National Parks Archiving and Cataloging Projects

Hands-on activities in real world contexts add an interesting and important dimension to the graduate student experience at SLIM. An example of such an approach and one of the most popular courses at SLIM for the past 8 years, is a 3-credit hour independent study opportunity, LI861 "Archives in the Park." Since 1999, SLIM has offered the opportunity for students to gain experience in archiving and preservation practices in a "workshop" setting at Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), Estes Park, Colorado. To date, nearly 100 students gathered from Kansas and each of SLIM's distance education sites have enjoyed this "high country adventure."

The course was initially created by Dr. Nancy P. Thomas, Dr. William Butler, RMNP archaeologist, Judy Visty, Park Ranger, and Sybil Barnes, RMNP Librarian in response to a need at the Park to address serious preservation problems. Dr. Thomas continues to act as course designer and coordinator; instructional tasks in 2006 were shared by Tim Burchett, museum curator at RMNP, and Randy Silverman, Preservation Librarian for the University of Utah Library. Additional expertise is provided by local historians, museum staff, and Park personnel.

"Archives in the Park" was awarded ESU's Excellence in Teaching Award in 2001.

"Archives in the Park" includes preliminary and post-Park assignments in addition to a 5-day session spent preserving and archiving documents, photograph albums, and artifacts at Rocky Mountain National Park. In addition, a variety of additional on-site activities acquaint students with the natural and historical context within which archival work at the Park takes place. During the past five sessions, students have enjoyed visits to the Enos Mills Homestead Cabin, the William Allen White cabin in Moraine Park, Bear Lake, The Alpine Visitor Center on Trail Ridge Road, the Estes Park Historical Society Museum, sites in and around Estes and RMNP of historical interest and importance, and dinner at the historic Baldpate Inn. Program highlights for previous classes included "A Visit with Enda Mills Kiley, daughter of Enos Mills", a tour of historic Estes, led by Dr. James H. Pickering and Dr. Ferrel Atkins, and presentations by Alex Drummond, biographer of Enos Mills, and Park Ranger Information Officer, Peter Allen.

Two "spin offs" of the "Archives" class have been course offerings for students interested in hands-on experiences with cataloging in real-world settings at Grand Teton National Park, and at the Estes Park Area Historical Museum. Course instructors have included two SLIM grads, Mark Ewing and Marie Mack.

Plans for "Archives in the Park" Fall, 2007 are currently underway. Students interested in information on either the archives or cataloguing courses should contact Dr. Nancy P. Thomas at nthomas@emporia.edu.