Work Makes Life Sweet

Today was my first official work day as a National Transportation Library (NTL) Summer Transportation Internship Program for Diverse Groups Archival Collections/Cataloging intern in Washington, D.C. Here are a few quick highlights:

* The Federal Government is FULL of acronyms, full names are few and far between. I am currently working on a cheat sheet Post-It note for the various agency acronyms within the Department of Transporation.

* Transporation is fascinating! Each mode of traditional mobility including (air, rail, ground) has a plethora of corresponding agencies with work to ensure the United States has a fast, safe, efficient, accessible and convenient transportation system that meets our vital national interests and enhances the quality of life of the American people, today and into the future. My internship is facilitated through the Research and Innovative Technology Adminstration. The Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) coordinates the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) research programs and is charged with advancing the deployment of cross-cutting technologies to improve our Nation’s transportation system

*It is great living and working with a group of diverse college, graduate, and doctorate students who are as equally ambitious as I am! My fellow STIPDG interns come from various backgrounds and bring unique perspectives about the world to every conversation we engage in. Dare I say: I know I will make some life long friends this summer! My roommates are also amazing people.

*Super-duper high heeled shoes are not the best option in a professional setting that requires you walk between buildings to meetings all day. Blisters and dragging feet are definitely not hot in the business world. One needs to be able to move and move well.

As an Archival Collections intern I will be gaining various RELEVANT technical experience which I am extremely excited about and greatful for! My mentor shared today that we will also be trained on the Circulation Desk and Techincal services. Check out all the cool archival tasks below:

1.      Create an XML finding aid (EAD, encoded archival description) that integrates the “U.S. DOT Historian’s Archive Collection” Access database and the “Authorities” Word document (these can be found in Sharepoint Historian’s Files folder).

2.      Using the “Authorities” document to apply subject headings, continue item by item, folder by folder, database entry to the “U.S. DOT Historian’s Archive Collection” Access database.  The collection is in the filing cabinets in the microfiche room and also in the “Speeches” binders  and   Add terms (Library of Congress subject headings) to the “Authorities” list if needed.

3.      Continue writing a) a description of the entire collection and b) a description of the sub-collections by type, i.e. speeches, photographs, press releases, etc.

4.      Identify points of contact in DOT to ensure historical material continues to be sent to the library staff.

5.      Update the DOT Historian’s home page.  Provide suggestions for improvement. 

Social Media  

1.      As you look through the U.S. DOT Historian’s Archive Collection, (and browse the maps collection and the security shelves collection), evaluate and suggest items for potential write-up / photo in NTL social media.  This can be done daily or weekly.  The intern will consult NTL’s Social Media “Policy and Standards” and “Strategy and Procedures” documents (in Sharepoint Web 2.0 folder) for guidance.  Items can include facts, resources, photos etc. found in library materials.

Twitter and Delicious:  Email items and suggestions as they are found.

Wikipedia: Update NTL’s Wikipedia page to add more detail about our collection and make hidden collections known. 

Flickr and YouTube: As a group, interns will meet once per week to photograph gathered materials.  The group will meet every two weeks for the YouTube project.  Recording for the video will take place in the 5-6^th week of the internship.

Participate with the other library interns in group social media projects for the library.  Possible projects include (but are not limited to)

a.       Creating a YouTube video (pending DOT approval).

b.      Photos of library facilities or events.

2.      Contribute short intern updates and observations and post on NTL’s Facebook wall.  If you are not comfortable posting on NTL’s FB, or prefer to contribute anonymous updates.Create catalog records for a unique technical sub-collection; perform simple and complex copy cataloging; assist in the creation of original cataloging records; assign subject headings and call numbers; perform collection assessment and prioritization; participate in workflow assessment.  NTL cataloging includes both traditional and digital repository cataloging systems.

As a cataloging intern I will be working on the following:

1.      Cataloging digital collection. The intern will use OCLC Connexion and Workroom (NTL Digital Repository) to create original metadata catalog records with Library of Congress Subject Headings and Transportation Research Thesaurus (TRT) Terms. The intern will work with NTL’s digital submission email box to catalog original reports created by government funded projects.  The intern will consult NTL’s cataloging policies and procedures (in Sharepoint Cataloging à Policies & Procedures folder) for guidance.

The intern will perform original cataloging of digital mini-collections (shown as “collection views”).  Mini-collections include materials from:

-          DOT’s Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office (ITS JPO)

-          University Transportation Centers (UTC)

-          Federal Rail Administration Collection

-          Civil Aeronautic Medical Institute Collection (CAMI)

2.      Work with National Transportation Knowledge Network (NTKN) Metadata and Cataloging Initiative Team to develop standards for the transportation community. The NTKN Metadata and Cataloging Initiative is a support group to help the Transportation community in cataloging original documents. The intern will submit one article to the team for peer review.  Upon acceptance, the article will be published in the NTKN Cataloger’s Toolkit Wiki.

3.      TRT maintenance team participation. During the course of cataloging, he intern will identify terms for potential inclusion in the TRT.  Terms will be presented to the cataloging team along with basic subject analysis; where terms belong within the hierarchy of the Thesaurus or whether they are relevant to be included in the TRT.

4.      Update and organize state DOT websites cataloged in NTL.  Add state DOT annual reports to NTL. The intern will update metadata records in NTL’s Digital Repository for accuracy and currency of State DOT websites. The intern will also catalog and ingest State DOT’s annual reports to be archived for future reference.

5.      Processing and cataloging of archival materials in NTL’s “secure room.”  The intern will use AACR2 and MARC formats to create original catalog records in EOSi, NTL’s integrated library system.

Department of Transportation Building

In the 1994 work, Sisters of the Yam, Black Feminist scholar, bell hooks discusses how" most of us [black women] did not enter the workforce thinking of work in terms of finding a ‘calling’ or a vocation.  Instead we thought of work as a way to make money” (43).  hooks asserts the importance of black women “learn how to think about work and our job choices from the standpoint of ‘right livelihood’” (45).  Growing up she was surrounded by older black folks who felt “work makes life sweet” and did their work with pride,  joy and presence, whether it was ironing, teaching,  or gathering worms for fishing –despite being confronted by racism and sexism everyday. The philosophy of "right livelihood" is one that will undergird my work at NTL this summer. I am confident in my choice to enter the field of librarinship. I hope the practical experience I gain this summer will be the first step in my journey towards a vocation that "makes life sweet".