by Jolene M. Beiser, Project Archivist
Back here in L.A. we are neck deep in what we are referring to as “Second-level cataloging,” or the cataloging being done AFTER the tapes have been digitized, while listening to the digital audio objects. In this phase, we briefly listen to the recording to confirm any dates, spelling of names, and other essential information about the recording and add that to the recording’s catalog record. We are also adding the descriptive metadata for the new digital objects, according to the PBCore standard. Lastly, we are adding all information about what’s been done for that recording in our “Grant Tracking” fields.
Last week I came across some major gems, the first being: “To Briggs or Not To Briggs”, a panel discussion on the 1978 “Briggs Initiative (Prop 6)”, that set out to remove openly gay teachers and workers from school. This recording is particularly unique as the panelists focus specifically on how this bill would impact African American children and adults, and discusses how if this bill was to pass, it will harm all people, not just open gays and lesbians. The panel, which even the panelists remark was an amazing meeting of minds, included Ida Strickland from the Third World Fund, Yvonne [Scarlett-]Golden, Principal of Opportunity to High School, Lee Watson of KPFA’s Fruit Punch Collective and Third World Gay Caucus, Joseph Waller (aka Omali Yeshitela), Chairman of African People’s Socialist Party, Robert Chrisman, publisher and editor of The Black Scholar magazine, Angela Davis of the National Committee Against Racist and Political Oppression, and Cecil Williams of the Glide Memorial Church. The program was moderated and produced by Avotcja Jiltonilro y Fasanmi.
Another excellent recording that’s received it’s second level-cataloging is “Twelve years of lesbian activism” which outlines the lives and activist work of lesbians, with a specific emphasis on the years 1969 to 1981. The program is full of history and cultural references, and contains women’s music recordings peppered throughout. The program, it seems, was prompted by the opening of the West Coast Lesbian Collections, an archive of lesbian history on the west coast, which was later to become the June Mazer Lesbian Archive. An informative yet very fun listen!
Both of these recordings will be available streaming through the Internet Archive and the University of California, Berkeley library catalog in the Fall of 2015. Stay tuned!
These and 1,998 more recordings are being preserved thanks in part to a generous grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
Ishvani Hamilton talking about Hindu Dancing.
American Women Making History and Culture: 1963-1982 