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Archiver > APG > 2009-02 > 1234707738


From:
Subject: Re: [APG] Working in Archives - Blog series
Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2009 08:22:18 -0600
In-Reply-To: <mailman.815.1234684972.22425.apg@rootsweb.com>


Debbie, thank you for pointing out this wonderful resource -- can't wait for
more.

I do agree that being well prepared, properly dressed, and reasonably decorous
are absolute musts for genealogists in any context. (David McDonald on
courthouses: dress like a lawyer, and you'll be treated like one.)

But it is hard to deduce from Ms. Kadens' comments why we are sometimes
unwelcome. Is it because we don't know enough? Or know too much? Or
occasionally have conversations with other researchers? It's hard to know which
way to jump. I would love to hear her explicit assessment on this point, but it
doesn't seem quite appropriate to throw that into the comments in that venue.

Since most of us don't hold advanced degrees in history or related fields, we
will usually not know as much about the relevant history in a given archive as
a professional historian. The more the better, of course, and it seems like
there's a minimal baseline of knowledge that we should all have --e.g., knowing
when the Civil War happened, or recognizing that the white-supremacist version
of Reconstruction history that was widely taught in my youth is just one
version and a highly dubious one at that. And recognizing that there's a lot
that we don't know, and even more that we don't realize that we don't know, can
help.

At the end of the day, though, it's hard not to suspect a bedrock of prejudice
against genealogy and genealogists per se. Like other (and much more damaging)
forms of prejudice, it would seem to be self-defeating in the long run for both
historians and archivists. In a country where "that's history" is a routine
dismissive term, to have a never-ending flow of newcomers who have discovered a
reason to take an interest in history ought to be a wonderful opportunity for
them.

Harold Henderson
http://midwesternmicrohistory.blogspot.com


> Message: 5
> Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2009 21:08:22 -0600
> From: Debbie Parker Wayne <>
> Subject: [APG] Working in Archives - Blog series
> To: APG <>
> Message-ID: <>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> The Legal History Blog has an interesting series of articles written by
> Emily E. Kadens, JD, of the University of Texas School of Law. She has
> some great tips on using archives and transcribing documents. Some of
> the tips have been covered in genealogical institutes and conference
> sessions I have attended, but some of them were new to me. I recommend
> this series to all genealogists who want to do professional level work
> in archives. I can't wait to read the rest of her series.
>
> I have to admit I was a little taken aback by the two comments she makes
> specifically related to genealogists. This just brings home the point
> that has often been made on this list about how we all need to act
> professionally and improve the image many have of genealogists. But I do
> wonder, no matter how well we present ourselves, how long will it take
> to get past the idea that we just "give the impression" of knowing what
> we are doing--as opposed to the REAL researchers who know what they are
> doing?
>
>
> http://legalhistoryblog.blogspot.com/ - Legal History Blog
>
>
> http://legalhistoryblog.blogspot.com/2009/02/working-in-archives-2-advanced.html
> -
> Working in Archives #2: advanced preparation
>
> "Archives these days are so full of people doing genealogical research
> that archivists are often rather relieved to get a request that does not
> have to do with family history research, and they might be more inclined
> to be helpful."
>
>
> http://legalhistoryblog.blogspot.com/2009/02/working-in-archives-3-using-archive.html
> Working in Archives #3: Using the archive
>
> "In addition, going to an archive for the first time can be very
> intimidating. There are likely to be a bunch of people there doing
> genealogical research or local history, who all know each other, and who
> all give the impression of knowing a great deal about what they are doing."
>
> --
> Regards, Debbie
>
> Debbie Parker Wayne
> Wayne Research -- http://debbiewayne.com/
> APG Lone Star Chapter -- http://lonestarapg.com/
> Webmaster
>


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