Скачать или смотреть Finding Flint Workshop - How to access and use the new Finding Flint research tool

This workshop introduces "Finding Flint," an online archival resource at the Sloan Museum designed to provide the community with greater access to its collections. Presented by archivist Rachel Stock, the session begins with an overview of the site's contents, which include finding aids, digital objects (currently photographs, with plans for audio/visual materials), and links to other community research organizations like the University of Michigan-Flint and the Flint Public Library. Stock explains that while finding aids can be text-heavy and sometimes confusing—a recognized issue in the archival field—they offer a crucial "overview" of a collection's size, contents, and creator. She guides the audience on how to access the site via the Sloan Museum website's "research" tab, highlighting the global and advanced search functions, the welcome screen with contact information and research tips, and the "browse by" categories like "subjects," "people," and "places."

The presentation transitions into a live demonstration of the site's functionality, showcasing three specific collections. Stock uses the John H. Carry papers (which include 36 diaries from 1871–1909) to illustrate how a finding aid functions as a digital "box," with folders on the side that detail individual file contents. She emphasizes the importance of the "scope and content note" for gaining a quick understanding of a collection. Next, she highlights the African-American Collections Committee, a digital photo collection she is particularly proud of, demonstrating how users can browse photos, navigate by series (like "business"), and download images for research. Finally, she uses the Beatrice Welzel collection to show how a user can download an entire finding aid as a PDF for offline viewing. Stock concludes by sharing her vision for the future of Finding Flint, which includes adding more finding aids, expanding the digital content beyond photographs, and making the site less text-heavy and more visually appealing.

0:02 - 0:54: Introduction (Rachel Stock, Archivist at Sloan Museum, and "Many hands make light work" analogy)
0:54 - 1:20: Presentation Agenda
1:23 - 1:43: Introduction of Finding Flint (online resource, finding aids, digital objects, external links)
1:47 - 2:40: How to Access Finding Flint (via Sloan Museum website or direct link)
2:41 - 4:53: What You Can Access on Finding Flint (Finding Aids, Digital Content, Other Resources)
4:57 - 8:07: Deeper Dive into the Site's Functionality (Black ribbon, Welcome Screen, Menu, Search Bar)
8:07 - 9:07: The Welcome Screen (general info, contact, tips, research/citation, site status)
9:07 - 12:02: The "Browse By" Section (Guide to a collection, Finding Aids, Digital Objects, Other Resources, Subjects, People, Places, Popular This Week)
12:05 - 14:53: Example Collection: The John H. Carry Papers (diaries, how to view the collection structure and find the scope and content note)
14:53 - 18:00: Example Collection: The African-American Collections Committee (digital collection of photographs, navigating the images and series, viewing descriptions and access points, downloading copies)
18:04 - 19:40: Example Collection: The Beatrice Welzel Collection (downloading a finding aid as a PDF for offline viewing)
20:06 - 21:47: The Future of Finding Flint (adding more content, improving the site's look and feel)
21:54 - 22:37: Questions and Conclusion