University of Glasgow ASC: A Catalogue Analysis

Introduction

How often we have heard during our training, that the driving force of preservation is to provide access to users. Therefore, we have removed our archivists caps and donned our user chapeaus to analyse the University of Glasgow Archives and Special Collections (UofG ASC) online catalogue. This choice of catalogue was driven by our understanding that the UofG ASC is currently reflecting on their online service to work to improve it, and therefore we hoped to contribute qualitative user data to this assessment. Our findings are detailed in the following subsections.

Presentation

When beginning our navigation to the UofG ASC catalogue search we noted the length of clicks it took from our initial input of the keywords into our search engine, to the actual catalogue search bar. The path from the two points was lengthy and convoluted which we concluded could be off-putting for future users unused to this pathway. Although the main homepage of the ASC contains numerous helpful resources for using the collection, this page could have included the advanced catalogue search bar which covers the full repository, or an extension of the Archives Hub search bar, thus making it easier for those to navigate straight to the resources they need.

Further to this, the layout of this repository appears to be tailored to those who already know what it is they are looking for. There seems to be little capacity for browsing the collections on offer in the repository which could ignite curiosity in the user on a subject matter they are unfamiliar with. The separate search links for each type of archive i.e. Scottish Business Archive, Rare Books and Medical Humanities are useful for those looking for a specific topic area (although some links mistakenly lead back to the main page), however this does not promote browsing of the ASC collections as a whole. This is something we feel is a missed opportunity for the repository, especially as it dissuades the first time archival user from engaging with new materials and becoming interested in the broad scope of archives.

UofG ASC Advanced Search Bar Credit: Authors Own

Functionality

As previously mentioned, certain links on the site were broken or had unrelated pathways, an unfortunate byproduct of any online platform. However, the biggest surprise for us as users in terms of functionality was the inability to use Boolean Search Terms on the Advanced Catalogue search bar. Although the extra filter sections in the advanced search are helpful for narrowing down results, the lack of Boolean Search ability means that searching ‘University of Edinburgh’ and ‘University of Glasgow’ returns 0 and 1 search results respectively. However, it was noted that Boolean Search was enabled in the rare books search engine, and therefore as users we wished to see consistency of this functionality across the repository, which would ultimate aide our research.

Catalogue Search

When conducting a search, we appreciated the number of digitized objects available to us, and also the inclusion of rich metadata for each entry. This often included; Department, Collection, Title, Object Name, Medium, Description, Number of parts, Production Person, Production Place, Production Date, Subjects, Associations. By including this level of detail it provided us with contextual information and the necessary reference numbers we would need to access the objects if we travelled to the ASC in person. However, we noted that there was a lack of contextualization of an object within its hierarchy of a collection, thus making it difficult to know where the object sat in relation to others. This is in contrast to Archives Hub which provides the user with a clear hyperlinked hierarchy of an objects collection, which makes it easier to visualize the collection as a whole. Further to this, the inclusion of ‘themes’ within our search results was a point of ambiguity as we did not understand the difference between themes and objects, and each theme provided no further contextualization of how it was represented within a collection.

An Object Entry Credit: Authors Own

Conclusion

We know the University of Glasgow Archives and Special Collections to be a rich and well-curated resource for all users. Despite this impressive extensive repository set within one of the most prestigious universities in the UK, there are fundamental aspects of the repository in terms of its presentation and functionality which could be amended to improve its service for users. This would include a more clear pathway for searching the repository and consistency of functionality across the search bars. Furthermore, by including a clear visualization of the hierarchy in which an objects sits, users would be able to more easily understand the context of the records in the repository. These features would promote ease of use for those well versed with using archives, and encourage new users who might not be as familiar with what these impressive repositories can offer.

---

<p class="has-drop-cap" value="<amp-fit-text layout="fixed-height" min-font-size="6" max-font-size="72" height="80">https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/archivespecialcollections/https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/archivespecialcollections/

Objects as Evidence: my first D&D dice set

Despite the fact that I had two enormous luggages when I first set foot in Scotland (all the way back to 2014), I deliberately chose not to bring anything of value, or particularly sentimental with me. On one hand I was afraid of the prospect of possibly losing the objects; on the other, I wanted a fresh start, and therefore preferred to leave them behind, at least temporarily. So the object I will be analysing will be a relatively recent purchase: a dice set that holds a very special place in my heart. 

