New York in Bloom 2011, part four

New York in Bloom, the New York State Museum's annual fundraiser for its after-school programs, ended two weeks ago today. I usually don't post about things that happened so far in the past, but a couple of you have asked for a post focusing on the arrangement that were featured in the State Museum's Metropolis Hall, which chronicles the history of New York City. Moreover, I always relish the opportunity to highlight not only the State Museum's after-school programs, which have placed thousands of low-income young people on the path to college and careers, but also the good work being done by the State Museum's curators.

Fittingly, the entrance to Metropolis Hall features a relatively recent panoramic photograph of New York Harbor; this photograph replaced an older image in which the twin towers of the World Trade Center were prominently depicted.

Carol Zapp of the Bill Doran Company used salal, heather, sweet William, protea, brazillia, curly willow and grape vine to create the crowd-pleaser above; I was moving through the exhibits rather purposefully and stopped at one point to chat with one of the New York in Bloom volunteers, and several other museum-goers who realized that I worked in the building asked me to help them find this arrangement.

One of the first galleries in Metropolis Hall focuses upon New York's coastal life, including recreational activities such as cycling. Marilyn Ryan of the Garden Club of Kinderhook used roses, daisies, mums, and greens to create an arrangement that fit beautifully with the velocipede and other bicycles on display.

At one time, New York City and several Hudson Valley communities were whaling centers. Now, the sight of whales off of Long Island and, occasionally, in New York Harbor itself, is cause for a different kind of excitement and enthusiasm. This simple arrangement of spider mums, ginestra, pincushion protea, emu feather fern, bells of Ireland, croton leaves, trachelium, statice, and moss, created by Arnie Maliszewski of The Country Florist, subtly blends in with the skeleton of a right whale.

There were several lovely arrangements in the section of the exhibit devoted to the Port of New York, but the light was so dim that many of them didn't photograph well. However, this simple yet appealing arrangement was sitting under a spotlight; sadly, I neglected to record who created it.

Another gallery in Metropolis Hall chronicles the city's development from the seventeenth century to the present, using the development and expansion of Fifth Avenue as an organizing theme.
Barbara Guyette of W&P Enterprises used spray roses, "Amnesia" roses, Fiji mums, asters, solidago, carnations, Queen Anne's lace, and ferns to create an arrangement that complements a display of furniture that would have been found in an affluent colonial New Yorker's home.

Independent floral designer Mary Lourdes Genevieve's arrangement of fleur de lis ivy, standard and garden roses, forsythia, magnolia foliage, berzelia, French tulips, iris, eriostomen, and sheet moss beautifully complements pieces from the State Museum's extensive collection of colonial and early republican stoneware.

One Metropolis Hall gallery focuses on New York City's transition from a busy colonial port to the city of skyscrapers we know today. Eileen Horton of Laurel's Flower Shop created a refreshingly springlike arrangement of bells of Ireland, miniature carnations, lilies, gladiolus, larkspur, and lemon leaf that greeted attendees who entered this gallery from the south.

Medina Jones and Sarah Lince of the Albany BOCES created an arrangement Gerbera daisies (full-sized and miniature), amaranthus, leather leaf, Ti leaves, snapdragons, limonium, and larkspur that complemented panels chronicling early skyscrapers.

The City of Albany Garden Crew -- the public employees who beautify my city's public spaces -- created a miniature skyscraper of pussy willow, white birch, box elder, grapevine, white pine, oak leaves, heather, amaryllis, eucalyptus, carnation, rose, solidago, lily, chrysanthemum, sunflowers, bamboo, rubber tree leaves, and liatris.

Linda Knipper of the Capital Hudson Iris Society created twin arrangements of chrysanthemums, willow, and leather leaf wholly consistent with the sleek formalism of modernist towers of mirrored glass.

Most of Metropolis Hall focuses upon different Manhattan neighborhoods. The section focusing upon the Lower East Side chronicles the lives of immigrants who worked in the neighborhood's garment factories or did piecework at home and organized collectively on their own behalf. Jane Hulsopple of the New York State Home Bureau Federation-Rennselaer County created an arrangement of roses, pine, carnations, tree ferns, pussy willow, and curly willow to complement a display relating to garment production.

