Another week gone by, and more folders to create.
The process can certainly feel repetitive at times, but as I have gone “deeper and deeper” into the collection, it is fun to see some similarities between certain folders, including overlap between topics, articles, events, etc. in order to pair them together and arrange the folders accordingly. Because Professor Miller has written extensively on contemporary issues, including weekly columns for publications such as Que Pasa (as demonstrated last week), it has been extremely interesting to notice some “hot topics” that he has written about more than others. Some examples are the contentious, and extremely relevant, debates regarding immigration laws as well as environmental issues such as climate change. Although I cannot get too carried away reading many of the articles while processing the collection, it has still been enlightening to get a grasp on the articles’ themes and in some cases see the development of important issues over several years in which Char has written.
By simply paying attention to each folder’s contents by the titles of many articles or essays alone, I have been able to pair many folders together – by title – which should hopefully aid a future researcher in finding much of Char’s work on a specific person, topic, or theme in one “spot.” Of course, this doesn’t always work so seamlessly. Certain folders may require a specific title for a variety of reasons.
But, getting an understanding of the different areas of expertise exemplified through Char Miller’s work, and how they have been incorporated into debates of contemporary issues and politics, has certainly brought an even greater appreciation for the work I am doing. Not only am I gaining more and more practice at processing an archival collection every day, but I feel as though I am learning something from the collection itself. That aspect has been an added bonus and a fun, enlightening way to “plug through” the repetition.
Looking forward to seeing what comes next!