My first dice set (including, in order, a d20, d8, d12, d4, d6, percentage dice, and d10), photo taken by me.

Description

The object is not actually a singular one: it is composed of seven pieces in total. As the photo above shows, it’s a polyhedral dice set made up of transparent teal coloured polyresin – a popular material for low-end dice sets such as this. These types of sets are heavily employed for tabletop games such as the popular “Dungeons and Dragons”. The dice allow you to perform actions through the interpretation of the rules of the game, and they are therefore essential to be able to play. Because of this (and, of course, for more immediate readability), each die features roman cardinal numbers inked in white on its sides instead of the more traditional dots. The set was bought from a third-party seller on Amazon at a very cheap price, and it came slightly damaged, with scratches on a number of sides. Furthermore, the ink on many numbers is quite faded, and in some cases it even leaks from one number to the other. Overall, it is pretty clear that both the material quality of this set and its production (which was likely handed to a machine) are quite poor, although perhaps reflective of its very cheap value. Most notably, the pyramidal dice’s (commonly referred as d4) quality is emblematic of this: it appears even less polished than the others, and features the number on the sides rather than at the vertex, as it is more customary to do. Upon asking for a return for this product, the seller told me that all of the other sets like this one were equally damaged, and thus refused to change it. Despite all of these shortcomings, the dice set has something unique to it, which separates from the rest of regular dice sets: if one were to compare it to other standard ones, they would find out that mine is considerably smaller. 

Two d6 and two d20 side by side, photo taken by me.

Deduction 

Although some people collect it due to their charming aesthetics, the objects’ main purpose is to be used in connection to tabletop games. Specifically, I bought this set three years ago, in preparation for the beginning of a D&D campaign that I would run with my closest friends from my hometown. As over the years we have scattered between different cities and countries, we were looking for a way to keep in touch with one another. So, when the opportunity to play this game came by, we welcomed it as a wonderful chance to have just one night a week in which we could hear from each other and be together, as if we were still all in one place. Considering how there are now many applications that enable you to roll virtual dice, I like to think that the fact that we still use these physical ones is a symbol of trust, as we do not require to see the results of the die (which could dramatically change the course of the game one way or the other) to know we are going to play fair, and let chance dictate the outcome. So, aside from being a source of unending fun, it has also served to keep each other close despite the physical distance. Having mentioned all of this, it will be perhaps redundant for me to say that this set, despite its imperfections (and possibly because of them) is very close to my heart, as it represents hours and hours of precious moments that I get to share with my friends each week. In truth, they are even more than this: they represent relationships mended, hours and hours of writing, and even emotional moments scattered all over three years.

Speculation

If future archivists or historians were to look at this object, they would probably be able to infer that, given its specifications and the fact that I keep it as a unit in a bag with similar kinds of dice, it is made to be a specific set. Moreover, if they looked back at the resurgence of Dungeons and Dragons as a tabletop game in the years 2014-2020 thanks to the publication of the 5th Edition manual, they might also be able to deduce both that I played at least a D&D game, (or at the very least I planned to) and that I had a definite interest in this game. Yet, due to the bad state of the dice, they might be inclined to think that I used them far more than I actually do, especially considering how prone they are to being damaged. However, I believe that the personal value they hold for me is going to be irredeemably lost. Especially considering the fact that I have other sets too, it would be hard to make a case for what makes this one special more so than the others, even taking into account their unique size. There is also no way of preserving the memories that are attached to these pieces, unless extra documentation is provided alongside them.

Objects as Evidence: Swiss Pencil Sharpener

In ‘Mind in matter: An introduction to material culture theory and method’, art historian and material culture scholar Jules David Prown outlines a three point methodology for analysing objects: description, deduction, and speculation.[1] In this blogpost, I will be applying this method to analyse a personal object – namely, a Swiss pencil sharpening machine – in order to engage with it intellectually, and to consider its value as cultural evidence.

• 

• 

Description: The pencil sharpener is a heavy object made of solid metal whose base is slightly larger than the size of my palm. It is grey and black, with a chuck that opens out, a rotating handle, and an adjusting screw for sharpening points to various different lengths. Contained within the top half, but hidden from view, is a cylindrical cutter or wood shaver made of steel, and in the lower half is a drawer for the shavings. Additionally, it comes with a table clamp to secure the object to a surface – in my case, a wooden desk. It has the name of its maker, ‘Caran d’Ache’, and below it its place of production, ‘Genève’, imprinted onto the front. It looks almost new, with few signs of use.