Above, my hands-down favorite, created by Beverly Kallner of the Kinderhook Garden Club. It consists of chrysanthemums, dasies, alstromeria, limonium, pompom mums, iris, baby's breath, million star, and . . . records documenting the immigrant experience!

At the top of the arrangement, a marriage certificate.

And at bottom, a certificate of naturalization. How could any archivist fail to love this arrangement? (Okay, I realize that, from a preservation point of view, this sort of display is less than ideal, but New York in Bloom is a three-day event and all of the records were placed well away from the flowers' water source. Moreover, these records are the property of the designer, who is absolutely free to incorporate them into her arrangements if she so chooses.)

This striking composition of lilies, gerbera daisies, pussy willow and other elements sat in the doorway of the storefront of the Tuck High Company, a Chinatown retailer. Unfortunately, I recorded minimal information about the creator, Maria K.

Another favorite, created by Merilyn Niles, Jane Arsenau, and Marge Lansing of the Blue Creek Garden Club for the southern entrance of the gallery documenting life in Harlem in the 1920s. It consists of lilies, faciated willow, alium, and Spanish moss.

Martha Kissinger and Marcy Corneil of the Bethlehem Garden Club created arrangements of chrysanthemums, roses, alstromeria, limonium, leather leaf, seeded eucalyptus, and bells of Ireland that would have met the approval of African-American cosmetics magnate and society hostess Madame C.J. Walker.

My first thought upon seeing this arrangement, which sat between the Harlem gallery and a section of the Fifth Avenue exhibit focusing upon Art Deco: "Take me here, under the disco ball." Independent floral designer Matt Decker used fiddlehead ferns, craspedia, "Schwartzwalder" calla lilies, crosconia, agapanthus, kiwi vine, a disco ball, and boogie music to pay homage to Studio 54.

The section of Metropolis Hall focusing upon a fictional Manhattan neighborhood -- Sesame Street -- is an enormous hit with the youngest museum-goers. Even though it doesn't feature any animatronic Muppets or sophisticated video, the under-fives approach it reverentially and gaze at it rapturously until their parents get bored and prod them to move on.

Oscar the Grouch doesn't seem to like the arrangement to his left, but then again, why would he? Margie Amodeo of Emil J. Nagengast Florist built it of green trachelium dianthus, Gerbera daisies, and greens.

Amodeo also placed glass bowls of Gerbera daisies -- Popover, Kayak, Carambale, Grandiva, Fire Starter, and Colt -- on the stairs of the Sesame Street brownstone.

Another section of Metropolis Hall focuses upon New York City's transportation infrastructure. It features a subway car (ca. 1940), a scale model of Grand Central Terminal (which I could devote hours to examining), and other artifacts such as this ornate West 58th Street ferry sign. Donald Bennett of White Cottage Gardens created an arrangement of ivy, quince, variegated pit [sic], lemon leaf, gladiolus, roses, and dusty miller that complemented it.

This appealing composition by Kathleen Rohlfs of Chatham Flowers and Gifts was comprised of knifeblade acacia, curly willow, magnolia, flax, fern shoots, dubium, green muscari, clematis, cymbidium orchids, anthurium, green ball dianthus, pincushion protea, lotus pods, sweet huck and quince. In the background, you can see graphic works documenting the growth of New York City.

With the exception of a small arrangement at its entrance, the most recent addition to Metropolis Hall--a gallery focusing on the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001--was devoid of flowers. It's a place for sober reflection, not aesthetic appreciation, and even the most subdued arrangements would have been out of place there.

The Fire Engine Hall, which occupies the northeastern corner of the State Museum, was another story. Always a favorite with children, the Fire Engine Hall demands bold compositions. This little engine stands ready to bring curly willow, plumeria, hydrangea, lilies, roses, and carnations to those in need. It was designed by Mark Felthausen of Felthausen's Florist.

This trio of arrangements by Lindsey Janawicz and Lisa Binnacchia of the Albany BOCES features hypericum berries, spider mums, anthurium, spiral eucalyptus, curly willow, solidago, snapdragons, roses, statice, calla lilies, delphinium, carnations, and alstromeria.

