Lily Mayfield's Practicum at Chicago History Museum

I am now in the third week of updating authority records and bibliographic records to reflect women's actual names. I made some screenshots which you can see here, to show what the records looked like before I made changes.  Here is an example of the authority record for Mrs. George Adams before I made changes: Original authority record for Mrs. George Adams, from carte de visite collection at Chicago History Museum Here is the updated Authority record, with name now listed as Adele Foster Adams: Updated Authority Records for Adele Foster Adams from carte de visite collection at Chicago History Museum For some of the women's names, I found that there was already an authorized heading through Library of Congress (LCNAF).  So for those records, I had to download the MARC record for that individual, then import it into Horizon.  I would then open the MARC record imported from Library of Congress and merge it with the old record we had which did not include the woman's name....

This past week marked phase two of my practicum in which I began learning how to create local authority records for the women whose names I have researched.  I have now completed research on the pre-marriage names of 160 women in the carte de visite collection (sadly there are many hundreds more still to go).  As I researched the women's names I have used a rubric to note whether I am certain of the name I found, if it needs more research to verify the name, or if it was not found.  Right now, I am just working on the authority records for names of the women of whom I am certain.   At the Chicago History Museum, we are using Horizon as the Integrated Library System (ILS).  To update the authority record with the pre-marriage name of the women in the carte de visites, I first look up the name that it was originally listed under.  Then, I change the 100 field to a 400 field (personal name not used as the established heading) and I change the 100 field to...

 It's hard to believe that I am halfway done with my practicum.  The weeks have flown by.  I find myself getting completely wrapped up in the research process.  I'll be working another week on researching women's names and then I'll be learning how to begin adding new name authority files and updating the catalog.  I think part of what I'll remember about this experience is the amazing stories I have come across in researching the pre-marriage names of the women in the carte de visite collection. Elizabeth J. French, from the Carte de Visite collection at the Chicago History Museum One in particular comes to mind, the story of Elizabeth J. French.  She was a spiritual medium and physician who utilized the healing powers of electricity.  Not only that, I was amazed to learn the she left her husband and took her children with her from Pittsburgh to New York City to start her own practice.  And this was in the mid 1800s!  It blew my mind that sh...

I am continuing in the research and recovery phase of my practicum at Chicago History Museum.  As I work to recover women's names, I often come across some interesting stories.  There was one woman who had been living in Europe with her husband.  The husband was heading back to the U.S. to find and set up their new home and then the plan was that the wife would follow later.  However, the husband ended up returning to the U.S. on the Titanic.  He never made it home.  The wife was heartbroken and died a year later.  There was also a story about a well known Chicago businessman who was in love with another woman.  It went on this way for years.  When his wife died, he was finally able to marry the woman he loved, but then he died a year later.   You might wonder where I am finding this information.  Well, it is sometimes surprising the level of detail that is written into obituaries!  Some of the stories come from there, oth...

       I have just wrapped the second week of my practicum at Chicago History Museum.  Touring the facilities and seeing the vastness of their archives was incredible.  The sensation of feeling honored and privileged to see behind the scenes at the museum has not yet worn off!  The photo archive that I am working in is substantial.  Vertical files and archival boxes are full of every photographic process.  As I mentioned in the previous post, I am working with the carte de visite collection.  It is a small portion of the photographic holdings, but even it is quite extensive.  So far, I have only worked my way through about half of the first filing cabinet drawer (and I am only working with the unnamed women in the collection)!  Already I am wondering if I will get all the way through the items needing to be addressed in this collection by the end of my practicum.  Regardless, at least I am making a dent in it!   ...

This summer, I am wrapping up my MLIS degree with a practicum.  I will be working at the Chicago History Museum from May through August.  The word thrilled hardly encapsulates the level of interest and excitement I have about this opportunity.  For one, the Chicago History Museum is major institution, rich in cultural heritage resources.  For two, I feel like this practicum addresses all my interests in the field of libraries and archives: women's history, photography, and reparative cataloging.   So, let me tell you what I will be working on this summer.  I will be working with a collection of carte de visites.  If you are not familiar with this particular photographic medium, let me fill you in.  They were all the rage in the latter half of the nineteenth century.  Patented in 1854 by Andre Disderi, the Carte de visite was a small portrait photograph, about the size of a business card, which one could leave behind upon visiting someone...