NARA’s Federal Agency Records Management Annual Report for 2017 indicates that federal agencies continue their efforts to transition to a fully electronic environment as required by the President’s reform plan, Delivering Government Solutions in the 21^st Century, and NARA’s 2018-2022 Strategic Plan.

The report indicates that ninety-eight percent of executive-branch agencies believe they can meet the OMB/NARA Managing Government Records Directive (M-12-18) target of managing all permanent electronic records in electronic format by December 31, 2019.  However, the report also noted that more work is still required and agencies must actively continue modernization efforts.

Key recommendations supporting digital modernization call for:

1) Senior Agency Officials for Records Management (SAORMs) to ensure that records management programs are properly resourced and aligned with agency strategic information plans;

2) SAORMs to promote an information governance framework that requires collaboration between records management and information technology staff;

3) Agencies to improve email management, particularly in records retention scheduling and final disposition;

4) Agencies to ensure that new and departing senior agency officials and leaders receive documentable briefings on their responsibilities for records management, and if applicable, require that they obtain approval before removing personal files or copies of records;

5) NARA to increase its oversight activities (inspections, assessments, or system audits) to evaluate the accuracy and causes of extreme changes in record-management performance data.

The publication of NARA’s Federal Agency Records Management Annual Report for 2017, which consolidates data reported annually to NARA in the Senior Agency Official for Records Management Report, the Records Management Self-Assessment (RMSA), and the Federal Email Management Report from executive-branch agencies, was announced on August 22, 2018, by NARA through the Chief Records Officer for the United States Government.

In November 1986, Hungarian composer György Ligeti paid a rare visit to New York to receive the prestigious Grawemeyer Award, the largest composition prize awarded at the time. (In a New York Times interview Ligeti described the award, with characteristic irony, as “a kind of Nobel Prize for music.”) The visit also prompted a concert of two recent pieces by Ligeti at Merkin Hall on Wednesday, November 12, 1986, broadcast by WNYC on February 4, 1987, which can be heard above. It was an interesting time in Ligeti’s career: a few years earlier, the composer — best-known at the time for his icy 1961 Atmosphères, used to striking effect in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey—had experienced a mid-life creative crisis of sorts. From then on, his music had made a decisive move away from the overtly modernist, cerebral music of Atmosphères and toward a more expressive, colorful, though nonetheless complex, sound. The pieces in this concert fully reflect this new aesthetic, and include the New York premiere of the Études pour piano, premier livre and the Brahms-inspired Trio for Violin, Horn and Piano.

In 1983, Ligeti described his earlier pieces as “crystalline in nature,” and his more recent work as “much more vegetative and proliferating.” This new music incorporated a broad range of influences, from the mechanical piano music of the American outsider Conlon Nancarrow, to the percussive minimalism of Steve Reich, to the polyphonic “hocket” singing of the Pygmies of central Africa. In the program notes for the concert at Merkin Hall, Ligeti also mentions artists M.C. Escher and Saul Steinberg, and writers like Jorge Luis Borges and Franz Kafka as influences on the “intellectual environment in which I work as a composer… In my music one finds neither that which one might call the ‘scientific’ nor the ‘mathematical’ but rather a unification of construction with poetic, emotional imagination.”

György Ligeti on Etudes for Solo Piano

Sandwiched between the performances, the composer gives a brief and (if you’re into this sort of thing) entertaining explanation of the composition techniques used to create the Études. In his humble, humorous way, Ligeti — with assistance from Banfield — makes the advanced musical theory underlying these dense, polyrhythmic pieces seem simple and even approachable. In a refreshingly casual style, the composer reminds us that even the most advanced technique and theory, like the most advanced technologies, are tools, not ends in themselves.

 Program:

“An Evening with György Ligeti” Wednesday, November 12, 1986 at 8:30 pm Merkin Concert Hall, Abraham Goodman House

Etudes for Solo Piano, first book (1985) (New York Premiere) – Volker Banfield, Piano1. Desordre2. Cordes vides3. Touches bloquees4. Fanfares5. Arc-en-ciel6. Automne a Varsovie
György Ligeti on Etudes for Solo Piano
Etudes for Solo Piano, first book, repeated – Volker Banfield, Piano
Trio for Violin, Horn and Piano (1982) – Volker Banfield, Piano; Robin Graham, Horn; Saschko Gawriloff, Violin.1. Andantino con tenerezza 2. Vivacissimo molto ritmico3. Alla marcia 4. Lamento adagio

In a recent collaboration with the Department of Anthropology, FSU’s Digital Library Center has digitized thousands of objects including photos, field notes, and other fascinating material produced during 2000-2002 of the Castro archaeological site located right here in Leon County, Florida.

The Castro site was one of many Franciscan missions found in Northwest Florida. Established by Spain in 1663, these missions were built on Apalachee homelands and functioned until they were destroyed in the early 1700s by Anglo-Creek military forces from the Carolina colony. These sites were eventually abandoned by the Apalachees and indigenous peoples, and evidence of their existence was buried over time by natural processes.  

Guided by FSU Anthropology Professor Dr. Rochelle Marrinan, students in the Field School surveyed and excavated the Castro site to analyze its settlement pattern and layout with an emphasis on its church complex. In both Anthropological Fieldwork courses, ANT4824, and ANG5824, the students learned and practiced basic survey, excavation, preparation, and analysis of cultural materials.

Using a combination of flatbed scanning and photographic techniques, the Digital Library Center digitized the wide range of material from this project. Included in the Castro Archaeological Site Collection are photographs, video, topographic maps of the site, detailed hand-written notes by each student, and other administrative and analysis documents. The findings of these hard-working teams are now publicly available in DigiNole and can be found here.

Digitizing the Castro site material isn’t the first time the DLC has collaborated with FSU’s Department of Anthropology. The Windover Archaeological Site Collection in DigiNole details the digs of an Early Archaic site near what is now Titusville, Florida. Unearthing the secrets of Florida’s rich and complex history is a fascinating experience and we look forward to our next collaboration with the Anthropology Department.

We were delighted to welcome Cherwell School student Jack Evans on a sixth-form work placement here in the archives. One of his assignments was to catalogue a box from the Stuart Piggott archive. Here are his thoughts on what he found:

“Recently I spent a week working at the Institute of Archaeology as work experience. Working through the archives was the most interesting time I spent, as I read through the notes and letters of Stuart Piggott. Piggott was a celebrated archaeologist who had a key focus on prehistory, initially in the British Isles but towards the later years of his career increasingly so in India and Europe as a whole. He began work in 1928, aged 18, and published influential papers and books until his final book in 1989. As a result of the quality of his work, he was often in communication with other celebrated archaeologists, and so his archives are a wealth of information, revealing much about the field as well as those who populated it.

Churn Bell Barrow, Berkshire, 1932: photo Stuart Piggott. (HEIR ID 35356, copyright Institute of Archaeology)

The history of archaeology, that is, the study of archaeologists and their craft, explores two periods of history simultaneously. The ancient history examined through excavated artifacts exists alongside the early modern history of the 20^th century in which the archaeologists lived, allowing us to see how cultural and societal norms helped to influence the ways in which we studied our ancient ancestors as the field developed.

Doris Chapman, whose only online presence is as the wife of Alexander Keiller (a famous archaeologist), demonstrates this in various ways. Chapman was an artist, and Keiller’s third wife. As I worked through Piggott’s archive, organising each item he had decided was important enough to preserve, I came across groundbreaking work she had done in 1937 – a collection of drawings (Piggott Archive Box 52). She used Bronze Age skulls found at sites such as a burial mound at Rushmore Park, Cranborne Chase (excavated by General Pitt Rivers in the 19th century), and Lanhill Barrow, near Chippenham, Wiltshire (excavated by Kieller, Piggott, A.D. Passmore and A. Cave in 1937) to attempt to draw the faces of humans from over four thousand years ago. She used the structural features of the skulls, creating photo-realistic drawings that helped to put a face to the people who lived in these sites, the people who used the weapons and pottery that had been excavated alongside their skeletons.

“Bronze Age Interment. Barrow 20, Susan Gibb’s Walk, Rushmore Park. Adult male, Height 5.4.5” D. Chapman 1937

“West Kennet Long Barrow. Age 35. Height 5.7.” D. Chapman, 1937.

“Skull 4, Lanhill.” D. Chapman, 1937.

At this point in time the study of the face was not without controversy. In archaeology, very few people had made efforts to deduce the appearances of prehistoric peoples (Wikipedia claims that the first to do so was Mikhail Gerasimov in 1964). In wider culture, the study of physiognomy, where personality and traits are determined by examining the face, had become increasingly widespread in Europe. The Nazi party promoted the identification of and the characterisation of ethnic groups based on facial features through their national school curriculum, a policy which aided their dehumanisation of the groups they would later systematically destroy. Doris Chapman’s efforts seem to have come at the wrong time. War broke out in 1939, and as it continued, and the Nazi’s goals became evident, the study of the face became a taboo concept . Nobody would want to carry out work that could be likened to the work of the Nazis, and more accurate visualisations of prehistoric peoples would not be created for decades. Societal pressures had confined the study of the face to a far smaller role following 1937.

Chapman’s work also allows us to see how technology and its availability influences how we see the distant past. When comparing her drawings to modern day reconstructions, such as that of the Jericho Skull in 2017, we can see the drastic differences. The importance of archives and their organisation can be seen here therefore, as it allows us to see how archaeologists and historians reached their conclusions with the means available to them. As technology improves, new conclusions can be drawn. This does not invalidate the work of the earlier archaeologists, but rather shows that they are key steps towards building the most accurate image and perception of history. It is easy to imagine Chapman’s drawings being used as evidence to determine the character of the people who lived near modern Chippenham, for example, with this knowledge then influencing other conclusions drawn about culture and intelligence. As technology and ideas have improved these conclusions can be altered, improved, moving closer and closer towards a truthful account.

