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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Institutional History Division Appendixes
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The Technical Services Division provides support for both the Smithsonian Institution Archives and for the Institution as a whole in the areas of preservation, computer support, administrative support and electronic records. In 2000 highlights included the development of the Collection Management System (CMS), with the successful implementation of the Records Management module; hiring a Preservation Manager; developing preservation policies for moving image materials and accessioning film and videotape from Smithsonian Productions; improving overall storage conditions of more than 650 cubic feet of archival records through rehousing; and instituting electronic records workshops focusing on the development of model guidelines for electronic recordkeeping systems and data modeling. The concerted efforts of the Archives Division and James Gowans and Jerry Rosenzweig, Technical Services Division, were essential in the success of the Collections Management System. During FY 2000 the administrative staff provided administrative and technical services support to the office, other institutional staff and to the public. Administrative Officer Carolyn Taylor left the Archives for another Smithsonian position. Flint Hamilton served as Acting Administrative Officer and, from September, Administrative Officer. Stephanie Marie Garrett of the Welfare to Work Program and Yema Morgan, a temporary agency employee, also provided administrative support. Electronic Records Program In 2000 the focus for the Electronic Records Program was two-fold: to continue its efforts to provide guidance to SI offices in electronic records issues and to provide workshops on electronic records specifically for the archival staff within SIA. E-mail continued to be a major concern. A final report for the National Museum of American History Electronic Records Project was issued. This four-month project to store the e-mail records of the Director of NMAH in a "virtual records center" showed some promise. However, technical issues with GroupWise, the small number of messages captured by this system and the problems of getting the Director's staff to actively support the project led Scott Schwartz and Fynnette Eaton to conclude that the project was not the success that they had anticipated. Ensuring the preservation of Smithsonian websites became a focus of research for trainees and interns assigned to the Electronic Records Program. David Lake, an Archivist with the Nixon Presidential Materials Project, National Archives and Records Administration, developed "Website Electronic Records Management: Issues and Suggestions Draft," that was shared with Smithsonian Institution Libraries (SIL). In discussion with SIL, we agreed that standards for metadata should be emphasized. Rachel Ban, a graduate student at the University of Maryland, conducted research on the possibility of using the Internet Archive to recover the first Smithsonian Website. She had limited success with this effort, locating some of the text, but none of the graphics. Fynnette Eaton, as a member of the American Team of International Research on Permanent Authentic Records in Electronic Systems (InterPARES), conducted a case study using The Museum System, the collection information system used by the National Museum of American Art to track its collection. Eaton interviewed Mary Ellen Guerra, who manages the content of the database, and George Meyer, Office of Information Technology, who serves as the technical support person for this system. Meyer served on the committee that had selected The Museum System as the collection information system for the art museums at the Smithsonian. Based on these interviews, Eaton concluded that the paper registrar records are still the official record for NMAA, but that The Museum System provides access to collection information to a wide audience in performance of their work. The other major initiative undertaken by the Electronic Records Program was to offer electronic record workshops that could directly benefit SIA staff The first workshop, led by Tim Slavin, reviewed the model guidelines for electronic recordkeeping systems developed by the Delaware State Archives, under a National Historical Publications and Records Commission Grant. In addition, he discussed the training provided to the records managers and archivists in Delaware for dealing with electronic records and the possible use of data warehousing for preserving electronic records. The second workshop, offered in July 2000 by Robert Horton, State Archivist, Minnesota Historical Society, concentrated on data modeling, which he used in the development of Minnesota's Trustworthy Information Systems Handbook; and on Minnesota's experience in building an electronic records program. In the course of the year Technical Services staff continued to develop their skills through a variety of training. Fynnette Eaton attended a training session on contracting issues and new procurement procedures offered by the Smithsonian as well as the SAA Authority Control Workshop sponsored by SIA in June 2000 and the Descriptive Standards workshop sponsored by SIASC in September 2000. James Gowans completed and received certification in Microsoft Access: Developing Enterprise Applications and completed Tower Software's TRIM System Administrator training. Flint Hamilton attended "Accounting Reconciliation," in April 2000. Michael Horsley attended a lecture on exhibition of document collections offered by the Smithsonian Center for Materials Research and Education (SCMRE), October 1999. Preservation and Conservation The objective of the Smithsonian Institution Archives Preservation Team is to increase the useable life-expectancy of records held in SIA's care. The goals for FY 2000 were to rectify long-term problems such as mold and pest infestation; to perform condition assessments; to substantially improve the condition of current housing for selected records (holdings maintenance); to conduct improved environmental monitoring; and to hire a preservation manager. The