Deduction: This object is a utilitarian one – a sturdy, compact machine with replaceable parts made for habitual use. Its rotating black plastic handle and the ‘ears’ used to open the chuck are designed for easy use. The pencil sharpener has been used a few times, and only in order to test its capacity. This is why the drawer contains few wood shavings, and the sharpener looks almost intact. It was given to me not long ago as a parting gift by my former supervisor and a former colleague at the Archivist at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, along with a beautiful matching set of Caran d’Ache graphite pencils. I was excited to get a classic pencil sharpener similar to the ones I had in school as a child (but of much better quality). By bringing it with me to Scotland from Germany and by securing it to the corner of my study desk, keeping it within my peripheral vision, I intended it to be a nice reminder of my former boss and colleague, their kindness and mentorship, and the times that my boss told me that pencils were an archivist’s friend since other writing tools are difficult to change or remove (pens, staples, and metal paper clips were our enemies).

Despite appreciating the gift very much – or perhaps because I appreciate it so much – I have found it difficult to use the pencil sharpener and the pencils regularly. My instinct is to leave pretty gifts intact and use them when I really need to, which defies the purpose of the object and, most likely, the intention of the gift givers.

Speculation: Were this item to be found by someone in the future, I believe the object in its current state would be (accurately) perceived as almost unused and therefore an item that was either cherished and cared for or of little practical use to its owner. Its functionality might not be immediately apparent, especially as the chuck is designed specifically for wooden and graphite writing tools of a certain width, and it must be pulled out with a bit of strength in order to make fine shavings of the exterior by rotating the handle. Unless the person who discovers this object in the future has seen such a machine in action along with its essential partner object, the pencil, and knows how to dismantle it to see its interior, I am not sure it would be intuitive what this tool is for and how it is used. Due to its high quality, it will likely remain intact well into the future.

---

[1] Jules David Prown, ‘Mind in Matter: An Introduction to Material Culture Theory and Method’, Winterthur Portfolio, 17.1 (1982), 1–19 (p. 7) <https://doi.org/10.1086/496065&gt;.

Objects as Evidence? The little glowing cat

Objects are evidence of their owner’s or user’s experience. This experience consists of sensory and intellectual encounters with the object which create a certain value for the user. Archivists face the challenge to detect the original intended users as well as their original experiences with the object and the value it used to have. To highlight the difficulties of that task, I want to introduce one of my own objects as an example.

The object is a white cat made of hard plastic. It is rather small with 10 cm in hight. The cat’s eyes are closed, and the tail is wrapped around its right side. The fur of the cat is indicated by little waves carved into the plastic. When I touch the object, the plastic feels cold and hard with a rough texture due to the carving. The object has an ‘on’ and ‘off’ switch on its bottom side. Turning the switch on, the cat glows up in a white, cold light. The object seems rather cheap with traces of glue on its bottom side. It looks like a mass-produced, decorative item which does not give away much about its use and the value to its owner.

As a student, you leave all your emotionally valuable objects at home. However, the object is probably the most valuable object in my student room next to my mother’s jewellery. My best friend gave me the little cat as a birthday gift two years ago. Her main intention was to finally give me something personal and decorative for my student room. I moved a lot as a student and kept my belongings as practical as possible which is why she wanted to light up my room with the little object. I love cats, which is why it was meant to make me happy – successfully!

Besides its decorative use, I am also emotionally attached to it. It is a reminder of our friendship and of all the good memories. Its value has even grown since I moved again and only see her rarely. Further, the little cat represents a promise. She gave me the object as a present around the time when we were planning a trip to South Africa. She is from South Africa and even bought the cat there for me, so I closely connect it with the country. The holiday was planned for June 2020, before we would both go separate ways after finishing our degrees. Sadly, COVID-19 ruined our plans. Looking at the cat, I am constantly reminded of the wonderful trip that is waiting for me in the future with my best friend.

This example shows that even a simple and cheap object has its own past and value. It can have a lot of meaning for an individual which is not apparent at all to an archivist without the context. Sometimes, the object as evidence is not enough, as it does not give away any information by itself. Looking at the little cat, an object requires context and ground for interpretation – otherwise it is just an object.

