of Charity Provincial Archives Emmitsburg, MD Update on ARCS Elections - The results of You are encouraged to contribute to the the election for ARCS Steering Committee December 2017 issue of The Archival are in. Elizabeth Scott (St. Michael's Spirit. Submissions or questions may College) was elected Vice-Chair/Chair- be directed to the newsletter editor at Elect. Brandon Wason (Emory University) [email protected]. was elected Steering Committee member. 2 The Archival Spirit July 2017 Digitization Project The committee came up with a list of image. That is the basis of everything that Preserving Century of Catholic more than 800 Catholic publications from you're going to do,” allowing the user to Newspapers and Newsfeeds the United States alone, and another 200- employ more robust search capabilities. plus in Canada. “We based all our research on the Library Katherine Nuss, MLS of Congress [standards] and even upped Information/Archives Services Manager Eleven of the newspapers that were the standards a bit,” Lawton noted. Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference selected for the digitization project represent some of the largest dioceses in of Catholic Bishops the nation: Catholic New York of the Washington, DC Archdiocese of New York; the Catholic Standard and Times of the Archdiocese of WASHINGTON (CNS) – A growing Philadelphia; Catholic San Francisco; the consortium of librarians and archivists Clarion Herald of the Archdiocese of New are preserving the Catholic news from the Orleans; the Florida Catholic of the last century. Archdiocese of Miami; the St. Louis Review; the Pittsburgh Catholic; and the Old diocesan newspapers are becoming Catholic Transcript of the Archdiocese of more brittle and fragile. Outdated tech- Hartford, Connecticut. nologies such as microfilm and micro- fiche keep those newspapers from being For a national perspective, the National readily accessible unless you live near a Catholic Reporter and 65 years’ worth of big library or a university that still has the newsfeeds starting in 1920 from what is machines needed to read that data. now called Catholic News Service will be digitized. CNS’ predecessor was NCWC, for National Catholic Welfare Council. In addition, a NCWC/CNS feature called Amy Cooper Cary, head of special “Catholic World in Pictures” will be collections and university archives at digitized too. Marquette University in Milwaukee, described the “heavy lifting” needed to The digitized material will be made freely digitize a newspaper. available through the Catholic News Archives, developed by the CRRA In digitizing a century’s worth of (www.thecatholicnewsarchive.org). Marquette’s student newspaper, Marquette opted to do the work itself To correct this situation, the Catholic Digitization is the new normal, according rather than contract it out – which could Research Resources Alliance (CRRA) has to Tim Meagher, an associate professor of be cheaper, but would take longer to do undertaken a project to digitize nearly a history at The Catholic University of and without the kind of quality control dozen of the United States' top Catholic America, Washington, and an archivist one may want. newspapers of regional and national who runs the Center for American importance – the print runs of which, for Catholic History. A grant from the Catholic Communication some of them, go back for more than a Campaign (CCC) of the U.S. Conference of century. “Everything is, as much as possible, going Catholic Bishops has allowed CRRA to into digital format,” Meagher said. “In digitize the NCWC/CNS archives from “Creating a Catholic news archive and some ways, even if the paper exists in 1920 to 1952. A GoFundMe project was digital aggregation for Catholic print, its use will be less if it is not established in December to raise $25,000 newspapers is something that scholars digitized.” in order to digitize the NCWC/CNS are very interested in,” said Jennifer “Catholic World in Pictures” print run Younger, executive director of CRRA. Of Catholic papers, he said, “We would (www.gofundme.com/hb-catholic- love to be able to digitize every one. We world-in-pictures). “We mark the beginning [of the project] may not be able to digitize all of them, we in 2011, when we brought together a may not be able to digitize all years. But For CRRA's Catholic newspapers project, newspaper committee: ‘If we’re going to to begin is an important thing.” the top priorities are the years prior to digitize something, what would be most 1923, when material is in the public useful?’ Newspapers rose right to the top. “We have set very high standards. When domain, and the years before, during and Which newspapers? We had to figure out we do our digitization, we never have to following the Second Vatican Council, to which newspapers existed, which ones do it again,” said Patricia Lawton, CRRA’s track the difference in how the church were held [by libraries], which ones director of digital initiatives. “We’re engaged with the world – and with itself – weren't being held,” she told Catholic getting the best imaging we possibly can. that may have manifested itself in the News Service. Microfilm or print, you want a good pages of the newspaper. July 2017 The Archival Spirit 3 Mary’s Gardens States. In addition to the garden, she at the University of Dayton gifted a large stone bell tower to St. Joseph that was visible across the bay at Kayla Harris the Marine Biology Laboratory where her Archivist/ Librarian, husband worked. She said that the tower The Marian Library and garden were “to remind the scientists who study at the Marine Biology University of Dayton Laboratory across the street that there is another and valid aspect of life.” DAYTON – This spring the University of Dayton Libraries brought nature inside Although Mrs. Lillie had created a and brought a piece of history to life. In beautiful Mary garden at Woods Hole, she such as correspondence, photographs, the first floor exhibit gallery a Mary envisioned an entire Mary garden and pamphlets collected by Stokes garden was planted for visitors to enjoy, movement in which the right steward relating to sustainability and social learn from, and reflect upon the Blessed would come along and make their life’s justice. On the seventh floor, the Marian Virgin Mary. A Mary garden is comprised passion to teach people about Mary Library gallery featured twenty-four of flowers and plants whose names through the act of gardening. In 1946, original paintings commissioned by artist describe an aspect of Mary’s life, her John Stokes read an article in Our Lady’s Holly Schapker, drawing attention to the appearance, or her virtues. For example, Digest and, with tears in his eyes, knew relationship between flowers and Mary’s prior to the Reformation Foxglove was that he was the man Mrs. Lillie spoke of life. commonly known as Our Lady’s Gloves. It and that this was his calling. Along with was a means of storytelling – people his business partner Edward McTague, could learn about Mary simply by looking they officially founded the business at the nature surrounding them. The “Mary’s Gardens” that compiled research Mary garden also usually features a cross about the origins and history of Marian walkway and a statue of Mary as a focal plant names, and sold seed packets so point to reflect and meditate upon, that anyone could start their own Mary reminiscent of medieval cloister gardens. garden. In the 1960’s, John S. Stokes, a The John S. Stokes and Mary’s Garden Philadelphia Quaker who converted to collection was donated in 2013 to the Catholicism, read about a little garden at Marian Library, a unique special library at St. Joseph’s Church in Woods Hole, the University of Dayton, dedicated to The response to the exhibit was over- Massachusetts. Frances Crane Lillie had making the Blessed Virgin Mary better whelmingly positive. The plants were learned about Mary gardens through her known, loved, and served.