Welcome to Special Collections!

February 18, 2025

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Monday-Thursday, 1pm-5pm, and by appointment

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specialcollections@augustana.edu

micaelaterronez@augustana.edu

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Early science laboratory in Old Main.

Reading Room

Guidelines

What types of materials are here?

• Books
• Paper-based
• Photographs
• Maps
• Artifacts
• AV
• And more….

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Collections

SC

Sourcing & Citations

• MSS #, Collection title, Box #

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• Folder title (handwritten)

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• Paper-based materials (published and unpublished)

Manuscript Collections

Sourcing & Citations

• Call numbers present

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• Abbreviated collections

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• Note details from the title page (publications)

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Books/ Publications

Sourcing & Citations

• White label description

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• Clippings and ephemera (published and unpublished)

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Vertical Files

Primary Source Analysis

• What is familiar?

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• What is unfamiliar?

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• Reliable?

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Today’s materials

• People (Tables 1-2)

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• Events/ Groups (Tables 3-4)

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• Locations (Tables 5-6)

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What are finding aids? Why do they matter?

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Navigating ArchivesSpace and Finding Aids

• Search by collection

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• Search by keywords

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• Reading a finding aid

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Collection Organization

Buildings and Grounds records

Old Main

Library

Denkmann

Tredway

Brick

Blueprints

Collection name

Series

Sub-series

Photographs

File or item (box #)

File or item (box #)

Series

Search Tips

• Start with a broad search

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• Use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT)

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• Asterisks to broaden search

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• Use quotation marks for phrases

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• Consider alternative words or phases

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LibGuide

Visiting Special Collections

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Monday-Thursday, 1pm-5pm, or by appointment

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specialcollections@augustana.edu

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Welcome Back! Please complete registration forms.

February 24, 2025

Librarian: Micaela Terronez (she/her)

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Monday-Thursday, 1pm-5pm, and by appointment

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specialcollections@augustana.edu

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What are finding aids? Why do they matter?

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Search Tips

• Start with a broad search

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• Use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT)

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• Asterisks to broaden search

​

• Use quotation marks for phrases

​

• Consider alternative words or phases

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Archival Silences & Assumptions

(n.) - the unintentional or purposeful absence or distortion of documentation of enduring value, resulting in gaps and inabilities to represent the past accurately.

Reasons

• Privilege/ Power (economics, race, social status, gender, etc.)

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• Western world, white, male, wealthy (predominantly represented)

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• Little or no material culture
• Oral history traditions
• Materials destroyed or left behind

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Reasons

• Biases
• Biases/ single perspectives in materials

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• Records not preserved or collected (either by archivists or creators)

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• Description and prioritization = “hidden collections”

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Reasons

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• Materials housed elsewhere

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• Materials never created by community, individual, or group

Two women - one white - in traditional dress

Davenport and wife, Tama Indians at Indian Lovers Spring, Black Hawk Watch Tower

Identifying silences

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• What is missing? Whose perspectives are not present?

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• Why do these gaps exist? What could be the reasons for these archival silences?

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LibGuide

Working with silences and expanding perspectives

• Search within collections
• Digital collections (Observer, Rockety-I)

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• Conduct thorough research within the rest of the collections

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• Contact librarian for help!

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Requesting Materials in Special Collections

Welcome Back! Please complete registration forms.

March 4, 2025

Librarian: Micaela Terronez (she/her)

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Monday-Thursday, 1pm-5pm, and by appointment

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specialcollections@augustana.edu

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Requesting Materials in Special Collections

Citations

Important notes

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MSS/ Vertical Files

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• Distinguish items (published vs. unpublished)

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• May need to provide your own title or description

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General Format for MSS collection items (unpublished):

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[Title], [Date], [Folder name or #], [Box #], in [MSS #] [Collection Name], Special Collections, Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois.

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Example: A document found in a particular folder in a box of a manuscript collection

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Immigrant Contract, 7 May 1912, Folder 2, Box 1, in MSS 134 Emil Alfred Swanson papers, Special Collections, Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois.

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Example: An undated, anonymous letter fragment found in a manuscript collection�

Anonymous letter fragment describing missionary life in China, undated, Box 2, MSS 340 Letter, fragments, and signatures, Special Collections, Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois.

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General Format for Vertical Files (published):

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[Regular citation]. In the [Name of vertical file] vertical file, Special Collections, Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois.

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Example 1: An article published in Rolling Stone magazine that you found in a vertical file in Special Collections.

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Sager, Mike. "Gut Check in the Heartland." Rolling Stone 7 Jan. 1993: 30-31, 54. In the Augustana College Football-1993 vertical file, Special Collections, Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois.

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Citations

Important notes

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Books Collections

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• Call numbers present

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• Follow typical citation style

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Photos

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• May need to provide title or description

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• Different based on which collection it derives from

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Today’s materials

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Guidelines

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• 1 folder, 1 box at a time

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• Use out cards

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• Let librarian know if you need a cradle or gloves

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• Take photos!

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