Connie Strong Wilbur of the Bethlehem Garden Club created this eye-catching composition of lemon leaf, amaryllis, anthurium, tulips, and curly willow.

Red was also a popular choice for the arrangements in the State Museum's main lobby, which featured a Sears Model K automobile (ca. 1910) that was placed on display for New York in Bloom. Erin Brady of Crazy Daisy Florist used roses, hypericum berries, Gerbera daisies, carnations, black fiddlehead ferns, alstromeria, and bear grass to create these twin pieces.

This stunning piece by Joan Reilly of Henry F. Clas Florist featured Ti leaves, carnations, hypericum, and gerbera daisies.

Although not nearly as eye-grabbing as some of its neighbors, this sweet, simple arrangement of iris, hydrangea, and delphinium made me smile. It brought to mind crocuses peeking up through the snow -- a sure sign of spring.

New York in Bloom really does seem to have given spring a much-needed push: after a colder, snowier, and icier than usual January and February, March is being relatively kind to us. The days are getting longer, and the daytime temperatures are consistently above freezing. The daffodils and the tulips -- a particularly welcome sight in this old Dutch city -- will soon start emerging from the ground, and in a few short weeks, New York really will be in bloom.

Archival continuing education opportunities in New York's Capital District

If you're an archivist who lives or works in the Hudson Valley, southern Vermont, western Massachusetts, or eastern Connecticut, the following continuing education opportunities may be of interest to you.

17 March 2011, Albany: FREE Security Training
The New York State Office of Cultural Education Security Committee is hosting a special training event on the protection of cultural property. Entitled "Identifying and Responding to Both External and Internal Loss Incidents," this interactive session was developed by the National Archives and Records Administration’s new Holdings Protection Team and is being delivered to NARA branches throughout the country as part of their security initiative. Larry Evangelista, Michael Knight and Lee Johnson, members of NARA’s Holdings Protection Team, will present and facilitate this 90-minute version of the training session, especially customized for us. Topics include:

• Warning signs of external and internal theft
• Loss Prevention techniques for all types of facilities
• Policies and procedures for prevention strategy
• Communicating security concerns and incident response
• Strategies for interacting with the public when a theft is suspected
  

The session is Thursday, March 17, 2011 from 10:00am until 12:00pm, with a brief break. It will be held at the Cultural Education Center's Huxley Theater. The CEC is part of the Empire State Plaza in Albany, NY and is on Madison Avenue, across the Plaza from the State Capitol Building. For directions, public transit and parking information, visit http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/information/general/muswhere.html.

There is no cost to attend this presentation; however, reservations are required. To RSVP, please contact Brittany Turner at bturner-at-mail.nysed.gov call 518-473-0130 by Wednesday, March 15, 2011.

27 April 2011, Waterford: Fundraising for Preservation and Conservation Workshop
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Conservation's Bureau of Historic Sites is hosting a fundraising workshop at its Peebles Island Resource Center (PIRC) headquarters.

Through thoughtful planning and effective grant writing, your organization can be competitive in the race for public and private funding to preserve cultural collections. This workshop will examine the planning process that funders want to see in place and the components that make a grant request compelling. With examples drawn from success stories at museums, historic sites, libraries, and archives, program participants will gain an understanding of how to effectively develop and implement a funding strategy to raise money for their collections.

The workshop will address:

• Planning: Moving from a preservation needs assessment to a funding strategy
• Potential funding sources: Triaging your time to focus on your best funding prospects
• Writing the request: Anticipating the funder's questions and answering them concisely
• Evaluation: Incorporating the new standards

Instructor Lee Price, Director of Development at the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts, has worked as a fundraising consultant for many regional and national cultural institutions. He has written successful grant requests for preservation funding from the Institute for Museum and Library Services, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, and Save America's Treasures.

