We headed over to the Kenan Research Center to ask our team of archivists and experts your most pressing questions.
Here’s what they had to say.
How did you get into archival work?
Ben C., Project Archivist
In college! I worked as a library assistant digitizing special collections before interning at AHC and transitioning into an archival processing role.
Caitlin M., Project Archivist
After graduating college, I had the opportunity to do a project processing two bilingual collections at the Oglethorpe University Archives, where I attended undergrad. One of the collections belonged to my former Japanese professor.
Kate D., Senior Archivist
As an undergraduate student in film and photography, I became very interested in the history of those technologies and the operation of visual archives, which led me to interning and working with local archives on various film and photography collections.
Thora J., Cherokee Garden Library Project Archivist
I came to AHC for a research project about the former Ford Assembly Plant in Atlanta during my third year at Emory. I came back as visual archives intern that Summer and joined the Cherokee Garden Library following my internship to process landscape architecture collections.
Ariana L., Processing Archivist
During my sophomore year of college, I became an Archivist Assistant at my alma mater’s library.
Jess B., Project Archivist
In college I volunteered as an Intern at the Northeast Georgia History Center where I first worked with collections and archives.
What is the greatest challenge with working in archives?
Thora J., Cherokee Garden Library Project Archivist
The greatest challenge is finding the context for materials that offer very little information. Although it can be difficult, researching and piecing together a story for new materials is also the most rewarding part of working in the archives.
Kate D., Senior Archivist
One of our greatest challenges is processing our backlog of uncatalogued materials. We receive hundreds of donations each year, and with limited staffing, we can only process a handful of collections each year.
Jess B., Project Archivist
Space! In archives there is seldom enough space to store everything that we are given. As a history lover, it can be difficult to decide which materials to prioritize.
Ben C., Project Archivist
When processing archival collections, preservation is one of the greatest challenges. Because we work with a variety of historic materials, things like mold, rust, water, and light damage are not uncommon and often require remediation before researchers can safely handle items.
What is your greatest archival find?
Jess B., Project Archivist
I have processed many records pertaining to racial discrimination among employees of the Central of Georgia Railway records; however, the most significant find was a subject file on a suit called “Odell Jones, Dock Rutledge and A. C. Cain et al., Petitioners, v. Central of Georgia Railway Company.” In this suit, the claimants argued that the company’s policy permitting only white employees to occupy certain positions was racial discrimination. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court where the company was found liable for discrimination, ordered to pay the claimants for their loss of wages, and made to change the discriminatory policy.
Thora J., Cherokee Garden Library Project Archivist
As an Art History lover, I really enjoyed processing photographs of the folk artist Nellie Mae Rowe’s ‘playhouse’ in Vinings, Georgia. Using her. There is so much you can learn about an artist just by looking at their home and garden.
Ariana L., Processing Archivist
So far, the Henderson family visual arts materials and papers have been my favorite collections to process as the family currently owns and runs the first accredited Black travel agency in the United States. Therefore, there are so many materials (like photographs, travel catalogs, flyers, and brochures) in both collections that are related to traveling from the 1950s to the 2000s, especially to various African countries!
Ben C., Project Archivist
I’d have to say negatives of The Beatles that I found while processing the Ken Patterson photographs. The images show the band members during their only visit to Atlanta in 1965, a tour stop that lasted less than 10 hours but drew over 30,000 fans.
Caitlin M., Project Archivist
While processing the Atlantic Steel Company visual arts materials, I found many color photographs of the steel mill’s demolition to make room for the Atlantic Station project in the midtown area of Atlanta. This project to transform Atlantic Steel into a residential and commercial area was considered the largest brownfield site reclamation project in the nation.
Kate D., Senior Archivist
One of my favorite processing projects was the Billy Jones visual arts materials. Jones was one of Atlanta’s central figures in drag and LGBTQ+ history, and his collection includes documentation of drag in Atlanta going back to the 1950s.
If you were to redo your journey, what would you differently?
Thora J., Cherokee Garden Library Project Archivist
I am early in my career and very happy with how my journey has been going. I am always excited to meet new interns and would encourage everyone in college to consider archives, as there are so many professional and research skills you learn through the work.
Caitlin M., Project Archivist
Although I am thankful for the journey that led me to where I am now, if were to redo it, I would have probably changed my major from international studies to history and became involved with my university archives much earlier!
Ariana L., Processing Archivist
I wouldn’t completely redo my journey in archives as I’m grateful to work here at the Atlanta History especially after completing my internship here. However, I wished that I had realized sooner while in college (not during my senior year!) that becoming an Archivist was something I could pursue as a career so that I could have more opportunities in doing archival internships before graduating.
Jess B., Project Archivist
I wouldn’t do anything differently, because my career decisions up to this point brought me to the Atlanta History Center and an industry that I love. However, moving forward I may go back to school to get a master’s in library and information sciences to reinforce my professional experience with practical knowledge.
Kate D., Senior Archivist
I love my work at the Atlanta History Center and I’m happy with my overall path to get me to this point in my career, so there isn’t much I would change if I had to do one thing, I would go back and get more experience with other archives through internships and workshops.
What is something you would love to process into collections?
Jess B., Project Archivist
Because of my background studying the history of gender, I am always excited to find records pertaining to women and learning about their experiences throughout history. Similarly, I love working with content regarding queer people and the LGBTQIA+ community. KRC has so many collections documenting the experiences of women and queer people in Atlanta, so if that’s something that interests you as well, come see us!
Ariana L., Processing Archivist
Similarly to Jess, I have a background in gender studies, and I also have a passion for highlighting marginalized communities and histories. Therefore, I am always excited whenever I get to process a collection that focuses on Black/African American history in Atlanta and I hope that I get to process more LGBTQ related collections in the future.
Kate D., Senior Archivist
My background and love of history started with film, so early on in my role with AHC, I really wanted to dig into that material and see it made available to our patrons, either through processing or digitization. However, we’re about to embark on a project to digitize our entire film collection, so that wish is about to come true!