The cover Stuart Piggott’s notes for ‘Neolithic Cultures of the British Isles’. Institute of Archaeology, Oxford, Stuart Piggott Archive, Box 52.

This can even be seen in Piggott’s later work, for example a 1954 book concerning Neolithic cultures in the British Isles was challenged in its chronology by the advent of radiocarbon dating. However, this also teaches us an important lesson about modern day efforts – they are constrained by our own cultural beliefs and modern technology. It is difficult to find any certainties, and it is necessary to remain open to the possibility that new scientific methods and apparatus can provide compelling evidence to change interpretations of the past.

Finally, the drawings show us the struggle which women have faced, especially in archaeology, to have their work recognised and to make a name for themselves. The Oxford University Archaeological Society, established in 1919, did not accept women until 1927, as I discovered when I worked on the OUAS archive. Often women were sidelined by their husbands, despite carrying out much important work themselves. Chapman shows another woman who, despite fascinating work and incredible artistic talent, found herself lost into obscurity. She is Keiller’s wife to most concerned, her work hidden from many. Despite this, we can see even more the injustice of the public, as she was clearly acknowledged in private. An archaeologist with the reputation of Piggott recognised the importance of these drawings, keeping them in his own personal archives. Growing equality today again shows us how perceptions change with culture. Ideas developed by women which may have been ignored out of hand in the past are now considered equally, and this helps to lead to a more balanced view of history – both ancient and not so ancient.”

Jack Evans, The Cherwell School, Oxford, August 2018

Bibliography

Piggott, S. 1954. The Neolithic Cultures of the British Isles: A Study of the Stone-Using Agricultural Communities of Britain in the Second Millenium B.C.  Edinburgh University Press

The mission of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is to provide access to the permanent records of the Federal government, which include Presidential records from NARA’s Presidential Libraries.

President Donald Trump nominated Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court on July 9, 2018. NARA has permanent records related to Judge Kavanaugh, because he served in the White House Counsel’s Office and the White House Office of the Staff Secretary under the Administration of President George W. Bush, and he also served as an Associate Independent Counsel in the Office of Independent Counsel Kenneth W. Starr during the Administration of President William J. Clinton.

Each time a candidate is nominated to the Supreme Court by the President, the staff at the National Archives and Records Administration immediately begin the task of reviewing and releasing records related to that nominee. The process is governed by several laws, including the Presidential Records Act, the Federal Records Act, and the Freedom of Information Act. All of the records, electronic and paper, must be reviewed by archival staff before being released by NARA.

In addition to the challenges of reviewing the records, the archival staff face an enormous number of documents—in Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s case, far more than previous nominees.  While National Archives processed and released roughly 70,000 pages on Chief Justice John Roberts and 170,000 pages on Justice Elena Kagan, there are the equivalent of several million pages of paper and email records related to Judge Kavanaugh in the holdings of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum and in the National Archives.

This is a challenging task that National Archives staff are currently working to meet. These are not open records under the Presidential Records Act, and the way we’re reviewing and releasing them is governed by the processes specified in the law, including that we must give first priority to records requested by a chairman of a congressional committee. Some records might be withheld or released in redacted form for various reasons: to preserve the secrecy of grand jury proceedings; to protect the personal privacy of living individuals; to protect the identities of confidential sources; and to protect confidential communications within the White House.  The PRA representative of former President George W. Bush, who has an independent right of access to Presidential records of his administration, is also engaged in a separate process to review and provide records to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

In our efforts towards transparency, we have created a new webpage summarizing the Judge Kavanaugh records. Presidential records are being reviewed by NARA archivists and will be released on NARA’s George W. Bush Presidential Library’s website, along with previously released records. NARA has released the records from the Office of Independent Counsel Starr on the National Archives website. Additionally, correspondence between NARA and the Senate Judiciary Committee related to the overall process can be found in NARA’s FOIA Electronic Reading Room. I encourage anyone with a deep interest in how this process works to read these exchanges for the latest and most accurate information.

I remain deeply committed to the efforts of archives in providing transparency as our best hope in combating low public trust in government. Transparency also supports active public engagement with government, and NARA is seeing high levels of engagement and interest in what we do. After all, archives and open government records are one of the pillars of democracy. When I became Archivist of the United States, I took an Oath of Office just as every Federal employee. I swore to support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Rule of Law. That is what I have been doing, that is what I am doing, and that is what I will continue to do as long as I am the Archivist of the United States.

Today we have a guest post from Brianna McLean, a student employee for Special Collections & Archives over the past summer.

Like most undergraduate students at FSU, the FSU Libraries have always been a place to study, research, read, and hang out with friends.  When I first came to FSU, I did not know about the many career opportunities libraries could offer. After working two years at the Institute on World War II and the Human Experience in the History Department, I had a wonderful opportunity to work in the Digital Library Center (DLC) in Special Collections this summer.  Not only did I gain valuable experience, I worked closely with some of the best library professionals learning metadata, digitization, and cataloging processes.

As someone who recently graduated with a history degree, I have a lot of experience researching and working with primary sources. Working in the DLC and Special Collections, I was able to be part of the process of preparing primary sources for researchers. When you create metadata and inventory items, you have to think of the things a researcher might be looking for, enhancing your own research skills. Historical preservation and cataloging is the whole other side of research that is crucial to education and the availability of information. I would urge all students to become familiar with Special Collections (fsuarchon.fcla.edu/) on the first floor of Strozier and the digital library, Diginole (fsu.digital.flvc.org).

Working in Special Collections is not just exciting because of the research experience; it was incredible to be able to work with all the books, photographs, documents, and artifacts. FSU’s Special Collections has everything from cuneiform tablets to comic books. One of my favorite projects in the DLC was working with the FSU Historical Photograph Collection and the Tarpon Club Videos. FSU has such a rich history and Special Collections contains endless information from the beginning when FSU was the West Florida Seminary to the more recent history of our campus. I have included some of my favorite photographs with this blog post.

The first image is of West Florida Seminary students in 1900 surveying in front of the original administration building, which is now the Westcott Building. The second image is from 1962 when women were still prohibited to wear pants on campus, so they circumvented the rule by wearing open raincoats over their shorts. The final one is unfortunately undated, but it is of the Westcott Building before the iconic fountain was installed. These photos are perfect examples of why I love working in archives. Being a historian, I enjoy research and telling the stories of humanity. However, there is something incredibly special about being able to hold and see the items for yourself, as well as preserving them for many more people to have the same opportunity.

Brianna McLean recently graduated with her B.A. in History, minor in French from FSU. She is continuing her education this fall at FSU, beginning her M.A. in History, studying the French Revolution and Napoleonic France. Brianna is excited to continue working with FSU Libraries in the Heritage Museum this fall.

Our mission at the National Archives is to drive openness, cultivate public participation, and strengthen our nation’s democracy through public access to government records.  We are fast approaching the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, a hallmark of the expansion of democracy here in the United States. On March 8, we will open our exhibit, Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote, which celebrates its modern relevance through inclusive retelling of the women’s suffrage movement.

As the National Archives, along with many other organizations, prepares for the 19th Amendment’s centennial we are working hard to increase access to the records we hold around women’s suffrage. One way we are doing this is by collaborating with Wiki Education, a nonprofit focused on empowering people to expand and improve Wikipedia content for the benefit of all. Through this collaboration, Wiki Education is launching a new virtual, immersive training course designed to give participants the skills and practical experience necessary to improve Wikipedia coverage of the history of women’s voting rights in the United States.

Participants in this new course will have the privilege of working with NARA’s subject matter experts on documents related to women’s suffrage and will learn how to use National Archives records to improve Wikipedia’s coverage of this historic period in our nation’s history. For scholars with a passion for American history, this presents a chance to improve the content of Wikipedia and make it more representative, accurate, and complete using original source materials. Channeling NARA collections into Wikipedia is an opportunity to share our content more broadly and connect with people across the United States and around the world.

In keeping with our strategic goal to connect with our customers, this collaboration with Wiki Education will allow scholars to contextualize archival documents in relevant Wikipedia articles while expanding access to NARA holdings on Wikipedia. It is critical that NARA continues to grow and diversify our audience by connecting our collections with Wikipedia’s hundreds of millions of readers. This collaboration provides an opportunity to deepen our engagement with audiences as they take part in our mission and do meaningful service work on behalf of the country and fellow citizens.

I am proud that NARA can expand the reach of its materials and engage new avenues to directly improve public knowledge.

For more information about this program and Wiki Scholars visit https://wikiedu.org/national-archives-professional-development/

Sporting Heritage Fair

Leith Victoria Athletic Club

28 Academy Street, Edinburgh, EH6 7EF

Sunday 30 September 2018

2pm to 5pm

The University of Stirling’s Hosts & Champions team are celebrating this year’s National Sporting Heritage Day with a pop-up event at Leith Victoria Athletic Club, Scotland’s oldest boxing club which will celebrate its centenary in 2019. Our sporting heritage fair will focus on boxing at the Commonwealth Games and will celebrate the long and distinguished contribution of members of Leith Victoria to the competition.

Material from the University of Stirling’s Commonwealth Games Scotland Archive will be on display, including a gallery of images illustrating the history of Scottish boxing at the competition. Members of Leith Victoria and the wider Scottish boxing community are invited to visit the event and share their memories of competition. Visitors are also invited to bring bring their own boxing memorabilia, including photographs, which will be digitised at the event by our Hosts & Champions team and added to the archive at Stirling.

Sporting Heritage in partnership with the Art Fund, are proud to support community sporting heritage activity across the UK through a programme of locally focused projects in celebration of National Sporting Heritage Day. Follow the action at #NSHD2018.

Originally published in 1999.

WNYC has, since its inception in 1924, viewed live music as an important part of our programming. But no one could have foreseen the dramatic and unexpected renaissance of live performances on WNYC in the 1990s – especially after decades of dwindling opportunities to hear live music on the radio. A series of cutbacks by the New York City administration (which still owned and contributed somewhat to the operation of the station) in 1991 resulted in the loss of the few remaining City employees at WNYC, including longtime midday host Andre Bernard. We suddenly found ourselves with a gaping hole in the afternoon. It was a problem, but also an opportunity.

