day 20: crafty

Jen reviewed my scope notes and made a few comments and grammatical changes. I updated my copy and saved it for when I begin entering information about the collection into Archivists' Toolkit. In the staff Wiki it references chapter numbers in the DACS and I asked Jen which book these referenced. I feel that the Wiki notes for writing scope notes could use more explanation, but I think if I had read the chapter it referenced before writing my notes it would've been a bit easier. Jen showed me where the DACS by the SAA is kept and I started reading through chapter 3 about scope notes until Katie (student working at the SCRC) was available to instruct me on how to build phase boxes.

Katie and I went down to the second floor into the archives to use the supplies needed to build the phase boxes. A phase box works as a protective shell for items that are fragile. From the Riggs collection I had 9 books that needed to be boxed. They ranged from diaries from the early 1900s and personal accounting books from the late 1800s. The accounting books were significantly fragile and required a lot more time and patience to box.

Katie showed me how to make one phase box and then observed while I created one on my own. Afterward she set me free and I finished the rest without assistance. It's really not difficult as it's not an exact science or measurement. I used heavy card stock as the box that folded separately around the length and width of each book. Velcro is used to secure the neat little package. Some of the books had tags attached to them that described what they were and I wrote the descriptions along each phase box.

I felt like I was wrapping presents for Christmas. It was exciting to get to work on something that was creative. When I finished I was proud to show off my box filled with phase boxed books to Jen and others at the SCRC.