WATERFORD, NY - APRIL 27, 2011
Peebles Island Resource Center (PIRC)
Peebles Island State Park
Waterford, NY 12188
Driving directions are available at: http://nysparks.state.ny.us/historic-preservation/bhs/getting-there.aspx

Program times
8:45 AM - 9:15 AM Registration & Refreshments
9:15 AM - 4:45 PM Program
4:45 PM Optional tour of the Conservation Laboratory, PIRC, Waterford, NY [not to be missed!]

There is a program fee of $110, and registrations must be completed two weeks prior to the workshop date. Registration, secure credit card payment, and additional program information are available at:
www.ccaha.org/education/programm-calendar

• Lunch will not be provided. However, a list of local restaurants will be available and
• participants are welcome to bring lunch.
• Refunds will be given until two weeks prior to the program date, minus a $25 cancellation fee.
• If you have special needs, please contact CCAHA three weeks prior to the workshop date so that accommodations can be made.

The Academy of Certified Archivists will award five Accreditation Recertification Credits (ARCs) to eligible Certified Archivists (CAs) attending this program. For more information, go to: www.certifiedarchivists.org.

To learn more about CCAHA and its programs and services, please visit its website at www.ccaha.org. If you have any questions about this workshop, call CCAHA Preservation Services at 215-545-0613 or send an e-mail to pso-at-ccaha.org.

New York in Bloom, part three

New York in Bloom, the New York State Museum's annual fundraiser for its award-winning after-school programs, has been over for more than a week, but I'm going to devote at least two more posts to it. It's been a rough winter. Here in Albany, we've had a lot of snow and a lot of bitter cold, and at the time of this writing heavy rain is giving way to an ice storm that promises to be almost as nasty as the one depicted in the Ang Lee film. We've spent too much time looking at snow, sleet, ice, slush, and the wretched gray slop that coats the roadways and curbs, and New York in Bloom provides a much-needed dose of warmth, color, and fragrance.

The State Museum's permanent Adirondack Wilderness exhibit includes a section highlighting the various minerals found in New York State. My subjective impression is that Minerals of New York is one of the most popular displays; men, in particular, seem to relish looking at the geological specimens, but a lot of women (myself included) are also drawn to it.

This simple yet stunning arrangement of "Lilac Shock" gladiolus, created by Andrew Koehn of Mohonk Mountain House, greeted visitors at the western entrance to the minerals display.

I love white and green floral arrangements, and this composition of miniature lilies, carnations, spray roses, gladiolus, calla lilies, myrtle, seeded eucalyptus, leather leaf, and tulips pleased me deeply. Anna Munafo of Price Chopper Central Market Florist created it.

Craig T. Waltz, Jr., of Fleurelite Floral Design created this amazing arrangement of oncydium orchids, king protea, pincushion protea, ti leaves, heliconia, winter flame dogwood, and monstera leaves. It's beautiful and just a bit alien -- just like some of the adjacent geological specimens.

The Native Peoples of New York gallery is one of two galleries on the south side of the State Museum. This arrangement by independent floral designer Anthony Macarelli sat at the gallery entrance. Sunflowers, Alstromeria, statis, iris, tulips, and monte casino asters sit in a basket that resembles the Iroquois baskets on display in the gallery.

This arrangement, created by Susan Peter of Bud's Florist and Greenhouse, sits outside a replica Iroquois longhouse -- which is a perennial favorite of young visitors. Information about the composition of this arrangement was not available.

Audrey Hawkins and Melissa Palmer of the Fort Orange Garden Club produced an arrangement that blends beautifully with the section of the gallery devoted to Iroquois baskets. It feature leucodendron, St. John's Wort, Peruvian lilies, pittosporum, huckleberry, zebra grass, bear grass, and bunny tail.

And this arrangement, by Pamela Nagengast of Emil J. Nagengast Florist, perfectly complements the Iroquois beadwork display. It consists of dendrobium orchids, matsumoto aster, trichillium, curly willow, thistle, statice, and miniature Gerbera daisies.

The remainder of the State Museum's South Hall is home to a permanent exhibit on Ancient Life in New York and a Photography Gallery and Exhibition Hall that feature temporary exhibits. At present, the Photography Gallery is home to Farmers, Warriors, Builders: The Hidden Life of Ants.