Masquerade: the Hunt For the Golden Hare

When is a book not just a book? I’m aware that there are a LOT of answers to this question but in this instance it’s when it’s also a treasure hunt. In this week’s lectures we’ve been discussing ideas around material culture and objects as evidence so I want to take this opportunity to discuss my favourite book: Masquerade by Kit Williams.

To follow Jules Prown’s methodology for discussing material culture, I’ll be describing the object what it looks like and what it’s made of (description); discussing the link between myself and the book and how it makes me feel (deduction) then finishing up with how someone might understand the book from an outside perspective (speculation) (Prown 1982).

Picking the book up, Masquerade looks like a children’s book; brightly coloured, large illustrations combined with text on paper pages in a hardback cover. Upon closer inspection, you see the illustrations are detailed plate paintings and the text is full of riddles and poems as it winds through the story. Quite typical as you flick through it, although the title page presents a rhyme, giving a hint of what’s in store:

Within the pages of this book there is a story told

Of love, adventures, fortunes lost, and a jewel of solid gold.

To solve the hidden riddle, you must use your eyes,

And find the hare in every picture that may point you to the prize.

Image shows the front cover of the Masquerade book by Kit Williams. It depicts a tree on a grassy hill with a town in the background. The tree branches are encased in briar rose flowers and thorns, a crescent moon with a face in the tree. In front of the tree is a small boy running to the left of the tree, holding a mask of a hare’s face. The title ‘Masquerade’ is in black text at the top of the page and the author’s name ‘Kit Williams’ in soft yellow is at the bottom of the cover. Photo of book taken by author.

Image shows the back cover of the book, which is a faded yellow colour. There is a large central image of an ornate gold hare necklace that is decorated with precious gems, stones and gold charms. It is laid in soil with leaves and grass blades surrounding it. Below this is a large paragraph of text explaining what the jewellery is and the aim of the book (a treasure hunt). Photo of book taken by author.

Turning to the back of the book you can find a photo of the mentioned; a gorgeous 18-carat gold hare necklace with charms and precious gems attached. Williams promises the reader that it’s ‘as likely to be found by a bright child of ten with an understanding of language, simple mathematics and astronomy, as it is to be found by an Oxford Don’. With the promise of treasure, the reader leaps off on a journey with Jack Hare to deliver a precious gift from the moon to the sun; a token of her love and admiration. It’s not unusual to have adventure in a story book that leads to treasure, but it is quite rare when the treasure hunt is real and the promised treasure is genuinely buried for the readers to find. My copy of the book is a little battered around the edges but otherwise in good condition to say that it’s over 40 years old. Published in 1979, it belonged to my Dad as a boy and remained at my grandparents’ house. It has slightly yellowed pages and the hint of old book smell from the book cupboard it was kept in.

Every time I visited, I anxiously pored over the pages of the book, desperately trying to solve the riddles; some were easy enough, others proved a little trickier and offered red herrings. I have very fond memories of engrossing myself in the plate paintings, seeking out the hidden hare in every one, with my grandparents giving a helping hand along the way; my Grandad was an avid puzzler so I suspect he really enjoyed the continued efforts to solve each puzzle. When my Nana moved house following my Grandad passing away, the book was given to me to keep and look after.

Evidently, it has a lot of sentimental value to me; it evokes memories of sitting in my grandparents’ living room, admiring the beauty of the book and spending time with family. The running theme of hares through the book seems to have made a lasting impression on me as they run through my possessions; from mugs and coasters to jewellery and pinboards. Going back to Masquerade now, it still has a pull; it draws me into a world that is fantastical, steeped in folklore and rhymes. Despite the time that’s elapsed since the book was written, it has a timeless feel to it and I think this is something that I value most about it. Every time I pick up the book I get a kick of nostalgia for my own childhood but also get drawn into the riddles, word games and paintings that are simultaneously realistic and surrealist. The riddles eluded me – even after reading how to solve the puzzles to finish the hunt, I knew that it simply would have been beyond my capabilities but that doesn’t diminish my love for it. 

Image shows an open page from the book. There is an elderly man playing the fiddle, sat on the back of a crying pig’ There is a tree with autumnal leaves in the background; the trunk of the tree is made up of green hares. Text around the edges reads ‘Riddle De De / A Rose In May / Fiddle De Dum / A Daisy Day’. Photo of book taken by author.