A couple of phone calls and some very tentative questions soon revealed that the city was not just teeming with musicians, but that it was full of musicians who loved the idea of playing live on the radio, for an audience the size of WNYC’s. And we loved the idea of bringing the musical community and the larger community of WNYC listeners together, showing that the formidable world of Classical Music was actually made up of real people – people who told us about their kids, who told bad jokes, who broke strings in mi-performance. So on John Cage’s birthday, September 5, 1991, we invited Margaret Leng Tan to play some of Cage’s works on our piano (which, having been neglected for many years, was perilously close to the sound of Cage’s “prepared piano” anyway). And we haven’t stopped since. What you have here are just a few recent examples of the diversity and the talent WNYC has presented vin our live music programs. From world-famous stars like Richard Stolzman to the young but gifted singers in the American Boychoir, from the legendary Beethoven to up-and-coming Raimundo Penaforte, WNYC takes advantage of being in New York – a city that contains a whole world of music.

Richard Stoltzman

Gershwin/arr. J. Gach: Prelude #2

One of the world’s greatest clarinetists, Richard Stolzman has been a regular guest in the WNYC studios. Here he performs a terrific arrangement of the second Gershwin Piano Prelude, which plays on the bluesy quality of the original. Recorded: August 19, 1999. Engineer: George Wellington.

The Eroica Trio

Raimundo Penaforte: An Eroica Trio, II

Penaforte is a New York-based composer who did, coincidentally, his own arrangements of the 3 Gershwin Preludes. His colorful and effective arrangements for the Eroica Trio convinced them to ask him for a piece of his own. An Eroica Trio was the result. Like the Gershwin, it is an unabashedly American work, played with great energy by one of America’s leading chamber ensembles, and WNYC’s unofficial house band, the Eroica Trio. Recorded: July 22, 1999. Engineer: Wayne Shulmister,

Robert McDuffie

Poldini/Kreisler: Poupee Valsante

McDuffie can play virtually anything on the violin, from Baroque sonatas to a Jimi Hendrix-inspired arrangement of The Star-Spangled Banner, which he has played before New York Jets football games on several occasions. Here he plays one of Fritz Kreisler’s classic salon pieces, where the charming surface masks a piece of often fiendish difficulty. Recorded: May 11, 1999. Engineer: George Wellington.

Alexander String Quartet

Beethoven: String Quartet #9, Op. 59 #3, 2nd movement

The Alexanders came into our studio with an unusual concept: they’d take requests for any movement from any Beethoven string quartet and would play the most requested movements. Votes were cast via email in the days before their appearance, and this movement came out on top. Small wonder: it stands on its own quite well, and divorced from the rest of the 9th quartet, creates a surprisingly exotic mood through some unusual twists in the melody.

Sydney Symphony Orchestra

Edo de Waart, conductor. Beethoven: Symphony #5, finale

Since we can’t fit an orchestra into our studio, we have to go to them. This performance was part of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s 1998 U.S. tour, and came to us from the Tilles Centre, where the orchestra and Edo de Waart put on a memorable series of Beethoven Symphonies and Concertos – all of which were broadcast live back to our Manhattan studio, and then heard across Australia via the Australia Broadcasting Corporation. Recorded at the Tilles Center, C.W. Post Campus, Long Island University on November 15, 1998; director: Eileen Delahunty; technical director: Edward Haber; engineers: George Wellington (music mix) and Irene Trudel. Thanks to the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Sydney, Australia.

Valery Kuleshov

Bizet/Horowitz: Carmen Variations

An extraordinary young talent, Valery Kuleshov has spent an increasing amount of time in the United States in recent years. He has become fond of American composers, especially the late Morton Gould, and when last seen here was in the process of adding Gould’s 1994 Anniversary Rag for WNYC to his repertoire. Here he tackles Horowitz’s virtuoso showpiece based on Bizet’s famed opera with typical elan. Recorded: June 4, 1998. Engineer: Edward Haber.

Vox Vocal Ensemble

George Steel, director. Robert Parsons: Nunc Dimittis

Vox is a relative newcomer on New York’s early music scene but has quickly established a niche for itself – a result of director George Steel’s innovative programming (and his position as director of Columbia’s Miller Theater). In Robert Parsons, they’ve discovered a largely neglected composer whose work is full of harmonic surprises; parts of the Nunc Dimittis (sung in English despite the Latin title) sounded like they could’ve been written 4 years ago instead of 400. Recorded: April 29, 1999. Engineer: Wayne Shulmister.

Eliot Fisk

Trad/arr. Segovia: Canciones Populares

Carrying on the legacy of the great Andres Segovia, Eliot Fisk has been omnivorous in his choices of repertoire. As with Segovia, he plays the classic works of Spanish composers like Tarrega and Torriba at the same time that he premieres new works written for him. Here, he plays the master’s own arrangements of a pair of popular songs, the second familiar to many listeners as “Loch Lomond.” Recorded: December 11, 1996. Engineer: Michael DeMark.

Dubrovka Tomsic

Bach/Siloti: Prelude in B Minor

Dubrovka Tomsic is a first-rate Slovenian pianist who simply doesn’t appear enough in these parts, and whose reputation therefore doesn’t match her prodigious talent. As if to prove the point, she performed for us this deceptively challenging arrangement of Bach’s Prelude in B Minor, after only mild urging from our resident piano maven, Sara Fishko. Recorded: April 15, 1999. Engineer: George Wellington.

Modern Mandolin Quartet

Piazzolla: Melodie in A Minor         

Born in Argentina, Piazzolla was raised in New York. And though he died in Argentina in 1992, he was a frequent and welcome visitor to WNYC. Best known for his nuevo tango style, he also had a strong lyrical bent, which he indulged to great effect in this lovely melody. The arrangement is by the Modern Mandolin Quartet, a San Francisco-based ensemble that has made many live appearances and has premiered several commissioned works on WNYC. Recorded: October 26, 1995. Engineer: Michael DeMark.

Shanghai String Quartet

Griffes: Two Sketches Based on Indian Themes

Based for many years now in the United States, the Shanghai Quartet has a wide-ranging repertoire that includes the so-called “standard rep” as well as new works by contemporary composers like Zhou Long. Here, they play an overlooked gem from the early 20th-century American composer Charles Tomlinson Griffes. Recorded: June 17, 1999. Engineer: George Wellington.

Christopher O’Riley

Scriabin/arr. O’Riley: Sequence from “The Lady With the Lapdog”

An unusual project brought frequent visitor Chris O’Riley back to our studios in fall of 1999. “Vers La Flamme” was a narrative but wordless dance by Martha Graham, set to piano works by Scriabin. It was O’Riley’s job to not only play the music, but to help create the sequences of pieces that would accompany each part of the event. For this tableaux, O’Riley plays excerpts from the Sonata #4, as well as the Album Leaf (Op 58 #1), Poeme (Op. 59 #1), and the Prelude in G#m (Op. 11 #10). Recorded: September 21, 1999. Engineer: Edward Haber.

The American Boychoir

James Litton, conductor. Libby Larson: Reasons for Loving the Harmonica

Kurt Masur’s first call when he needs a boy’s choir (which happens more frequently than you might think), this Princeton-based group had a great time performing Libby Larsen’s musical meditation on the humble harmonica. And why not- how often do kids get a chance to sing words like “spit”? (A little spit on the instrument means the music is fervent, we’re told.) My favorite reason for loving the harmonic: “because it gleams like the chrome on a ’57 Chevy.” The American Boychoir’s new CD on Virgin Classics is called Fast Cats and Mysterious Cows – a title they came up with while soundchecking before this performance. Recorded: June 3, 1999. Engineer: George Wellington.

Producer: John Schaefer

Master at WNYC Studios by: Edward Haber

Thanks to: Eileen Delahunty, Fred Child, Sara Fishko, Ralph Graves at Digital Chips, Inc., and YOU, for supporting WNYC Radio.

We’re excited to announce that PPL is now accepting proposals for our 2019 Creative Fellowship.

We’re looking for an artist working in the field of creative writing (poetry, playwriting, fiction, creative nonfiction, etc.) to make new, research-based work related to the theme of our 2019 exhibition and program series: cityscapes and the evolving built environment.

Details on the Creative Fellowship, requirements, and application guidelines can be found here.

FSU is gearing up for another semester to start in just a few weeks. Student-athletes, however, are already back at work. The FSU Volleyball team will play its first match this Friday and the Swimming and Diving teams are back in action by mid-September. These two sports are the last of a long project for the Digital Library Center, the digitization of all the sports media guides for FSU teams that the Archives currently holds.

The sports media guide is essentially the press kit for that season’s team. It includes all the facts and figures announcers seem to effortlessly sprout out as you listen to commentary at sporting events. The Swimming/Diving Team media guides go back to the 1970s whereas the Volleyball guides start in the 1980s. Do you have media guides to help fill in the blanks in our collection? You can always donate to Heritage & University Archives to help complete the collection. Start the conversation by sending an email to lib-specialcollections@fsu.edu.

Browse all the available sports media guides in Heritage & University Archives in DigiNole and Go Noles as all our fall sports teams get back in action over the next few weeks!

My name is Curstaidh and I am a Master’s degree student pursuing an MSc in Archives and Record Management. Every now and then in an archive, you find an item that is so fascinating and transportive that before you know it, the motion-detector lights have gone off and your stomach is rumbling loudly in protest at its late lunchtime. Three weeks ago, I found such an item.

Despite the thick straggly strands of the mop that’s on top of his head, you can still see Peter Heatly’s broad smile beaming out at the camera. He is dressed up as a stowaway on board the Tamaroa, the ship which transported members of the Scottish and English Teams to Auckland for the 1950 British Empire Games. It’s no wonder that passengers had to dream up ways to amuse themselves – the ship left Southampton on the 16^th of December 1949 and, apart from a quick stop on Curaçao off the coast of Venezuela, didn’t see land until arrival in Auckland on the 21^st of January 1950.