Unfortunately, I neglected to note the name of the creator of this exhibit or any details about its composition. However, I liked it so much that I'm including it in this post. From the top, it looks very much like a traditional, pleasingly springlike arrangement. However, the globe at the bottom, which brings to mind ant habitat, is an unexpected and interesting touch.

This composition of pincushion protea, equisetum, lemon leaf, safari sunset, speckled aspidistra, dendrobium orchids, seaster fern, green spider mums, bird of paradise, and song of India visually echoes the spindly ant on the far wall. It was created by Dan Foley of the Bethlehem Garden Club.

The image is a little out of focus, but the arrangement is too good to omit: independent floral designer Anthony Macarelli's ants survey their peers on the wall. The ants and their habitat are comprised of statis, assorted mosses, anturium, bromeliads, succulents, pine cones, seed pods, burning bush, and peanut shells.

At present, the Exhibition Hall is home to Citizen Soldier: New York's National Guard in the American Century. Peter Scranton of the Schenectady ARC created this arrangement of delphinium, tulips, carnations, spider mums, and pittisporum for the exhibit entrance, which features an M8 Greyhound Light Armored Car used during the Second World War.

The Crossroads Gallery is in the East Hall, which is almost completely given over to a permanent exhibit documenting the development of New York City. However, it is used to house temporary exhibits. At the moment, it is home to The Landscape of Memory - Prints by Frank C. Eckmair. Eckmair's work focuses on the rural landscapes of central New York; if you're so inclined, the online companion to the exhibit will give you a tantalizing taste of his work.

On Thai of Surroundings Floral Studio used forsythia, roses, dianthus, leucodendron, lily, sellum, philodendron, aspidistra, bear grass and galas leaves to complement the entrance to the exhibit.

The Bird Hall, which sits between the East and West Halls and immediately to the north of the South Hall, houses the permanent Birds of New York exhibit.

It's a New York in Bloom tradition to devote the Bird Hall to floral roomscapes, and Kimberly Seymour of Embellir used her alloted space to create a country kitchen comprised of carnations, roses, tulips, statice, daisies, and buttom mums. Check out those carnation cupcakes!

Benjamin Hodder of Frame of Light produced a sophisticated dining room featuring variegated aspidistra, roses, carnations, Gerbera daisies, birds of paradise, pincushion protea, asters, and delphinium.

This impressive array of tablescapes -- one for each month of the year -- was created by Barbara Guyette, Charles Guyette, and Linda Savage of W&P Enterprises. It features white wax flowers, blue juniper, dried cattails, grasses, yarrow, spray roses, white lilies, kalanchoe, red roses, white mums, purple statice, red carnations, blue spruce, and blue juniper.

Douglas Fisher of Designs by Douglas always creates sophisticated, eye-catching roomscapes. This minimalist dining room features cymbidium orchids, phalaenopsis orchids, and hydrangea. And blacklight. Lots and lots of blacklight.

CLIR digital forensics report

Last December, the Council on Library and Information Resources released Digital Forensics and Born-Digital Content in Cultural Heritage Collections. In it, Matthew G. Kirshenbaum (Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities, University of Maryland), Richard Ovenden (Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford), and Gabriela Redwine (Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas at Austin) detail how investigative techniques and applications developed by law enforcement personnel can be of use to archivists and librarians working with born-digital manuscripts and other types of electronic cultural heritage materials.

I've been aware of this report for some time, but didn't have the chance to skim it until yesterday afternoon. I came away deeply impressed. It provides a handy introduction to the principles and practices of digital forensics, highlights the ways in which digital forensics tools can help to safeguard the authenticity and trustworthiness of born-digital materials, and explains how these tools can help to recover information that has been deleted or stored in legacy formats. Moreover, it explains, clearly and succinctly, a lot of things that archivists who work with electronic records really should know more about, such as how data is recorded onto magnetic media and the differences between and intricacies of file directory structures. It also discusses the ethical implications of using law enforcement tools and techniques to analyze electronic materials created by people who are not accused of wrongdoing, willingly gave their materials to a repository, and might be stunned to learn that the repository can recover financial data and other files that they thought they had deleted prior to transfer.