Without knowing about me or my family, my sentimental attachment to Masquerade would be lost entirely, however I imagine that there will be plenty of people who share memories of this book from entirely different perspectives. There will be people out there that bought the book in 1979 and embarked upon the quest to solve the puzzle and find the treasure. International airlines offered tickets to the UK for treasure hunters to seek the golden hare, offering a shovel when you stepped off the plane. Due to the nature of the way to solve the puzzles, other copies of the book may have been annotated and scribbled in; a point that many commenters on a dedicated Masquerade website, Bunny Ears, note as they reminisce about their own copies of the book – multiple scribbled copies in some cases.

Image shows a close-up of the detail of the previous image, focusing on the green hares in the tree trunk, with the fiddle and man in the top left of the image. Photo of book taken by author.

When you add in Masquerade’s dimension of the real-life treasure hunt, it isn’t just a book; it is an object to find another object. The golden hare was found in 1982 (subject to a bit of controversy), so how does this affect the book? Does it diminish the book and make it redundant as the treasure hunt has served its purpose? I would argue not; the fascinating thing about Masquerade is that it’s an enchanting object within its own right for its artwork and storytelling. Even though there is no longer treasure at the end of it, there’s still a desire to work through the puzzles and see how it’s solved. My own copy of Masquerade currently sits on a shelf next to Bamber Gascoigne’s Quest for the Golden Hare – a book that explains how Masquerade came to be written in the first place and gives a full explanation of how the puzzle can be solved. Tucked inside this book are scribbled notes and my own half-conceived riddles, inspired by Williams’ words.

If you’re ever seeking some escapism, I’d highly recommend getting your hands on a copy of Masquerade and joining Jack Hare in his adventure.

---

Further reading for anyone that’s intrigued about Masquerade and want to find out more:

Bamber Gascoigne, Quest for the Golden Hare (London: Jonathan Cape, 1983).

BBC News, Masquerade: Kit Williams’ archive auctioned for £17,500 (2019) <https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-48926994> [accessed 9 November 2020].

Kit Williams: Artist (2020) <https://www.kitwilliams.co.uk/> [accessed 9 November 2020].

Kit Williams, Masquerade (London: Jonathan Cape, 1979).

Masquerade and the Mysteries of Kit Williams  <http://bunnyears.net/kitwilliams/> [accessed 9 November 2020].

Prown, Jules David, ‘Mind in Matter: An Introduction to Material Culture Theory and Method’, Winterthur Portfolio, 17.1, (1982), 1-19.

Shields, Mark, Masquerade: How a real-life treasure hunt obsessed a nation (2019) <https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-47671776> [accessed 9 November 2020].

Sotheby’s, Lot 294: Williams, The Archive relating to Kit Williams’ publishing phenomenon and worldwide treasure-hunt: Masquerade, [c. 1979] <https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2019/english-literature-history-childrens-books-and-illustrations/williams-the-archive-relating-to-kit-williams> [accessed 9 November 2020].

Objects as Evidence: Embroidered Folk Art

Description: Embroidery onto white cotton muslin fabric, machine sewn onto navy cotton fabric with small white hearts. This could possibly be considered a decorative folk art piece. The embroidered words read “I’ve been taken again, kidnapped before dawn stolen by these songs, oh damn them all.” and also include an embroidered double cross with blue wave lines and pink thistle flowers on green stems. The letters “F” and “R” are embroidered to the left and Right of the double cross. The cotton fabric in which the embroidered cotton muslin is sewn is fraying and was not hemmed by the creator. The artifact is 14 inches high by 9 inches wide.

Deduction: Someone viewing this item might notice how thin the muslin and cotton are, which causes the stitching to be more notable and prominent. The embroidered lines around the cross change colors from blue dashes at the bottom of the cross, to green lines that come to represent the stems of thistle flowers with leaves also being shown. The double cross and words are stitched in brown while the letters “F” and “R” are red. The piece is obviously handmade and possibly personal to the owner given that the cross is not easily recognizable and the words do not seem like a well-known quote.

Speculation: Some questions that viewers might have would be:

• What is the symbolism of the double cross?
• Why were these colors chosen for the various aspect of the embroidery?
• What do the words mean and are they a direct quote from some creative work?
• Why was this created?