The journey is documented in a photo album compiled by Peter Heatly, complete with captions, certificates and the ship’s farewell dinner menu. Who knows if the man in the photograph knew that he was sailing towards his first Gold Commonwealth medal, that he would go on to become one of Team Scotland’s most decorated athletes, that he would hold almost every managerial position available within the Commonwealth Games Framework all the way up to Chairman of the Commonwealth Games Federation? That indeed he would become Sir Peter Heatly? It is material such as this photograph album that encapsulates the value that personal papers add to an archive collection. We catch a glimpse of the person before the medals and titles and then we get to follow their lives through the items that passed by their own hands – personal letters, souvenirs, collectables and committee papers.

Heatly’s personal papers are one of three recent additions to the University of Stirling’s Commonwealth Games Scotland Archive. The bulk of this archive is made up of material deposited by the Commonwealth Games Scotland office, but the personal papers of Heatly, Willie Carmichael and Douglas Brown will allow researchers to gain a unique insight into the processes and politics of preparing for each of the Commonwealth Games.

For the last two months I have been building on the extensive work carried out by the University Library’s Exhibitions Assistant Ian on the collections of Sir Peter Heatly and Willie Carmichael. Together we have provided descriptions for all of the items and designed a system of arrangement to make it as easy as possible for users to navigate the two collections. It has been a source of great pride to discover, through Heatly and Carmichael, the important role that Scotland has played in the Commonwealth Games. Not only is Scotland one of just five countries that have participated in each Games since the first in 1930, but she has also hosted them 3 times (Edinburgh 1970, 1986 and Glasgow 2014) and was the host of the very first Commonwealth Youth Games (Edinburgh 2000). Although Carmichael and Heatly’s collections span a large timeframe, their combined material serves as a particularly rich resource for the 1970 and 1986 Games. Both were heavily involved in the organising of Edinburgh 1970, with Carmichael serving as the Director of Organisation, and Heatly served as the Chairman of Edinburgh 1986, before overseeing the organisation from afar in his role as Chairman of the Commonwealth Games Federation 1982-1990. Those who remember the successes of 1970 and the controversies of 1986 will no doubt be curious to get an insider’s perspective on the build-up and aftermath of each Games.

With Scotland not long home from Gold Coast 2018, their most successful away Games ever, it is the perfect time to come and have a look at the rich history that the Commonwealth Games Scotland Archive has to offer.

Curstaidh Reid is currently completing MSc in Archives and Record Management at the University of Glasgow. In June and July 2018 she worked on a project at the University of Stirling Archives to catalogue the personal papers of Sir Peter Heatly and Willie Carmichael.

I am pleased to announce the members I have selected for the 2018-2020 term of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Advisory Committee. I was happy to renew the Committee’s charter for an additional two-year term (2018-2020) so that members may continue to address FOIA’s greatest challenges. In response to our call for nominations in April 2018, I was pleased to see such a high level of interest in the Committee. We received nominations for a number of highly-qualified individuals, making it that much more difficult to select Committee members for this term.

The National Archives launched the FOIA Advisory Committee to allow agency FOIA professionals and requesters to collaboratively develop recommendations to improve the administration of FOIA and chart a path for how FOIA should operate in the future. In April 2018, the 2016-2018 term of the FOIA Advisory Committee presented me with a 31-page Final Report and Recommendations, and I have directed my staff to begin to implement these recommendations.

On September 6, 2018 the FOIA Advisory Committee, chaired by the Director of the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) and supported administratively by OGIS staff, will kick off its third term with a meeting in the William G. McGowan Theater that will be open to the public. At this meeting, I anticipate that Committee members will start their work by brainstorming issues they would like to address during this term and form subcommittees. Subcommittees will be co-chaired by a government and a non-government representative, and the co-chairs will provide updates on the subcommittees’ work to fellow Committee members (and the public) during the Committee’s regular quarterly meetings. You can keep up with the Committee’s work by visiting the Committee’s webpage, or reading OGIS’s blog, FOIA Ombudsman.

The following blog post was written by Joseph, Special Collections & Archives Scholar in Residence and Guest Curator of our latest exhibit Ruffians, Scoundrels, and Buccaneers: Pirates Throughout the Ages.

My name is Joseph and I am 11 years old. I started coming to Special Collections with my mom when I was between 5 and 6 years old. My mom is a graduate student who does research and studies in Special Collections. I often come with her and read or do homework now that I am a little older. I love to read and have seen many amazing texts at Special Collections. I have even used some for research.

I have always admired the exhibits next door to Special Collections that are displayed in the exhibit room. One day earlier this year, I thought I would like to try making one. I had just finished reading a story and writing a paper about Blackbeard, so I thought, “What better than an exhibit about pirates?” I love pirates, and I’ve learned quite a bit about them, so I began working on the basics. When I had prepared some notes and drawings, I talked to Dean Katie about it. She thought that with some work, it could be a great exhibit.

That’s when the work really began. While Mr. Rory and I selected material, Ms. Hannah worked on the schedule, the jobs, and all the other basics. Then Ms. Lisa helped me with pulling books to use, while Mr. Rory and I worked on writing the captions. We also had to select material and decide what needed to be digitalized. At last, installation day arrived! Everyone worked really hard. Each person was assigned a case to assemble after deciding what part of the exhibit would be displayed in each case. Once the materials were distributed the materials had to arranged properly. Finally, the captions had to put in and Mr. Rory finished by writing the last few captions for added material.

In one of the tall cases it was decided that my Halloween pirate costume, which was handmade by my grandmother, would be displayed. Putting the exhibit together was harder than I thought it to be. It took many, many weeks of planning and lots of hard work to install, but it was well worth it. I am very happy with the results, and hope to help with many more exhibits at Special Collections.

Pirates are definitely amazing. They are known for being ruthless, dirty cutthroats that mercilessly burnt towns to the ground, driving the Royal Navy crazy. But which pirate stories are truthful, and which are fiction?

This exhibit features true accounts of historical pirates, as well as fictional stories. While fiction can be very entertaining, the truth about pirates is just as fascinating, although it’s fun to see what people imagine about pirates too! Pirates are important to Florida as well – you can learn more about the story of José Gaspar, also known as Gasparilla, who operated in the Florida waters, and Ned Buntline, who wrote pirate stories set in Florida.

We hope you now see why pirates are so awesome, and you come see all the great material in “Ruffians, Scoundrels, and Buccaneers,” selected from the holdings of FSU Special Collections & Archives and Strozier Library.

Originally published in 1999.

When I was a kid, I assumed that the music I heard coming from the radio in the kitchen was somehow being played by real musicians, right there in that little box. Admit it – you thought the same thing. But then we grew older, and wiser in the ways of the world. That’s when we realized that the musicians weren’t really in that little box. They were obviously playing this music in the radio station’s studio, where the announcer was. If it seemed odd that the announcer never actually referred to the musicians or acknowledged their presence in any way, well, that was just another example of adults being odd.

Most people don’t remember the exact moment when they learned that all the music on the radio was actually coming from records. I do remember feeling cheated, somehow. What made it even more unfair is learning, later on, that for many years people really did hear live music on the radio. Then it seemed to stop. Why? Well, from experience, I can now tell you why. It’s expensive. It’s time-consuming and labor-intensive. It’s hard to do and really hard to do well. But it’s also worth doing. Because there is an excitement and intensity to live performance that is rarely heard on recordings. And having musicians in the studio gives all of us an opportunity to meet the real people who make and play the music. These segments provide a friendly, informative entrance to the music we play on WNYC.

What is the music we play on WNYC? We are the world’s oldest classical music station, but we’ve always taken a broad view of what “classical” means. So while this CD features such classical mainstays as Mozart and Brahms, it also includes musical curios like the Modern Mandolin Quartet’s performance of a Haydn piece, and an on-the-spot composition for vocal ensemble by Bobby McFerrin.

A few of these performances were recorded for WNYC-FM’s nightly new music program, New Sounds. Started in 1982, New Sounds first presented live music in the studio in the fall of 1983, and began the ongoing New Sounds Live concert broadcast series in 1986. Others are from Around New York, which was a grand experiment in daily live performance, begun in September 1991 and running until the end of 1996. During that period, when the City of New York was divesting itself of the licenses to WNYC and harsh fiscal realities set in, Around New York was scaled back to the slightly more manageable series of weekly performances we call simply WNYC Live. This segment airs each Thursday afternoon at 2; and occasional other segments often appear elsewhere during the week.

At the same time, WNYC has begun producing more live music outside the studio than ever before. Our director, Eileen Delahunty, and our tech crew, directed by Edward Haber, maintain a grueling schedule. Fortunately, our crew is first rate, and it’s worth mentioning their names here: Michael DeMark, George Wellington, Irene Trudel, Wayne Schulmister and Paul Ruest. Live broadcasts from the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Brooklyn’s Bargemusic, the Frick Collection, the Kosciuszko Foundation, New Sounds Live at various venues, and occasional special events do more than just keep the concert crew off the streets and out of trouble. They help to recapture, I hope, some of the magic, and sense of event that surrounded music performances during the “Golden Age of Radio.”

Richard Cobo 

Brouwer: One Day in November

A hauntingly beautiful piece of musical impressionism from Cuban composer Leo Brouwer, still unpublished. Played by a talented Columbian guitarist now residing here in NY. Recorded: April 8, 1998. Mix Engineer: Michael DeMark.

David Golub 

Brahms: Intermezzo in A, Op. 118 #2

David Golub is one of America’s premiere pianists – a renowned soloist, member of the Golub/Kaplan/Carr trio, and now a conductor as well. He performed this lovely late piece by Brahms on WNYC’s Steinway B, a vintage 1959 instrument that was rebuilt (by the same fellow, we’re told, who originally built it!) in 1995. Recorded: January 15, 1998. Mix Engineer: Michael DeMark.