This report is essential reading for anyone who does hands-on work with electronic records or other types of born-digital cultural heritage materials.

New York in Bloom 2011, part two

As promised, here are more images from New York in Bloom, the annual fundraiser that benefits the New York State Museum's after-school programs. I'm a big fan of New York in Bloom -- it's a sure sign that spring is on its way -- but I'm an even bigger fan of the programs, which have a dramatic impact on the lives of children and teenagers from low-income families. Approximately 4,000 young people have been served by the Museum Club (ages 8-13) and the Discovery Squad (ages 14-18). Every enrollee receives intensive academic support (adults help Discovery Squad members, and Discovery Squad members earn a small stipend for tutoring Museum Club members), goes on educational field trips, and does a lot of hands-on learning using the Museum's collections, and the teens get help preparing for the SAT and Regents exams, exploring careers, and visiting and applying to colleges. To date, every Discovery Squad student has graduated from high school, and 92 percent have been accepted to college.

All of the photographs in today's post were taken in the State Museum's permanent Adirondack Wilderness exhibit.

At the moment, a small section of the Adirondack Wilderness exhibit is devoted to abolitionist John Brown, who bought a farm in North Elba in 1949 and who is buried on the property. Perhaps not surprisingly, there were no arrangements placed anywhere near the panels describing Brown's life and actions or the handful of artifacts associated with Brown and his family; however, I found it interesting that most of the people who left comments in the notebook immediately beneath the panel asking whether Brown was a murderer or martyr were of the opinion that he was a martyr.

The section of the exhibit devoted to logging was home to many arrangements, including this small but arresting composition by Craig Walsh, Jr. of Fleurelite Floral Design. According to the placard next to the arrangement, Walsh used hala leaf, heliconia, crespida, echeverria, and calla lilies; however, I believe that birds of paradise were substituted for the lilies.

Cynthia Campbell of the Blue Creek Garden Club created a basket of gladioli, spider mums, bells of Ireland, hybrid lilies, daisy mums, seeded eucalyptus, salal leaves, amaranthus, and birch, curly willow, and red dogwood branches that simultaneously stands out from and fades into a mammoth black and white photograph of an Adirondack forest.

Two arrangements by Steve Dominiak of Surroundings Floral Studio complement rough-hewn men working with rough-hewn logs. They feature sunflowers, monte casino, pussy willow, aspidistra, cedar, galax leaves, and phimosa fern.

A better view of the second arrangement.

Simplicity can be compelling, as this detail of an arrangement created by Michael Harbison, Kyle Shiland, and Cindy Wood of the Bill Doran Company attests. Phalaenopsis orchids, reindeer moss, river rocks, glass bowls, a metal stand, and bamboo stakes are as arresting as the adjacent Adirondack fire tower.

Eryngium, leucodendron, liatris, acacia, green trick dianthus, spider mums, protea, and umbrella, sea star, and dingo ferns stand in front of the elk pond. This arrangement was created by June Keane of the Heritage Garden Club.

At top right, a Canada lynx. Front and center, an arrangement of pincushion protea, orange roses, yellow spray roses, preserved oak leaves, wheat, mugo pine, cedar, and mushrooms by independent floral designer Cynthia Weyl.

Larry LaMere of the Schenectady ARC created this arrangement of Gerbera daisies, tulips, lilies, spray roses, alstromeria, solidago, cedar, fir, and birch branches for the section of the exhibit relating to Adirondack geology.

A close-up of LaRose's work. Note the rocks along the edge of the planter.

This sweetly springlike composition by Holly Hemming of Felthausen's Florist is comprised of Gerbera daisies, snapdragons, yellow aster, tulips, lemon leaf, myrtle, pitisporum, birch branches, lemon grass, sheet moss, and Spanish moss.

Sophie Nagengast of Emil J. Nagengast Florist used sweet blackberry, African boxwood, foxtail, magnali, horsetail rush, curly willow, ornito, dendrobium orchids, Kilimanjaro Gerber daisies, hypericum, and French tulips to create this wintry arrangement set up in the hunting, fishing, and trapping segment of the exhibit.