preservation team also developed preservation policies with regards to accessioning videotape and film materials from Smithsonian Productions; developed a database for the collection of assessment data; gained intellectual and physical control over a large volume of oversized materials; and worked on facility management. Remediation Projects In FY 2000 the Preservation Team completed major remediation projects initiated by several emergency situations. Mold Remediation: In 1998 staff identified 87 cubic feet of records containing mold. In FY 2000 these collections were reexamined; all moldy boxes were treated, and returned to activity. In late August 2000 additional records showed evidence of mold. The Preservation Team alerted SIA staff, employed Office of Environmental Management and Safety to identify the mold, and developed a plan to correct this problem as well. Pest Monitoring: A quantity of supplies identified as possible silverfish harbingers in FY 1998 were frozen and returned to activity in FY 2000. Additionally, 73 collections that had been bagged and isolated for one year following the silverfish outbreak were examined and returned to activity. Mary Studt, archives fellow from the Smithsonian Center for Materials Research and Education, worked closely with Michael Horsley to develop a better integrated pest management (IPM) system for SIA. Nitrate Vault: At the Library of Congress's courtesy nitrate storage vault in Suitland, Maryland, the Preservation Team was called in to rehouse the entire 180 cubic foot collection in preparation for a temporary move to storage in Dayton, Ohio; and on its return in May 2000, the Preservation Team was responsible for returning both the LC and SIA collections to Maryland. To facilitate better communication and cooperation between SIA and LC, SIA agreed to monitor the nitrate vault on a monthly basis for the foreseeable future. Library Water Emergency: Forty-four bound items removed from the reference library during the water emergency in FY 1999 were rehoused in FY 2000 and returned to activity. The Team benefitted from using resources available from the Smithsonian Institution at large to help accomplish its goals during FY 2000 and is especially indebted to the National Postal Museum and the Botany Department, National Museum of Natural History for their assistance. Assessment and Holdings Maintenance Assessments are the core data for the preservation priority database. With the assistance of Mike Skipper, University of Maryland student, 122 assessments of mid- and low-value collections were completed. In total, 269 assessments were performed on collections, with approximately 50% of incoming collections assessed. Holdings maintenance continued to be the primary activity for the Preservation Team in FY 2000. The Preservation Team was highly productive in rehousing more than 688 cubic feet of records, many of which went to National Underground Storage/Iron Mountain. The work also met the requirements of an FY2000 Research Resources Grant which called for 600 cubic feet to be rehoused. Environmental Monitoring With the addition of Sarah Stauderman, preservation manager, to the Preservation Team, facility management and maintenance became another part of the environmental assessment work performed by the Team. Environmental monitoring was already a high priority for the Team. With one year of comprehensive temperature and relative humidity data, the Preservation Team became a better advocate for improving environmental conditions. At the end of FY 2000, SIA was notified that it would become a partner in the Image Permanence Institute's research project called "climate notebook." SIA will participate over the next 18 months in collecting data and placing it in highly sophisticated software provided free by IPI. Other Activities Smithsonian Productions Accession: In FY 2000, team member Alyssa Pease split her time between routine preservation activities and a Research Resources Grant to identify and rehouse Smithsonian Productions film and video materials. All film and videotape materials were moved to SIA facilities, and two collections ("Here at the Smithsonian" and "SuperTour" comprising more than 30 cubic feet) were accessioned. Statements of work were drawn up for film-to-film, and film-to-video reformatting. Oversize archival materials: Mike Horsley took on the daunting task of surveying the contents of over 170 map-case file drawers at Fullerton off-site storage. His efforts resulted in an extensive spreadsheet outlining the identification of 90% of the items at this location. Reformatting: Horsley supervised the reformatting of nitrate-based negatives through a partnership with the National Anthropological Archives. Pease oversaw the reformatting of films and videos associated with SI Productions (see above). Microfilm masters were prepared for NUS, and a few were identified for duplication after A-D strip tests indicated high vinegar syndrome. Exhibition Loans: Preservation Manager Stauderman reviewed and prepared items selected for two exhibitions, "Horace Pippin"(Hirshhorn Museum) and "Egbert Walker: An American Botanist in Japan" (Okinawa Botanical Garden, Japan). National Underground Storage: In addition to preparation rehousing work on collections slated to go to National Underground Storage/Iron Mountain, team members Pease and Stauderman traveled to NUS/IM to review storage conditions there. Without the persistence of two faithful volunteers, many important projects would not be completed. Pat Breen worked on high-quality rehousing of the valuable and fragile glass plate negatives and diaries from RU 7004 (Charles D. Walcott Collection). Heather Cohen continued the annotation of RU 613 (Office of the Secretary; Administrative Records) along with rehousing a total of 75 cubic feet in FY 2000. A new volunteer, Lucy Hutchinson, was recruited in late FY2000 to conduct a survey of research room library books. The preservation team also assisted other volunteers, notably Jane Livermore who works with Arrangement and Description on RU 7091 (Science Service).  Smithsonian Institution Archives || Archives Division Institutional History Division || Joseph Henry Papers Project National Collection Program |