Marianne Faithfull 

Weill: Bilbao Song

Wonderfully decadent, world-weary singing from the rock legend whose voice once inspired the Rolling Stones and now inspires visions of a… well, decadent, world-weary cabaret singer. One of our most memorable in-studio performances. Recorded: January 23, 1997. Mix Engineer: Edward Haber. Marianne Faithfull appears courtesy of BMG Entertainment.

Continuum 

Pärt: Ein Wallfahrtslied (A Song of Pilgrimage)

One of the classical world’s most popular composers, the Estonian-born, German-based Arvo Pärt often evokes the music and spirit of medieval Europe. The liturgical text and hushed accompaniment of this performance are typical of his style; the vocal part, sung by James Martin, is extraordinary in its simplicity – it uses only three notes! Easy to sing, but hard to sing well. The performance is by one of New York’s leading contemporary music groups, based at the famed Juilliard School, Recorded: October 10, 1998. Mix Engineer: Edward Haber.

Philip Glass 

Glass: Etude #2

The classical music world’s most recognized contemporary composer is a longtime friend of WNYC. This Etude is part of a set of piano etudes, one of which was written by Glass for WNYC-FM’s 50th birthday in 1994. Recorded: July 25, 1995. Mix Engineer: Michael DeMark. Philip Glass appears courtesy of Dunvagen Music Publishing.

Jocelyn Montgomery, David Lynch 

Hildegard von Bingen: O viridissima

Yes, that David Lynch. The famed film maker created the sound environment into which early music specialist Jocelyn Montgomery sings the timeless music of the 12th century abbess and composer Hildegard. Montgomery is a former member of the fine English early music group Sinfonye. This performance, from New Sounds Live at the World Financial Center, was broadcast on the Internet as well. Recorded: January 22, 1999. Mix Engineer: George Wellington with Irene Trudel. Jocelyn Montgomery appears courtesy of Mammoth Records.

James and Jeannie Galway 

J.C. Schultze: Sonata for 2 Flutes

Don’t worry, we’ve never heard of him either. Schultze, that is. Everyone knows James Galway, the “man with the golden flute.” His wife Jeannie is a fine flutist as well, and part of the trio Zephyr. The two of them introduced us to this brief but charming work by an otherwise totally obscure German Baroque composer. Recorded: November 4, 1998. Mix Engineer: Edward Haber. James Galway appears courtesy of BMG Classics.

Modern Mandolin Quartet 

Haydn: Minuet and Trio from “The Lark” Quartet

Two mandolins (played by Mike Marshall and Dana Rath), mandola (Paul Binkley), and mandocello (John Imholz) play music from the classical string quartet repertoire. An engaging but somewhat different approach to a classical favorite. Recorded: October 26, 1995. Mix Engineer: Michael DeMark.

Bobby McFerrin’s Circlesongs 

McFerrin: improvisation #3

The singer, hit songwriter, conductor, and opera composer leads an all-star group of vocalists in a live improvisation, conducted by McFerrin in the studio. This genial, elegant assortment of conventional and unusual vocal sounds is typical of McFerrin’s work; the fact that they’re making it up as they go along may surprise you when you hear how “composed” the piece sounds. Recorded: April 22, 1997. Mix Engineer: Michael DeMark.

Anonymous 4 

Hildegard von Bingen/Anonymous:  O rubor sanguinis/magnificat animomea.

A medley of one of Heldegard’s typically ecstatic 12th century melodies with a traditional liturgical chant of the time, by one of classical music’s most popular groups. Anonymous 4 was first heard on WNYC-FM shortly after they formed in late 1986, and were WNYC favorites well before the rest of the world caught on. Recorded: May 9, 1995. Mix Engineer: Michael DeMark.

Manuel Barrueco 

Sor: Variations on a Theme by Mozart

Barrueco is probably best-known for the TV commercial for Lexus, where he recorded an actual CD track in the back seat of the car. Off screen, he is one of the most popular classical guitarists in the world, and has had a recent series of crossover hit records as well. Recorded: February 25, 1998. Mix Engineer: George Wellington.

Ruth Laredo 

Mozart: Piano Concert #14, 2nd movement

The Manhattan School of Music Chamber Sinfonia, Glen Cortese, Conductor

From WNYC’s 1998 New Year’s Eve broadcast, a mammoth, nationally-syndicated show that involved crews at Bargemusic in Brooklyn, the 92nd Street Y on the Upper East Side, and the majestic Cathedral of St. John the Divine, where this recording was made. It features one of America’s pre-eminent pianists, and a gifted group of MSM students, who performed with professional aplomb despite the cold (you can hear the heating fans if you listen closely) under the able direction of Glen Cortese, one of New York’s busiest conductors. This performance courtesy of the Manhattan School of Music, in support of WNYC Radio. Recorded: December 31, 1998 at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Mix Engineer: George Wellington with Wayne Shulmister.

Jerry Hadley

Carlisle Floyd: “It’s About the Way People Is Made,” from Susannah

Susannah, spotted by some of the townsfolk while bathing in the river, has become the target of lies and false accusations. She asks her brother how people can turn so cruelly on one of their own, and he answers her with this song. Simply beautiful music from an opera only now coming into its own. Jerry Hadley is one of the Met’s brightest stars, and has become one of American’s most successful operatic tenors. Recorded: February 25, 1999. Mix Engineer: George Wellington.

Producer: John Schaefer 

Mastering Engineer: Edward Haber

Project Coordinators: Ken Dinitz, Fred Child and Ted Manekin

Special thanks to Ralph Graves and Digital Chips, Inc.

Thanks to: Sara Fishko; Francois Ravard; Susan Jacobs; Glen Cortese; George Martynuk; Jim Keller; Dunvagen Music Publishing; Nancy Wellman; Jennifer Plantz; George Nicholas; Linda Goldstein; Sony Classical; Angel/EMI Records; And YOU, for supporting WNYC Radio!

ABOUT:  FERMI is the National Archives and Records Administration’s (NARA) effort to provide a government-wide, modern, cost-effective, standardized, and interoperable set of records management solutions and services to Federal agencies. NARA has identified the common, core requirements all agencies need to support their records management programs.

VANTAGE: Federal agencies have different missions, structures, and resources, as well as lack common needs for managing their electronic records. Agencies need to manage their records in compliance with NARA’s statutes, regulations, and guidance. FERMI emerged from the Automated Electronic Records Management Plan, to support the Managing Government Records Directive (M-12-18). NARA serves as the Records Management Standards Lead for the General Services Administration’s (GSA) Unified Shared Services Management (USSM) office’s Business Standards Council.

On Monday, AUGUST 6, 2018: In conjunction with GSA, NARA held an Industry Day in the McGowan Theater and streamed the event live on NARA’s YouTube channel.  NARA and GSA publicized how vendors listed on GSA Schedule 36, Special Item Number 51-600, Electronic Records Management would have the opportunity to create demos based on the draft “Use Cases for Electronic Messages.” The Use Cases are modeled after the ERM Federal Integrated Business Framework (ERM-FIBF), and describe how to manage electronic messages.

Further, NARA and GSA detailed demos must express the following three scenarios from the Use Cases:

• Determine if the electronic message can be placed under records management control. (ERM.010.L1.02)
• Manage the metadata of an electronic message record throughout the lifecycle. (ERM.020.L1.02)
• Dispose of approved electronic message records. (ERM.030.L1.02)

Vendors were asked to develop demos of how their solutions could meet these three scenarios. GSA said it would work with vendors to make the demos available to agencies through the Acquisitions Gateway.  Agencies can use these demos as market research to evaluate how well solutions manage electronic messages.

The PIDB is encouraged by NARA and GSA’s combined efforts to improve the management of electronic records through smarter business practices and acquisition improvement.

The Members support NARA’s endeavor to foster solutions for access to electronic information.

The University Historian at the University of Florida recently contacted us with an interesting research request regarding Florida State College for Women. In his research, the University Historian found evidence that a woman, Mary Alexander Daiger, graduated from the University of Florida in 1920. This is odd because, in 1905, Florida passed the Buckman Act, which designated UF as the state university for male students. The same act designated FSU’s predecessor institution, Florida State College for Women, as the state university for female students. It wasn’t until 1947 that both schools became fully coeducation. Daiger was able to graduate from UF pre-coeducation because of the Summer School Act, which in 1913, brought summer courses under the control of the state university system. By design, these courses were coeducational and allowed for men and women to attend either university during the summer.

Given the shared history and similar circumstances of UF and FSU, the University Historian wondered if there was ever a male graduate of Florida State College of Women.

Heritage & University Archives staff began looking through summer issues of the student newspaper, the Florida Flambeau. While reading the articles, it became apparent that male students were definitely taking advantage of the classes offered. Staff members of the Flambeau reported on how many male students were on campus, where they were located after they were allowed to stay in the dorms and any humorous encounters that resulted from their presence. But for the most part, names of the male students weren’t listed in those articles.

During the summer issues for several years, the Flambeau listed all of the students eligible for graduation for that semester. Unfortunately, we ran into a major problem at this juncture, because the Flambeau did not list whether the student was male or female. We chose, based on name, the most likely students to be male and sent the names along to the Office of the Registrar to see if any of them did, in fact, graduate.

When the Registrar replied, we learned that our process for selecting names was as inaccurate as we thought. Some of the candidates had sorority affiliations listed on their records and so were crossed off our list. More often, the candidate for graduation did not actually graduate. However, we were able to confirm that there was at least one male graduate of Florida State College for Women: Clarence Patrick Priest. Priest earned his Masters of Arts in Education in 1938 from Florida State College for Women. He stayed on to teach at the school after his graduation.

Know of any other men who graduated from Florida State College for Women? We’d love to know about any of our other graduates. You can contact the Heritage & University Archivist at svarry@fsu.edu.

In early 2014 the University Archives was contacted by William Simpsons, a care home in Plean which provides residential care along with respite and day care facilities. William Simpsons has been providing care at this site for almost two hundred years, originally opening in 1832 as the William Simpson’s Asylum, an institution which provided care and support for former soldiers and sailors.