The Item’s Backstory: This embroidered picture was designed by my brother-in-law and embroidered by my sister to memorialize the death of one of my favorite artists, Scott Hutchison of the band Frightened Rabbit. The words are from an often overlooked song, Housing (In), but they accurately reflect what the band and his lyrics mean to me personally. I received it, framed, two years ago for Christmas, about six months after Scott’s death. I took it out of the frame to bring it with me to Scotland from America, which has led to the fraying of the cotton fabric. It’s one of the few decorative items that I decided to bring with me to Scotland.

Reflection: Upon first viewing of the artifact, one might assume it’s related to religion given the double cross. However, it would be very easy for the viewer to do an internet search of the embroidered words and find that they’re lyrics linked to this specific band- which the F and R would verify. After learning about the band, it would also be fairly easy to find that the double cross has no religious tie and instead has become a symbol for the band after it was drawn by Scott for various album covers. The user might read about the suicide of the lead singer and the connection between his suicide and water, which explains the blue thread and waves at the bottom of the cross. The thistle would also make sense, given that Scott and his bandmates were Scottish and heavily favored Scottish independence.

Studying material culture and the theory and method behind investigating these artifacts led me to choose an artifact that has personal meaning. This object is incredibly personal as it was made specifically for me and would therefore not appeal to anyone outside of the band’s fanbase or perhaps collectors of folk art. In “Mind in Matter,” Jules David Prown suggests that objects may become disposable after they lose their associated value.[1] As much as I treasure the work for the love and thought that went into creating it, I fear it has a high possibility of becoming a disassociated object after it leaves my possession.

---

[1] Prown, Jules David. “Mind in Matter: An Introduction to Material Culture Theory and Method.” Winterthur Portfolio 17, no. 1 (1982) 1-19, pp.4.

Objects as Evidence: Running Shoes

This weeks Records and Evidence session had us considering objects in our lives as evidence. When approaching the object we were asked to consider the item in relation to Professor Jules Prowns’ three point model. Prown was a material culture scholar who conceptualised the model in the 1980s in order to analysis objects. Prown developed this model as he believed “objects made or modified by humans, consciously or unconsciously, directly or indirectly, reflect the belief patterns of individuals who made, commissioned, purchased, or used them, and, by extension, the belief patterns of the larger society to which they belonged” (1984: 1-2)

The model consists of three parts: Description, Deduction and Speculation. Prown emphasis that when implementing the model the processes should follow the aforementioned order, as each step leads onto the next. Once these three initial steps are complete, we can then complete the last step: Research. The steps of the model are as follows:

Description: This stage is when the physical attributes of the item are observed such as material, size and form.

Deduction: This stage covers what can be observed from the physicality’s of the item.

Speculation: This stage is is when one hypothesises about the item. What questions arise when you look at it?

Research: A this stage we look for external evidence regarding the item.

I will now apply Prown’s model to an object of my own. Residing in the impersonal and almost clinical environment of student accommodation meant that highly personal items were not immediately close to hand. However I have chosen an item that I hope demonstrates clearly the three stages of the model.

Description:

The running trainers are made of a typical polyester, plastic and rubber blend. The polyester outer body is grey with darker shaded netting around the rear. The soles of the shoes are a blend of a white plastic foam with a red rubber bottom layer. The shoes have red polyester laces and a black and white striped rubber panel on the side. From the tongue of the shoe we can see that the shoes are a UK size 8.

Deduction:

The shoes are in a poor state. There are numerous holes in the polyester outer fabric, especially around the end of the shoe. The sole of the shoe is well worn down and there are areas where the grip is almost non-existent. There are black oil marks around the heel of the shoe. Although the shoes are grey all over, it is hard to say whether that was their original factory colour.

Speculation:

It would be reasonable to speculate that the shoes have been well worn and loved by their owner. The black oil on the heel indicates that the shoes may have been used for cycling as well as running. The fact the shoes are a size 8 may suggest that the shoes belong to a man. As the shoes are not of a typically well-known or expensive brand we can speculate the owner is either not enticed by brandnames, or is possibly a cash strapped student . . .

