Acknowledgments
Preface
1 Why the Things in Your Attic Matter to History
2 General Rules for Making Decisions
3 Historical Value: Mass Produced Items
4 Historical Value: Individualized Materials
5 Historical Value: Corporate Records
6 Historical Value: Commemorative Material
7 Special Issues
8 Preserving Your Family Objects and Papers
9 Donating Your Family Objects and Papers
Index
About the Authors
Elizabeth H. Dow discovered during her last class toward a Ph.D. at
the University of Pittsburgh's School of Library and Information
Science, that she could blend her love of history and love of
organizing information by becoming an archivist. Subsequently, she
worked as an archivist at the Henry Sheldon Museum in Middlebury,
Vt., the Vermont State Archives, and the Special Collections
Division of the University of Vermont's Bailey/Howe library. In
2001, she left Vermont to create the archives track in Louisiana
State University's School of Library and Information Science. She
retired as the J. Franklin Bayhi Professor of Library and
Information Science in 2014, and moved back home to Hardwick, Vt.
She is the author of Creating EAD-Compatible Finding Guides on
Paper (Scarecrow Press, 2005), Electronic Records in the Manuscript
Repository (Scarecrow Press, 2009), and Archivists, Collectors,
Dealers, and Replevin: Case Studies on Private Ownership of Public
Documents (Scarecrow, 2012).
Lucinda P. Cockrell has worked professionally for more than thirty
years in the museum, archives, and public history field. She has
degrees in Historic Preservation and Museum Education, and is a
Certified Archivist. Her career has been graced by
positions held at the James K. Polk Ancestral Home (Columbia,
Tennessee), the Yorktown (Virginia) Victory Center, and the Center
for Popular Music at Middle Tennessee State University. She now
lives in the mountains of Vermont with her husband, Dale, her dog,
Enkidu, and volunteers in local museums and libraries, serves on
boards, collects ephemera, and helps friends weed their attics.
Dow and Cockrell’s approach and advice are right on target—no
nonsense and frank, focusing on historical significance rather than
nostalgia. They provide expert guidance in an accessible, practical
format that we can all put to good use in the difficult task of
taking care of the accumulations of family life.
*James B. Gardner, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian
Institution*
The significance of How to Weed your Attic lies in its ability to
provide a basis for understanding why family history is important
and what we can do to prevent its loss. The book offers solid
guidance and pragmatic solutions, especially to those who may
be unprepared to make decisions about family records and who fear
losing family history.
*Amy Cooper Cary, Head, Special Collections and University
Archives, Raynor Memorial Libraries, Marquette University*
How do we organize, prioritize, and thin out the mounds of
accumulated papers and materials in our files, office drawers, and
attics? Dow and Cockrell offer a clear and concise approach to
these pressing concerns. This sensible and structured handbook
provides encouraging and straightforward strategies for tasks that
can otherwise feel overwhelming. From everyday family mementos and
photos to corporate records and ephemera, this handy volume is an
excellent resource to guide us through the challenges and find
satisfaction in well-organized and thoughtfully selected
collections.
*Julia Rose, Director and Curator, Homewood Museum at Johns Hopkins
University*
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