Building work had unearthed a collection of historical material consisting of four large metal trunks of documents and 38 volumes and ledgers. Upon inspection the material revealed itself as a comprehensive collection of nineteenth century records which provide a detailed account of the management and administration of both the William Simpson’s Asylum and the surrounding Plean Estate. The material complimented the historical records of NHS Forth Valley, held in the University Archives and it was transferred to the University Of Stirling. Today we are engaged in an exciting project which is opening up the collection for the first time. This work follows an initial survey of the material carried out with the support of the Wellcome Trust in 2016 which highlighted the value of the collection for the study of both medical and local history. The survey also revealed links between the William Simpson’s Asylum and Stirling District Asylum, with evidence being discovered of regular contact between the two institutions.

With the assistance of a team of student volunteers we are cleaning, flattening and repacking the thousands of nineteenth century documents which are crammed, in tightly packed bundles, into the four metal trunks. The contents of these trunks were examined as part of the Wellcome Trust survey which has provided us with a useful overview of the range of material present.

Our current project will enable these documents to be used by researchers in our archives reading room, while the unpacking of the bundles will allow more detailed cataloguing of their contents which will provide further information on the collection.

The project has already revealed some interesting material, including the following documents:

This list provides a detailed account of the first ‘inmates’ of the asylum, recording their names, ages, place of birth, army service and trade. Additional remarks on their character and behaviour are also recorded as are details of burials for patients who died in the asylum.

This document is one of a set of regularly revised and updated versions of the House Regulations, which would have been prominently displayed in the asylum. The 1855 version stretches to 13 rules governing all aspects of life in the asylum. Smoking was ‘not allowed within the House.’ However, ‘one bottle of beer will be allowed to each man for two days – that is, half a bottle to each per day.’

For further information and updates on this project please contact the University Archives.

Original CD liner notes published in 2002.

Writing music seems a straightforward enough proposition: you have an idea for a piece, you write it, and then some musicians play it. But few things are as simple as they seem. The birth of a piece of classical music usually requires a midwife – the person or organization who commissions the work. In the old days, this meant a local prince or wealthy patron paying a composer to write a work for his court ensemble or for a group of musicians he supported. The 20th century, with its relative paucity of princes, saw the rise of the private foundations as a leading source of commissions. In Europe, state-run radio stations often commissioned works; the BBC in particular has a notable history of requesting works from a who’s who of English composers. In American radio, however, that idea was almost completely unheard of.

WNYC has bucked that trend by trying to be proactive, instead of reactive. American classical radio stations have traditionally reacted to music, by waiting to see what is performed or recorded and then, after due consideration of the music’s timeliness and potential importance to its audience, ditching it in favor of another recording of The Four Seasons. WNYC, though, has a long heritage of supporting living composers and live music, and a wide view of what the words “classical music” might mean. And so, for the 50th anniversary of WNYC’s FM station in June of 1994, we decided to embark on a program of commissioning music from diverse American composers to celebrate the occasion. Acting on a terrific idea from composer John Corigliano, we asked the noted poet John Ashbery for a poem, and then sent it to 12 composers. Their instructions were simple: write a piece based on the poem –it did not have to be a typical voice-with-piano setting; it could use some of the text, or none of the text. 

But there’s another part to commissioning music: finding performers to premiere it. This was quite a chore when juggling twelve different pieces at once. Fortunately, the event was one the music community in New York was eager to embrace, and in the end, a splendid concert took place on June 13, 1994, when thirteen pieces by the twelve composers (the explanation for the discrepancy is below) had their world premieres at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall and live on the air at WNYC 93.9 FM.

Morton Gould

Morton Gould was an obvious choice when WNYC began commissioning music. A versatile musician, a tireless champion of other American composers, and a native New York mensch, Gould was a longtime friend of WNYC: one of his most popular pieces, Spirituals For Orchestra was premiered on WNYC’s annual American Music Festival in 1941. Gould’s Anniversary Rag, for WNYC was the only one of the WNYC FM anniversary pieces that did not use the John Ashbery poem, No Longer Very Clear. It’s not that Morton Gould couldn’t follow directions: he dutifully set the poem in the classic voice/piano combo.  But weeks before our anniversary concert in June of ’94, he sent an additional work – along with a letter saying he’d written it as a sort of anniversary gift. “I hope you’ll let me play it,” he wrote; “I’ve been practicing like mad.” Well of course we let him play it. And he charmed the Lincoln Center crowd with a performance that used both hands and feet.

Anniversary Rag, for WNYC. Morton Gould, piano and foot stomps. World premiere June 13, 1994, Alice Tully Hall, Engineers: Edward Haber (technical director & mix engineer), Christine Bronder, George Wellington, Miles B. Smith.

Philip Glass

Philip Glass is arguably the most popular composer alive today. And we knew him way back when… Glass’s music has long been part of WNYC’s programming- sometimes a very controversial part, especially in the late 1970s/early 80’s, when we began playing his works frequently. Now So Long After That Time is a piano solo whose title comes from the John Ashbery poem, No Longer Very Clear. A New York Times review of the piece at its world premiere performance in June of 1994 likened it to the piano music of Rachmanioff – an unusual comparison, to be sure; but not, surprisingly, as crazy as it might seem… Pianist Christopher O’Riley’s effortless performance convinced us to commission a bigger work from him later; the result was the Ralph Towner piece listed below. This piece, by the way, has gone on to a second life as the Etude #6 for Solo Piano, part of Glass’s two decade long process of composing two books of piano etudes. It has been recorded under that title numerous times.

Now So Long After That Time. Christopher O’Riley, piano. World premiere June 13, 1994, Alice Tully Hall, Engineers: Edward Haber (technical director & mix engineer), Christine Bronder, Goerge Wellington, Miles B. Smith.

Richard Einhorn

Richard Einhorn took over two years to write A Carnival of Miracles, and if the group Anonymous 4 had taken another two years to learn it, you could hardly blame them. The piece, scored for four female voices and two cellos, uses texts in English, German, French, Polish, Italian, and ancient Coptic. In Richard Einhorn’s marvelous oratorio, Voices of Light, written to accompany the classic silent film The Passion of Joan of Arc, the “voice” of Joan is sung collectively by Anonymous 4, so when we began exploring composers to work with, Einhorn seemed a good choice. His piece, the longest WNYC has yet commissioned, is in six parts, each dealing with a specific kind of freedom. Einhorn provided the following notes:

Enigma (religious freedoms) is extracted from an extremely strange incantation found in the Nag Hammadi codices from the 3rd century.

The Scientist (scientific freedoms) is a single sentence which Galileo is said to have murmured after he was forced by Church authorities to deny that the Earth traveled around the Sun.

The Genius (artistic freedoms) is drawn from Beethoven’s asinine response to criticism of his string writing.

The Court (freedom of speech) is taken from writings by Supreme Court justices, and tries to answer the hoary question, “Does freedom of speech give anyone the right to shout ‘Fire!’ in public?”

Mrs. Satan and the Divine Marquis (sexual freedoms) combines texts by Victoria Woodhull, a 19th century feminist, with some remarkably similar (and characteristic) excerpts from the 18th century libertine, the Marquis de Sade.

Miracle Fair is taken from the 1986 poem of the same name by the Nobel Laureate Wizslawa Szymborska.

The texts often drive the music; Galileo’s “and yet, it moves” is sung in unison at first, but then the four voices steadily move away from each other while repeating the line. The text for The Court is a collage of words from various important Supreme Court decisions, and coincidentally, one of those words is “fire,” given great prominence in the music. “Eloquence may set fire to reason, but we have staked upon it our all,” wrote the Court. It’s a sentiment worth remembering, and it’s the only complete sentence to emerge from this particular text collage. (Complete texts at www.richardeinhorn.com.)

Carnival of Miracles. Anonymous 4, vocals; Christine Gummere and Julie Green, cellos. World premiere November 19, 1999, The Arts At St. Ann’s. This recording, revised version, June 26, 2001, Corpus Christi Church, Engiineers: George Wellington (technical director and mix engineer), Scott Strickland.

Laurie Anderson

Laurie Anderson was perhaps the most unconventional composer in our 50th anniversary concert. Her works are as much stories as songs, and those stories revolve around her own texts. In this case, though, she was working with the John Ashbery poem, No Longer Very Clear. Like Philip Glass, she took a line from the poem for her title; unlike Glass, though, she set the entire text, delivering it in her unmistakable style. Ashbery’s work is an oblique, evocative meditation on memory, perception, and darkness. But it is shot through with color, and that provided the inspiration for Anderson’s This House of Blues. It is a tape piece: the accompanying music consists of instrumental tracks produced by Laurie Anderson and Brian Eno.

This House of Blues. Laurie Anderson, vocals and keyboards; Cyro Baptista, percussion; Joey Baron; drums; Greg Cohen, bass; Brian Eno, drum treatments. World premiere June 13, 1994, Alice Tully Hall. Recorded by Laurie Anderson.

Ralph Towner

Ralph Towner has amassed a worldwide following over the past 30-plus years. He is best-known for his work with the group Oregon, which began blurring the borders between classical, jazz, and non-Western music in the early 1970s. He also wrote the Paul Winter Consort’s most famous song, Icarus; has made dozens of solo recordings as a guitarist and occasionally as pianist; and has worked with jazz greats and symphony orchestra. Simulacrum is essentially a one-movement piano sonata, with a rhapsodic, almost improvised sound (it is, however, fully notated), and a modal flight in the third section that gives Christopher O’Riley ample opportunity to display his keyboard chops.

Simulacrum. Christopher O’Riley, piano. World premiere May 20, 1999, Miller Theatre. Engineers: Edward Haber (technical director and mix engineer), Irene Trudel, George Wellington, Wayne Shulmister.