Donald Bennett of White Cottage Gardens created one of my favorites: a simple, inviting arrangement of liatris, boxwood, heather, and iris.

Alas, none of my photographs do justice to this showy, fragrant beauty, which was also created by Donald Bennett. It consists of hydrangea, stargazer lilies, roses, pussy willow, quince, hyacinth, and dusty miller.

This sweet, understated arrangement, created by Jean Smith, sits in the section of the exhibit devoted to tuberculosis sanitariums. It consists of lilies, solidago, eryngium, ferns, greens, and birch branches.

Jean Smith and Cub Scout Pack 350 used solidago, pussy willow, monte casino, delphinium, daisies, and pittosporum to highlight Scouting activities in the Adirondacks.

Another favorite, created by Craig R. Waltz of Fleurelite Floral Design. This loon is swimming amid black pussy willow, curly willow, calla lilies, crespida, oncydium orchids, echeverria, and moss.

Electronic records: essential readings

Last week, I taught an electronic records workshop on behalf of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference. As I was putting together my presentation and supporting materials, I identified three readings that are, in my opinion, absolutely essential. If you're trying to make sense of the predicament in which the archival profession currently finds itself, get a grip on core electronic records theory, or trying to figure out how to put theory into practice, start with the following:

Brian F. Lavoie, The Open Archival Information System Reference Model: Introductory Guide (Digital Preservation Coalition Technology Watch Series 04-01. January 2004).

The Open Archival Information System (OAIS) Reference Model provides the theoretical foundation of most electronic records and digital preservation projects and programs today, and anyone who works with electronic records must become familiar with it. LaVoie, who works at OCLC Research, has written a straightforward, concise overview that amply covers all of the essentials.

Richard Pearce-Moses and Susan E. Davis, "Knowledge and Skills Inventory," in New Skills for a Digital Era (Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 2006), 1-33.

Pearce-Moses and Davis, both of whom are now archival educators (Pearce-Moses at Clayton State and Davis at Drexel) highlight recent changes in the "information ecosystem" and the archival, information studies, and communications skills that 21st-century archivists must have in order to come to grips with these changes.

Chris Prom, Practical E-Records (Blog)

Chris Prom is the assistant university archivist at the University of Illinois Archives and is currently a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Dundee, Center for Archive and Information Studies, where he is evaluating software tools and conceptual models for identifying, preserving, and providing access to electronic records. The "Recommendations" section of Practical E-Records contains an excellent draft framework for conducting an initial internal assessment, writing an electronic records program statement, developing electronic records submission/acquisition policies, building basic technological infrastructure, and developing preservation and access plans. Detailed reviews of open source software tools are also included.

New York In Bloom 2011, part one

Phaelenopsis orchids, part of a display of specimens organized by the Northeastern New York Orchid Society.

New York in Bloom, the New York State Museum's annual fundraiser for its after-school programs, was held on 25-27 February 2011. Over 100 floral arrangements designed to complement the exhibits were installed throughout the galleries, a temporary flower shop was set up in the lobby, and flower arranging and other tutorials were held in the classrooms.

Posting New York in Bloom photos is a bit of a tradition on this blog, and in past years I've posted them on the day I took them. However, it just wasn't in the cards this year. I was on the road on the 25th and missed the opening day, staffed the State Archives public reference desk on the 26th and got to spend less than 30 minutes in the State Museum galleries, and felt compelled to post about the death of Frank Buckles and its significance yesterday. As a result, this year's going to be a little different: for the remainder of this week, I'm going to alternate posts about New York in Bloom and posts about electronic records -- lots of interesting stuff has come my way over the past few weeks, but I simply haven't had the chance to post about any of it.

All of the arrangements pictured below were set up in the New York State Museum's West Gallery and West Hall. They were taken down on Sunday, and New York in Bloom 2011 is now a memory. However, its evanescence is part of its charm . . . and within a few short weeks, New York truly will be in bloom.

