Lily Mayfield's Practicum at Chicago History Museum

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...