Steve Reich

Steve Reich is not only one of the most important and influential composers of our time, he’s also a neighbor. Living literally a block away from the WNYC studios, he has been a regular visitor. Anonymous 4, whose albums of medieval music have all been best-sellers, has been performing in the WNYC studios almost since its inception. As a result, this commission practically fell into our laps. Know What is Above You is a short piece, a setting of the old admonition to “know what is above you: an eye that sees, an ear that hears, and all your deeds recorded in a book.” Far from the Big Brother aspect that one might read into this statement, Reich interprets it as a reminder that someone is watching over us, and that our actions, however, insignificant they might seem, have repercussions that are noted. As with his larger piece called Proverb, this work augments the sounds of the four voices with two of Reich’s own percussionists.

Know What Is Above You. Anonymous 4, vocals; Thad Wheeler and Jim Preiss, percussion. World premiere November 19, 1999. The Arts At St. Ann’s. Engineers: Edward Haber (technical director), George Wellington (mix engineer), Irene Trudel.

Derek Bermel

Derek Bermel is the youngest composer we’ve commissioned. He was thirty when this piece was premiered; and shortly after said premiere, it was announced that Bermel had won the coveted Rome Prize. This meant that he had to give up his regular weekend gigs with his jazz/funk band in the clubs of downtown Manhattan for a while. See, Bermel is not just a composer: he’s also a singer, bandleader, and a songwriter who moves easily between pop, funk, jazz, and classical music. In addition, he’s a fine clarinetist (he takes a solo here), and plays keyboards. This piece is written for an unusual band in residence at The Kitchen, one of New York’s most important new music venues. The group, called Kitchen House Blend, was the brainchild of composer/guitarist John King and includes players who are adept at both composed and improvised works. It seemed perfect for Bermel, and he responded with Three Rivers, which refers to the three rivers that meet in Pittsburgh as well as the three independent streams of music that meet and blend in this piece. It’s a fiendishly difficult piece to play, and draws on a typically electic range of sources like Thelonius Monk, R&B (the opening passage is marked “Lugubrious funk”), and American postmodernism.

Three Rivers. Kitchen House Blend; Derek Bermel, conductor. World premiere March 1, 2001, The Kitchen. Engineers: George Wellington (technical director and mix engineer), Wayne Shulmister, Scott Strickland, Edward Haber, James Williamson.

In addition to providing services that help Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requesters and Federal agencies in resolving disputes, one of the goals of the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) is to prevent FOIA disputes from arising in the first place. In line with this goal, OGIS recently issued its first advisory opinion, providing agencies with useful advice on effective communication with requesters to help them navigate through the FOIA process and the resources available to them.

OGIS is the Federal FOIA Ombudsman. The office, created within the National Archives, opened its doors in 2009 to educate the public about FOIA, resolve FOIA disputes, and assess agency compliance with the statute. OGIS’s advisory opinion is based on its observations through its now robust mediation program. OGIS’s mediation program brings the office into contact with a broad range of Federal agencies and requesters at various points throughout the FOIA process. This unique lens enables OGIS to identify common causes of FOIA disputes and identify practices that can help avoid disputes.

The FOIA Improvement Act of 2016 requires that agencies let requesters know about the availability of dispute resolution services from agency FOIA Public Liaisons and OGIS at several points in the FOIA process. After the law’s enactment OGIS’ caseload increased significantly.  A common trend noted among several cases was the need for better communication between the agency and the requester.

OGIS’s first advisory opinion takes the communication issues OGIS noted in its individual cases and gathers it together to provides agencies with advice to help better communicate with requesters about the FOIA process: how to preserve their administrative rights to challenge an agency’s decisions, the kinds of assistance they can expect from an agency FOIA Public Liaison and OGIS, and the next steps to take if they need additional assistance with a request. The advisory opinion also provides agencies with specific examples of language and format.

This advisory opinion is a starting point. OGIS intends to use its authority to issue advisory opinions to address the most common disputes, complaints, and trends it sees in its dispute resolution practice that are likely to lead to litigation. Over time, OGIS intends to build a body of advisory opinions, available for online consultation by both requesters and agencies that OGIS believes will help head off disputes before they fester or lead to litigation.

On a sunny afternoon in June the University Of Stirling presented the writer Patrick McGrath with an honorary degree in recognition of his outstanding support for research and learning at Stirling. In 2015 Patrick deposited his literary papers with the University Archives, a fantastic resource for researchers of contemporary fiction, and in particular the students of the university’s MLitt course on The Gothic Imagination.

The University Archives was delighted to welcome Patrick on the morning of his graduation and show him how his papers are being cared for at the university, the visit captured in this lovely video.

Later, at the afternoon’s graduation ceremony Patrick’s laureation was given by our University Archivist, Karl Magee. The speech, reproduced below, provides further information on Patrick’s work as an acclaimed novelist and the importance of his literary archive:

Laureation presenting Patrick McGrath for the award of Honorary Degree of Doctor of the University Of Stirling (28 June 2018):

Chancellor, Principal, Members of the University, Graduands, Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is an honour to introduce Patrick McGrath today, a critically acclaimed novelist whose work consistently stages and interrogates both psychopathology and psychiatry. His novels include The Grotesque, Spider and Asylum. His most recent novel The Wardrobe Mistress was published last year. Patrick grew up in the grounds of Broadmoor Hospital where his father was the medical superintendent. Well-versed in theories of psychiatry and psychoanalysis Patrick’s works are often narrated by psychiatrists, or those suffering from mental ill health themselves. He is a writer who is fascinated by the human mind and by those spaces where both trauma and healing may take place such as the institutionalized asylum, the analyst’s office, or even the family home.

In 2015 Patrick deposited his literary archive with the University of Stirling Archives. The University runs a highly regarded MLitt course on ‘The Gothic Imagination’ which teaches his work and Patrick was keen for his archive to go to an institution where the material would be of direct benefit to academics and students.

The archive provides a comprehensive record of the author’s creative process from rough writing notebooks, to early drafts of novels, to proofs and published editions and on through promotional material, press cuttings of reviews, correspondence with publishers and material relating to film adaptations of his work. The collection will continue to grow as Patrick is committed to continuing his relationship with the University of Stirling. Indeed the manuscripts and drafts of his most recent novel have already been transferred to the archive.

The deposit by Patrick of his literary archive with the University is an act of great generosity and commitment to academic research. In doing so Patrick has chosen to support a university which teaches Gothic fiction – the critical field in which his work is often read and considered – at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Over the last few years our students have gained a unique opportunity to work with the archives of a contemporary writer. They have assisted the archives team in the sorting, arrangement and cataloguing of the collection, with a number of students going on to use the archive as the subject of their academic research. Throughout this process the University Archives has benefited from Patrick’s continued support and engagement, creating a stimulating research environment for everyone involved in the project.

This award of an Honorary Degree recognises Patrick’s support for the inclusive and ambitious academic aims of the University of Stirling. He is a writer whose outlook particularly suits Stirling’s principles and goals as he strives endlessly to understand the human mind and the human condition. This is evident in his many meditations upon Broadmoor Hospital in London, this work complementing our NHS Forth Valley Archive which includes the historical records of a number of local institutions including the old Stirling District Asylum.

Patrick’s work is of global importance, as can be seen in the international editions of his work which have been translated into many languages present in the collection, and his standing amongst contemporary critics of Gothic literature is of the very highest calibre.

Patrick’s mother Helen dreamed of opening a bookshop in Stirling. While she never fulfilled this dream I am delighted that we have welcomed her son to the city to formally recognise his most generous gift to the university.

In the name and by the authority of the Academic Council, I present to you for the Honorary Degree of Doctor of the University, Patrick McGrath.

On June 21, the White House published “Delivering Government Solutions in the 21^st Century,” endorsing goals in the 2018-2022 Strategic Plan of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to stop accepting paper records by the end of 2022, and to achieve fully electronic records management and public access across the federal government.

David Ferriero, Archivist of the United States (AOTUS), writes in his blog (AOTUS Blog):  “The result is a reform plan that complements our Strategic Plan, puts records management at the forefront of other agencies’ reform agendas, and will help drive greater efficiency and effectiveness while making the Federal government more responsive to the American people.”

As incorporated by the White House, the recommended “Transition to Digital Government” seeks to reduce the costs and inefficiencies of paper-based records management and public-access services by:

• Ending NARA’s acceptance of paper records by December 31, 2022, to force agency resources into implementing the fully electronic environment;
• Coordinating between NARA and executive-branch agencies to develop guidance, technical assistance, and services required for the digital transition;
• Engaging the General Services Administration (GSA) to support implementation by connecting agencies with commercial digitization services available in the private sector.

In addition to input from NARA, the White House reform plan supports expanding the implementation of e-records management processes begun by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA).

The PIDB looks forward to any next steps that NARA must take to implement digital solutions affirmed by the White House reform plan, as costs and inefficiencies mount, and outmoded analog systems struggle with the unrelenting deluge of electronic records at every executive-branch agency.

Florida State: Traditions through the Eras is an exhibit that traces back some of Florida State University’s most well-known traditions through the institution’s long history. What we now know as FSU has gone through many changes over the years: beginning as the Seminary West of the Suwannee River, then the Florida State College, Florida State College for Women, and finally Florida State University. Many of the symbols and practices we know today, like the school colors or the university seal, have been carried over through these iterations, evolving with the institution itself.

The exhibit is divided into four main categories: Seals, Torches, and Owls; School Colors & Honors Societies; Music & Marching; and Camp Flastacowo & the FSU Reservation. The digital exhibit further separates the School Colors and Honors Societies into two groups. More information regarding each category can be found on their respective digital exhibit pages.

The materials in this exhibit were curated in collaboration with Women for FSU. As part of their Backstage Pass program, members get a behind-the-scenes look at how things are done at FSU. Because of this collaboration, the process of putting the exhibit together was somewhat unique: instead of researching a wide number of potential materials and only gathering a select few, we gathered a wide number of materials, from which the members would be able to pick and choose their favorites. The exhibit you see today is made up of those choices. Gathering dozens of items from all over Special Collections and Archives was quite an undertaking, but getting a glimpse into the development of FSU over its existence made it a worthwhile one.

