{"id":7476,"date":"2023-08-02T10:50:55","date_gmt":"2023-08-02T15:50:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/studio\/?p=7476"},"modified":"2023-08-07T15:52:14","modified_gmt":"2023-08-07T20:52:14","slug":"the-epic-highs-and-lows-of-building-a-digital-archive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/studio\/2023\/08\/02\/the-epic-highs-and-lows-of-building-a-digital-archive\/","title":{"rendered":"The Epic Highs and Lows of Building a Digital Archive"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When I was setting goals at the beginning of the summer, I thought processing and uploading the entirety of the <\/span>Lowell Offering<\/span><\/i>\u2019s 5-year run would be reasonable. I was so wrong. I underestimated exactly how time-consuming the data entry would be and, around the halfway point, I realized I had to move along. Getting the items onto the site wasn\u2019t without challenges either. I wanted to include the digitized scans of the <\/span>Offering<\/span><\/i>, but I couldn\u2019t use the HathiTrust versions I\u2019d been working from because of Google\u2019s policies. Fortunately, Harvard had their own digitized versions that were freely available! Once the texts were uploaded, I had to figure out how to associate them with their respective authors and then connect those authors to <\/span>multiple <\/span><\/i>noms de plume. Fortunately, my incredible staff mentor, Nikki White, found a solution! Nikki was also an incredible resource while I was building the site! I had some requirements for the site that I wasn\u2019t willing to compromise on: it has to be easy to navigate and it has to be cute.  Nikki helped me find, implement, and tailor a theme to meet these needs! <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My favorite part of the work I did this summer was building exhibits for the site. I tried to focus on popular topics that would be valuable for users at all levels and some that would be fun, if less commonly discussed. I learned so much more about a body of work I\u2019d studied for years. Taking the time to carefully read these stories meant I found things I\u2019d completely missed! Like Louisa Currier\u2019s \u201cCelestial Scenery\u201d where a mill girl <\/span>goes to space<\/span><\/i>! <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"A<\/a>
A comedic Valentine poking fun at mill girl fashionistas.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

As a studio fellow, I worked on skills and developed ideas that set me up to continue building and expanding the archive. Once I finish the remaining texts in the <\/span>Offering, <\/span><\/i>I want to switch to another popular periodical like the <\/span>Voice of Industry<\/span><\/i>, which was also published out of Lowell. The more radical labor reform organ of the New England Workingman\u2019s Association, it is frequently contrasted with the <\/span>Offering. <\/span><\/i>Harriet Farley, the <\/span>Offering\u2019s <\/span><\/i>editor is likewise contrasted with Sarah Bagley, who worked for the <\/span>Voice. <\/span><\/i>I hope to contextualize the magazine\u2019s contents and disrupt the inadequate <\/span>Offering <\/span><\/i>vs. <\/span>Voice\/<\/span><\/i>Farley vs. Bagley<\/span> binary that can color the way we think about this diverse group of women. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m excited to continue my work on the Mill Girl Archive. It\u2019s such a rich and beautiful collection of works and I am so thankful I could use this fellowship time to make them more accessible.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n