RICHES Internship Blog Post #1

           Hello, my name is Sabrina. I am a graduate student studying history in the public history track at the University of Central Florida. My personal research for my master’s thesis will look at crime, punishment, and race in Sanford, Florida. Last semester, I completed an internship working with the UCF Special Collections and University Archives. In that internship, I had worked on processing the Carol Mundy Research Files, as well as creating the finding aid for the collection. Due to COVID-19, I was unable to finish processing the collection before the library was closed because of the pandemic, so I was instructed to work from home, as everyone else was. The main task I was given was to assist in creating an Excel spread sheet and compile metadata that would assist me and others working on the STARS Historical Buildings history bios now and in the future. I chose to write my bio on the house of the University of Central Florida President, known as Burnett House. I thought it would give me an interesting background about the university, since I am not from the area or this state originally. My bio on Burnett House can now be found on the STARS website, which I gave my permission for it to be posted. Once we are allowed to return to the library, I will be volunteering to finish up processing the Carol Mundy Research Files. This previous internship gave me a lot of insight and prepared me for the next step of my internships. It also helped me to realize what I am passionate about academically and professionally. I love archiving, digital archiving, and want to learn more about the process and importance of metadata in archiving.
            Towards the middle to end of last semester, I was discussing with Dr. French what my next internship should be since I wanted to do something related to digital tools. My interest in digital tools has continued to grow since taking Dr. French’s Digital Tools for Historians course in fall 2019. I have become interested in the ways in which archivists can use various digital mediums in times of mass pandemics to make print media more widely accessible to the public, students, staff, and faculty. Anyway, Dr. French encouraged me to reach out to Dr. Lester to see if I could work on the RICHES internship since it was so closely aligned with my interests. After all was said and done, I received this wonderful opportunity and am really looking forward to everything we will be doing during the whole summer semester.
            This week my friend Anna, who is also in the program and an intern this semester, and I had our first meeting with Dr. Lester and Geoff Cravero to start our internship with RICHES. Before our Zoom meeting, we were emailed the syllabus, and several other documents including one about how to properly conduct oral histories, the importance of metadata, a copy of the RICHES MI metadata Excel sheet with an example on it for us so we can see how Dr. Lester and Geoff would like the work to be done. Lastly, we received the RICHES metadata handbook. During our meeting Dr. Lester went over the syllabus with us. She described in detail each element of the internship which was very beneficial for me. Geoff discussed with us the metadata/Weeki Wachee project. Geoff and Dr. Lester instructed us to try one of the pieces of metadata and then submit it to Geoff for approval before progressing further. We will also be transcribing oral histories. At the end of the meeting Anna and I decided which individual or group from a selected list we were interested in. I chose an individual who had worked closely with the Alliance for Truth and Justice to document lynching in the area. I chose this individual because of their advocacy, as well as the fact that they worked closely with the Alliance for Truth and Justice to document lynching, and this in part is what my thesis will look at. Anna and I also decided between the two of us, after our meeting, which was going to be the first piece of metadata we were going to try out. I have been reading over all the documents that Dr. Lester and Geoff have emailed to us including the metadata handbook. I will also be working on my first piece of metadata today and this weekend. There are several other projects we will be working on for this internship as well, about five in total, which does not include the blogs. However, I am really looking forward to everything as it will give Anna and I a really great new skillset and enhance some of our preexisting knowledge. I am looking forward to what this summer and this internship has in store for us.

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