Research:

If it was not made clear by the Deduction and Speculation steps of the model – these are my well loved running shoes! I bought this specific pair when I first started running in 2015. Don’t worry – I haven’t been running in them ever since! Although I’ve had many different pairs since this specific pair, I have kept them in my possession. This pair hold semi-sentimental value to me as it was the pair I was wearing when I ran my first marathon in 2015. In terms of practicalities, the shoes fit me like a second skin and therefore they are useful to swap to when I am breaking in new shoes, as they often leave me with blisters and rubbing. Also, the fact they are so well-used means I am not afraid to use them when cycling which usually results in them and me being covered with a large amount of mud and oil!

If the item was to be found by a third-party in the future, I doubt any of the value of the shoes would be translatable by the their appearance. The shoes do not hold a very strong sentimental value to me personally. I feel their value lies in their practical use by me as ‘interim’ shoes between new pairs. However, with their worn out appearance they can regarded as evidence of a well-used item.

I believe the pair set me back an eye-watering sum of £10 from Sports Direct. I like to think the fact I ran a marathon in these cheap run of the (tread)mill shoes only helps to prove the theory that sometimes runners can have ‘all the gear but no idea’. It is testimony that a pair of trainers is the only thing needed to run – and then again, even shoes can be optional!

My and sister and I post-marathon in Venice, 2015. Shortly before devouring a gigantic bowl of pasta! Credit: Own Authors

---

Prown, Jules David. “Mind in Matter: An Introduction to Material Culture Theory and Method.” Winterthur Portfolio 17, no. 1 (1982): 1-19.  http://www.jstor.org/stable/1180761.

A closer look: video recordings and the potential digital preservation challenges they pose for the University of Glasgow

It is apparent from the University of Glasgow’s Archives and Special Collections’ Collections development policy that the university would want to capture a former graduate and professor of Information Studies’ professional records. While both personal and professional materials were given to the university in the form of a laptop, external storage, etc., we have decided to consider the challenges of storing and maintaining video recordings—specifically recordings of lectures, presentations and anything related to the professor’s time at the University of Glasgow. Moving forward, we are making the assumption that video recordings on the devices donated have already been appraised, and personal video recordings have not been accepted for donation. 

Storing large video files presents an array of digital preservation challenges. We’ve outlined some of these considerations below:

• Software dependencies and hardware dependencies: will the media files need to be converted to new formats? Will they require specific software or hardware in order to be accessed?
• Storage considerations: 
  • To ensure redundancy, the University would be expected to use both offline and online systems to keep duplicate copies in different geographic locations. This includes acquiring adequate virtual and physical server space needed for storage.
  • Using checksums will ensure fixity over time and help staff monitor the integrity of the video files. If that integrity ever fails, the duplicate files would need to be used to maintain the integrity of the original file.
• The preservation quality of sound and video could be at risk over time if not properly monitored. 
• For greater accessibility, it would be useful to create subtitles and/or transcripts to be encoded into the videos. The costs for this process should be considered. 
• Other considerations regarding accessibility: How will users access these records? Who can access these records? Some material might require university ID (some courses are part of paid programmes)
• Privacy is also a factor that should be taken into consideration. Were students or other faculty present in the video recordings? If so, according to GDPR laws, consent might be required from other participants in videos. Locating and contacting participants could be a challenge, which leads us to consider if the videos should be made publicly available, or if there should be restrictions attached to their use.
• We have to consider that donated video files may not be in chronological order and their naming may be inconsistent. This will require the university to consider metadata management and how the files will be organized in the library catalogue. 
• Lastly, the University should consider the costs involved in accepting this donation. From the examples noted above, it is clear that accessioning these video recordings will require staff time, physical and digital storage capacity, long term maintenance and monitoring, time to document changes in storage mediums for audit purposes, and possibly training staff on the use of certain software or hardware.

Transformational Technology: that time I destroyed two VHS tapes by liking them too much

VHS courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Looking back at my childhood, there is probably nothing that had such a lasting impact in my life as VHS tapes did. So strong was (and still is) my love for animation, that over the course of the 90s and 2000s, I collected every animated movie in existence that I could get my greedy child’s hands on. Below you can see a photo of just a part of the collection I amassed, which probably counts more than a 100 VHS in total. 

