Life changed drastically due to COVID-19. Classes and work, including internships, have become remote (pictured is my work from home setup). While much archival work is hands-on, there is plenty to keep me busy for the rest of the semester.

While I may not have access to ArchivesSpace remotely, I've worked on parts of the finding aid for the George Chambers Papers, such as the Biographical Note. Fortunately, I happened to take lots of photos of clippings and other materials describing Chambers. These are helpful because there isn't much information about him online. On the other hand, I've noticed date discrepancies between sources regarding when he moved to Tucson and retired.

I've also started reading Teaching Undergraduates with Archives edited by Nancy Bartlett, Elizabeth Gadelha, and Cinda Nofziger. The introduction explains that instruction has increasingly become a part of an archivist's job responsibilities. (Near the end of my graduate program, I'm wishing I had taken an instruction course!) Echoing what I've heard across higher ed, archivists are also incorporating more active learning strategies.

Another project I've begun is researching collections management policies from other institutions. I've compiled more than 60 so far. In my LIS 640 class, we learned about the different sections they may have. As I suspected, no two institutions' policies are identical. Some are comprehensive PDFs while others are super brief and refer to the general policy of the library. I'll note that it's surreal to see all the website banners and alerts describing limited operations due to COVID-19 . . .