Exhibits in the West Gallery change frequently. At the moment, it's home to Not Just Another Pretty Place: The Landscape of New York, which "explores the many ways the landscape of New York State has been recorded, romanticized, utilized, and imagined" (and closes on 3 March, so now is a good time to visit!) Evan Euripidou of Anthology Studio created an arrangement of curly willow, Italian ruscus, Florida cedar, sword fern, African boxwood, aspidistra, lemon leaf, rush, tulips, freesia, safari sanset protea, ornithagulum, and trabellium that beckons visitors to venture within.

An arrangement of alstromeia, iris, hydrangea, delphinium, seeded eucalyptus, schefflera, asparagus fern, roses, bamboo and spikes created by Reneta Benenanti of the Garden Club of Kinderhook perfectly complements Albert Pels's Tar Beach (ca. 1938) and Thomas McKnight's Brooklyn Bridge II (1981).

Joan Reilly of Henry Clas Florist used solidago, pittosporum, dianthus, bells of Ireland, trachelium, hypericum, and curly willow to complement a folk art panel and other furniture produced in New York State.

A simple but striking arrangement of strelitz reginae, bird of paradise, oncidium orchid, and New Zealand flax, created by Mary Bohnet of the New York State Capital District Sogetsu Study Group, nicely complements wrought iron fencing and furniture.

Blondin Crossing the Niagara Falls for Lloyd's News, a two-part 1896 lithograph produced by Sir Joseph Caston and Sons, is visually compelling. This arrangement by Erin Brady of Crazy Daisy Florist, which consists of iris, monte casino, thistle, curly willow, and pussy willow, complements both the lithograph and the wrought iron bench sitting beneath it.

Connie Strong Wilbur of the Bethlehem Garden Club produced a landscape of lemon leaf, tulips, ruscus, iris, heather, spider mums, and trachellium that fits perfectly among a series of landscape paintings.

The birds perched amongst the yellow Asiatic lilies, white alstromeria, purple gladioli, and aspidistra arranged by Laurel Rice of Laurel's Flower Shop look as if they might have flown out of J.W. Hill's Adirondack watercolors.

At present, the Research Gallery section of the West Hall is home to Beneath the City: An Archeological Perspective of Albany, which highlights some of the artifacts that came to light when a section of the city's waterfront was partially excavated in preparation for construction of a parking garage. (Yes, in their infinite wisdom, our state and city leaders decided against attempting to capitalize upon Albany's unique past -- never mind that Jamestown, Virginia is attracting more than a few tourist dollars by doing so -- and focused on solving parking problems.)

Above, the remains of an 18th century rum distilling vat, with protea, aspidistra, tulips, bergolia, grape vine, and Spanish moss arranged by Yetta Teo of the Greenport Garden Club.

The stoneware jug that holds the arrangement of lillies, Gerbera daisies, stock, waxflowers, and pittisporum that Donna Vincent of the Schenectady ARC created echoes the adjacent display of crockery fragments recovered from the excavation site.

The Country Florist's Jan O'Brien assembled a very spring-seeming collection of flowers: alstomeria, aster, carnation, daffodil, liatris, roses, croton leaves, moss, myrtle, and sea star fern.

This arrangement by Sue Dillhoff of the Greenport Garden Club sits in a transitional space between the Beneath the City exhibit and the permanent Adirondack Wilderness exhibit that occupies most of the West Hall. At the moment, this space highlights the State Museum's holdings and research activities, and the Asiatic lilies, alstromeria, Gerbera daisies, snapdragons, leather leaves, lencodendron, asparagus fern, and antique-looking jug and glasses bring into it the oranges and yellows of Behind the City.

This simple but dramatic arrangement of hydrangea, lilies, roses, wax flowers, and bear grass was created by Michelle Peters of Ambiance Florals and Events.

The space outlining the State Museum's holdings and research activities quickly gives way to the vast Adirondack Wilderness exhibit. This wintry exhibit of green and purple trachelium, quince, ming fern, foxtail, flowering branch, curly willow, gypsophilia, and star of Bethlehem, created by Emily Pecora of the Albany BOCES, marked one point of entry into it.

Tomorrow's post will highlight some essential electronic records readings, but I'll post more photographs from the Adirondack Wilderness exhibit on Thursday.