A part of my VHS collection, courtesy of my mother

Extremely prominent in my collection were, of course, Disney movies. It will not come as surprising to say that they have been such a pervasive force in my life, being always beside me from parts of my life I cannot even recall. In a time in which on-demand video streaming services did not exist, these VHS granted the unique, and quite frankly priceless opportunity of watching movies at any time from home. Moreover, the technology that made all of that possible – the VHS player – was very straightforward in its use: insert the tape in the slot, press the play button and enjoy the show. That, however, meant that even a four year child inexplicably fascinated with Pinocchio and Dumbo as was I, quickly learned how to use the rewind button and went back to watch it an ungodly amount of times. While I am not sure to understand what exactly captured me so much in those two specific movies, I can certainly testify to the fact that these are the only two Disney VHS that do not work anymore due to the fact I broke them directly because of the sheer amount of times that I rewound them. 

VHS player, courtesy of pxfuel

Setting that aside, VHS’ greatest transformative effect in my life was surely the fact that it introduced me to the concept of selection and preservation. It was the first time I was presented with the alluring possibility of recording a part, a small piece of my day as it was shown on tv and preserving it for the foreseeable future – talk about unlimited power in the hands of a toddler. With an empty VHS in my hands, I would have been able to save my favourite tv shows, which until that very moment, would have been forever lost to me the moment they finished airing – unless the company decided to air them again, that is. Choosing to record any moment of the tv schedule also meant to record specific parts of life including the unexpected. For example, I am absolutely positive that in one of the tapes I possess there is an recording of the first news report of 9/11 in Italy, just as it unfolded.

TDK empty VHS, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

I remember the moment in which DvD players began to seep into the houses of my friends: new and brilliant technology that would be much faster than its predecessor, with no need to rewind, even! Yet, with these new innovations, some things were lost as well, such as the precious ability to record, and with that, the personal and intimate touch that VHS held, at least for me. 

Now that I look back with more awareness, (and also do not represent a major threat to the survival of my VHS!) I definitely want to make sure to preserve these fragments of my past with the proper care they deserve.

GIMP: the free software to realize creative visions

When I was a child, I loved to play around with ‘Painter’ on our old Windows ’89 family computer. I took random pictures from the internet and “painted” over it, or just simply painted something with the programme itself. Over the years, I discovered new image editors on the internet that allowed me to create collages or use certain filters like Photoscape or Google’s Picasa (now replaced by Google Photos). In my late teens, I finally fulfilled my wish to be creative with something other than my simple digital camera and I bought myself a digital single-lens reflex camera. The more I experimented with it, the more I realised that I considered the actual fun part of being creative with photos was still the editing part on my computer. Once I became a bit more advanced with my photography, I looked into image editing programmes and after seeing the prize of professional ones like Adobe Photoshop, I decided that I would go back to what I knew before: a free and open source software.

I downloaded the GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) which is a free cross-platform image editor available for Windows and other operating systems. The way it is set up is very close to Photoshop. Since most online photo editing tutorials are based on Photoshop, I was able to adapt my knowledge from these to Gimp. However, in a lot of ways, Gimp is much easier to handle than Photoshop. I used it successfully to get paid for some of my projects eventually.

I cannot remember which version of Gimp I first downloaded. Since 2012, the GIMP team released a lot of new versions. They just released newest one GIMP 2.10.22 at the beginning of October 2020. Gimp has come a long way. Peter Mattis revealed the beta version in 1995 for the operating systems Linux 1.2.13, Solaris 2.4, HPUX 9.05, SGI IRIX. Mattis and his fellow student Spencer Kimball wanted to write an image manipulation programme as part of their studies at Berkeley. Their goal was to create something like Photoshop which is why they inspired a lot of the features by it.

“During Christmas break we encountered Photoshop 3.0 and discovered the “joy of layers”. This functionality was deemed absolutely necessary and will part of the next release of the GIMP.”
– Peter Mattis (1996-02-15)

From an archival point of view, it seems that Gimp’s history and the process of its creation is important to the team. The website contains a whole page about the history of the programme which gives detailed information of its creation and the creator’s different strategics. Further, it provides embedded messages from Peter Mattis which are part of a Google email conversation from the 90s that is still publicly accessible. It seems that most of the information is preserved within the Mailing Lists of the people involved in the project.

The official GIMP 1.0.0. was released 1998 and is transforming since then. I must have started using either GIMP 2.6.11. or 2.8.0. Since the image editing programme was more of a creativity outlet tool for me, I was always more interested in its easy handling and good quality as well as its accessibility for free. Apart from that, I think the runners and creators of the image manipulation programme are doing excellent work to preserve the history and information about the different versions of the programme. From the website, it is very visible that they are proud of the long way the software has come!