After the event, the time came to put together a digital version of the exhibit. While the physical version is ultimately limited by space, the digital exhibit could incorporate basically every item that we had initially gathered. That being said, incorporating all of those items digitally meant a lot of digitization. Through a combination of scanning and photography, the digital exhibit now contains approximately fifty of the items gathered to reflect FSU traditions past and present.

Florida State: Traditions through the Eras is currently on display in the Florida State University Heritage Museum in Dodd Hall and accessible online here. If you have any questions regarding the exhibits or the museum, visit the Special Collections & Archives website or feel free to contact us at lib-specialcollections@fsu.edu.

Post was written by Dylan Dunn, Special Collections & Archives Graduate Assistant 2017-2018.

Here at the Amherst College Archives, we love sharing with our readers all the fascinating (and sometimes hidden) stories we find in the archives. But we also love sharing with you how we make it possible for researchers to find those stories themselves. It’s important to take our researchers behind the scenes to understand how the archives profession works. The department has been working on a strategic plan to better improve access to our archival material, and we’d like to share a small but crucial section of that plan. In short, our processing team is preparing to take stock of our entire collection and ensure that any hidden collections are made visible to the public.

What’s a hidden collection? Basically, any collection that the researcher does not know of – because there is no online presence to signal that it exists. Because of past professional practices emphasizing highly detailed archival processing, institutions often accumulate extensive backlogs of material to be processed.

Archival practice has moved steadily away from the practice of describing collections in exhaustive detail. Greene and Meissner’s seminal article “More Product, Less Process: Revamping Traditional Archival Processing” appeared in 2005, issuing a challenge to “many of the assumptions archivists make about the importance of preservation activities in processing and the arrangement and description activities necessary to allow researchers to access collections effectively.” Ten years later, Daniel Santamaria published Extensible Processing for Archives and Special Collections: Reducing Processing Backlogs (ALA, 2015), taking the More Product Less Process (MPLP) approach even further: “Extensible processing offers an alternative, allowing collection managers to first establish a baseline level of access to all holdings, then conduct additional processing based on user demand and ongoing assessment. Adhering to archival principles and standards, this flexible approach emphasizes decision-making and prioritization.” What both of these approaches have in common is a focus on users and access, rather than descriptive work by archives staff. Continue reading →

David Behrman, New Sounds, March, 7, 1985

Minimalist composer David Behrman is in town this week, playing  ISSUE Project Room in Brooklyn on July 20 and 21 with the Sonic Arts Union. On March 7, 1985, Behrman visited New Sounds to discuss his work with host John Schaefer. At the time, the composer was working on a piece for the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, “Interspecies Smalltalk,” with violinist Takehisa Kosugi, himself an important composer and the leader of the Japanese experimental ensemble Taj Mahal Travellers.

For Behrman, writing music is less about putting notes onto paper than it is about designing systems that allow sounds — timbres, tones, and sonorities — to emerge from improvised and chance interactions between acoustic and electronic instruments. As the composer says of “Interspecies Smalltalk,” “That’s really the idea of the piece: to stress the acoustic character of an instrument in relationship to an electronic system.” The personality and attitude of the performer is a crucial element of the composition. For all the emphasis on the “system,” the music itself is warm, expressive and conversational, a chat across a digital language barrier.

Schaefer and Behrman also chat (with no apparent language barrier) about the composer’s role in the Sonic Arts Union (SAU), a collective of heavyweight minimalists who came together in the late 1960s as part of the scene surrounding the legendary ONCE festival. Comprised of the late Robert Ashley, Gordon Mumma, Alvin Lucier, and Behrman himself, the SAU were known for their anarchic and occasionally abrasive performances, each composer presenting a piece, with the others providing for technical and musical support. Describing his music from that period, Behrman tells Schaefer that “it was more in the noise family of things. I was interested in interactive systems, but in those days, I remember using little flashlights that would make sounds and whirl around in space, and analog electronics that weren’t so involved with steady pitches … It was the discovery of those electronic sounds that hadn’t been used much by composers, but were available with the transistors in those days — it was kind of a fresh resource.”

The conversation also touches on Behrman’s time as a producer for the “Music of Our Time” series at Columbia Masterworks — where he worked on the legendary first recording of Terry Riley’s In C — as well as a “collaborative installation” he’d been working on with composer George Lewis. This project, which would later be called “All Thumbs,” was recently included on an archival release from Alga Marghen records titled Music With Memory. The piece resembled an interactive video game, with participants using a kalimba, or thumb piano, to interface with an electronic system. Like Behrman’s other work, “All Thumbs” is playful, but there’s also something radical and even transgressive about the way it erases distinctions between professional and amateur performers. Schaefer notes: “It seems almost as if the performer is the machine. You have a person standing up there playing an instrument, but once you set the process in motion, it just sort of creates the music itself.” To which Behrman replies: “Part of the idea is to make sort of game-like situations for the performers. They might be experts or they might novices.”

The two Brooklyn shows this week are being billed are as a reunion of the three surviving members of SAU, and as a tribute to the late, great Robert Ashley. Mumma, Lucier, and Behrman will all be performing, with support by like-minded musicians including Stephen O’Malley, Oren Ambarchi, Cleek Shrey, and others. Listeners will have an opportunity to experience the playful, transgressive, and possibly flashlight-induced music of David Behrman and the Sonic Arts Union.

Special Collections & Archives Research Center Reading Room, the Claude Pepper Library, and the Norwood Reading Room will be available by appointment only during the dates of August 6-17. Our faculty and staff will use this “downtime” during FSU’s intersession to complete projects and prepare for the upcoming semester (as well as spruce up our spaces!).

If you need to access our collections during this time, please contact us at lib-specialcollections@fsu.edu or (850) 644-3271 to schedule an appointment. We will resume our normal hours on Monday, August 20, 2018.

We were honored to partner with our friends of the State Records Management and Archives Department of Vietnam in the creation of the exhibit “Paris Peace Accords: The Way to Peace” which opened today in Hanoi. The exhibit uses textual records, film, photographs, and artifacts to tell the story leading to the negotiations which ended a war that divided the peoples of both countries.

We contributed facsimiles from the records of the State and Defense Departments and the Presidential Libraries of Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Gerald Ford, including film footage.  A poignant letter to President Nixon by a child in 1970 urged him to “stop the war in Vietnam my cousin is in.  And I want the United States to settle down.”

As a veteran of the war myself, this was also a personal pilgrimage. It is my first time back in the country since early 1971 when I left Da Nang as a U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman. In my year there I came to appreciate the beauty of the country and the kindness of the people.  And the common desire to end the fighting. So, for me, it was an emotional and joyful return.

After almost 50 years I am tremendously proud of our new friends in Vietnam as we explore collaborative opportunities beyond this exhibit.  We have much to learn from each other as we share access to our records; we are in the same business–collecting and protecting the records of our countries and, most importantly, encouraging the use of those records to learn from our past.

Today, the Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO) released its 2017 Annual Report to the President on security classification and implementation of the Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) program.  ISOO’s report highlights the high cost and inefficiency of using outmoded systems to protect America’s classified information, and recommends that the President implement a Government-wide technology strategy for the management of classified information to combat inaccurate classification and promote more timely declassification.

Based on data collected from executive agencies, the call for a common technology solution and risk management strategy to coordinate necessary improvements in the classification system complements additional findings, recommendations and judgments in the ISOO report.

ISOO also prescribes that the Office of Management and Budget consider reforming the budget process to include security classification as a line-item, as well as to prioritize dedicated funds for research and development activities and to transform acquisition practices.

ISOO’s report notes that CUI program implementation remains challenging, with too many agencies providing only limited support.  ISOO believes that robust agency implementation of compliant CUI policies designed to better protect and facilitate the sharing of sensitive information would further advance the President’s management initiatives.  However, the sluggish rate of agency progress toward this goal requires immediate White House intervention.

See ISOO’s Annual Report to the President for FY 2017, for the complete set of findings, recommendations, and judgments, based on quantitative data gathered from executive branch agencies, as required under Executive Order 13526.

Special Collections & Archives, along with Strozier Library, the Claude Pepper Library and the Heritage Museum are closed in observance of Independence Day. All our spaces will resume normal hours on Thursday, July 5, 2018. We wish you a safe and happy Fourth of July!

This year, the National Archives celebrates the 242nd anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence with special events in Washington, DC, and at Presidential Libraries nationwide.

On July 2, 1776, the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence, declaring the United States independent of Great Britain. On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved. On August 2, 1776, delegates began to sign the engrossed Declaration of Independence penned by Timothy Matlack. For a detailed history of the founding document, be sure to read “The Declaration of Independence: A History” on Archives.gov.

As the trustees of our nation’s founding documents—the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights—the National Archives and Records Administration is a natural place to celebrate this national holiday.

For those of you in Washington, DC this July 4, stop by Constitution Avenue at 10 a.m. for a Declaration of Independence Reading Ceremony, then head inside for family activities from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can also join us for celebrations at our Presidential Libraries around the nation, or join the Washington festivities through Facebook Live, which will broadcast the events live. Watch last year’s celebration for a taste of the festivities.

Learn more and find a celebration near you on our July 4 Celebration events page. Wherever you are on July 4th, share your celebrations on social media using the hashtag #ArchivesJuly4.

 Independence Day Records at NARA

We can often take our founding documents for granted. I encourage all of us to take time during our Independence Day celebrations to read these documents and to pause and remember the difficult choices our nation’s Founders made and the meaning of these documents today.

• Engrossed Declaration of Independence
• Constitution of the United States
• Bill of Rights
• Film of the transfer of the Charters of Freedom from the Library of Congress to NARA
• Public Resolution directing the distribution of certain copies of the Declaration of Independence
• Papers of the Continental Congress

I wish you all a safe and happy Independence Day!