The work of an archivist is never ending; documents of all
sorts are acquired on a regular basis and mounds of information accumulate
rather quickly. The information comes in the form of primary documents,
manuscripts, newspapers, photographs, maps, etc. Sometimes the information is
neatly categorized, nicely labeled and stored in its appropriate spot, ready
and waiting for the next researcher. On the other hand, quite often this
information is in disarray, scattered or labeled as “miscellaneous” and often
overlooked by the researcher. When someone comes in the archives to look for a
specific topic, it can be problematic not only because valuable information may
go missed, but researchers or students may be crunched for time, as this can
become rather time consuming.
This is where I come in. My goal as the Archival Assistant Intern
for the Florida Historical Society is to create a finding aid for all things related to Florida Native
Americans in the archives. The past three weeks I have been browsing the
archives, making note of what is already organized. Today, I rummaged blindly
through the archives on my own. This is where the fun begins! I came across a
Petition from John Forbes & Co. to the President of the United States to
abolish the Chickasaw Nations debt. It caught my eye as a beautifully preserved
primary document with elegant cursive handwriting of its time. As I began to
read it, I noticed that it did not have a date, and did not specify which
President was addressed. This is a perfect example of one of the many obstacles
that an Archivist may face. Sometimes items are acquired with no provenance, or
source of origin. One must then indirectly date this document with other
information that might be gathered to make the best educated guess possible.
It’s a dirty job but someone’s has to do it! I am excited about this project
and am looking forward to both the new discoveries to be made, and the
challenges I may face.
